next for legislative work. they will take up 10 bills first. several dealing with human rights issues overseas, and also with the department of veterans affairs. later they will begin work on 2015 federal spending. debating a $51 billion commerce, justice and science spending bill for the next fiscal year. this year's bill, a $38 million cut from the previous year. live coverage now on the -- from the u.s. house here on c-span. he motion to suspend the rules on which a recorded vote or the yeas and nays are ordered or the vote incurs objection under clause 6 of rule 20. record votes on postponed questions will be taken later. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from florida seek recognition? ms. ros-lehtinen: mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 4587 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 4587, a bill to impose targeted sanctions on individuals responsible for carrying out or ordering human

rights abuses against the citizens of venezuela and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from florida, ms. ros-lehtinen, and the gentleman from texas, mr. castro, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from florida. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, mr. speaker. i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on this bill. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. ros-lehtinen: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to place into the record letters between the chairman of the committees of referral on this bill. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you. mr. speaker, i rise today in support of h.r. 4587, the venezuelan human rights and democracy protection act. this bill has received bipartisan support from many of my colleagues in the house and

was passed more than two weeks ago by our foreign affairs committee. i would like to thank chairman royce, ranking member engel, subcommittee chairman salomon, and ranking member sires for working with my office to craft the legislation that is before us this afternoon. mr. speaker, we are here today to condemn the ongoing human rights abuses being committed in venezuela and to answer the cries of the people of venezuela. on february 12, 2014, also known in venezuela as national youth day, students began protesting in several cities against venezuelan leader maduro's inability to stem violent crime, his undemocratic actions and a rapidly deteriorating economy marked by high inflation and short ands of consumer goods -- shortages of consumer goods. since then, these students and the venezuelan people as a

whole have been met with intimidation, with violence, with imprisonment simply for calling for the respect of human rights and democratic change. one example is the case of a pro-democracy leader who continues to be in prison at a military facility on trumped-up charges by maduro in an effort by maduro to silence his many critics. another example, a courageous woman, a member of the venezuelan national assembly until just recently, has stood up for the people of venezuela and for drawing attention to the abuses being committed by the autocrat, she was stripped of her legislative seat. since the protests began, mr. speaker, there have been 42 people killed, nearly 60 reported cases of torture, more than 2,000 people unjustly

detained and hundreds more injured. and throughout this crisis the so-called dialogue discussions with maduro has provided no results, no actions, no concessions and the innocent are still being imprisoned. and just two weeks ago, mr. speaker, 250 teenage protesters, ones who had camped out in the public square to protest, were rounded up and thrown in jail. teenagers. but the problems in venezuela go beyond these protests. venezuela has now become one of the most dangerous countries in latin america. according to press reports, between january, 2014, and april, 2014, there were over 4,500 homicides in venezuela. that is a staggering statistic, mr. speaker. this call for freedom and democracy in venezuela did not

just start in february and it's a shame that it has taken the events of these past few months for us to get active about the plight of the venezuelan people. the struggle for freedom in venezuela has been ongoing for over a decade, due to the oppressive policies put forth by the late hugo chavez, which have now continued under his hand-picked successor. the legislation before us, mr. speaker, is very direct and very clear. it seeks to target venezuelan officials by denying them visas to enter the united states, blocking property, freezing assets and prohibiting financial transactions to members of the venezuelan regime who are responsible for the commission of serious human rights abuses against the people of venezuela. very clear, very direct. the united states congress must stand ready to act on the calls

to freedom and democracy around the globe. and the venezuelan people have sent us a distress signal for help. today we answer that call by condemning the actions taken by the maduro regime and showing our support to the people of venezuela who are seeking liberty, freedom, human rights and justice. with that, mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the chair now recognizes the gentleman from texas, mr. castro. mr. castro: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise in strong support of h.r. 4587, the venezuelan human rights and democracy protection act, and yield myself as much time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. castro: i would first like to thank congresswoman ros-lehtinen for authoring this legislation and for her dedication to these important issues. the eyes of this congress and the international community are on venezuela and president

maduro and his security forces as they crack down on peaceful protesters. it's an absolute tragedy that 42350e78 have -- people have been killed -- 42 people have been killed in protests throughout the country. i'm also troubled that the opposition leader remains in jail on charges while many others have been unjustly detained by the maduro government. i'm grateful for president obama and secretary kerry's strong statements condemning the government's reprehensible actions. let me say that all of us in congress want nothing more than a peaceful resolution to this conflict. it was disappointing when negotiation between the maduro government and the opposition broke down and i hope that these talks can be revived. in march the house of representatives passed a resolution which encouraged a process of dialogue between the government of venezuela and the political opposition to end the violence. i continue to believe that the dialogue is the best way out of this crisis. in the meantime, the legislation that we are considering today makes it clear that the united states

will not turn a blind eye to human rights violations. this bill has been crafted to impose targeted sanctions on human rights violators in venezuela, while not harming average venezuelans who are already suffering as a result of terrible economic mismanagement by their country's leaders. while the venezuelan government might try to say otherwise, let us be clear. there is not a single provision in this bill that would negatively affect the average venezuelan. this bill does not touch the venezuelan oil sector or other parts of the country's economy. instead the venezuelan human rights and democracy protection bill we advocates visas and freezeses a elts -- revokes visas and freezes assets of human rights violators. this gives president obama a great deal of flexibility to respond to events on the ground. each sanction in this bill can be waived by the president at any time. i would also point out, mr. speaker, that it's important, as i mentioned when this came up in committee, as the gentlewoman will remember, it's important that the united states send a strong signal in

latin america. although we understand that each of the latin american countries is distinct and different and all have different histories, we witnessed in the 1960's to the 1980's many thousands of students who disappeared, who were removed by their governments from their homes because of the protests that were going on in those countries at the time. and we want to make sure that that never happens again. and this bill is important in ensuring that the venezuelan government understands that the united states is watching and that we'll make sure that something like that doesn't happen again. with that, mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlelady from florida is recognized. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, mr. speaker. at this time i'd like to yield two minutes to the gentleman from new jersey, mr. smith, chairman of the foreign affairs subcommittee on africa, global health, global human rights and international organizations. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new jersey is recognized. mr. smith: mr. speaker, i rise in strong support of the

venezuela human rights and democracy protection act and to thank my distinguished colleague, chairwoman ileana ros-lehtinen, for her bold leadership in calling attention to the deplorable human rights situation in venezuela and for creating this meaningful diplomatic tool to assist the venezuelan people in resisting tyranny, first tyranny opposed by hugo chavez and now that of his understudy in oppression, maduro. at his core, this important initiative authorizes targeted sanctions to those who are responsible for violence and abuse, namely members of the maduro regime. the regime's silencing of democracy advocates such as mr. lopez is a violation of fundamental human rights and is an example of what makes this piece of legislation so fitting and so necessary. i also support the bill's redirection of funds towards supporting civil society groups in venezuela involved in promoting respect for democracy and fundamental freedoms, most

importantly respect for the right to life, expression and the right of religious liberty. indeed i want to underscore the church's role as a voice independent of the state of venezuela in how it has been unafraid to speak up on behalf of the oppressed and those protesting injustice. the maduro regime has sought to silence the church which remains a force independent of the government and a witness to the truth. the house of representatives honors and deeply respects the key role that the church and faith-based civil society groups are playing in the fight for democracy and human rights in venezuela. as we all hope to see a free and democratic venezuela, i strongly urge my colleagues to support the ros-lehtinen legislation, h.r. 4587, and i yield back the balance of my time. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you very much. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentlelady from florida reserves. the gentleman from texas. mr. castro: i reserve, mr. speaker. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, mr. speaker. i'd like to yield two minutes to the gentleman from indiana, mr. messer, a member of the

committee on financial services. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from indiana is recognized for two minutes. mr. messer: mr. speaker, i rise in support of this important bipartisan bill, to promote human rights in venezuela. i want to commend my colleague, chairwoman ros-lehtinen, for bringing this important measure forward. it makes clear that as a nation we do not condone recent human rights abuses against venezuelans as they fight for democratic change. venezuelans speaking out for basic rights and freedoms such as the ability to speak freely and live free from intimidation and violence, have been harassed, intimidated, threatened and killed as a result of their desire to determine their own destiny. just this month 41 people have

been killed, over 100 injured and 60 tortured in venezuela in response to pro-democracy demonstrations. these are alarming statistics and action must be taken to prevent this violence and hold the perpetrators accountable. this legislation does that by placing sanctions on those in president maduro's government who are responsible for this violence against those exercising their legitimate rights. i urge all of my colleagues to support this important bipartisan measure and i yield back the balance of my time. thank you. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. ms. ros-lehtinen: i will reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves. the gentleman from texas. mr. castro: mr. speaker, i yield three minutes to the gentleman from new york, my colleague, mr. meeks of the foreign affairs committee. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york is ecognized for three minutes.

mr. meeks: thank you, mr. speaker. i come to the floor today to oppose h.r. 4587, the venezuelan human rights and democracy protection act. and while i'm deeply troubled by the violence that erupted in venezuela at the onset of protests months ago, and i join all of the people of venezuela in mourning the loss of many lives, i will also join all of the people of venezuela in the desire to see peaceful protests and a peaceful outcome and that violence by anyone and everyone cease. i remain committed to doing everything in my power to support a positive outcome in that nation. but i believe that unilateral action by the united states is not the answer.

and that is why this bill is not the right step to take. i know that there are high emotions on all sides of this issue and i understand why. but the house should not act emotionally, it should act judiciously. this bill does not advance u.s. interests, it will not help the people of venezuela and it sends the message to our regional allies that we don't care much about what they think and these are allies, these are our friends. moreover, the obama administration has the authority to do what this bill calls for right now and the administration has shown its willingness to use its authority. so what then is our objective? is it intended to push venezuela to the brink? what would that do for the venezuelan people and the region?

i've spoken to all of our major allies in the region and i've yet to hear any support by them for sanctions. . our allies do not want to see the situation in venezuela worsen. the unilateral sanctions bill we are considering today is misguided in that it is not -- it is an unfortunate reminder of the history of u.s. arrogance in the western hemisphere. we have a legacy in the americas that is riddled with long-lasting consequences. that legacy has left us with a trust deficit. today, we are considering a bill that does nothing to build that trust. our standing in our own hemisphere will never improve unless or until we build that trust. while we pursue these sanctions, our allies are actively supporting dialogue. members of this very body have made it a point to denounce and even condemn some regional

organizations. yet, one of those organizations, along with the vatican, has managed to be the facilitator of engagement between some in the opposition and some in the government of venezuela. unisor continues to urge dialogue between all parties and it is my sincere hope that dialogue can be successful, but at moments like this i wonder if we prefer -- thank you. just need 130ekds. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. meeks: it is my sincere hope that dialogue can be successful. in moments like this, i hope we understand that unilateral sanctions will be another policy mistake, a costly mistake that we can and should avoid and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from texas reserves. the gentlelady from florida. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. ros-lehtinen: mr. speaker, we're gathered here because we believe we must speak for those who cannot speak freely, because our venezuelan brothers and sisters are engaged in a

critical battle for freedom and democracy against a brutal enemy. and we're gathered here because even as we enjoy the freedoms to assemble and express our beliefs, we want our brothers and sisters in venezuela to enjoy this and other basic liberties. millions of people throughout the country have expressed themselves in the past three weeks in support of democratic change. but the maduro regime has responded with tear gas, with rubble bullets and even live ammunition, killing at least 42 and injuring thousands and unjustly detaining countless others. we must act because democracy and human rights aren't issues for venezuelans only. they matter to all of us who seek to advance human dignity, rule of law, justice and freedom. tyrants like maduro fear small group of -- groups of committed citizens because they know they are the only force that has changed history, and we don't

have to go far in history to see that even one person can make a difference. with that, mr. speaker, we're going to reserve the right to close if mr. castro is prepared to yield back. mr. castro: mr. speaker, i am and i just wanted to say, again, thank you to the congresswoman, to the chairman of the committee, chairman royce and ranking member engel. of course i'm here as many others are to support the bill. there was a counterargument that mr. meeks so eloquently stated. i'm glad he had a chance to voice it, but i do hope that the congress today will get behind this bill. thank you, chairwoman. with no other speakers i'll yield back my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentlelady from florida. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume and i'll introduce our closing speaker. i never thought i'd utter these words, but it was a pleasure to work with mr. castro. in closing for our side, mr.

speaker, i yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from florida, my legislative brother, mr. diaz-balart, a member of the committee on appropriations and a champion of freedom, democracy and human rights in the western hemisphere and around the world, mr. diaz-balart to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from florida is recognized. mr. diaz-balart: mr. speaker, thank you very much. i also rise in support of this important resolution, the venezuelan human rights and democracy protection act. i first, mr. speaker, want to start by thanking my dear friend, a tireless champion for human rights and democracy around the world. you know, she has thanked and rightfully so a number of people who have helped with this important legislation. we would not be dealing with this issue on the floor if it wasn't for the tireless effort, the constant, tireless struggle, fight, solidarity and effort of my dear friend, my sister, congresswoman ileana ros-lehtinen. those people around the world who are struggling in gulags

and struggling for their freedom know that they have in ileana ros-lehtinen, a true champion. once again we see that leadership here today. mr. speaker, since mid february, the people of venezuela, led mostly by students, by the way, have risen up to protest the corruption, the food shortages, the crime rates, the alarming repression that have worsened during the maduro few months in office and control. in response to these legitimate peaceful grievances, mr. speaker, the venezuelan regime, what they've done is they've ordered security forces to brutally crack down, brutally, with great force and brutality, crack down on the opposition. they've used unlawful force. they've used severe beatings and beatings of unarmed protestors, most students. and by the way, even shooting some of them point blank. they even jailed some of the main opposition leaders on phony charges, mr. speaker.

and since the protest began, as you've already heard, more than 40 people have been killed. 3,000 have been arrested, many disappeared and hundreds more have been injured, mr. speaker. in addition, maduro's regime has instituted a virtual media blackout, blocking images even over the internet and by the way, even expeling journalists like cnn and ntn. just this past weekend alone, the venezuelan regime blocked cnn and news -- a news crew from covering local elections. obviously they don't want anybody there that can show when and how they're stealing those sham elections. and it's shameful, mr. speaker, that the chavez-maduro regime, the policies have managed to really get one of the richest economies in latin america, the largest oil exporter in latin america and they made it frankly a poverty-ridden nation. people now face shortages of some of the most basic

commodities, mr. speaker. by the way, inflation is about 50% over the last year. so no wonder the people are struggling. maduro has intensified his intimidation tactics, though, by increasing political arrests, by militarizing his response, by using thugs to respond to the peaceful opposition members and students who are in the streets demanding freedom. he's been labeling those unarmed opposition leaders as terrorists and also enemies of the state. we've heard that before, mr. speaker. this bill frankly just directs our administration to rightly deny visas, to freeze assets and prohibit financial transactions to the members of the venezuelan regime responsible, mr. speaker, those responsible for committing these human rights abuses. so these corrupt cowards, which who now have blood on their hands, they shouldn't be allowed to travel to our country while they continue to

brutalize their fellow citizens, the students who have in the streets just demanding freedom, the regaining of their sovereignty. it's time to hold these human rights abusers accountable. those complicit with knows egregious acts of human rights violations, mr. speaker, you know, they have to be named. they must be named and they must be named and shamed and they need to suffer the consequences of their actions. so i have, mr. speaker, i have the great fortune and privilege of representing a patriotic and vibrant venezuelan american community in southern florida. you know, they continue to bring the attention, attention to these deplorable conditions, those in venezuela while the vast majority of the international community that some would like us to yield to their wishes, but yet they're not saying anything. the venezuelan people are standing up, in many cases, dying in the streets and the

vast majority of the international community is silent. so some would just have us also be silent. well, with the passage of this bill, the united states house of representatives will send a strong signal that bestand in solidarity with the -- we'll stand in solidarity with the venezuelan people as they struggle to regain their democracy and freedom from the maduro regime. this house, the united states of america, the people's house stands with them. so i urge the support of my colleagues on this commonsense resolution. i know that i keep hearing -- i heard a little while ago -- people i greatly respect. not all venezuelans support sanctions. no, the regime doesn't support the sanctions, but this house, led by this leader right here sitting next to me, was instrumental in strengthening sanctions against iran when a lot of the international community was against it. and frankly when the administration, our own

administration was lukewarm at best. but this house stood firm. this house stands for freedom and democracy, and today once again this house can stand proudly, side by side with those who are giving their all in the streets of venezuela to regain their freedom, their sovereignty and their dignity. with that, mr. speaker, i urge the support of this important legislation, and i yield back the remaining part of our time. thank you, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from florida yields back. the question is will the house spruss and pass the bill h.r. -- suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 4587 as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed, and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from florida seek

recognition? ms. ros-lehtinen: mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 4028, as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 4028, a bill to amend the international religious freedom act of 1998 to include the desecration of cemeteries among the many forms of violations of the right to .eligious freedom, as amended the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from florida, ms. ros-lehtinen, and the gentlewoman from new york, ms. meng, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from florida. ms. ros-lehtinen: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and xtend their remarks and to include extraneous material on this bill. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. ros-lehtinen: i thank the speaker. the fundamental freedom to practice the religion of one's choosing is a fundamental right and an essential element of democratic governs.

religious organizations of all kinds -- governance. religious organizations of all kinds view their cemeteries, mr. speaker, as hallowed ground, deserving of respect and protection. freedom of religion includes the right to gather at these sacred sites and to pay our respects to the beloved faithful who have gone before us. yet, in many places around the world, the desecration of religious cemeteries is an ongoing problem. sometimes through vandalism by intolerant groups, sometimes by construction or demolition without proper consultation of religious authorities. for example, mr. speaker, earlier this month, more than 50 graves were vandalized in a jewish cemetery in northeast hungary. their headstones toppled and smashed. i was proud to be an original co-sponsor of a similar effort by former congressman robert turner last congress, and i

want to commend the gentlelady from new york, ms. meng, for her leadership in introducing h.r. 4028 this year. the international religious freedom act of 1998, which this bill modifies, guides u.s. policy in promoting freedom of religion around the world. among other aspects, that law requires the state department to report annually on violations of religious freedom abroad. by adding desecration of cemeteries to the examples of religious freedom violations listed in that act, h.r. 4028 says loudly and clearly that congress and the american people stand in staunch opposition to the deliberate desecration of religious burial grounds. in this way, the bill provides extra incentives for foreign governments to respect the rights of religious

organizations regarding cemetery preservation. in addition to ms. meng, i also want to recognize the important contributions of the gentleman from georgia, mr. collins, during the foreign affairs committee markup of this bill. their bipartisan efforts have led to the good bill before us today, mr. speaker, which deserves our unanimous support. and with that i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves. the chair recognizes the gentlelady from new york. mst meng: mr. speaker, i rise -- ms. meng: mr. speaker, i rise in support of h.r. 4028, the protect cemeteries act, which i authored, and i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. . ms. meng: this amends the international religious freedom act to include the desecration of cemeteries. i would like to thank chairman royce and ranking member engel for helping to craft and advance this bipartisan

resolution. and for recognizing the seriousness of cemetery desecration. there is truly a bipartisan and collaborative spirit on the foreign affairs committee and that's a testament to its excellent leadership. i would also like to thank congressman doug collins for his partnership here and valuable contributions to the bill. and thank you to both republican and democratic committee staffs for recognizing the value of this resolution and working so hard to bring it to the floor today. i'd particularly like to thank janice, jessica and doug for all their help and great work. hanks as well to dr. bernard fishman for his dogged advocacy on this issue over many years. the resolution is short but i believe very significant. we are strengthening the international religious freedom act of 1998 by addressing the sanctity of burial grounds.

pursuant to this act, the united states can impose penalties on countries that obstruct religious freedom. these include but are not limited to cutting foreign aid, imposing trade sanctions and canceling cultural and scientific exchanges. there are two related problems we seek to address through this legislation. one is the religiously motivated vandlism of cemeteries that occurs with alarming regularity. the second is the building and development over cemeteries in places where there are no communities remaining to protect and look out for the cemeteries. h.r. 4028 will give our diplomats a new tool they can use to protect our interests. h.r. 4028 also empowers the commissions on international religious freedom and on the preservation of america's heritage abroad. the latter commission was established in the 1980's

through legislation introduced by the late congressman and works to identify and preserve cemeteries, memorials and buildings in foreign countries that are associated with the cultural heritage of americans and it does much work in areas of the former soviet union where jewish communities were destroyed by the holocaust and where a power subsequently passed to eighth yiss tick regimes. it's essential we act to protect religious freedom in this these areas. political instability and anti-semitism are widespread. the genocides of the 20th century destroyed communities and left their burial grounds uncared for and unpreserved. the preservation of cemeteries often reflects the religious tolerance and freedom of the countries in which they are located. it is my hope that this resolution will help promote such preservation and greater

tolerance, respect and empathy around the world. as well as honest assessments of history. i urge my colleagues to support h.r. 4028 and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves the balance of her time. the gentlewoman from florida. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, mr. speaker. i'm proud to yield three minutes to the gentleman from new jersey, mr. smith, chairman of the foreign affairs subcommittee on africa, global health, global human rights and international organizations. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new jersey is recognized for three minutes. mr. smith: mr. speaker, first of all i rise in strong support of h.r. 4028 introduced by my good friend and colleague, congresswoman meng, which adds desecration of cemeteries as a violation of religious freedom identified in the international freedom act of 1998. sadly such an addition is necessary because we've seen repeated acts of desecration of cemeteries occurring throughout the world, especially in europe, but also in the united states, including my own state of new jersey. jewish cemeteries seem to be a

particular target of desecration. by some counts, attacks on jewish cemeteries have been on the rise over the last several years and we have tried to document that again and again in our work at the parliamentary assembly and the organization for security and cooperation itself, a number of jewish organizations as well have come forward with extraordinarily demoralizing numbers of cemeteries as well as synagogues that have been attacked. as there is a rising tide of anti-semitism. i would point out that we had a hearing, i chaired a hearing on may 22 on the international religious freedom act, with the focus on the commission on religious freedom. and one of the things that was brought forward in vivid detail has been the lack of enforcement and the lack of due diligence on the part of the administration when it comes to the international religious freedom act. not since 2011 has there been a designation of what we call

country of particular concern. c.p.c. status or the dishonorable stat us that it conveys ought to be done every year. congressman frank wolf, the authors of the international religious freedom act, made it very clear in his law, and i would point out for the record i chaired all the hearings in the house as that bill is working its way through the house, and we have had i believe a dereliction of duty on the part of the administration to do what it has to do. no designation since 2011. the commission pointed out that there are eight countries that ought to be so designated followed by agent others, including vietnam, that needed to be added to the list, making a total of 16 countries that are then liable to sanctions, the 18 or so sanctions that are prescribed in the legislation, again authored by mr. wolf. i am so glad that ms. meng is adding this to that list. but the list itself and all the other violations need to be

taken seriously by the administration. hope springs eternal. i hope they do it sooner rather than later like today. but i won't hold my breath. say this because it is a very, very serious issue and that was brought forward in our hearing just the other day. finally, mr. speaker, there are other groups including the religious minority in pakistan, we had heard testimony on the 22nd about how their gravestones are being violated as well. jews by far -- jewish people have their cemeteries desecrated and others as well and it is a terrible and a despicable act of violence against individuals and religious freedom. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentlelady from florida reserves. the gentlewoman from new york. ms. meng: see nothing other speakers, i'd like to close, mr. speaker. unfortunately anti-semitism and religious intolerance remain all too prevalent in our world. we grapple with these issues in some form every day.

this resolution will give american officials real tools with which to promote not only religious tolerance but truth. truth in the form of preservation and recognition of the memories of those who came before us. and only through truth can we realize a better world. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back the balance of her time. the gentlelady from florida. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you. in closing, mr. speaker, i want to again thank ms. meng for her wonderful leadership role in this and many other pieces of legislation going through our foreign affairs committee. and commend mr. collins as well for this blow against hatred and intolerance and in favor of religious free exercise around the world. i strongly support the bill by ms. meng, h.r. 4028, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back the balance of her time. the question is, will the house

suspend the rules and pass the bill, h.r. 4028, as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and, without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from florida seek recognition? ms. ros-lehtinen: mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and pass house resolution 599. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 599, resolution urging the government of the people's republic of china to respect the freedom of assembly, expression and religion and all fundamental human rights and the rule of law for all its citizens and to stop censoring discussion of the 1989 tiananmen square demonstrations and their violent suppression. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from florida, ms. ros-lehtinen, and the gentleman from texas, mr. castro, each will control 20 minutes.

the chair now recognizes the gentlewoman from florida. ms. ros-lehtinen: i thank you, mr. chairman. i ask -- mr. speaker. i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on this bill. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. ros-lehtinen: i thank you, sir. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise in strong support of house resolution 599. i am proud to stand with the gentleman from new jersey, mr. smith, with the democratic leader, ms. pelosi, and their bipartisan co-sponsors in urging the bejing regime to respect the fundamental human rights of all chinese citizens to observe the rule of law and to stop censoring discussions of the 1989 tiananmen square massacre. 25 years ago a million chinese citizens from all walks of life gathered in and around tiananmen square to call for

democracy, to call for reform, to call for openness. similar demonstrations sprang up in more than 400 other cities around china. but the hopeful idealism of those chinese pate rots was met with -- patriots was met with tanks, with bullets and bayonets and the so-called people's liberation army murdered a still unknown number of the people of china. the tiananmen square massacre was the brutal start of a massive wave of repression against chinese democracy advocates. during the past 2 1/2 decades, mr. speaker, much has changed inside china. china's economic and military power have grown dramatically. and its governing ideology owes less to marx, lenin and moo than to a state-fed nationalism. but other things have not changed.

china remains a one-party state where a regime obsessed with maintaining social control commits wide-ranging human ights abuses including extrajudicial killings, disappearances and illegal imprisonment at so-called black jails. detention of lawyers, of journalists and bloggers, coercive population control involving forced abortion and sterilization, and restrictions on freedom of religion, of the press and of assembly. repression is even harsher against disfavored minorities such as tibetan buddhists, the muslim uighurs and other practitioners. according to the most recent state department country reports on human rights, the chinese regime, quote, consistently blocked access to websites it deemed controversial, especially those

discussing taiwan, the dalai lama, tibet, underground religious and spiritual organizations, democracy activists and the 1989 tiananmen massacre. end quote. a quarter of a century later, why is the regime in beijing still so afraid of the truth? how strong is the communist party that feels the need to harass and muzzle the aging tiananmen mothers who lost their sons and daughters in 1989? in the biting words of one 76-year-old mother, quote, such a great, mighty and correct party is afraid of a little old lady. they're afraid of us old timers because we represent righteousness. end quote. today, mr. speaker, with house resolution 599, we stand in

solidarity with the righteous mothers of tiananmen, with the ladies in white in cuba and with all those who struggle for liberty and for human rights where tyrants rule. those who have sacrificed their lives in pursuit of freedom are not forgotten. with that, mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves the balance of her time. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. castro: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise in strong support of house resolution 599, urging the government of the people's republic of china to respect the freedom of assembly, expression, religion and all fundamental human rights of its citizens and yield myself as much time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. castro: i'd like to begin by thanking mr. smith for his leadership on this issue, i'd also like to thank chairman royce, ranking member engel and the entire foreign affairs committee for the bipartisan manner with which we continue to work to shed light upon the gross violation of human and

political rights in china. mr. speaker, next week we will commemorate the 25th anniversary of the tiananmen square demonstrations where hundreds of student protesters demanding political and economic reforms were murdered. today the image of an unknown man standing in peaceful protest to government tanks rolling into tiananmen square are among the most iconic of the 20th century and continue to serve as a source of inspiration for political and human rights advocates around the world. unfortunately many in china will never know of this sad chapter of chinese history. the communist party of china is determined to erase all memory of the tiananmen square massacre from national memory. the chinese government continues to block all uncensored internet websites and blogs related to the events of june 3 and 4 of 199 and willfully distributes misinformation to its people. even today beijing continues to harass, arrest and discriminate against the relatives and friends of those killed in tiananmen square. .

but the censorship is just the tip of the iceberg. they imprison pro-democracy activists, lawyers, religious believers, members of ethnic organizations and those who views their religious or their ethnic identity. over 1,300 prisoners of conscience are being held at various black jails where they are often tortured, forced into labor camps or even killed. mr. speaker, house resolution 599 condemns the chinese government for its appalling human rights record and calls for an end to the harassment, detention, torture and imprisonment of chinese citizens practicing their legitimate freedom of religion, expression and association. it also calls on the broadcasting board of governors to provide the people of china with information about the tiananmen square massacre.

mr. speaker, i urge my colleagues to support this important and timely resolution and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas reserves. the gentlelady from florida. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from new jersey, mr. smith, chairman of foreign affairs subcommittee on africa, global health, global human rights and international organization, co-chairman, also, of the congressional executive commission on china and the author of this resolution. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new jersey is recognized. mr. smith: i thank my friend for yielding. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new jersey. mr. smith: might i inquire how much time i have left? the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from florida has 16 minutes remaining. mr. smith: mr. speaker, it's been 25 years since china's government crushed the peaceful demonstrations we remember by the name tiananmen square. the resolution before us honors the extraordinary sacrifice endured by hundreds of thousands of peaceful chinese, democracy activists who rallied for almost two months in

beijing and in over 400 other cities in china in a heroic quest for liberty and human rights. it's been estimated that over a million people took part. tiananmen has also come to symbolize the brutal lengths china's communist party will go to remain in power. when the tanks rolled into the square on june 4, 1989, mothers lost sons, fathers lost daughters and china lost an idealistic generation of future leaders. you know, mr. speaker, some may prefer to look past or even trivialize the wanton slaughter by chinese soldiers, but the memory of the dead and those arrested, tortured and exiled requires us to honor them, respect their noble aspirations for fundamental freedoms and recommit ourselves to the struggle for freedom and human rights in china. former president yang said in an interview that tiananmen was

no big deal, but it was a very big deal that has left an enduring mark on chinese society and on u.s.-china relations. the government of china continues to go to astounding, even bizarre lengths to censor and ban open discussion of tiananmen. this resolution sends the right message. we will never forget tiananmen. ever. so long and especially so long as the chinese people cannot discuss it and openly without harassment or arrest or torture. mr. speaker, one of the most enduring symbols of the tiananmen demonstration was the unveiling of a facsimile of the statue of liberty in 1989. it was a moment that thrilled freedom advocates around the globe. there was this enduring symbol of freedom facing the portrait of one hanging in tiananmen square. this moment was an extraordinary -- was

extraordinary because it showed when the chinese are able to speak publicly and freely, they ask for greater freedoms, democracy and justice. these are universal liberties that can be found in demonstrations for liberty worldwide. we see it in cairo and caracas, turkey and tunisia, kabul and kiev. there was a moment when we all believed that tiananmen square demonstrations would be a triumph of freedom and democracy. later in 1989, the warsaw nations crumbled and so did the soviet union as well. but those in china sought to force. brutality and they sent tanks into beijing to, quote, clear the square. the beatings, the bayoneting, the tortures of students and the display of tanks turned the dream of freedom into a bloody nightmare.

mr. speaker, in 1991, i was able to visit beijing prison number 1 with a great friend and colleague, frank wolf. it was a bleak gulag where some 40 tiananmen square demonstrators were being unjustly detained. we saw firsthand the price paid by brave and tenacious individuals for peacefully petitioning their government for freedom. and it was not pretty. they looked like walking skeletons of auschwitz and they worked grueling hours making products, some of which ended up in u.s. markets. mr. speaker, for the past 25 years, the tiananmen demonstrations have shaped the way the chinese government deals with dissent. despite the country's stunning economic growth over the past two decades, beijing leaders remain terrified of their own people. china's ruling communist party would rather stifle, imprison or even kill its own people than defer orem brace their demands for freedom and rights.

the president's tenure of president, started with so much promise of new beginnings, has instead ramped up the repression. china today is in a race to the bottom with the likes of north korea. last year was the worst year since the 1990's for arrests and imprisonments of dissidents. over 230 people have been detained for their human rights advocacy and others we don't know about. in the past months leading up to the tiananmen anniversary, beijing has detained some two dozen activists for seeking to commemorate the anniversary, even criminalizing gatherings and art installations. and china remains, as we all know, one of the worst offenders of human rights overall. it remains the torture capital of the world. religious freedom abuses continue with absolute impunity and ethnic minority groups face repression when they peacefully seek rights of culture and of

language. hundreds of millions of women, mr. speaker, have been forced to abort their precious babies because of a draconian attempt to limit population growth. in effect, since 1979. china's one-child policy is a human rights disaster without precedent, and it's a demographic nightmare as well. brothers and sisters in china, mr. speaker, are illegal, and the preference for having boys has led to a gender imbalance and a mass extermination of the girl child. this is not only a massive gender base crime, mr. speaker, but a security problem as well. experts are coming to the conclusion that china is unprecedented gender balance will lead to more crime, social instability, worker shortages and even possibly war. of course, it has had a horrific impact on sex trafficking. last year china was rightfully demoted to a tier 3 country on the provisions of the

trafficking protection act because of the missing girls and daughters so shows slavers are now buying and selling women as commodities because women don't exist relative the number of males in the people's republic of china. all because of a cruel one-child per couple policy. finally, mr. speaker, repression has not dimmed the desires of the chinese people for freedom and reform. there is an inspiring drive in china to keep fighting for freedom under very difficult and dangerous, lethal conditions. this drive is the most important asset in promoting human rights and democratization. when democratic change does come to china, it will come from within, not because of outside, although that pressure needs to be a-- outside pressure, although that pressure needs to be applied judiciously and effectively, u.s. policy in the short and long term must be supportive advocates of peaceful change.

we cannot abscond. every time we meet with chinese leaders, whether it be in the white house or -- i believe that someday china will be free. someday the people of china will be able to enjoy all of their god-given rights. as a nation of free chinese men and women, we will honor them and they will be celebrated someday as heroes of tiananmen square and all of those who sacrifice so much and for so long for freedom. i yield back to my distinguished colleague the balance of the time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentlelady from florida reserves. the gentleman from texas. mr. castro: mr. speaker, i yield to the very distinguished gentlewoman from california, our democratic leader, nancy pelosi, one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from california is recognized for one minute. ms. pelosi: thank you very much, mr. speaker. i thank the gentleman for yielding. i welcome to our group and appreciate his very important

remarks as we observe the 25th anniversary of the tiananmen square massacre. as always, i'm absolutely honored and pleased to join my colleagues, the distinguished former chair of the foreign relations -- foreign affairs committee and now chair of the subcommittee, congresswoman ros-lehtinen. mr. wolf and mr. smith and i have been fighting this fight together for decades. i thank them for their courage. presidents, ed our on this subject. this is a bond we have had about respecting the dignity and worth of every person. and when we saw what happened in tiananmen square, it was almost unbelievable to see the government of china turning on its own people, having tanks run over their children in tiananmen square who were speaking out against corruption, who were speaking

out for more openness, for speaking out to speak out. i have treasured this poster in my office over the years, the 25 years. it's been signed by every major dissident that's been able to leave china. not many of them can go back. but it is the symbol that mr. critz smith talked about of the man before the tank. it's one of the most iconic figures in history of democratic freedoms in the world. however, if you were to go to china and ask young people of this picture, they know nothing about it. it has been censored. they cannot -- they don't tell people what that is. some said maybe it's a commercial for something. i don't know what that is. so powerful is it that even any discussion of it in china for young people at the university

-- a place where many of these young people came forth and said they would like to end corruption, expand freedom of expression. what form of government they will have, as mr. smith said, remains to be said, up to the chinese people. but the fact that they could not even talk about it without being run over by tanks, it was stunning. it was really remarkable. stunning because we had really not seen anything quite like that. in the spring of 1989, 25 years ago, a community of activists, dissidents, students and chinese citizens stood up for their rights in tiananmen square. people were inspired by a path of political reform advocated by some of china's leaders who were purged. the people spoke out against the abuses of their government, of people demanded respect,

dignity, liberty, a voice. people cried out for freedom, their souls yearning for a better future. they called for the elimination of corruption, acceleration of economic and political reform, for freedom of expression and assembly. they called for a dialogue for china's -- with china's leaders on how to make progress. of people protested, demonstrated, marched, a military was turned against the people it was supposed to protect. the people's liberation army turned on the people of china. and a young man, again, stood alone in the street, made a line of tanks stand to a grinding halt. you don't see it here but the tanks turned. they turned away from this lone man and did not run over him for all the world to see. an image seared into the memory of all who saw it, a photograph unforgettable to those who

promise to human rights, it challenges the conscience of the world. we cannot have any moral authority to talk about human rights in the world if we ignore the violations and human rights in a big country, a prosperous country, an economic engine. i remember, my colleagues do too, at the time the trade deficit with china, with the u.s., we had a deficit of $5 billion a year. that was an enormous trade deficit, and we thought it would give us leverage to free the students who were arrested in tiananmen square. we just wanted to free them, to respond to the moms, the parents, free those students. others in the chamber had said we could use that $5 billion at the same time to stop china for blocking u.s. exports into china or stop them from

transferring technology, missile technology and the rest to pakistan and beyond. . but there were those in the congress and the country and on the chinese payroll, because they were lobbyists and the rest who said, no, no, no, you can't use that $5 billion for leverage to free those prisoners, to stop those barriers to our trade, to stop their transfer of technology to countries that might then turn them over to rogue countries. you can't do that. if you remain calm, there will be peaceful evolution and all this will come -- will be improved. in fact, our trade with china will grow, their freedom will increase, these people are still arrested, the trade deficit is no longer $5 billion a week -- a year. $5 billion a year.

it's $7 billion. but not a year. from $5 billion a year to $7 billion a week. and not one cent of it used for any leverage to free prisoners or to challenge the chinese in terms of the violations of human rights in china and inity bet. it's stunning. they just -- they own the show. that's just the way it is. $5 billion a year to $7 billion a week. oh, my god. progress has been made. but not by the american worker. but not by u.s. -- by our economy. no. by the chinese government. it's really stunning. it is really one of, i think, the stories that has to be told by the u.s. to stand up for who we are and what we stand for.

25 years ago, tiananmen became synonymous with the battle for freedom in china, an iconic struggle for justice and democracy. 25 years later, the spit of tiananmen endures in those continuing to strug until china and around the world. what moral authority do we have to say to a small country, you not violate the human rights of your people, but we'll take anything the chinese have to dish out because we have a commercial interest there. the heroes, the heroes, and we have to talk about them, because the chinese tell them nobody cares about you anymore. these heroes still display the unmatched courage required simply to speak up and speak out. i thank congressman smith for bringing this resolution forward and speaker boehner for this week holding an official remembrance -- remembrance, it is tomorrow, to allow taos stand united with these heroes.

today any mention of these vents of june 4, 1989, the victims and their families are in prison and persecuted by the chinese government. today the chinese people may not know the truth about tiananmen. it's a long time ago. many of the young people weren't even born yet. corruption, though, they do know is rampant in the chinese government. the rule of law is not applied in a fair manner. they suffer injustices with no redress of grievances. air and water pollution are making them unhealthy and destroig their environment and that may be something that get the attention of the government. mr. wolf, thank you for your leadership, for your courage, when mr. smith talks about going to chinese prison number one, i know that you led the way there. today, the tiananmen mothers bravely keep up their calls for

tie log and their supporters worldwide join the demands that the chinese government provide an honest accounting of the crackdown, stop persecution of the families of the demonstrators and allow the families to mourn publicly without interference. only one nobel peace prize laureate who is imprisoned. he and his wife remain in prison for trying to secure their basic rights. wed that -- we had the privilege of being asked by the family, some of us, to go to norway when the received the nobel prize. there was an empty chair because the chinese government would not allow him out of prison to go to receive the nobel prize and so we joined some members that were selected to be part of the

delegation. that was one of the great honors of our lives, i think we all agree that it was. we're not here today just to acknowledge history. we are here to learn from the memory of a dark chapter, a dark past, to and write a brighter chapter of freedom and justice in the future. we're here to support the tiananmen movement. how many of those young people who got out of china, who came through here, told us their stories, we cry cied together, they tried to make sense of how they could make a difference for those people who were left behind. we are here to support the tiananmen movement which endures, inspires, and cannot be stopped. i'm hopeful because there are conversations that happen with the chinese government. i've had my own on the subject of climate change and environmental issues like clean air, etc., that are problematic in china, that maybe there can

be some communication that can be constructive. i'm hopeful that the visits we have had to each other's country to talk about one subject and another without getting anywhere near that taboo in their view of our talking about people or their freedom, that perhaps in the communication that exists in we orld today, that maybe have reason to be hopeful. but, with the passage of this resolution, congress will say to the people of china, freedom loving people everywhere, your cause is our cause. we can never forget. we must never forget, we will never forget. and again, the chinese government likes to say that prisoners, nobody knows you're here, they don't remember who you are, they don't remember why u came here rm e-- why you came here: we want to give --

came here. we want to give the lie to that. we want to come to the floor, to go to public events, to say the names of people who we have not heard of their fate but that their mothers want an accounting for. as we do this, we do so look forward to a day when the world east most populous country can be called a country where people can speak out, be respected, and when the chi demeeze -- chinese government respects its own people, it will command much more respect. so again, i thank you, congresswoman ros-lehtinen so much for taking the lead to bring this forward, congressman castro for your important remarks, to my pals mr. wolf and mr. smith, you've done so much, you've made such a difference. it's an honor to serve with you and work on this important project together. with that, mr. speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. the gentleman from texas

reserves. the gentlelady from florida. ms. ros-lehtinen: i reserve the right to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves. he gentleman from texas. mr. castro: thank you, mr. speaker. i would say that the worth of a nation is not measured in dollars and cents aloan. as china's economy continues to grow into among the largest, so too should its commit 789 to human rights, democracy and transparency. we're -- its commitment to human rights, democracy and transparency. we're proud to support this resolution. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentlelady from florida. ms. ros-lehtinen: in closing, i would like to yield the remainder of our time to the gentleman from virginia, mr. wolf, a subcommittee chairman on the committee on appropriations oz who's bill will be before us today, co-chair of the tom lantos human rights commission and a tireless advocate for human rights in china.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for eight minutes. mr. wolf: i want to thank ms. ros-lehtinen for bringing the bill up, and i want to thank the democratic leader, congresswoman pelosi, for being there at every time, including the time we stood up to the chinese government at tiananmen square when you were almost arrested. i want to thank the democratic leader for her help and support on every time an issue of human rights in china has come up. thank you very much. 25 years ago, peaceful, pro-democracy demonstrators, most of them students, gathered in tiananmen in a move for greater openness, transparency and rule of law. but what could have marked the beginning of a peaceful political transition in china was brutally, brutally crushed by the people's liberation army. a historic moment of opportunity was, quite frankly, lost. by nearly every measure, china is today as intolerant of dissent as it's ever been.

just read today's "new york times" where they talk about they're cracking down, telling people, do not go to tiananmen. like authoritarian governments before it, the chinese government remains deeply frightened. they are frightened. they are literally afraid of their own people. they're afraid of the spirit that animated that protest, namely the yearning for base exhuman rights and fundamental freedoms. i first went to china in 1991 with my good friend congressman chris smith of new jersey. it was during this trip we visited beijing prison number one, chinese authorities informed us, and we saw them that approximately 40 tiananmen square protesters were in prison. our request was to see the demonstrators, they were denied, but chinese authorities gave us a tour of the prison's textile and plastic shoe fact rors. we saw them making socks. these are the socks they were making. golfers on re are

the side and there were no golfers in china at the time. they were making them for america. i took with me some of the socks they were making because they were coming to our country. that experience captures in stark terms the failure of u.s. foreign policy, the failure of u.s. foreign policy toward china over successive administrations, both republican and democrat alike. the united states has too often pursued a relationship that is fundamentally inconsistent with the most basic national values. marked by trade and unfettered market access at the expense of human rights and religious freedom and rule of law. president reagan said that the words in the constitution and the words in the declaration of independence were a covenant not only with the people of philadelphia in 1776 and 1787, but with the people of tiananmen and the people who want freedom all over the world.

may this resolution by congressman smith and the approaching anniversary of that dark june day serve as a sobering reminder of the unmet yearning for basic human liberty ich compels men like the imprisoned nobel laureate, won the 2010 nobel prize, he's in prison, his wife is under house arrest she couldn't even go to norway to pick up the prize and also the thousands of others whose names we do not know but as leader pelosi said, they will be known in the west, someday, everyone will know who they are and everyone will know who they are in china and we will know , who has f tank man done more to bring about freedom than anyone else. i pray for the day the chinese government and the party responsible for the crackdown in tiananmen, responsible for the

continuing repression, will be relegated to the, quote, ash heap of history. they will be relegated to the ash heap of history and i believe that will come very soon. i believe it will come in my lifetime, particularly if the democratic aspirations of the chinese people can find a champion. if they can find a champion in the united states of america. with that, i thank ms. ros-lehtinen for bringing this bill up, i thank mr. smith for this resolution and all the effort he's done and i i want to again thank democratic leader pelosi for her leadership in fighting on these issues, of human rights and religious freedom. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and agree to house resolution 599. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative -- >> mr. castro: mr. speaker, i ask for the yeas and nays.

the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. those in favor of taking this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. a sufficient numbering are viz -- having raisin -- risen, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from washington seek recognize snigs mr. hastings: mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 3366, as amended.

the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 3366, a bill to provide for the release of the property interests retained by the united states in certain land conveyed in 1954 by the united states, acting through the director of the bureau of land management, to the state of oregon for the establishment hermiston agricultural research and extension center of oregon state university in hermiston, oregon. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from washington, mr. hastings, and the gentlewoman from new mexico, ms. lujan grisham, will each control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from washington. mr. hastings: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. hastings: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. hastings: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, h.r. 3366 would release the bureau of land

management's reversionary interests in 2980 acres that were conveyed to the state of oregon in 1954 for the establishment of the herm ison agricultural research and extension center of oregon state university in harmson, oregon. it would reunite that land with orfphan parcel that the bureau of land management has no use for. the federal government conveyed the 290 acres affected by this legislation to the state of oregon. however, the federal government retained a reversionary interest in the property which now denies o.s.u. and the city of hermiston the control and flexibility needed to officially manage the property to advance new agriculture research programs. as hermiston continues to grow around this area, lifting the reversionary interest will advance the goals of oregon state university, benefit the local economy and create job opportunities to meet the

demands of the expanding region. adjacent to the 290 acres is a six-acre parcel of land that previously reverted back to the b.l.m. and currently stands idle. this parcel is the subject of an amendment being considered with this bill. if it is not dealt with it will become an orphan land parcel that's no use to the bureau of land management and it will be a challenge to manage. the six acres will be better managed when they are rejoined with the adjacent 290 acres that this bill addresses. congressman walden, the congressman from that district, should be commended for his work on that issue. i urge my colleagues to support its passage, and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from washington reserves. the gentlelady from new mexico. ms. lujan grisham: mr. speaker, i rise in support of the hermiston reversionary interest release act. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. lujan grisham: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. lujan grisham: in 1954, the

federal government conveyed 250 acres near hermiston, oregon, to the state of oregon to establish an agricultural experiment station. the agricultural experiment station ultimately became the oregon state university agricultural research and experiment center. the hermiston center focuses on innovation and implementation of agricultural and horticulture opportunities and provide solutions to production restraints. this work is crucial to the agricultural economy of the region. oregon state university would like to move the hermiston center to a new location and is looking to congress to remove federal restrictions placed on the land at the time of conveyance in order to sell or develop the property. h.r. 3366 removes these federal restrictions and will allow oregon state to develop its agricultural research facility to meet the future needs of the agriculture sector. allowing the flexibility that

h.r. 3366 provides is a pry ofert for oregon state -- priority for oregon state university and the region and we gladly support this bill and the university's continued research. with that, mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves. the gentleman from washington. mr. hastings: mr. speaker, i'm very pleased to yield eight minutes to the author of this legislation, the gentleman from washington, mr. walden. phil: the gentleman from oregon is recognized for eight minutes. mr. walden: i thank the speaker and i thank the members of the natural resources committee for their work that brought this legislation to the floor. h.r. 3366 is very important to the city of hermiston, as you all have heard, and to the county and to oregon state university. i appreciate being able to speak in support of it today. oregon and the nearly 70,000 square miles that i represent in my district is full of unique landscapes, ranging from high deserts to green valleys which produce more than 220 different argual crops. farmers in this part of oregon,

the columbia basin, grow commodities like corn and wheat to onions and potatoes, asparagus and of course the world famous hermiston watermelons. in fact, the county is the second highest producing agricultural county in the state of oregon with sales topping $487 million annually. agriculture has been the economic background of the county. however, growth of the industry would not have been maintained without significant improvement in production techniques. the land that this legislation deals with was conveyed to the state of oregon and then to oregon state university by the federal government. it's the home of the hermiston agricultural research and recollection tension center. now, this center fueled these innovations, helped growers in the region maximize use of precious water, fight off new

pests and diseases and achieve record breaking yields. this commonsense legislation simply places the home of the research center back fully under control by removing the retained reinvestigationary interest. it convey -- revisionary interest. it conveys six acres. and this release of conveyance will help the university of oregon to help better meet the needs of the city of hermiston, eastern oregon's largest city. when this land was originally conveyed in 1954, mr. speaker, the hermiston population, mr. speaker, was less than 4,000 people and the research station was located well out of town. today with the population of 16,745 people, the research facility's now lie within the city limits of hermiston, presenting potential challenges to growth in the future. now, despite economic and population growth the last 60 years, the needs of farmers have not changed much. they still rely on the quality

work and research done at the research station to grow topnotch crops and grow jobs in the nation. as station managers continue to plot the path as the city continues to grow they had their hands ties the land maintained by the federal government. some can't be farmed or pad over because of these government restrictions. also, if the need arises in the future, the reversionary interest stands in the way of relocation of a facility which would provide additional economic opportunities for the city while maintaining the research capabilities and a site better suited for agriculture production rather than being struck between industrial sites or residential communities. by removing the reversionary interest, h.r. 3366ry moves these hurdles and provides opportunities for economic and job growth for the local community which is why it's been strongly supported by farmers in the area, the city

of hermiston, yume tilla board of commissioners as well. for farmers in the columbia basin, it's valuable for agriculture research to continue into the future, bringing new techniques they need to tackle new challenges as they continue to feed and clothe the world. and for oregon state university, it provides the flexibility they need to ensure they continue their mission of providing the quality research they provided for the area for decades. again, want to thank the staff on the committee, my own staff, riley and thomas, for their work on this legislation. i'd ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this important piece of legislation, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from oregon yields back. the gentleman from washington reserves. the gentlelady from new mexico. ms. lujan grisham: mr. speaker, i thank my colleagues for their important work on this important piece of legislation, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. the gentleman from washington. mr. hastings: thank you, mr. speaker. i'm glad that my colleague

mentioned the columbia basin. my district happens to be north of that. and that part of the columbia businessin that i represent also is a very important plentiful agriculture area, and i'm glad my friend from oregon recollection that just to the south of -- recognizes that just to the south. i urge its passage and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from washington yields back. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 3366 as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed, and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from washington seek recognition? mr. hastings: mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 503, as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar to er 325, h.r. 503, a bill authorize the national desert storm memorial association to establish the national desert storm and desert shield memorial as a commemorative

work in the district of columbia, and for other urposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from washington, mr. hastings, and the gentlewoman from new mexico, ms. lujan grisham, will each control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from washington. mr. hastings: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. hastings: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. hastings: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, h.r. 503 authorizes the desert storm memorial association to establish a commemorative work on federal land outside of the closed national mall reserve in the district of columbia to commemorate and honor members of the armed forces who served on active duty in support of operation desert storm or operation desert shield. over 600,000 american servicemen deployed for operations desert storm and desert shield and successfully

led a coalition of over 30 countries to invade an army to secure the independence of kuwait. this memorial recognizes their success but will also serve as the commemoration of those nearly 300 americans that made the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf. the work would be planned and constructed using nonfederal funds, and unlike recent monument proposals, does not exempt it from the commemorative works act which was set to place standards and the placement of memorials in the washington, d.c., area. it's a good piece of legislation, mr. speaker. i urge its passage and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from washington reserves. the gentlelady from new mexico. ms. lujan grisham: mr. speaker, i rise in support of h.r. 503, the desert state memorial. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. lujan grisham: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. lujan grisham: following e ordered invasion and

occupation leader saddam hussein, the united states, along with the united nations security council, demanded the halt and pullback of forces under the threat of military action. after saddam hussein defied the united nations security council's demands, the united states, along with its nato and arab allies, began operation desert shield, followed by operation desert storm. 100-hour land war which expeled the iraqi forces from kuwait. approximately 700,000 members of the american armed forces served as part of operation desert storm and operation desert shield. of those 293 died in theater and 148 were killed in action. h.r. 503 authorizes the national desert storm and desert shield war memorial association to build the national desert storm and desert shield memorial as a commemorative work on federal land in the district of columbia to honor the members

of the american armed forces who served on active duty and those who made the ultimate sacrifice in support of our country. honoring those who served and those who died is a duty shared by all americans, regardless of political affiliation. we support this bipartisan bill and look forward to its adoption. with that i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves. the gentleman from washington. mr. hastings: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i'm very pleased to yield five minutes to the author of this legislation, the gentleman from tennessee, dr. roe. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from tennessee is recognized for five minutes. mr. roe: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise as a proud sponsor of h.r. 503, the national desert storm and desert shield war memorial act. in the previous debate we heard a moment ago about tyranny and oppression of human rights, this bill honors those who fought this and freed and entire country, kuwait. having just celebrated memorial day, it is fitting that the house today is considering legislation which would establish a monument to honor those who served on active duty

in support of operations desert storm or operation desert shield. 2014 marks 23 years since the first u.s. casualty in operation desert shield, the first phase of one of the largest military operations in our country's history. the siege of this complex was sown on -- the seeds of this complex was sown in 1990 when saddam invaded kuwait and imprisoned the people and less than 24 hours dominated nearly 30% of the oil supply in the world before setting his sights on neighboring saudi arabia, recognizing saudi arabia's important role in the region, president george herbert walker bush and a coalition of 34 supporting countries launched operation desert shield, the deployment of combat forces to saudi arabia and ordered hussein to remove iraqi troops by january 15, 1991.

with kuwait still occupied after american ne passed, forces led operation desert storm. of the american troops deployed in operation desert shield and operation desert storm, 200 were killed. we lack a national memorial dedicated to the valor and sacrifices made by those who protected two of our key regional allies this sacrifice wasn't just borne by those who were deployed but also by their families on the home front. believing we should have an enduring monument to their service in the nation's capital, i introduced the national desert storm and desert shield memorial act this bipartisan legislation would authorize the national desert storm memorial association to establish a national desert storm and desert shield war memorial on federal lands within the district of

columbia. it's important to note that no federal funds will be spent to build this memorial. all funds will be raised privately by the national desert storm memorial association. i have here several letters of support from veteran service organizations such as amvets, american leon, air force association, the air force sergeants association the national guard association of the united states and blinded veterans of america. i ask unanimous consent that these letters be inserted into the record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. roe: i would especially like to thank a couple of people, jeff miller from henderson, north carolina who introduced me stumpf and his colleagues at the war association, without their efforts we wouldn't be standing here today. i would also like to say thank you to lieutenant colonel norvik who is also in the audience

today. i would like to express appreciation to chairman hastings, chairman bishop for moving this legislation to the house floor. i encourage my colleagues to support this legislation and honor the service of those who serve in these operations. with that, i yield back the balance of my time the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. he gentlelady from new mexico. >> mr. speaker, i thank anymy colleagues, i am pleased to support this legislation. it is truly an honor to recognize the men and women and the families who give the ultimate sacrifice to protect this country. with that, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back the gentleman from washington. mr. hastings: this is a good piece of legislation, i commend dr. roe and others for bringing it to the floor and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the amended. 03 as as

aye -- 503 as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. mr. roe: i ask for the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: those in favor of taking this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. a sufficient number having risen, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceed thongs question will be postponed. -- proceedings on this question will be postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman from washington seek recognition? mr. hastings: i move to suspend the rules and pass s. 611. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the titeol they have bill. the clerk: senate 611, an act to make a technical amendment to the prusttrezz -- trust preservation act and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from washington, mr. hastings and the gentlewoman from new mexico, ms. lujan grisham, each will control 20 minutes. mr. hastings: i ask unanimous consent that all members have

five legislative days to revise and extend their remark and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. hastings: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. hastings: s. 611 authorizes a transfer of land between the u.s. forest service and the pueblo of sandia in new mexico. it would complete a series of land exchanges originally authorized under a 2003 law. the exchanges were intended to resolve the pueblo's ownership claims to sandia mountain and retain public lands and interest as part of the national forest. some of the land exchanges were not executed because of a disagreement over land valuation. in 2009, congress attempted to resolve this matter through a technical amendment but in the view of the forest service, the bill did not resolve the land valuation dispute. mr. speaker, it is hoped that

round two of the technical amendments to the 2003 act will conclude this matter. the committee on natural resources has reported the house companion measure h.r. 3605 so we have no objection to passing 611 in lieu of h.r. 3605. i reserve the balance poff my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from washington reserves. the gentlelady from new mexico. ms. lujan entry gri sham: i rise in -- ms. lujan grisham: i rise in support of s. 611, the sandia pueblo settlement amendment act. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. lujan grisham: this bill amends an act that passed congress over 10 years ago to settle land claims with the pueblo of sandia. due to uncertainty as to the valuation of land it still has not been implemented. specifically this bill requires

the secretary -- secretary of agriculture at the request of the sandia pueblo and the secretary of the entireor to transfer certain national forestland to be held in trust for the pueblo. if a land exchange with the pueblo required by the preservation trust area act is not completed within 30 days of this act's enactment, the bill would also affect a land conveyance a transfer of right of way from the tribe to the forest service and would require the national forestland in question to remain undeveloped so that the pueblo will be able to use it for ceremonial purposes in perp due tit. this bill is the companion of h.r. 3605, a bill i introduced in the house. that bill was reported favorably out of committee. since the senate bill has already passed that body we decided to vote on that bill to hopefully pass it with efficiency. it is difficult for many tribal communities to access and

protect sacred sites so when we have the opportunity to place sake rhett sites under tribal control i think it's important for this body toing a. he pueblo of san -- sandia thend entire new mexico delegation support this legislation. i urge my colleagues to support this bill. i reserve my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from washington is recognized. mr. hastings: i have no further speakers and is prepared to yield back if the gentlelady yields back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognize. ms. lujan grisham: i want to reiterate my fwrat constitute to the -- gratitude to the new mexico dell fwation, the governor and lieutenant governor and the entire tribal council and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. the gentleman from washington. mr. hastings: i urge adoption of the bill and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass s. 611.

those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from florida seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass h.r.

2527 a bill to amend title 38, united states code to provide veterans with counseling and treatment for sexual trauma that occurred during inactive duty training. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 2527 a bill to amend title 38, united states code, to provide veterans with counseling and treatment for sexual trauma that occurred during inactive duty training. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from florida, mr. miller, and the gentlewoman from nevada, ms. titus, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from florida. mr. miller: i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on h.r. 2527. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. miller: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. miller: thank you very much. h.r. 2527 would extend v.a. program of counseling, care and services for veterans for sexual trauma to veterans who

experienced such trauma during inactive duty training. those service members and veterans who experienced sexual violence during military service, regardless of where or when such violence is inflicted, should have access to the counseling, care and treatment that they need to recover and i urge all my colleagues to support h.r. 2527 and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentlelady from nevada. ms. titus: i rise in support of my legislation, h.r. 2527, the national guard military sexual trauma parity act. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. titus: thank you, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. titus: i want to first thank mr. benishek, ms. brownlee the ranking member of the health subcommittee and especially chairman miller and ranking member michaud for working with me on this very important issue.

the bill before you is bipartisan legislation which addresses an unacceptable gap in the current law that effectively leaves some victims of military sexual assault without the support and treatment they need. members of the national guard and other reserve components of our armed services who have fought bravely for our country have completed multiple tours of duty in iraq and afghanistan. since the attacks on september 11, more than 50,000 forwardsmen and guards women have been called to service, both at home and abroad. we recognize the value of the national guard and other reserve components and thank them for their service. unfortunately, some members, like members of other armed forces, are victimized by sexual assault while on active duty. now if that happen, they are provided all the v.a. resources and services they need to recover and heal, both

physically and emotionally. such benefits, however, are not offered to members of the national guard and other reserve components who experience sexual assault while on inactive training missions. members of the guard are required to participate in training missions one weekend a month and for two weeks a year. but benefits and services such as counseling and medicare do not extend to victims sexually assaulted during these mandatory training missions. this omission is simply unacceptable and leaves so many who have served our country without any assistance or support during a devastating time. the national guard military sexual trauma parity act would fix this problem and clarify that all victims of sexual trauma in the national guard or other reserve components have access to the care they need. whether they are on active duty or on a required training mission.

we must make it a priority to change the culture of the military and put an end to acts of sexual trauma within our armed services. until we do, however, we must be sure that we provide all victims the treatment they need and deserve. i'm proud that many veterans sese -- service organizations support this important legislation to ensure that all guards members who are, and i quote, always ready, always there to protect our country, receive the same support in return from their government. so mr. speaker, i encourage my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves. the gentleman from florida. mr. miller: we have no adegreesal speakers so we will reserve our time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlelady from nevada. ms. titus: thank you, mr. speaker. i would just conclude my remarks and urge all my leagues to support this legislation and again thank the chairman for

working with me to bring it to the floor. we want to send it to the senate and urge them to pass it quickly and on to the president for his signature, and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. the gentleman from florida. mr. miller: i urge my colleagues to support h.r. 2527 and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 2527? those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from florida seek recognition? mr. miller: mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 2942, a bill to amend title 38, united states code,

to re-establish the professional certification and licensure advisory committee of the department of veterans affairs. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 2942, a bill to amend title 35, united states code, to re-establish the professional certification and licensure advisory committee of the department of veterans affairs. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from florida, mr. miller, and the gentlewoman from arizona, mrs. kirkpatrick, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from florida. mr. miller: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on h.r. 2942. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. miller: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. miller: thank you very much, mr. speaker. i do rise today in support of h.r. 2942 that amends title 38 of the united states code, re-establishing the professional certification and licensure advisory committee of the department of veterans affairs. i know my colleague, who

introduced this bill, mrs. kirkpatrick, will go into greater detail about the importance of this legislation, but i do believe this bill is another step in the right direction to assist our veterans as they look for work in the civilian sector following their service to our great nation. the re-establishment of the professional certification and licensure advisory committee would improve the quality of both the department of veterans affairs and state approving agencies licensing affairs and agencies and certification process and will ultimately benefit our service members as well as employers and ease the process of placing veterans in civilian careers that match their skills. mr. speaker, although the unemployment rate for veterans is lower than the national average for nonveterans, getting veterans into a job must remain an issue of national importance. re-establishing this advisory committee will be yet another tool to help veterans get into a career in a timely fashion.

we've already made the investment to train our veterans during their military service for careers in the civilian sector and by getting advice from industry experts on how to streamline and improve licensing and credentialing, we will make it easier for veterans to find meaningful and timely employment. with a -- with that i urge my colleagues to support h.r. 2942, and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from arizona. mrs. kirkpatrick: mr. speaker, i rise in support of my bill, h.r. 2942, and i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. mrs. kirkpatrick: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise in support of h.r. 2942, a bill that will help transitioning service members find employers who want to make a smart investment hiring a veteran. this bill, to re-establish the

professional certification and licensure advisory committee of the department of veterans affairs, will allow subject matter experts to review state licenses and credentialing to certify that military men and women in specific career fields are able to transfer their skills to the private sector. by the time most of our service men and women leave the military, they have gained a wealth of experience that can translate into civilian career fields. in addition to teamwork, perseverance, loyalty and leadership, our military service members possess technical skills that are valuable to employers. unfortunately, many of our military service men and women have difficulty finding jobs after leaving the military because they don't have a civilian license or certification. they possess the same skills and have the same training but

can't obtain employment in their career field because they need a license. in a tough job market, this creates one more barrier for our transitioning military men and women that can mean the difference between finding and not finding a job. this bill addresses some of these barriers for our newest veterans under this bill the v.a. advisory committee or certification licensure that was ended in 2006 will be re-established through 2019. in addition to helping veterans transfer their skills towards civilian licenses, these subject matter experts will advise the v.a. to recognize new licensing and certification programs so that veterans can g.i. ir -- excuse me --

bill benefits to pay for the cost of these training programs and licensing examines. this advisory committee will -- licensing exams. this advisory committee will help those from state to state. this will give veterans their choice of programs since veterans cannot use their g.i. benefits towards programs that are not v.a. approved even though completion of many of these programs would give veterans the licenses they need. when veterans are able to put their skills to work, they are able to support their families, businesses profit and communities benefit. again, i urge your support for these men and women as they return home and ask you to ensure their valuable time in the military is not lost. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back the balance of my time. i reserve. recollection cues me. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves. the gentleman from florida. mr. miller: thank you very much, mr. speaker.

i have no speakers at this time so we'd reservele balance of our time until they -- reserve the balance of our time until they close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from arizona. mrs. kirkpatrick: mr. speaker, at this time i'd like to yield to the gentleman from california, mr. tackano, such time as he may consume. -- mr. takano, such time as he may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. takano: thank you, mr. speaker. thank you to the gentlewoman from arizona, mrs. kirkpatrick, for introducing h.r. 2942, which will have an important impact in the lives of our service men and women separating from the military. i want to extend my thanks to chairman miller by the bipartisan way which he leads our committee. during my time as ranking member of the economic opportunities subcommittee, i have seen how transitioning service members can struggle to find employment. life beyond the military can be complicated, as we found out from employers who attended a

march veterans' employment roundtable hosted by myself and the committee's ranking member, mr. michaud, the gentleman from maine. these people have real work experience but are struggling to find steady employment. meanwhile, as they return to their communities, people are shaking their hands and thanking them for their service when what they really need is a job. many employers have recognized the skills veterans bring to the table, but there is still so much more work to be done. by passing this legislation, we will be sending a clear message of our respect for military members' service and their experience as professionals. re-establishing the advisory committee on professional certification and licensure will ensure that the veterans get the broadest and comprehensive support to acknowledge the skills they earned and the experience they've gained while in the military. by supporting this legislation, we will help ensure these men

and women can be our next nurse, electrician or plumber, engineer or any other professional they are qualified to be. please, i urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. does the gentlelady from arizona reserve? mrs. kirkpatrick: i reserve, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from florida, any further speakers? mr. miller: no, we have no further speakers. we'll continue to reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from arizona. mrs. kirkpatrick: thank you, mr. speaker. in closing, i just want to thank chairman miller, ranking member michaud, the committee staff for working with me on this legislation. i urge my colleagues to pass it. earlier this year i had the opportunity to visit some military bases, talking to our men and women who will soon transition out of the military and become veterans, and the number one concern they had was, where am i going to find a job, how am i going to find a job? so this bill is critically important to our veterans. they deserve to know that they're going to find meaningful work when they come

back, and especially in the areas they've been trained in the military. so i thank you, mr. speaker. i thank the committee and the staff for helping me with in and i urge my colleagues to support it. i don't have any further speakers so i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. the gentleman from florida. mr. miller: thank you, mr. speaker. i congratulate the gentlelady for her fine work, and i urge all of my colleagues to support h.r. 2942, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 2942. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 having responded in the affirmative, the rules suspended, the bill is passed, and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from florida seek recognition? mr. miller: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that the house suspend the rules and 4261.

the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title bill. -- clerk: h.r. 42 the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from miller, mr. miller, and the gentlewoman from arizona, mrs. kirkpatrick, will each control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from florida. mr. miller: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to add any extraneous materials. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. miller: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. miller: those suffering as a result of their service, it's been estimated that as many as 250,000 veterans have some form of gulf war illness. despite millions of dollars in government funding and years of

research, it is clear that more has got to be done to better understand this disease so we can properly care for and compensate these veterans. the bill before us today reaffirms the essential role of the research advisory committee on gulf car illness and provides the committee with the independence that it needs so it can continue its vital work. i urge all of my colleagues to support h.r. 4261, and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlelady from arizona. mrs. kirkpatrick: mr. speaker, i rise in full support of h.r. 4261, the gulf war health research reform act of 2014, and i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. mrs. kirkpatrick: mr. speaker, i'd first like to thank the chairman of this, mr. coffman, and i am a co-sponsor on that. for many of the veterans of the gulf war who suffer from gulf war illness, it has been a

long, hard-fought battle, just to have this government recognize that their illness and serious physical conditions are caused by toxic exposures. congress first created the research advisory committee on gulf war veterans' illnesses because the research being done at the time was considered inadequate. partially due to a mistaken belief that it was a psychological condition. through the research, we now know that gulf war illness is a about a dill tating physical condition, not something that's all in your head, as many veterans were initially told. mr. speaker, h.r. 4261 will ensure that the gulf war illness research advisory committee conducts and reviews objectsive research to help our veterans who are suffering from gulf war illnesses. this research is essential to

finding treatments that improve veterans' health and quality of life. it is also important that causes of these illnesses be identified so that our veterans with illnesses connected to service during the gulf war can receive v.a. medical treatment and v.a. benefits. and it will also help our military so that commanders can work to prevent and limit our troops exposure to toxic chemicals in the future. this bill will allow the research advisory committee on our gulf war veterans' illness to direct research and review, research findings independent of the v.a. it will restore the independent authority of the research advisory committee by having the chairs and working members f the house and senate veterans' affairs committees appoint nine members and allowing the secretary of veterans affairs to appoint three members. additionally, the advisory committee will provide advice

to the secretary of veterans affairs and to the house and senate veterans' affairs committee on proposed research studies. research plans or research strategies related to the health consequences of military service during the gulf war. our gulf war veterans suffer from real illnesses. these illnesses require real treatment that can only be found through proper, objective, evidence-based research. this research advisory committee has the potential to find these treatments with the right combination of researchers directing and reviewing research. thank you, mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman in -- from florida. mr. miller: there's a gentleman who has been at the forefront of making sure health care is provided in a timely fashion to our