he does not just get to resign and get a full pension. host: thank you for your comment. we go to the house of representatives. they are about to gavel in. another addition at 7:00 tomorrow. we will see you then. [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2014] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute] the clerk: the speaker's room, washington, d.c., may 29, 2014. i hereby appoint the honorable kerry l. bentivolio to act as speaker pro tempore on this day . signed, john a. bane -- boehner, speaker of the house of representatives. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the order of the house of january 7, 2014, the chair will now recognize members from lists submitted by the majority and minority leaders for morning hour ebate. the chair will alternate recognition between the parties with each party limited to one hour and each member other than the majority and minority leaders and the minority whip but in to five minutes, no event shall debate continue

eyond 11:50 a.m. the chair recognizes the gentleman from north carolina, mr. jones, for five minutes. mr. jones: mr. speaker, on the floor today to express my disappointment that my colleagues and i were prevented from offering an amendment to the n. ndaa dealing with the constitutional -- amendment to the ndaa dealing with the constitutional authority to declare war. i had an opportunity to speak at events on saturday, sunday and monday memorial day weekend. every time i spoke i mentioned my frustration that the mcgovern-jones amendment was not able to be brought to the floor for debate and a vote. however, i was pleased that adam schiff's amendment to repeal the authorization for use of military force which was passed by congress in 2001 was at least brought up for a debate. however, i was disappointed

that the schiff amendment was defeated because no president should have the authority to send men and women to war without action from congress. according to c.r.s., the aumf has been invoked in 30 known instances by president bush and obama for the purpose of deploying trips. this represents an advocation of our constitutional responsibility. yesterday, i had the honor visiting walter reed national military medical center and, mr. speaker, i have beside me a triple amp tee. this -- amputee. this man gave both arms and legs to his country. yesterday at walter reed during my visit, i had the privilege of talking with several of our nation's heroes who have lost limbs, double amputees and triple amputees. mr. speaker, those lost limbs as well as other injuries, both physical and mental, are why i had veterans approach me at memorial day events, to say

that they agree that afghanistan is not worth the blood that has been shared there. furthermore, they agreed with me, afghanistan is not worth america continuing to borrow money from foreign nations, driving up further our debt of our nation. to fund president karzai's corrupt government when we have a multitude of problems and needs right here in america. mr. speaker, i would like to close my comments by quoting pat buchanan, and i believe this describes our situation in afghanistan. this is the quote from pat buchanan -- is it not is sentence of finility to be born from the world so we can defend the world? mr. speaker, i want to repeat that one more time. s it not a simple tim of finility to be borrowing from the world so we can defend the world?

mr. speaker, we are a debtor nation. we can't even pay our bills without going into the international markets and borrowing money to pay last year's bills. it is time that this congress understand that we need to come back to america and rebuild america. we need to be smart with our foreign policy. we need to be smart with our men and women in uniform. and when i look at this poster one more time, mr. speaker, when i saw that young man from camp lejeune, which is in my district, yesterday, 23 years of age, and his father, who was probably about 51 or 52, and the young man has both legs gone and an arm, and i looked in the eyes of the father who's probably 50 or 51 and what i saw was pain, what i saw was worry, what i saw was sorrow. we in this congress need to follow our constitutional responsibility and never send a young man -- our young men and women to war unless we debate it and we declare war on the floor of the house. i yield back the balance of my

time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from alabama, ms. sewell, for five minutes. ms. sewell: thank you, mr. speaker. today i rise to honor one of america's most prolific and self-taught artist, mr. thornton dial of bessmer, alabama. today at the age of 86, thornton has lived, worked and created art in alabama for his entire life. from childhood, dial was creating symbolic dense pieces pieces y using castaway of objects, pieces of wire, scrap metal, bones, tree roots. he used his environment to define his environment. dial's work provides a forceful and compelling narrative of the most insidious challenges and remarkable triumphs of african-american history in the deep south. his work contains layers of rich history and reflects on

race and class struggle that he witnessed in the deep south. dial rose to prominence in the 1990's while in his 60's, through his large-scale paintings that were made of scrap metal, pipes, very interesting visual interpretation of the history and politics that he saw around him. dial is described as having been one of the most amazing art biographies in our history. he's described as being a very quiet man, a listener who dressed impeckably. what he lacked in terms of -- impeccablely. what he lacked in terms of formal education, he had historic vocabulary. dial is truly illuminating and inspiring. dial has stayed in alabama in the heart of the seventh congressional district to live and work his entire life. he was born in 1928 in sumpter county, alabama.

he was one of 12 children. in childhood he built his own toys because, as he said, we idn't have much. thornton began full-time farming at 5. in his early teens he was sent to live with his aunt where he attended camp. is peers teased him for being, quote, country. his teachers told him he wouldn't amount to much. i want to say that we in the seventh congressional district are extremely proud of thornton dial because we know that he really interpreted what he saw around him in the deep south. he interpreted it in a very creative way, and only now is such preeminence for that. he worked for many years, over 30 years at pulham standard

factory. yes, he made box cars for a living. people have fought for freedom all over the world, he said. i tried to show that struggle in my art. it is a war to be fought, and we're trying to win it. in his time off from the pulham factory, dial would escape to his garage and backyard and create masterpieces out of whatever he could find. out of fear that people would laugh at his art, he would bury his work. later, he would dig it up and deconstruct it and reuse the materials for new masterpieces. he began to dedicate his life to his artwork in 1981. he founded dials metal patterns, a garden furniture business with his sons in 1983 after the pulham factory closed. dial's hand-made designs were found by a neighboring black artist in 1987. holly bought bill arnett, an

artist himself and a collector of african-american art from atlanta to see dial's work. arnett helped him to get national attention about his art. the two finally, working together, agreed on a price for his first sculpture. initially dial offered arnett the piece for $20 and arnett refused a low price. he said to mr. dial that this piece deserves more than $20. they agreed on $200. this was the first transaction that mr. dial had as an artist. dial's work has been the subject of exhibitions across this country. at the new museum of contemporary art and the american folk art museum in new york. his work can be found in more than 15 public collections, including those among others, the high museum of art in atlanta and the museum of fine arts in houston.

many, many people now collect his art, an art form that was considered outside art now is considered world-class art. with no formal training and education, dial's powerful artwork stands out in a world of highly degreed artists. dial continues to create art today, and this weekend he will be honored by his hometown of bessmer, alabama. he will be honored as a great american and a great american artist. and i ask my colleagues to join me in honoring this great, wonderful alabama treasure, thornton dial. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman's time has expired. the chair recognizes the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. perry, for five minutes. mr. perry: mr. speaker, i rise today to bring awareness to the outrageous, the almost

unimaginable findings from the ongoing v.a. inspector general review of the phoenix health care system and now some two dozen other facilities. the state of v.h.a. goal is a 14-day wait for a first-time primary care appointment. 14 days, two weeks. a little much for some but it seems appropriate, reasonable for many. that's their goal, whether i agree with it or not, that's their goal. however, i'm going to read from the executive summary of the inspector general's allegations , alfwations that the phoenix h.c.s. include gross mismanagement of v.a. resources and criminal misconduct by v.a. senior hospital leadership, creating systematic patient safety issues and possible wrongful deaths. while our work is not complete, we have submitted that significant delays in access to

care negatively impacted the quality of care at this medical facility. mr. speaker, that is breathtaking. that is breathtaking. this is our federal government. falsified data reported last year by phoenix h.c.s. said veterans waited on average 24 days for their first primary care appointment. falsified data said they waited an average of 24 days. however, the recent i.g. report found that veterans actually waited on average 114 days for their first primary care appointment with approximately 84% of those waiting more than 14 days, which was the stated goal. 150 days for their first appointment. that's the appointment where you go talk to the doctor, tell them what you think is wrong and he starts making an assessment. that's not treatment. that's just an appointment with a doctor. 150 days, mr. speaker. put another way, phoenix h.c.s. met 16% of its wait time goal,

and those folks still receive bonuses for that action. the folks that do the work got a bonus for meeting 16% of their goal. when people say to you as a representative, there are things wrong with the federal government, mr. speaker, this is what's wrong with the federal government. even after cooking the books, the stated goal of an average 14-day wait time was not met. even after that. now, i was proud to fote for chairman miller's v.a. accountability act last week, but it's a shame -- proud to vote for chairman miller's v.a. accountability act last week, but it's a shame. it's a shame. you're the secretary. you find somebody that's done something wrong and in these cases potentially criminal and you can't fire them? what's going on here? now, this is not a new circumstance. we've actually known about it for years. republicans -- i've been here for a year and a half.

i imagine democrats and republicans have been complaining about it for years but nothing has opinion done. well, congress hasn't appropriated the right money. three times the amount of money since 2001 has gone to the v.a. for care, for care. three times it's been increased. mr. speaker, where the president says he's got a pen nd a phone, i beseach you, beseech you and him. use your phone and pen for executive order and fix this. it's not the words, mr. president. we're all frustrated and we're all infuriated by this. but it's actions. these are members of the military. men and women who have served, men and women of action. words are cheap, mr. speaker. it's actions that we require. j.f.k. said in one of his speeches, a nation is revealed by who it honors. what is revealed by what is happening now, what has been happening and what hasn't been

happening? now, just to kind of show where our priorities are, let's talk about what you can get with an access card. this gentleman i'm reading about, bought a swords fish steak at $18.99 a pound or went to the gourmet coffee section and ground up some roasted fresh beans. i mean, i gets it's ok we can provide an access card for that but we can't find a way to provide for the veterans who took an oath, mr. speaker, and said i will defend this country and i will lay my life down and i won't question. mine is not to ask why, mine is to do or die. our side of the deal is we pay. we equip you and prepare you to fight and win. after you come home all busted up and changed, we will take care of you. that's what we say. apparently that's not what we did. we can find a way to pay for

these things, but not for that obligation. mr. speaker, resignation is fine, but that's not going to fix it. we request the administration take action and fix it. thank you. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. members are reminded to address their remarks to the chair. the chair recognizes the gentleman from illinois, mr. gutierrez, for five minutes. like a lot of americans, i spent time traveling this past holiday weekend, but i never made it to the beach. instead i did what i do on a lot of weekend which is travel the country building support for comprehensive immigration reform. i attended immigration event in orange county and riverside county in california, and yesterday i was in richmond, virginia. the majority leader's backyard listening to his constituents plea for congressional action. one young lady told her story

perfectly in two languages. she came to the united states when she was 6. now she has deferred action and temporary protection from deportation, but wants a permanent solution for herself and her u.s. citizen sister. another woman wore, a mom of two u.s. citizen children, wore a g.p.s. anklet bracelet to the event and asked me how i could help her to keep her family together. she will be deported june 6. and the majority leader who holds the key to the calendar in the house to schedule a vote, a simple vote. so far he has refused to allow the vote. the stories from his constituents are heartbreaking. moms whose only wish is to remain here and raise their u.s. children. or a knock on the door at dawn. children want their moms and dads to be here to see them achieve the american dream. i have to say i had a heavy heart, even before i arrived at the state capitol building in richmond, virginia, yesterday, the night before i received a call letting me know that the

white house intended to announce yesterday that it wasn't going to take action on homeland security secretary jay johnson's review of deportation policy. therefore for the next several months the deportations will continue at a rate of 1,100 a day. moms with u.s. citizen children, women with 25 years in this country, and who have committed no crime will get no relief in the short run. i talked extensively with secretary johnson and had no illusions that a major policy announcement was in the work. rather there are enforcement adjustments that can be made now for the thousands of deportations doing more harm than good. i'm deeply disappointed the president chose to delay any action and i know many of us who have been fighting against the deportation that is needlessly break up families and leave communities living in fear are also disappointed.

as i heard the stories of constituents of the majority leader who are facing their own deportation or deportation of a loved one, i realize that it would be harder to save them in the coming weeks and months without some kind of policy adjustments revealed by the secretary's review. while the republican majority decides whether or not they will act on immigration reform and solve an important american problem, thousands more will be deported. but i also understand what the president is trying to do. he's saying he still has hope that the republicans are not just playing games with immigration policy. he believes as i do that republicans still could use the last 14 legislative days before july 4 to make a real difference in the lives of moms and kids that i met yesterday in richmond, virginia. the excuse that house republicans can't trust president obama to enforce the law and therefore they will not pass immigration reform, that excuse no longer holds water if it ever did. yesterday president obama

expended a great deal of political capitol to give house republicans time and space to come up with immigration solution. it was a grand gesture on the part of the president. i know that i and a lot of my democratic colleagues are not happy, and many in organized labor and the pro-immigrant movement that have fought hard for policies to dial back the deportations are very, very saddened. it is not easy for a president to so fully and boldly stand up against those of us who voted for him, loved him, and protected him, but he did so house republicans could use the following week to take action on immigration reform. house republicans who have shown him nothing but disdain. in reality, for those families facing deportation and losing their children who live in the majority leader's district, they know that both the majority leader and the president have the power to help keep them in the united states and protected with their children. the majority leader can schedule a vote and the president can use his pen and

his phone to spare these families from what amounts to a life sentence. if one thing i am confident department if the majority leader fails to act the president will, and he will do so boldly. to my house republican colleagues, i say please act. the country will thank you. the children and moms that live in your district and fear deportations will thank you. your voters will thank you. you have 14 days to work this out. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. thompson, for five minutes. mr. thompson: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i rise today to recognize rodney a. erickson, retiring president of the pennsylvania state university. after 37 years at penn state as an academic and administrator, rodney erickson selflessly took the role of president of the university during a troubling time. we thank him for his service, his dedication, and most of all his tremendous vision and

leadership. rodney became a faculty member at penn state in the late 1980's. over the years he held roles from assistant professor to dean to vice president for research to provost and president. each level service to the university, he sought new ways of teaching, better forums for learning, and innovative approaches to streamline bureaucracy and keep the university and its individual departments on the cutting edge. at every stage he's been an inspirational leader to those around him. a leader, to and advocate for the university in countless ways. erickson leaves behind a legacy of excellence, integrity, pride and dedication to this community to sheriff and build upon for generations to come. as a proud penn state alumni, i want to thank president rodney erickson for his commitment, his dedication to penn state university. i also wish you and your wife the very best of future plans for the years ahead.

mr. speaker, i rise today as well to recognize youth traffic safety month, which is celebrated each may. as many are aware, motor vehicle crashes continue to be the leading cause of death for teens. in fact, according to the national highway traffic safety administration, teenagers are involved in three times as many fatal crashes as all other drivers. even more disturbing fact is that 1/3 of fatal teen crashes involve a young driver who had been drinking. also troubling is 50% of high school students say they text, quote at least sometimes while driving. these statistics are a stark reminder of how much more must be done to educate our kids of the privileges and responsibilities of operating a motor vehicle. mr. speaker, as we begin the summer season, which is a dangerous time of year on the road for all drivers, let us reflect on these tragic

statistics. while youth traffic safety month is coming to a conclusion, let us recommit in the coming months through advocacies, education, and awareness to promote road safety and reduce the number of vehicle related fatalities. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentleman from massachusetts, r. mcgovern, for five minutes. without objection. mr. mcgovern: mr. speaker, providing access to healthy school meals shouldn't be controversial. we all want what's best for our kids because nothing is more important than our children. yet for decades we have seen school food products, both prepared meals and packaged snacks, fail to be as healthy and nutritious as possible. combined with other factors we have seen childhood obesity rates increase over that time. not surprisingly we have seen other health problems associated with obesity also increase. that began to change because of the healthy hunger free kids

act of 2010, also known as the child nutrition re-authorization bill, which re-authorizes our school meal programs as well as the w.i.c. program. the 2010 bill was especially important because it implemented new health and nutrition standards for schools, including issues like sodium, fruits, and vegetables and whole grains. today the house appropriations committee will vote on waiving not just she's standards but also basic reasonable limits on calories, fat, and transfats. i was critical of the healthy hunger free kids act not because of the change in nutritional guidelines or school meals but because the bill cuts snap, formerly known as food stamps, in order to pay for these improvements. sadly we took food away from hungry people in order to improve the nutritional quality of school meals and increase school meal reimbursements. it was one of the most -- more difficult votes i have taken as a member of this house, and i'm still angry we robbed peter to pay paul instead of using better offsets that were available at the time. that being said, i strongly

support the policies in the healthy hunger free kids act. that's why i'm dismayed at the attacks come interesting republicans in congress. house and senate republicans are trying to roll back many of the guidelines of this important legislation. i'm aware of the concerns. some food service providers, including in my own state, tell me that these new standards are -- cost too much. that they lead to increased food waste, that healthier products doesn't meet these standards, and the kids just don't eat these new foods. we should work with local providers to overcome any of those challenges. but it is important to recognize that usda has data that shows the law is working. not only that the government accountability office or g.a.o. confirms that the law is working as intended and participation will get better as kids get accustomed to healthier foods. harvard recently documented significant increases in children's consumption of fruits and vegetables because of the federal school food

standards. that's a good thing. data also shows that new school meal nutritious standards do not cause schools to lose money after they are initially established. most importantly, usda has the authority to work with schools, school districts, and states to address the issues that may affect participation rates. in other words, schools, school districts, and states can ask usda for assistance in implementing these new standards at local levels, especially when kids may not be participating locally in ways that usda either intends or sees in other areas of the country. states and localities should take advantage of this flexibility before seeking permanent changes to the law. these school meal standards along with the w.i.c. food package are science based. that means that politics was left out of the decisionmaking process and left up to expert nutritionists. the reason why white potatoes, for example, were left out of the w.i.c. program because the experts at the institute of

medicine said that they do not provide the necessary nutritional impact as other foods eligible for the w.i.c. program. that's another way of saying that white potatoes aren't healthy enough for pregnant mothers and young children. yet now the republicans are trying to scrap these important nutritious standards and doing so under the false pretense that it's what's best for the kids. mr. speaker, look at the facts. house republicans are supposedly acting on behalf of our kids while they try to cut $40 billion from snap, while they try to cut hundreds of millions of dollars from w.i.c., and while they continually ignore nutritional signs by changing food packages to benefit specific industries. the truth is their position will do real harm to our nation's kids. we can do better. we can and should work with usda to implement this law in a smart way and not bow down to junk food special interest we shouldn't play politics with our kids' health just because some people don't like this administration. my republican friends should

get over it. there's a time and place for politics, but lunch is not that time and the school cafeteria is not that place. the health of our kids should come first. mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to insert into the record two letters expressing opposition to the rollback of these important nutritional standards. one from 19 former presidents of the school nutrition association, and the other from the mission readiness, a group of retired military leaders who believe childhood obesity is a national security issue. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. mcgovern: i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentleman from kentucky, mr. barr, for five minutes. mr. barr: thank you, mr. speaker. recently some politicians in washington and even back in my home state of kentucky have held out kentucky's online exchange or kentucky connect as a model for how the affordable care act or obamacare can be implemented successfully. they argue that owe bamaire -- obamacare is working in kentucky. it's true unlike the billion

dollar malfunctions health care.gov website the kentucky website has appeared to function properly. that's about all that works well. obamacare is making life harder for most kentucky families and small businesses. driving up premiums and deductibles, take ag way choices of doctors and hospitals, and forcing people to lose the insurance coverage that they liked. the president promised that if you liked your health care plan you'll get to keep it. . but my kentuckyians have lost the insurance that they had, the insurance that they liked. the government is taking away choices. patients' families and doctors should be in control of their health care, but obamacare takes choices away from people. one insurance broker in kentucky told me that insurance on the kentucky connect exchange, the replacement for all of those canceled policies, excludes 90 out of 130 hospitals in kentucky from its

network. then, there's the cost. premiums and deductibles are skyrocketing. when people are able to get the website worked, they are seeing that insurance is not affordable. president obama promised to sign a health care law that would cut the cost of a typical family premium by up to $2,500 a year, but a quietly released report from the centers for medicare and medicaid services projects that 11 million americans will face higher premiums because of obamacare. obamacare is an especially bad deal for our seniors. a recent report studying the impact of the lost cuts to medicare advantage plans concluded that premiums could increase for some kentucky seniors up to $1,700 per year. every day i hear stories from kentucky families and small businesses about how they have been hurt by obamacare, about how the government is making life harder for them. consider tony calvert, a truck driver and member of the

teamsters union who lives in my district. he stood up in my town hall meeting in winchester, kentucky, and said he suffers lymphoma. 4 he could find was $1,800 more per month. for tony calvert and his family, obamacare in kentucky is a personal and financial disaster. consider the bluegrass stockyards, a beef cattle auction business that employs over 60 full-time employees who enjoy the benefits of employer provided insurance for years. the company's cost for employees was $ 50 per month nd provided a $1,a 500 deductible, good prescription

coverage and $3,000 out-of-pocket maximum. the company faced a 50% increase in costs because of obamacare, and nowhere near the coverage quality that they had been able to provide to their employees in the past. and moving all their employees to kentucky connect was no help. the very best scenario they have come up with is to purchase a policy at over a 9% increase in premiums, a $500 in-network deductible and $10,000 out-of-network deductible. the company told me they have always taken pride in providing their valued employees with quality coverage but because of obamacare, they can't do that anymore. and then there's joe and laura westbrook. they have been owners and operators of a family printing company in lexington, kentucky, since 1976. their family-owned business has grown to 32 employees, including many working moms, providing good benefits and affordable group health

benefits until 2014 when their renewal rates skyrocketed 101%. to make matters worse, the available post-obamacare plans had deductedibles that were three times larger than the pre-obama plans. these increases make it impossible for them to continue to provide their employees with health insurance and for the first time they had to ask their employees to contribute to cover the costs of these ncreased cost to the new prance. the v.a. scandal is a window into the future of obamacare. it is a window into what government health care looks like. higher costs, higher premiums, less choices. let's get together as a country, acknowledge that this law doesn't work. it's unfortunate that obamacare doesn't work. the american people deserves health care reform that actually lowers costs, that provides more choices and does not put bureaucrats in charge of health care. thank you, mr. speaker, and i yield back.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. chair west virginia, mr. rahall, for five minutes. mr. rahall: -- the chair recognizes the gentleman from west virginia, mr. rahall, for five minutes. mr. rahall: mr. speaker, the e.p.a. is expected to unleash what is a federal cap and trade proposal, aimed at our nation's existing coal-fired power plants. i'll oppose this rule as it will adversely affect coal miners and in coal mining communities throughout west virginia and the nation. at stake is our economy and the livelihoods oufer coal miners, steelworkers, electrical workers, those that keep our freight trains running and families and businesses that rely on affordable energy from coal. we don't know the details yet but from everything we know we know this, it will be very bad for jobs. the only real question is where on a scale from devastating to a death blow the new rule will

fall. i have written to the o.m.b. opposing the new source performance standards rule for future power plants and calling upon the director to return the draft rule to e.p.a. and calling on e.p.a. to go back to the drawing board on their proposal. i've joined 181 members of this body in a letter to administrator mccarty asking that the normal six-day comment period be extended for this proposed rule to at least 120 additional days. i've co-sponsored and voted for h.r. 3826, the energy security and affordable act by my colleague from kentucky, mr. whitfield, which would block the new source performance rule for future power plants. i have also -- the house has passed this bill, rather, on march 16 by a vote of 229-183 and sent over to the other body. i have co-sponsored, along with my colleague from west virginia, mr. mckinley, h.r. 2127, a resolution of disapproval that would prevent

the new source performance standard rule for future power plants from going into effect. and if enacted, this would have the same affect as the whitfield bill which blocks e.p.a. from advancing the rule on existing plants. more importantly, mr. speaker, the effects on our coal miners' health care and pension plans. here are more than 100,000 retirees. their dependents and surviving spouses that receive benefits from the united mine workers and retirement fund, because these are paid for made by the coal companies this rule could dramatically undercut the solvency of these funds. in 2012, for example, a total of $1.2 billion went into coal field communities and pension payments and direct payments to health care providers for retiree health care benefits.

that included nearly $400 million into rural west virginia communities. this is what keeps the health care systems in these communities opened. doctors, pharmacies, clinics, therapists, nursing homes all depend on this funding to survive. so in conclusion, mr. speaker, let me say how devastating these proposed rules, although we've not seen the details yet, could be for coal mining communities. i and i'm sure others who represent coal mining communities across this nation will not sit idle in the face of this latest challenge by e.p.a. to our way of life. it's about jobs, it's about jobs and it's about jobs. and i will look at any and all options that would be available to block this proposed rule from being finalized. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from california, mrs. capps, for five minutes. mr. speaker, last

friday night my home community was rocked by unspeakable violence. it left six students and their assailant dead and 13 others injured. friday's rampage in isla visa, california, has touched the community in a powerful way. i.v., as it's affectionately called, everyone knows their neighbors. everyone is presumed to be a friend and bikes are more common than cars. but on friday, i.v. joined a growing list of small communities touched by unspeakable violence. today we continue to mourn those we lost. orge chen, james hong, david wang, kathryn cooper, christopher ross michaels martinez and veronica weiss. we reach out to the injured who

need our support as they heal and we pray for the many others affected including the family and friends of the victims left behind and try to make sense out of the senseless. this sadness and grief is also a frustration, frustration that more could have and should have been done to prevent this tragedy from the start. and we think of other places where similar rampages have occurred so recently. tucson, carson city, seal beach, atlanta, oakland, seattle, aurora, oak creek, minneapolis, newtown, washington navy yard, santa monica, fort hood. how many more of these mass shootings do we need before we act? we've all seen how a violent incident can bring public attention to the need for sensible gun safety measures. we know that we must keep these

weapons out of the hands of violent individuals, but all too quickly the attention stayed, the drumbeat quiets and we are left with inaction. i sincerely hope that this time will be different. as t won't be unless we congress act. the american public wants universal background checks. they want limits on high capacity magazines, increased school safety and stronger gun -- trafficking penalties. that's the least we can do. we must make sure that our systems talk to each other so no one falls between the cracks. it is clear we need to do more to ensure that our mental health system and our law enforcement can work together to identify potentially dangerous individuals. we need to ensure that parents who are concerned that their son might be a danger to himself or others have a -- has

a meaningful way to seek out. and we need to make sure we use the many new tools, including social media so when threats taken on the media can be met. the message to congress is clear and i heard it so poignantly at the university of california-sbashsbash, just two days ago. -- california-santa barbara, just two days ago. not one more life should be lost, not one more family should have to grieve like ours, not one more community should be added to this list. gun safety and the second amendment are not mutually exclusive. law-abiding americans have the right to own a gun, but each of us deserves to feel safe in our homes and our communities. over the next few weeks, i'll be meeting with local and national advocates on these issues to identify the gap and to propose ways we can fix them, but no matter how many bills are researched, supported

and proposed, we need our house leadership to commit to us, to commit to the american people that we will have a vote. bills may pass, they may fail, but the american people have the right to know where their elected representatives stand. i joined the chorus -- excuse me -- i joined the chorus of those who are rightly frustrated with the system and with this congress, not one more, and i implore my colleagues to make sure that this phrase has yet another meaning. not one more tragedy followed by inaction. this time can be different and it's up to us. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentleman from south carolina, mr. clyburn, for five minutes. mr. clyburn: thank you very much, mr. speaker.

mr. speaker, i rise today to commemorate the life of a colleague and friend, butler derrick, who passed away earlier this month. i had the privilege of serving with butler during my first term, which was his last. although our service together in this body lasted only two years, i had the pleasure of working with him in the years before and the years since. i am honored to say he was a friend, and i know i am not alone in saying he will be missed. butler carson derrick jr. was born in springfield, massachusetts, in 1936. his family soon returned to south carolina, and he grew up in florence. he received his undergraduate degree from the university of south carolina and his law degree from the university of georgia. he took up the manner of

leadership at an early age serving as president of the student body at the university of south carolina and was a legal student leader at georgia. t the law school, he served in edgefield, south carolina, where he started his own law firm. derrick and byrd. just tree years out of law school, he was elected to the south carolina house of representatives where he served on the rules and ways and means committees and as a member of the south carolina nuclear advisory board. . it was during these years that our paths first crossed while i was serving on the staff of governor john c. west, and we became fast friends. in 1974, butler was elected to this body from the third congressional district of south carolina. he quickly distinguished

himself among his large freshman class, becoming the first freshman ever appointed to the budget committee on which he served for 10 years in the house, as well as chairing the task force on budget process for an additional two years. at the start of his third term, butler was appointed to the rules committee on which he would serve for the remainder of his tenure in congress, serving as vice chair from 1989 to 1995. butler had a way of bringing people together. the democratic caucus in those days was diverse, from dyed in the wool northern liberals, to old guard southern conservatives. born in massachusetts and raised in south carolina, butler was uniquely able to bridge these divides. in 1986 he was elected to serve

as the regional representative to the democratic politic committee. in 1992, his assent in the leadership continued when he was named chief deputy whip, the first time that a south carolinian had been named to a top leadership post in 130 years. i owe him a debt of gratitude for paving the way for other south carolinians to follow in his footsteps. while butler's service and leadership gave him a role in all the issues affecting the nation, his focus never left the third congressional district. he was a tireless add vow cal for the textile industry, serving as chair of the congressional textile caucus from 1987 to 1994. with his district containing the savannah river site and a nuclear fuel plant, he struck a

balance between promoting the economic benefits of the industry and ensuring the health and safety of his constituents. finding the right balance wasn't always easy, but butler navigated the issue as he did all issues, with a keen intellect and fierce advocacy. butler was a man who did what he thought was right and let the political chips fall as hey may. scott and sean in their book, "jimmy water carter and the water wars" singled butler out for a special commendation in this regard when it came to fiscal responsibility and environmental protection. it is worth quoting them, butler's support of the administration's position might be considered surprising.

included in the hit list was a richard b. russell lake project which spanned georgia and south carolina. mr. speaker, butler's service to south carolina continued beyond his years in congress. and i close by concurring with the late speaker tom foley who said, butler derek was a true leader. while i miss my friend butler, i am comforted by the fact he lived a rich and full life and he will live on through the impact he made in the lives of those he served. he's a model that we'll all do well to emulate. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the chair recognizes the gentleman from michigan, mr. bentivolio, for five minutes. mr. speaker,

armed iran as the senate negotiations in p-5 plus one and identify rafpblet as iran has moved off the front pages over the past few months, i appear the iranians are becoming increasingly emboldened. with less than two months until the current joint plan of action expires, we have yet to see real concessions from the iranians. in fact, president row hani supposedly a moderate said just weeks ago that iran will offer only transparency in a final agreement. what good is transparency if iran can continue to spin uranium and charge forward towards a nuclear weapon. while the administration is responsible for representing the united states with the p-5 plus one, it is important to remember that congress has a very important role to play in this process. congress has made it very clear that any final deal with iran must lead to the dismantlement

of iran's nuclear infrastructure and we must continue to reiterate this. it is unacceptable for the p-5 plus one to strike a deal that allows iran any pathway to a nuclear weapon. additionally, congress must continue to insist that iran does not extend the negotiations and use them as a stalling tactic to advance this program. if the joint plan of action is extended beyond the july 20th deadline, iran must make real and meaningful concessions and convince us it is not simply stalling. if iran violates the current agreement or if it refuses to negotiate an acceptable final agreement, congress must move immediately to im-- impose dramatic new sanctions on the regime. the administration must also remember that the implementation of any agreement will almost definitely require congressional approval. the president cannot unilaterally lift sanctions. it must come back to congress for that.

so i -- why hasn't the administration kept us apprised of the negotiations? you cannot expect congress to accept any agreement it comes up with. congress needs to be an active partner in this process. i urge the administration to provide congress with increased transparency and to consult congress on elements of the deal. it is imperative that congress plays a critical role throughout this process. we must continue to insist that any final agreement with iran ensures the dismantlement of iran's nuclear infrastructure and that iran has no pathway to a bomb. a nuclear armed iran would be a national security disaster. we must do everything we can to prevent iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. and that includes a congressional role in the current negotiations. mr. chairman, i yield back. thank you. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from maine, mr. michaud, for

five minutes. mr. michaud: i'm joined here together by my -- today by my colleagues from the french caucus we may pay tribute to the bravery and sacrifice of the american soldiers who landed at normandy france on june 6, 1944. this marks the 40th anniversary of d-day. next week members of the house will travel to normandy to join president obama and other allied heads of state to honor and remember the heroism of the longest day. 130,000 soldiers stormed the beaches at normandy, long stretches with no cover from the mean, fire that rained down from the hillsides above. others parachuted or glided into the country side, while at a point situated between utah and omaha, the second rangers climbed straight up the high cliffs, dodging gunfire and grenades and straight into the

sight of the enemy cannons. it was a daunting, terrifying battlefield, but our troops answered the call with first class bravery and they got the job done as they always do. the historic victory came at a price. the allied casualties that june day were tragically high. 1,100 canadians, 2,700 british, 15,000 to 20,000 free french, and 6,000 americans perished. their bravery, their sacrifice, and their courage changed the very course of world history. today marks the 10th anniversary of the dedication of the world war ii memorial. i want to thank the gentlelady from ohio, ms. kaptur, for the key role she played in ensuring it was built. the memorial provides a place for solemn reflection and gives world war ii veterans the

chance to share their memories with each other as they participate in honor flights from across the country. with their sons and daughters and grandchildren, a living piece of history. the world war ii memorial and the victory -- veteran history projects are employing every tool possible to catalog, preserve, and make these firsthand memories for future generations. this effort is very important because there is a story that we must never forget. in closing, mr. speaker, to the sailors, soldiers, marines, airmen who stormed the beaches, parachuted into the thorny hedgerows, scaled the cliffs, and fought their way inland, america and the world owes you, our greatest generation, a debt we can never repay. may god bless each and every one of you, and may god bless the united states of america. thank you, mr. speaker.

i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. fitzpatrick, for five minutes. mr. fitzpatrick: thank you, mr. speaker. american manufacturing has always been the engine driving the american economy. while the recent recession has slowed our growth, american manufacturing is poised once again topropel our passion-to propel our nation and families forward. my district in pennsylvania sustains tens of thousands of good-paying family sustaining jobs in factories. the people of pennsylvania november that when they buy american made goods, not only are they buying quality products, they are helping businesses and workers in their neighborhoods and across our country. with that in mind, last summer i introduced the made in america act. it is bipartisan legislation that would connect american consumers to american manufacturers like never before.

by creating a definitive standardized definition of american made goods. michael erickson, the c.e.o. of a group based in my district correctly notes, this is a quote, the keys to the success of american manufacturing are stem education, abundant energy, and consumers who can easily recognize the products they love are made in the u.s.a. by incentive advising manufacturers to meet certain made in america benchmarks for domestic production, and providing consumers with reliable and easy to understand information, the made in america act can meet two very valuable goals. the reshoring of american businesses and jobs, and increasing american purchases of american made goods. made in america has always stood for quality, value, and ingenuity. with the passage of this commonsense legislation, made in america can also mean jobs. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from california, ms. brownley, for five minutes. ms. brownley: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to pay my respects to the greatest generation of american heroes by honoring our courageous veterans of world war ii and particular those who took part in the normandy landing on june 6, 1944. 0,000 t historic day, 16 allied troops landed on the 50-mile stretch of beaches along the normandy coast, commencing the largest amphibious assault ever of continental europe. their commission was clear, to gain a foothold from which to fight nazi germany and defeat adolf hitler. with more than 5,000 ships and 13,000 aircraft, the allied

forces succeeded but 9,000 patriots were killed or wounded in battle. the bravery and heroism of those americans and our allies when they stormed the french coastline was most definitely the turning point of the war. they could not have done it without the extraordinary work of the see bees, during world r ii, around 175,000 seebees were staged directly in ventura county. they were recruited for their civilian construction skills laid the groundwork for d-day. on that historic day, they were among the first to go ashore as members of the naval combat demolition units. working with the u.s. army engineers, they destroyed the steel and concrete barriers that the germans had built along the normandy coast to

forestall amphibious landing. coming under fire at dawn, whole teams of seabees were wiped out by the germans. but their fellow service men continued their life threatening task of planting all of their explosive charges. because of their heroic actions, the charges went off as planned, blowing huge holes in the enemy's defense, but the seabees contributions to d-day didn't stop there. after the allied fleet arrived off the coast of normandy, naval construction regiment 25, seabees around 10,000 moved their platoon causeways to create a beachhead from which the allied infantry could land ashore. . then after the no less heroic work of the seabees completed,

they took the shore, took back normandy and drove the germans inland. we remember and honor those heros who gave their lives for us, and we thank the brave men and women who served our country, returned home and helped the u.s. become the indispensible leader of liberty and freedom. many of us have family members who fought in world war ii, including my uncle pete, who served in the army. of the 16 million americans who served in world war ii, just over a million of them are still alive with around 93,000 in my home state of california. seven decades later, we are rapidly losing this greatest generation, so it is of the utmost importance that we continue to show our gratitude and appreciation for their

sacrifices by recording their oral histories with honor flights and by ensuring they live their final years with dignity and respect and we shall never forget. as a member of the house veterans' affairs committee, i am committed to ensuring that the 20 million veterans in the united states receive the care and benefits they have earned and deserve. for everyone who doaned the uniform from the world war ii generation to the post-9/11 generation, i thank the world war ii veterans in ventura county and across the country for the sacrifices they and their families made to serve our great nation and for protecting our liberty and freedoms, our democracy at home and our allies abroad. the example their generation has set for us, of coming together as a nation was a common purpose is one we can continue to aspire to today and

one my colleagues and i on the house veterans' affairs committee immolate as we seek the best possible care for our veterans. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentleman from texas, mr. gallego, for five minutes. thank you, mr. speaker. today i'd like to continue my journey lieu the 23rd texas district and saddle along the butterfield trail to a place that's truly american and that's the city of pecos, texas. home of the eagles, mighty purple and gold. cos is on forbes 400 top growing city list. it's home of the sweetest

cantaloupes grown anywhere in the country and also incredible growth in oil and gas as pack oast is part of the -- pecos is part of the permian basin. it is outside the cree roy with chihuahuan desert. but being intrepid citizens, americans using their ingenuity, explored and discovered several places of the river where they could cross and they founded the city of pecos. the city of pecos was established in the late 1800's and the arrival of the pacific railroad in 1881 and pecos served as a transportation hub, created something that was texas tough, kind of a combination of a cowboy culture and hispanic culture that still thrives even today. many outlaws met their end in

pecos, messing with the texas tough values of pecos. that combination of cultures encouraged competitiveness and as a result the dusty air was filled with cowboys contending with bragging rights through friendly rivalries that would eventually lead to the first-ever rodeo on july 4, 1883 in pecos, texas. the winner of many rodeos was that mythical person, pecos bill, a man that legend says was raised by coyotes can be found in many movies and many books. today, pecos continues that longest annual running rodeo and if you're lucky, perhaps you can catch a glimpse of pecos bill, showing the rich tradition of accomplishment, perhaps eating a cantaloupe, as i said, one of the fruits that area is famous for. i ask you to go to pecos to learn about the beauty, the traditions of the 23rd district. i'm sure you won't regret your

visit to west texas. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back the balance of my time by inviting everyone to visit the city of pecos in far west texas. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentleman from california, mr. lamalfa, for five minutes. mr. lamalfa: mr. speaker, as the secret waiting list in veterans health care come to light more and more, i implore my colleagues to include the benefits administration in the v.a. as part of this investigation. i echo chairman miller's statement from yesterday where he told the witnesses, until v.a. understands that we are deadly serious, you can expect us to be looking over your shoulder every single day. count on it. i want the oakland regional office to know i, too, am serious and will continue to spend my time and that of my staff to correct the claims disaster crushing the veterans in my district. with the help of an ever-growing group of whistleblowers at the v.a. who

absolutely will be looking over their shoulder every single day. claims are being manipulated by the oakland to improve their backlog statistics. this is a flagrant disregard for v.a. rules and contrary to the training received by every employee. because of practices like these, thousands of veterans in my district are not even eligible for the secret health care waiting list that we hear about, such as in arizona. claims are still pending or denied on technicalities prior to full consideration. many of these veterans have more than one claim unanswered. one man in my district has a 36-year-old claim, and the secondary claim appears to have been deliberately sidelined now for 212 days. despite these facts, the oakland v.a. boasts that they have no claims over 125 days old. i meet veterans just like this man every day with claims that have gone on for years. thanks to a handful of

dedicated v.a. employees, working in my office, relearned these delays are an engineered disaster designed to control the v.a. budget in oakland. by reducing the claim expenditures, oakland's management has become eligible for bonuses and receive them. withholding benefits for personal gain is perhaps the most despicable aspect of the v.a. scandal. they are supposed to be a nonadversaryial system. doesn't that explain to the endless veterans' claims records? it's time to restore the v.a. to real accountability. last thursday, i made public the statements of whistleblowers regarding some 14,000 unprocessed claims at the oakland office dating back to the 1990's, as depicted in this poster. we've since heard that oakland v.a. responded by sending a large number of these claims on a swift trip to manila for

scanning. that's manila, the philippines. we don't know how many they sent, we don't really have an accountability for if they're actually sent at all. after sitting for untouched years, the fastest process we have is scanning the files in the philippines? how many of these veterans have begin up on their claims or even died during this period? were they contacted to say their claims have been located? indeed, we hear budget in oakland have gone for new desks, spiffying up the director's suite with a new room. we can't buy a scanner so the claims can be processed locally? we have to ship them out of the country? this is the response we get for some cases almost 20-year-old claims sitting on a desk in a hallway at the oakland v.a.? that's appalling. on tuesday morning, urgent

phone calls came pouring into my office from oakland employees who've been working or this who feared that many have been destroyed or perhaps hidden once again in a janitor's closet or an elevator shaft somewhere. i made repeated calls to the oakland office that afternoon to check on the situation. multiple calls to the interim director have bon unanswered and we've yet, that i know of, to receive a response. every american should be appalled that at this broken system. mr. speaker, it's time that we inquire to the benefits, attack the problems from the bottom up. without a benefits ratings, they are not able to get on the secret waiting list at the veterans hospitals. this isn't just about arizona. it's almost everywhere within the system. this administration has known about this situation for at least a year. yet we hear what we hear.

only now are we really getting to the depths of the problem at the v.a. nationwide. with an important national day of remembrance just behind us here on memorial day and now we're coming upon the 70th anniversary of d-day, the invasion of normandy of our heroic troops really -- where our heroic troops really , why can't g back we do that huge, huge invasion in this country now to help our veterans in honor of them this past memorial day and the upcoming of d-day? missing files, instead let's process them. mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from nevada, ms. titus, for five minutes. ms. titus: thank you, mr. speaker. as the member of the house

veterans' affairs committee, i'm honored to join with my colleagues from that committee to mark the 70th anniversary of d-day. nevada's heroes have played a critical role in our country's armed services throughout history, from the air force pilots that have been deployed from nellis air force base, to our national guard's first squadron, 221st cavalry division that served in iraq and afghanistan. for generations, our democracy has been defended by those who have given so much. now, next week marks the 70th anniversary of the invasion of normandy. at no other time in history has an amphibious assault occurred on that scale. on june 6, 1944, 156,000 allied troops landed on the beaches of normandy knowing they may not survive and many didn't. they were bombarded by bullets and shells and bombs, but without hesitation they marched

on. and in that one day, the united tates lost 6,603 brave soldiers. nevada senator howard cannon was one of the american heroes who risked his life on that faithful day. he piloted the troop carrier airplane leading 44 others across the english channel to france. in the middle of a hot june night at 11:50 p.m. on june 5, he took off, the plane departed, carrying paratroopers who jumped into france just a little while later. a few days after that, on june 17, senator cannon was shot down over the netherlands and survived 42 days behind enemy lines. he's one of the heroes whose story is told in the book and movie "a bridge too far." i'm fortunate that i was able to serve as senator cannon's faculty intern here in 1982,

and every day in my district office, i had the unique privilege of sitting behind senator cannon's desk. it's a constant reminder of the forms that heroism takes. from the foot soldier at normandy struggling against the waves to gain the beach, to the switch operator back in the united states ensuring that the communications went through, from the admirals to the privates, from the artillery man to the spies, there were many heroes who showed up on that day that changed history. now, these brave men and women have been called the greatest generation by tom brokaw for a reason. like many of you, i have family members who fought in world war ii, an uncle, a father-in-law, two of my husband's uncles. their valor and courage stand as an example to all of us as we continue to battle injustice today. so to all of those who risked their lives on those beaches in

normandy and beyond and to the families of those who perished on those foreign shores fighting for democracy and felt m, i say a heart thank you and our nation owes you a debt they can never repay. thank you and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentleman from florida, mr. murphy, for five minutes. . mr. murphy: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today in support of our nation's veterans. the men and women who put their lives on the line in service to our country. i was honored to have the opportunity to spend memorial day with our troops stationed in afghanistan. sharing this most solemn holiday with members of our armed services who go above and beyond every day was truly a humbling experience. it was an experience that reinforced my belief that one of the best ways americans can may tribute to the brave men and women who risk their lives

fighting for us is to recommit ourselves to duty to care for them when they return home. that is why i will be introducing three bills to help our troops and veterans. too often we hear that our nation's heroes after fighting for our country come home only to have to fight to get the care, support, and respect they so deserve. we must make sure that the brave men and women who have risked everything for our country are never forgotten or ignored. that we fight for them as they have fought for us. for one thing, this means fully settling benefit claims in an efficient and timely manner. and making sure that those veterans receive the proper care and compensation. currently the u.s. court of appeals for the veterans claims, or cavc, is a court the veteran must appeal to if they were unfairly denied benefits. it does not allow veterans access to the same judicial tools available in other federal courts.

this court is terribly overburdened with an appeal taking around a year on average. and that is on top of the nearly four years that a veteran already waited by then. that is indefensible. on the heels of damning reports about the v.a. failing our veterans with wait lists that have even led to deaths while veterans wait for service, we must find ways to reduce the backlog and speed up the process. that is why i have introduced a bill that would allow groups of veterans with similar claims to ban together in their appeals. this would be highly efficient for both the v.a., veterans by cutting costs reducing decision times, and providing effective counsel which many veterans lack under the current system. this act would allow veterans to have their appeals heard in a class action, as was successfully used by veterans impacted by agent orange prior to the creation of the cavc. for veterans facing disability due to exposure to burn pits in afghanistan, this could be an

invaluable tool. another way to serve our nation's heroes is by expanding educational opportunities. veterans deserve the best training so they don't have to fight for a job after fighting for our country. today i'm proposing to improve the post-9/11 g.i. bill by expanding eligible expenses to include applications to college, graduate school, and law school, as well as technical and vocational schools. applications to schools can be as high as 300 to $500 in out-of-pocket expenses for veterans attorney from overseas. let's make it easier for our returning troops to pursue their educational and career goals by allowing our veterans to use the g.i. bill to get reimbursed for expenses from applying to school. our veterans have tremendous discipline, responsibility, and leadership ability to offer businesses. by having access to educational opportunities, veterans will have the means to keep their job skills up to date and stay

competitive in today's evolving job market. finally, families are also impacted when their loved ones are deployed. military spouses take on much of the burden and deserve great assistance. currently the military spouse career advancement accounts program provides up to a $4,000 educational benefit while the spouse is overseas on active duty. while we agree that this is a worthwhile benefit, it doesn't even get the average person through a single semester. the average tour lasts about 10 months. long enough to complete a full year of school. the average year of tuition at a public university in the united states is almost $9,000. let's bump up the benefit so it actually covers the cost of tuition. the families of our service members are the backbone of our military. the bills i have introduced are commonsense solutions to do just that. this is national military appreciation month. let's stand with our nation's service members and veterans. let's express our gratitude for

their service by recognizing the struggles they face and make sure we are there for them and recognize the sacrifices they have made. i urge my colleagues to support these bills so that our veterans, troops, and military families get the care and benefits and support they deserve. thank you, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. pursuant to clause 12-a of rule 1, the chair declares the house in recess until noon today.

>> good morning, everyone. we know it's time to get everyone back to home. i'm here today to talk about the skills act, legislation that will help us fill four million open jobs in this country. there are 150 open jobs in the small community of hartford city in the northern part of my district right now. we have a skills gap in this country. we have too many people that don't have the skills for the jobs that are open. we have too many people coming out of college tchoont have skills. it's a bureaucratic maze. it's very difficult if you're

unemployed to even get through those work force training systems and that's why the skills act will give people access to in-demand jobs so when you show up at a training center and say you want a job and you have an idea you can move faster to get into the right work force training. it's going to help employers make sure they can provide those work force training centers with the job opportunities that our unemployed needs and it will give states the flexibility to fund the training programs that will make a difference. it's important that the house and the senate work together and we pass the skills act. we got -- we're working on it. we think we can get this done and it will make a difference for those four million job openings. there is bipartisan solutions. we need to fill this four million job openings in this country. thank you.

>> you know, the american people continue to struggle in the president's weak economy. the families are paying more every day for eye -- items like gas, groceries and their health insurance. meanwhile, their incomes under the president's term have done nothing but fall. republicans are listening. we're passing jobs bill after jobs bill. there's nearly 40 jobs bills in the united states senate. unfortunately, senate democrats continue to block these commonsense bills and now the president is preparing for more e.p.a. rules that can cost more jobs and hurt our economy. it's the same tired anti-business policies that don't work. i'm wondering when are senate democrats and democrats here in washington, when are they going to listen to the american people and focus on creating jobs, not destroying jobs. >> good morning. there was recent news out this morning about the first quarter g.d.p. numbers, and i think

that that announcement just continues to create some doubt in the minds of the american people, not only about where this economy is heading but it erodes, again, the trust they have in their government. and we have sat here week in and week out and said that the house is working. we are trying to focus on getting people back to work. we are trying to focus on an america that works with solutions. over 200 bills sitting in the senate, many of them are bipartisan bills. some of them have democratic lead sponsors but yet harry reid and the democratically controlled senate refuse to take them up. this is outrageous that the senate refuses to act, refuses to help us do constructive things to help get america working again. now, susan brooks just talked about the skills act. this is one bright exception. we should be able to take that bill, let's see the senate act. we'll be ready to act in the

house because this pill is squarely aimed at helping -- bill is squarely aimed at helping those that are chronically unemployed. i plead with harry reid and the democratically controlled senate, please join us, and with the president, please join us in helping america work again. >> members were back home memorial day weekend, many went out to see the veterans. the the house has not been sitting back. in 2011, i heard from my veterans. myself with a number of other members asked for a g.a.o. study on the wait times of how ng these veterans were waiting. so in january of 2013, chairman

miller and myself wrote a letter to shinseki to look directly at the g.a.o. report and the wait time for veterans. january, 2013. the president's claiming he just now knows about it. the request to implement the g.a.o. report, request to make the recommendations that they asked for, we've had legislation in committee, we've had legislation that passed but, again, they've known about this, they've ignored it just as they ignored our jobs bills sitting over in the senate. this is an opportunity for, one, to get this done right, how we treat our veterans is a direct correlation to what we think as americans. they defend our treemed and this is the wait they get treated? and then when asked the question, you said this is -- you just found out about it. the house republicans have sent you a letter to change it. nd we've been ignored.

>> today i wanted you to remember and reflect on the america that you grew up in. you know, for me it was an america in which anyone -- i was a farm kid who worked my way through college, spent some time working at the drive through at mcdonald's, cleaned rooms, which i don't want to do again, so i could achieve things. it was an america that was the most innovative and competitive country in the world and one beneficial. rk was we've seen the numbers, 800,000 americans dropped out of the work force last month alone. nearly four million americans continue to be on unemployment, long-term unemployment. it's a current path and yet it's clearly not working. in the last five years, if we've learned one thing is that an increased tax burden and

more debt leads to fewer jobs and less opportunity. we've seen it in our own eyes. in people back home that are discouraged because they can't find a job. in moms and dads who are struggling to support their kids. in the millions of americans worried they won't be able to pay the bills at the end of the month. you know what, we can do better and we owe it to our kids to do better. that's why the republicans continue to work on this legislation, on dozens of bills and we ask the senate to join us, join us in supporting the skills act, join us in supporting other legislation, the dozens of bills that sit over in the senate and are waiting for action. let's leave our kids a better america, one in which every single person in this country as the opportunity to succeed. >> hardworking americans continue to suffer under the

obama economy. costs for everything like gas, groceries and electricity all continue to rise while household incomes remain stagnant. it's not prizing that a majority of americans think our economy is on decline. while the president wants to double down on his agenda by adding more taxes, more red tape, the house is committed to solutions that get government out of the way and we're championing policies that give the middle class an opportunity to bounce back. americans are fed up with the new normal where folks are paying more for everything while taking home less. instead of campaign rhetoric that's become standard for this administration, i urge the president to call on the senate, to pass the dozens of jobs bills that are currently collecting dust on harry reid's desk. bills like the regulatory accountability act, the skills act, the working families flexibility act and the save act. an workers

americans need a plan and we have one. >> mr. speaker, last week you said you were getting closer to calling on secretary shinseki to resign. how do you feel now you've seen the inspector general's report? >> well, i'm going to continue reserve judgment on general shinseki. the question i ask myself is him resigning going to get us to the bottom of the problem? is it going to help us find out what's really going on? and the answer i keep getting is no. but the real issue here is that the president is the one who should be held accountable. as kevin pointed out, we sent a letter going back to early 2013 talking about the g.a.o. report and asking for its recommendations to be implemented. and for the president to say he didn't know anything about it is rather shocking. so while the president is going to have to step up here and

show some real leadership. >> mr. speaker, on this topic, you said it's more than one person. it's about a system. i think it's pretty clear that general shinseki will resign at some point. who should replace him? what type of person do you think is needed to restore credibility to v.a.? >> well, i think first we need to figure out how we're going to get to the bottom of all of the problems at the v.a. this is more than just about phony waiting lists. this is also about the quality of care that we provide for our veterans. there's a serious problem here, and we need to get to the bottom of it before we begin to prescribe what the diagnosis is for treatment to fix the problem. >> mr. speaker, edward snowden did an interview with brian williams last night where he expressed his desire to come home and he considers himself a patriot. is there a scenario in which he feel that edward snowden would be able to granted clemency if

he returns to the united states? >> edward snowden is a traitor to our country. he's damaged honorability to keep americans safe here and abroad. and there's in other word that should describe him other than a traitor. >> last question. >> [inaudible] >> well, listen, i'm not qualified to debate the science over climate change. but i am astute enough to understand that every proposal that's come out of this administration to deal with climate change involves hurting our economy and killing american jobs. that can't be the prescription for dealing with changes in our climate. hanks. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2014] >> speaker boehner will gavel the house back in at noon eastern. they will begin legislative work for the day, resuming work on the commerce, justice and

science spending bill. should finish work on that later tonight. live coverage of the house when they return here at noon on c-span. the speaker mentioning in his comments that he is reserving judgment on whether v.a. secretary shinseki should resign. the speaker will be joined by a number of other house republicans this afternoon to talk about the interim i.g. report and the future of veterans' health care. we'll have that news conference at 12:30 eastern on c-span3. and we like your opinion. we've been asking you what you think. should v.a. secretary eric shinseki resign? facebook is where you can post your comments. some reaction. brian says that, no, i want 100% proof that he had nothing of this situation and then did nothing. it's called innocent until proven guilty. debbie says, meanwhile, resign hell you're fired. again, we welcome your comments at facebook.com/cspan. and also on twitter. the hash tag is #cspanchat.

the transitioning process that vets go through in returning to civilian life. a veterans' affairs subcommittee will hold that hearing this afternoon and we'll have it live for you at is :30 eastern. that will be on c-span3. meanwhile, house democratic leader nancy pelosi spoke about the issue, a number of questions about the v.a. and the interim report. she, too, spoke to reporters on capitol hill this morning. her news conference is about half an hour. we'll show you what we can until the house gavels in at noon. >> good morning, everyone. as we all know, as we fwan memorial weekend -- began memorial weekend, tragedy struck at u.c. santa barbara. our prayers remain with the families and friends who lost

loved ones and those who are healing. the actions of this lone gunman were bar barrack and horrific. again, we all know such violence has no place in our society. no matter when or where it happens. as we said in the wake of shootings in newton, tucson, virginia tech, columbine and daily on the streets of our cities, action is noded to prevent gun violence. action is needed to keep dangerous weapons out of those who would do harm to others and to themselves. action is needed to honor our oath to protect and defend. that's the oath we take when we become members of congress. congress must act without delay to reduce gun violence across our country and have an opportunity now, two bipartisan initiatives. one, the bipartisan amendment,

thompson-king and esty to add $19.5 million to states to improve the national background check system. this is a system that works. it has bipartisan support on the bill today, on the floor. we're going to try to add that funding. bipartisan -- there's a bipartisan thompson-king bill. you're familiar with to strengthen brady background checks nationwide. 189 members are on the bill. as more details emerge about the santa barbara shooter, it's clear that we must keep guns away from those at risk, again, hurting themselves or hurting others. that does not include over 95% or more than that of people who have mental health challenges do not pose any threat of harm or any danger. for a long time congressman thompson and congressman barber have been working on

legislation to address these issues. tomorrow, representative thompson will unveil a new bill which is thompson-perlmutter, very much part of it, promoting healthy minds for safer communities act, to strengthen mental health intervention and research, keep guns away from those who shouldn't have them. and then on a broader mental health bill, congressman barber's bill, to make much-needed investments in the mental health system, prevention and national mental health strategy. that early intervention and prevention. marked y, again, we remorial day. it was called memorial day or declaration day. that's history to you. it's my youth. and we remembered and honored each generation of americans that started, actually, at the time of the civil war who

weren't still wearing our nation's uniform. we must always serve our veterans as they have served us. we must honor our -- the pledge the military makes on the battlefield. we need -- leave no soldier behind. when we they come home, we leave no veteran behind. yesterday, the v.a.'s inspector general produced a preliminary report on the phoenix v.a. health facility showing that veterans were left behind. this is intolerable. the findings in this report are troubling and grave, of course. they are unacceptable, unconscionable and unworthy of the service of our men and women in uniform. it is imperative that the v.a. act to ensure accountability throughout the system. secretary shinseki is mediately adopting and implementing the recommendations of the report. this is an interim report.

we will see more. as i said last week before this report, some of the allegations could be criminal. i.g. reports criminal charges. certainly what was done was dishonest. let's see what else it says. meeting the needs of veterans must be investigates, it's necessary and appropriate by the justice department. we're still awaiting for a full accounting of all of the facts. to e do, we must continue enact fact-based, evidence-based changes as we learn more about the fooks v.a. facility -- phoenix v.a. facility and others across the country. we must support v.a. funding to serve the influx of veterans resulting from two wars in this century, two wars in this century. two million more veterans added to the list in the last five years. two million.

the absorption of capacity would be challenging under any circumstances. it certainly is here. we must act to confront these -- we talked last week about just looking at this saying and what would it be if it were not the system that it is. let's turn it upside down. let's think in sburial way. what services can be -- imperial way. what services can be administered to veterans not necessarily on a v.a. campus? that doesn't mean some of the challenges that v.a. -- veterans face specifically, ether it is from amputation, ptsd and other things. it may have to be at a v.a. facility. but a federally accredited health facility can perhaps absorb some of the challenge that is there.

but, again, we have to look at it just as we looked after 9/11 what we needed in terms of a cabinet position on homeland ecurity, what do we need to do with the veterans affairs administration, the veterans administration to meet the needs of people? i had a reception honoring enator dole last week. secretary dole, elizabeth dole, and it was really honoring caregivers. and it's really amazing to think that many of our veterans from previous wars are aging and so we have about five million caregivers for our veterans in our country. 1.1 million of them from this century, from the afghan, iraq war. caregivers. war has -- takes a terrible, terrible toll as war but the

aftermath, and we have to really be prepared for the aftermath. again, the veterans administration has its challenges over time, but to absorb two million more veterans from this century, that's a tall order. so i'm so pleased that president obama has announced earlier this week the longest war in american history is now coming to an end. the war in afghanistan is ending, in my view, responsibly. our troops are coming home. responsibility for afghan security is returning to the afghans themselves. we have reached this moment thanks to the bravery and sacrifice of our troops and the generosity of their families. after more than a decade of conflict comes to a close, we must remember that endless war abroad, again, has its cost here at home. our service members have done everything asked of them and done so with courage and

excellence. we cannot think incrementally about how we meet their needs. we have to think in a bigger way to address the transformations that we need. that could mean increasing the number of primary care doctors. we have to do that anyway for our health care system, certainly for our veteran hospitals and meeting their needs. that could mean debt forgiveness for those primary care docs which already do have in certain instances but for a longer stay at v.a. facility. again, there are all kinds of interactions that we can bring into play, and we have to do it and we have to do it soon. as you may recall, when i became leader, we planted a flag for our veterans. we meet regularly with the veteran service organizations. they have given us their

priorities over time. first one was something called concurrent receipt, which you may not know, it's otherwise known as the veterans disability tax. they also were concerned about survivor benefits and the rest. but with the idea that when we got the majority we would deal in a much bigger way with advanced appropriations, with the veterans budget and the rest and there were promises that we kept to them. drastically increasing resources available to the v.a. president obama was very much a part of that when he became president, but we started even before that. and so to see some of that -- those resources not used to their fullest extent is very disappointing, to say the least. but you know what, we just have to deal with it, manage the issue, correct the situation,

do so as soon as possible. subjecting everything to scrutiny as to, does this work, does this get the job done for our veterans, it's very important. yes, sir. >> madam leader, my understanding is you spoke with secretary shinseki yesterday. >> i did. >> can you describe what he was telling you yesterday and what advice did you give him? >> the purpose of the secretary's call was to tell me that the interim report had come forth and that he had put out a statement on it. and the interim report, we were expecting a final -- at some point we'd have final report. the interim report was very important because it told us where we are at this time and more to come. what he did say is that the i.g. had suggested that there be no more dismissals until he was sent -- the office of the

inspector general was finished with its report. the dismissals that had occurred were not in opposition to what the i.g. was saying but there would be no more. and of course the most telling of the i.g. report was the delay in dealing with the needs of our veterans which is, again, unconscionable and so that's what we talked about. >> what did you -- did you offer him any advice on how to handle this? >> well, i think he knows the respect that i have for him as a four star general, as a decorated veteran, as a person who demonstrated great courage by also speaking out against -- saying it's going to take much more, many more troops to accomplish what we want to accomplish, what the administration did want to

accomplish in iraq. i thought that was very courageous of him. i have a great deal of respect for him. so he knows that. we were really focusing yesterday on that report and the rest and with the assurance that we were all there to help to do whatever was necessary for our veterans. your point -- if is where do you go from here, i don't know what -- i think it rewards those who have this misleading -- to say the secretary should go because they misled him. but on the other hand, we have to just get the facts as to what that was and make evidence-based decisions. yes, ma'am. >> the report makes it clear that they have found scheduling schemes like this dating back almost a decade.

so was the v.a. and was congress turning the other cheek? turning the nk cheek is the phrase, but certainly the v.a. wasn't forth coming in what they put forth. they certainly weren't telling congress that they were playing with the facts in terms of what the lists were. that was their little secret. one might infer from the i.g.'s report that it was so they could get bonuses for shortening the time that veterans had to wait, shortening the list of those on the waiting list, i think that was dishonest, perhaps illegal. but if you're not getting the information, if you're not getting the information from them, then the burden rests with them. but we have to intensify -- and that's what i said, we have to look at every aspect of this.

v.a., the oversight of congress and the rest of it to say, how can we do this better, because lives are at stake? >> but the inspector general said they were putting out public reports. >> that were wrong. that were wrong. that's why i say, this has to be looked at by the justice department, in my view. >> edward snowden did an interview with brian williams which aired last night which he considered himself a patriot and also expressed his desire to come back to the united states. first off, can i get your reaction to that? is there -- do you think there's any room for negotiation to have edward snowden come back to the united states and not face charges of espionage? >> well, i don't know if the charges are espionage, but the fact -- here's the thing. if you saw something in government that you thought was wrong and you believed that you had no recourse but to expose

it, what would be the justification to exposing all of the information that snowden exposed? so, you know, any good intention about saying i did a good thing for my country because i let the world know that they were doing this surveillance, which i don't think would be right, how does that justify, jeopardizing sources and methods and revealing all -- we don't know the number. i don't know the number. perhaps you do. but i don't think there's a number that's been confirmed about the number of documents, but they're in the hundreds of thousands of documents. that was wrong and that's against the law. so is there something that can be done in terms of -- i don't think that's patriotic. i don't think that's patriotic. now, again, what is the charge?

what is the -- where do you go from here? i don't really think we should set a precedent that says if you reveal millions of pages of -- millions of documents that that's a patriotic thing and you're off free and clear. now, let me add to that. you have no idea -- again, you know i have a long history in intelligence. how could this ever have happened? who was accountability at the n.s.a. for someone having access with one person having access, not even high-level person that you might say, ok, someone trusted that person, how could one person have had that opportunity? i think that we have not heard that whole story, and i keep asking that question, how did this happen? because as much as i criticize the release of the documents,

who is responsible for that at the n.s.a. and why aren't we hearing more about that? and i think there's culpability there too. a hearing went very late last night but the question -- i'm curious about the conversation with general hinseki. [inaudible] he kept insisting there were no secret lists. this was a bookkeeping issue. did shinseki shed any light to you when one of his people said, no, there were no secret list, did you ask him about it? >> didn't know about it until dr. lynch testified last night they were making that dr. lynch was making that representation.

clearly he didn't know, should have known, maybe should have known. i just don't know enough about that 70's facts. we have to get the evidence. it has to be fact-based as to who knew what and who was responsible for what, but ally that there would be dishonesty in how these lists were kept as to when somebody -- if you're on the list and you died, no problem, right, for the v.a.? you're no longer on the list while you were waiting to be heard. this is shameful in every way. we'll find out if it's criminal . but we did not talk about what the testimony was last night. because i didn't know about it at the time so i didn't know to ask about it. yes, sir.

>> v.a. chairman miller is putting together legislation that would say if you've been on the waiting list for 30 days and haven't gotten care, you can go see a private doctor on v.a.'s dime. what do you think of that approach, will that solve the problem and what more needs to be done beyond that? >> as i said last week, we have federal low qualified facilities -- health facilities that people could go to because it's not just a waiting list. it's geography. as i travel around the country and talk to veterans, a big part of accessibility is logistics, is getting there. what is the cost to get there and the rest and how much do we pay veterans to fund their transportation and the rest? it's a very personal set of responsibilities. so i don't have any problem with that. but i do understand when our

veterans do say back to us that's interesting but there are certain injuries we have, whether it's ptsd or whether it's amputations and other things that we really do need to have these veterans' hospitals and clinics and the rest up to par and to be in terms of being able to receive us. an appendectomy one thing, an amputation another. it isn't a panacea, but i would certainly be open to that because of volume and because of geography. >> are you concerned at all that a party that has not been particularly open to government-run health care might be moving more toward a privatized veterans' care program? >> i don't know that they're moving to privatized.

i don't think that's how they see it, but we want the care to be given where it works for the veterans so you weigh equities and so that's an equity they have to weigh as well. this is going to take more money. in other words, to bring the v.a. hospitals and clinics and facilities to where they need to be to produce results in a timely fashion is going to cost some money. so how do you spend that money? do you spend it intensifying the v.a. facilities or do you spend some resources, making other -- this is not an unknown thing. years ago military personnel could have access to other hospital care. this is a while back.

some of my colleagues who are veterans have said to me and some friends who are veterans say the card we got to take any place for care really wasn't worth as much as you might think it is. so if we are to go down another path, we have to do it right. ok. so it's not, well, this isn't this so therefore it must be better, let's just see how this works. but to understand the cost of war and that cost of war involves the care that goes with it. nd the upside that many people survived war because of equipment and the rest ended up with some unseen scars of war that we have to deal with. five million veterans, 1.1 million caregivers are at home. one told me she had to cut back

on work because her daughter had a severe injury from afghanistan and then she lost her job and now she's lost her unemployment insurance. so, again, we have to understand the needs of our veterans go beyond the veterans administration. it's about creating jobs, creating a future worthy of their sacrifice. it's about a community, a community that recognizes the ripple effect of their injuries to their families and the rest and also that at the need some other kinds of assistance. education, we were very proud of our g.i. bill. one of our initiatives were the biggest initiatives since world war ii. we're very proud of that. but some also need food stamps and they need a raise in the minimum wage and they're in our communities. so, again, what lifts everybody up lifts everybody up, including our veterans.

and what's harmful like not having unemployment benefits, tens of thousands of veterans don't have that. so we're trying things specifically here but we have to think in a bigger way as to w we honor their service and yes, sir. >> more than 70 members of congress now called for the secretary to resign, including at least 15 house democratic colleagues. how come you haven't gotten there yet? -- we will leave the last few minutes of nancy pelosi's briefing. reminder you can watch it online at c-span.org. the house is gaveling in shortly. they'll resume consideration of the commerce, justice and science spending bill for fiscal year 2015. third spending bill they've considered so far. they expect to finish it up with a final vote likely later on tonight. now live to the house floor

here on c-span. the speaker: the house will be in order. the prayer will be offered today by our guest chaplain, abbi steven roth, congregation in new jersey. the chaplain: our father in heaven, we ask you that bestow your blessings upon the members of this house of representatives so that the deliberations be just and with wisdom to benefit the people they represent. guide them with your kindness

and shower them with your love. this past week we celebrated memorial day, a day set aside to remember those who gave their lives. let us remember that there are many people in the world that still do not enjoy these freedoms. we ask that these as yet oppressed people be granted the same freedoms we enjoy as a free nation speedily in our time. we pray for peace, not only for the citizens of this great land, but for peace among the nations. may we soon see the day as prophesied by isiah, no nation shall lift their sword against one another and may we learn of war no more. amen. the speaker: the chair has examined the journal of the last day's proceedings and announces to the house his approval thereof. pursuant to clause 1 of rule 1 the journal stands approved. the pledge of allegiance today will be led by the gentleman rom montana, mr. daines. mr. daines: i pledge allegiance

to the flag of the united states of america and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. the speaker: without objection, the gentleman from new jersey, mr. pascrell, is recognized for one minute. mr. pascrell: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i rise to thank my friend, rabbi steven roth, a resident of the ninth congressional district of new jersey, for offering the opening prayer before the house of representatives. rabbi roth hails from brooklyn, new york city, was ordained in 72 by the brooklyn rabbisinical seminary. he was inspiring countless numbers of his congressry gation. as a teacher, mentor and counselor in his community, abbi roth served as a softball

coach. rabbi roth has no doubt served his community so well thanks to the loving support of his wife of nearly 35 years, fern, who is with us today, his three children and 13 grandchildren. so on behalf of the united states congress and my constituents in new jersey, i want to thank my friend, rabbi roth, for serving as guest chaplain in the house of representatives today and i yield back. thank you, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the chair will enter tape up to 15 further one-minute requests of -- speeches on each side of the aisle. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas rise? mr. poe: i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. poe: mr. speaker, in the changing world full of danger, the greatest threat to the united states and the rest of the world remains the same -- the iranian regime. this was once again demonstrated through the words of iran's supreme leader, ayatollah khomeini. in a speech he said the

iranians that wish to negotiate with the united states are committing treason. he made it clear that the jihad battle will continue endlessly until they get rid of the oppressors with america at the head of it. mr. speaker, the iranian regime believes their battle will not be over until america is destroyed. the blissful, unrealistic and naive hope to the contrary, iran has no plans to stop its developments of nukes. they said the scientific advancement of the last 12 years in iran cannot stop under any circumstances. iran has time and time again lied about its nuclear weapons capability and development. america should realize that the ruler of iran wants to destroy us in the name of religion by any means necessary. the united states should tighten sanctions against iran, not relax them. and that's just the way it is. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from california rise? ms. hahn: i ask unanimous consent to address the house

for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized for for one minute. ms. hahn: mr. speaker, there are nearly 70 foster youth here today on capitol hill recognizing national foster care month, and to advocate for positive reforms that will better serve our nation's kids. i applaud my friend, congresswoman bass, who when she was speaker of the assembly, led the effort in california to extend the foster care age to 21 and is now leading the charge here in congress to help strengthen the foster care system. today, joel, a 22-year-old student from wilmington, california, who spent three years in the california foster care system is spending the day with me to share his experience in foster care. due to unfortunate circumstances, joel was separated from his parents and found himself living on the streets of los angeles before being placed in a foster home. joel didn't let these challenges keep him from completing high school and attending college at cal poly. he is an aspiring political science student.

we must do more. there are nearly 400,000 youth in the foster care system. like joel, these are all of our hildren and we must take of -- take care of them. thank you and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from illinois rise? >> to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized. >> mr. speaker, i rise today to celebrate the life of lance corporal steven hancock of goose lake, illinois, who faithfully served our nation in the united states marine core. he was a member of the marine an aft wing and died on osprey aircraft on march -- may 19, 2014. mr. duffy: he was one of three children and attended cole city high school. he earned the distinguish rank of eagle scout as a member of the scout troop 466. his family, friend and colleagues will always remember his constant smile, cheerfulness and strong faith in jesus christ.

lance corporal hancock joined the marine corps on march 5, 2012, and was the crew chief of the osprey aircraft which he served. is sense of duty and volunteers makes him exceptional. he will be sorely missed. it's because of people like him who are willing to defend our country that we're allowed to stand here and deliberate on behalf of the american people. god bless lance corporal hancock and god bless his family and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from new jersey rise? mr. sires: to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. the gentleman is recognized. mr. sires: mr. speaker, i rise today to thank the capitol visitor center employees for their hard work during this popular tourist season at the united states capitol. i recognize the great effort, organization and knowledge it takes not only to give tours of the united states capitol but to help visitors navigate this sometimes confusing building. in addition, the staff is

instrumental in assisting congressional offices, such as mine, with coordinating staff-led tours through the capitol. my constituents enjoy visiting this historic building not only to learn about united states history but to see where the legislative work each and every day. the staff of the united states capitol visitor center makes their visits more enjoyable, and make sure history comes to life here at the capitol. the capitol visitor center has welcomed approximately 2.2 million visitors since the visiting center opened its door in december, 2008. in march of this year, the capitol visitor center assisted over 155,000 visitors on capitol tours. in april, despite construction of the rotunda on the second floor of the capitol building, the visiting center assisted over 209,000 visitors on capitol tours. today i recognize their hard work and thank each and every one of them for what they do for my constituents in the

eighth district and throughout this country. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the time of the gentleman has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from michigan rise? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> mr. speaker, last week i introduced bipartisan legislation to honor our congressional medal of honor recipients. h.r. 4720, the medal of honor primary care act would place medal of honor recipients in the v.a.'s highest priority group to make certain they receive timely access to their benefits. mr. walberg: they've put themselves in harm's way to protect their position and fellow soldiers in combat. currently there are 78 living recipients of the medal of honor, including two from michigan. dooey and another should have access to the v.a. when they need it and the medal of honor priority care act will

ensure that this select group of individuals is guaranteed the highest level of care and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from illinois rise? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentlewoman is recognized for one minute. ms. kelly: thank you, mr. speaker. as chicago's museum of science and engineer commemorate the capture of the u-505 submarine, i recognize the museum for -- the world class submarine tare rised the ocean that almost altered the outcome of world war ii. on june 4, 1944, it was brought to the ocean's surface with a death charge attack from as they shadow ling bordered the suband gathered

value intelligence that forever changed the cost of world events. the u-505 exhibition is not only a memorial to the sailors who gave up their lives on the high seas, it is a reminder of the role that science and technology play in keeping the world safe and changing history for the better. i thank the museum of science and industry for molding the minds of the future while celebrating america's innovative past. in closing, i want to salute the students watching from the museum. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the time of the gentlewoman has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from tennessee rise? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. desjarlais desjarlais mr. speaker -- mr. desjarlais: mr. speaker, it's with great pride i acknowledge the fourth congressional district. the marine corps has stood as a symbol of american strength and valor. the level of commitment, honor, discipline and courage exemplified by the corps is

unparalleled. by banding together, both active duty and retired marines, they preserve the same values and proves true the model, once a marine always a marine. members of the marine corps league play an important role in our communities, while offering assistance service to members, commemorating historical occasions or organizing fundraisors for local charities, these individuals embody the lead by example. next month, the bobby ray detachment will hold the marine corps league state convention. it's important to recognize these patriots as they bond together to promote the ideals of freedom and democracy. i, along with the grateful citizens of tennessee's fourth district, extends to these marines a heart felt thanks for their sacrifices made and the services rendered to our country. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from california rise? without objection, the gentlewoman is recognized. mrs. davis: this week the white house hosted high school students from across the

country for its 2014 science fair. san diego high school senior eric chan was among the attendees and was praised by president obama for his award-winning research into combating influenza. i rise to congratulate eric and celebrate all students across the country who eagerly pursue scientific research. we must continue to provide students with opportunities to demonstrate their excitement and their mastery in science, technology, engineering and math. soon we will depend on these same students to tackle our biggest challenges and at times they'll inherit problems that seem daunting, climate change, antibiotic resistant bacteria, drought, food scarcity. the list goes on. we are at a critical crossroads and cannot afford to lose our technological edge. we must provide students with the tools necessary for success by further investing in stem education.

it begins by heavily recruiting teachers who go beyond the traditional role of educators. teachers that become mentors and explorers and visionaries with their students and we need teachers who inspire our best and brightest young minds to do more than the generation before them could imagine. stem education is an issue we can all rally around and i urge my colleagues to do so in important this important initiative. the speaker pro tempore: the time of the gentlewoman has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from montana rise? wowed, the gentleman is recognized. mr. daines: mr. speaker, coal is vital to our wait of life in montana. it provides thousands, affordable electricity for families and millions of dollars that fund our schools and our parks. so when montanans hear about new coal regulations from the e.p.a., we get a bit nervous. a new study predicts president obama's rules will effectively ban new coal generation, killing jobs and causing energy

prices to skyrocket. the house passed the electricity, security and affordability act, a bill i co-sponsored to halt these job-killing regulations. i urge the senate to also take action to stop president obama and protect montana families who rely on coal for affordable energy and whose livelihoods are supported by montana's coal industry. yield back my time. the speaker pro tempore: the time of the gentleman has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from georgia rise? without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. johnson: mr. speaker, i rise today to recognize asian-pacific american heritage month. i want to honor helen and the entire staff of the asian american legal advocacy center of georgia based in the city of north cross, part of which i represent. the center is dedicated to promoting the rights of asian americans in the southeast.

they protect and promote the civil, social and economic rights of asian americans through policy, community organizing, leadership, development and legal education. the center strivings towards individuals who are -- strives towards individuals who are fully empowered in active and civic life and working together to promote equity and fair treatment for all. the center is also proof that asian and pacific islanders are part of every community in this country and as this month comes to a close i encourage all americans to take pride in the diversity of our country and to consider the contributions of asian and pacific islanders in their communities. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the time of the gentleman has expired. for what purpose does the entleman from illinois rise? without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> mr. speaker, i rise today to recognize a great friend of mine and a great friend of

agriculture, murray wise. farmer and agriculture have always played an integral role in murray's life. he grew up on his parents' farm and even acquired his first farm before attending college. after graduating early from iowa state university, murray continued to show his commitment to agriculture through his first job with allied mills incorporated and his second was sandage companies and now years later, murray is the chairman and c.e.o. of murray wise societies, a leading authority on -- associates, a leading authority on land marketing based in champagne, illinois. mr. davis: in two weeks he will be honored as parkland college's entrepreneur of the year. i can't think of a more deserving individual than murray to receive this prestigious award. murray is recognized not only for his years of hard work in education but also for his innovative ideas and position as a national leader in agriculture. congratulations, murray, on this incredible achievement. and i look forward to working with you in years to come on

behalf of the agricultural communities in central illinois. congrats again, murray. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the entleman from california rise? without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> mr. speaker, i rise to congratulate brandon cooks, native of stockton, california, who was selected by the new orleans saints in the first round nfl durant -- draft. our region is proud to see one of the its own achieve his childhood dream. while there are many young men who set the goal of becoming an nfl athlete, it's an incredibly difficult task to make it to that level. according to the nfl players association, of the 100,000 high school seniors who play football every year, only 215 will ever make an nfl roster. that's a mere .2%. since he was a child brandon loved football and worked hard to develop his skills. he started playing for the

north stockton bengals youth football program, then lincoln high school and oregon state. brandon earned an award his junior year as he received the nation's top receiver and made history at oregon state. this past february at the nfl combine, he ran the fastest 40-yard dash in 44.33 seconds. brandon credits his mother as his inspiration for becoming one of the nation's elite college receivers. mr. mcnerney: i ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating brandon cooks and wish him a long and successful career in the nfl. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the time of the gentleman has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from illinois rise? without objection, the gentleman is recognized. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to honor two brothers, who fell in the line of duty a century ago. after serving the community for seven years as an officer of the illinois department of natural resources and

conservation, earl's own gun was used against him after he investigated a report of poaching in 1907. charles was a successful attorney until his brother's murder pushed him to join the department as well. he served the state for the next two decades, enforcing conservation laws and pursuing his brother's killer. sadly charles was also shot down in 1931 near where his brother fell. to date the two heroes are the only department officers murdered in the line of duty. mr. hultgren: both served their county and their state with honor. and bravery. and i support local efforts to honor their lives of devotion to our community and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas rise? without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. veasey: mr. speaker, i would like to thank the citizens of forest hill, texas, for their recent memorial day celebration to honor the military service contributions

of the men and women of our armed servicesals with as our public safety officers who lost their lives in that city in the line of duty. i was proud to attend the ceremony which includes 375 names of men and women who have proudly served the city of forest hill and live there and have lost their lives in the line of duty. also at the park is the court of honor where the names of prisoners of war and the missing in action serves as a solemn reminder of the sacrifices of freedom. we must remember perhaps now more than ever that our debt of gratitude for veterans that have served us can never be repaid in full. but we owe it to them to keep our commitments to them as a country. i would like to thank the citizens of forest hill for their display of thanks and respect. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from ohio rise? >> mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute, revise and

extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to recognize the 70th anniversary of the d-day landings on the beaches of normandy, france. on june 6, 1944, combined allied forces began the opening phase of operation overlord in an effort to break the nazi strangle hold on western europe. mr. latta: the initial assault included over 156,000 troops ong with 11,590 aircraft and 6,939 naval vessels. in that first day alone, approximately 10,000 allied personnel were either wounded or killed including 6,000 americans. the d-day landing was the largest single enthusiast assault in history and soldiers of sixth division, three american, two british and one canadian, stormed upon five different beach landings in normandy and just hours before u.s., british and canadian airborne troops dropped into france to support the landings. the world owes a debt of

gratitude to the members of the great estrogen ration who assumed the task of free -- greatest generation who assumed the task of freeing the world. next week as we commemorate this important date, i ask everyone to remember the importance of this 70th anniversary of d-day landing in the beaches of normandy, france. thank you, mr. speaker, and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the time of the gentleman has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from michigan rise? >> i seek unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> thank you, mr. speaker. it's been nearly two months since the senate acted to extend unemployment compensation to millions of americans. a bill that was passed in a bipartisan fashion, the way folks back home want us to do things. mr. kildee: a bill that was paid for, as was requested, will not increase the deficit one penny, a bill that would

extend unemployment benefits and help preserve the american way of life for 2.8 million americans who are at risk of losing everything that they've worked for. so, what the american people ask me, i know what the folks back home ask, is why won't the house act? we know that there's bipartisan support for this legislation, even in this body. the bill that i introduced, h.r. 4415, right after the senate acted with the precise same language, has bipartisan co-sponsorship. so the question is, why? why won't congress act? is it because this question is too complex? no. this one's really simple. we have a bill that would extend unemployment compensation that's paid for and would prevent families from losing their house. every day that passes that we don't act, a family loses their home. every day that passes a family

loses hope. it's on our -- it is on our watch that we're allowing this to happen. i call upon congress to act. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas rise? without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one inute. >> mr. speaker, every day i fly home, every day i leave home to fly here i pass the southwest inn. mr. olson: the site of the worst day the houston fire department has ever had. one year ago this saturday four brave firefighters were killed when the inn's roof collapsed upon them without warning. atthew, robert, robert and ann

all lost their lives on that day. they never came back to their stations. ann's mother mary works at the middle school that both my kids have attended. we've shared tears over ann's loss at a local restaurant. i know the pain of losing her ann will never leave my friend. what hope she remembers her father said from heaven on that day. her father says, it's ok, i've got her. it's ok, i've got her. and he has them all. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from rhode island rise? mr. cicilline: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized. mr. cicilline: mr. speaker, it's been 52 days now since the

united states senate passed bipartisan legislation to renew unemployment insurance for the long-term unemployed. for 52 days speaker boehner has been the only thing standing in the way of renewing this vital life line for millions of americans. in less than three dales the senate bill will expire and if speaker boehner gets his way, the house will leave town yet again without acting. delivering another devastating blow to the more than 2 1/2 million americans who have been cut off from this critical safety net. we can't let speaker boehner run out the clock on the senate bill. every week that goes by more and more members of our communities lose their unemployment benefits and if the house does not act, then it's back to the drawing board for millions of americans who are depending on us. it's time for this body to act. the situation is not going to go away, it's only getting worse every week. if congress does not act, nearly five million americans will be without this life line by the end of the year. i urge the speaker to walk by my office and see the faces and

read the stories of the people we've left behind. they're living on the edge and without this critical life line, many of them lose everything. the faces of the unemployed should not be invisible. i urge the speaker to bring the senate bill to the floor before it's too late. we deserve a vote. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the time of the gentleman has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from florida rise? without objection, the gentleman is recognized. birlbirl thank you, mr. speaker -- mr. bilirakis: thank you, mr. speaker. next week is june 1 and it marks the beginning of hurricane season. my constituents and americans across the country in coastal regions are susceptible to these devastating storms. disaster can strike at any time, often with little warning. it is important to have a plan in place. make sure the plan includes a supply kit filled with potentially life-saving items like flash lights, radios and batteries. it is also crucial to follow local weather forecasts and

heed any emergency warnings during hurricanes or other extreme weather. hurricane season is starting. the best way to guarantee you and your family -- to guarantee that they are safe, you have to be prepared. my website bilirakis.house.gov, as well as fema.gov, both have important resources available to you. this year be sure you are ready and safe. thank you, mr. speaker. i appreciate it and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from new york rise? without objection, the gentlewoman is recognized for ne minute. mrs. maloney: mr. speaker, shame on us. 20 kids killed in newtown, connecticut, you can see their faces here. six college kids killed this week in santa barbara. guns kill more young people in america than cancer. yet we can't pass universal

background checks and assault weapons ban or limits on massacre magazines. shame on us. we can't even -- we have passed in this congress a gag order on any publicly funded health research on gun violence. as edmond burke said, there is no issue that is so controversial that it cannot be debated. and i would add there is no issue that is so controversial that it cannot be researched. especially if such research could save lives. congress is failing the american people and it's time to stop. let's pass the thompson amendment today. we owe it to the families who have lost their loved ones to gun violence and we owe it to the families whose loved ones could be saved by real gun safety reforms. thank you. the speaker pro tempore: the time of the gentlewoman has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from kentucky rise?

mr. yarmuth: request unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, jazz. mr. yarmuth: thank you. kentucky has been the model for the affordable care act. in the first six months of connect, we wrote nearly 414,000 kentuckyians new health coverage. that's one in 10 kentuckyians. but rather than help inform the constituents of life-saving insurance options now available to them, senator mitch mcconnell has spent the past four years trying to repeal the coverage while misleading kentuckyians about the law. now he's saying that the success can remain even if he succeeds in repealing the law. that can't be more disconnected from the truth. more than 300,000 kentuckyians would lose coverage. insurers will no longer be required to cover pre-existing conditions. and private plans through connect will become unaffordable for most families.

mitch mcconnell now says we should keep connect. but his claim that we can keep connect and still repeal the affordable care act is as absurd as it is disingenuous and our constituents deserve to know that. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the time of the gentleman has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from tennessee rise? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. cohen: thank you, mr. speaker. president obama announced his plans to withdraw our troops from afghanistan. as we prepare to welcome these men and women home, we must ensure that the v.a. medical centers are well equipped to meet the needs of those, especially those receiving care. as soon as the v.a. inspector general issued a report about preventable deaths at the memphis v.a., i wrote secretary shinseki expressing my concern about the facility. i invited him to assess what resources they need to give

care. i have been in close communication with the director at the memphis medical center to discuss quality care improvements for our veterans. i want to make sure they have the resources they need financially to make sure they deliver the quality of care to our veterans. this is a serious critical which will become more critical as our heroes return home. i look forward to working with my colleagues on this issue and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from virginia seek recognition? without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one inute. mr. connolly: i thank the speaker. i rise to commend the house foreign affairs committee for adopting the north korean sanctions act of 2014 and i'm proud to be a co-sponsor of that legislation and glad the committee adopted an amendment of mine to strengthen that

legislation further. this is an orwellian regime. in fact, it is so much so i think it would make george orwell blush that he didn't have the imagination for the kind of suppression, oppression and degradation that occurs in the north korean regime today. 200,000 north koreans are in gulags around the country. freedom of religion, freedom of political practice all repressed and the terrible, terrible suffering, preventing the reunification of korean families, even to visit, the complete lack of humanitarian regard by this brutal regime is something we, americans, cannot ignore and we hear in congress have an obligation to address. so i commend the house foreign affairs committee today for adopting unanimously this important piece of legislation and eagerly look forward to passing it when it comes to the floor. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the time of the gentleman has expired.

the chair lays before the house a communication. the clerk: the honorable the speaker, house of representatives, sir, in light of my recent appointment to chair of the house select committee on the events surrounding the 2012 terrorist attacks in benghazi, i hereby resign my position on the house education and work force committee. i think my committee -- i thank my committee colleagues, staff and chairman john kline for their tireless work. the issues within the jurisdiction of the committee are vitally important to our country. chairman kline has shown extraordinary leadership and i am grateful for his steward ship and friendship. signed sincerely, trey gowdy. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the resignation is accepted. for what purpose does the gentleman from virginia seek recognition? wolff wolff mr. speaker, -- mr. wolf: mr. speaker, i send to the desk a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the resolution. resolution electing

certain members to certain standing committees of the house of representatives. mr. wolf: i ask unanimous consent that the resolution be considered as read. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the reading is dispensed with. the gentleman from virginia is recognized. without objection, the resolution is agreed to and the motion to reconsider is laid on the table.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from virginia seek recognition? mr. wolf: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the further consideration of h.r. 4660 and that i may include tabular material on the same. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. so ordered. pursuant to house resolution 585 and rule 18, the chair declares the house in the committee of the whole house on the state of the union for further consideration of h.r. 4660. will the gentleman from tennessee, mr. duncan, kindly ake the chair.

the chair: the house is in the committee of the whole house on the state of the union for the further consideration of h.r. 4660, which the clerk will report by title. the clerk: a bill making appropriations for the departments of commerce and justice, science and related agencies for the fiscal year ending september 30, 2015, and for other purposes. the chair: -- and for what purpose does. the chair: when the committee of the whole rose earlier -- and for other purposes. the chair: when the committee of the whole rose earlier today the bill had been read through page 25, line 2. for what purpose does the gentleman from arizona seek recognition? >> mr. chairman, i have an amendment at the desk. the chair: the clerk will report the amendment. the clerk: amendment offered by mr. gosar of arizona. page 23, line 24, after the dollar amount, insert, reduced by $8 million. pages 44, line 6, after the dollar amount insert, increase

by $8 million. page 48, line 16, after the dollar amount insert, increase by $8 million. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. mr. gosar: mr. chairman. i rise today to offer an amendment which seeks to bolster an important program in the commerce, justice, science and related agencies appropriation act. this amendment is fully paid for by cutting wasteful spending and specifically takes $8 million from the office space for the department of justice bureaucrats in order to bolster the prescription drug monitoring activities. this program is the harold rogers prescription drug monitoring program. the the gentleman, mr. rogers, is the chairman of the house appropriations committee and has spent years on the issue of combating prescription drug abuse in our great country. the problem is truly plaguing our streets, our youth and our communities. prescription drug abuse is contributing to addiction, health deterioration and even untimely death amongst many of our friends and loved ones. prescription drug abuse also

fuels the demand for other illicit drugs such as cocaine, meth amphetamines -- methamphetamines, ecstasy and heroin, much of which flows into my home state of arizona, along with human traffic, gun running and murder. i have seen drug abuse all over my state and i know i'm not the only member who has been affected by the rampant drug abuse in my community. as a dentist of 25 years, i am well aware of how easy it is and how it can be for doctors and parents to abuse the prescription -- patients to abuse the prescription drug system. with a background in chemistry and biology, i know how easy it can be for people to become addicted to these substances. the primary purpose of the harold rogers prescription drug monitoring program is to enhance the capability, capacity of regulatory and law enforcement agencies to collect and analyze controlled substance prescription dra at that -- data through a centralized database administered by an authorized state agency. states that have implemented prescription drug monitoring programs can analyze

prescription data much more efficiently than states where the prescription information requires the manual review of pharmacy files. it is this body's duty through the annual appropriations process to evaluate which programs are worthwhile and which ones are not. we must decide which programs should have their funding increased, which should be reduced and which should have theirs zeroed out. it's not an easy job but it's one that each of us were elected to do. the prescription drug monitoring program has shown promising results but we must not give up on it. it is easy to overlook these issues but i think our families, our friends and future generations deserve it. i urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this amendment and with that, mr. chairman, i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from virginia rise? mr. wolf: strike the requisite number of words. the chair: is recognized. mr. wolf: we accept the amendment and yield back the balance. the chair: the gentleman yields back. the question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from arizona. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no.

in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. the amendment agreed to. -- the amendment is agreed to. the clerk will read. the clerk: page 25, line 3, in addition for reimbursement of expenses with processing cases under the national childhood accine injury act of 1986, $7,833,000. salaries and ex tenses, antitrust division, $162,246,000. salaries and expenses, united tates attorneys, $1,970,000,000. the united states trust system fund, $225,908,000. salaries and expenses, foreign claims, settlement commission, $2,326,000. fees and expenses of witnesses, $270 million. salaries and expenses, community relations services,

$12 million. as ets for ifyture -- assets forfeiture funds. united states marshall service salary and expenses, $1,199,000,000. construction, $9,800,000. federal prisoner detention, cluding transfer of funds, $1,595, 307,000. national security division, salaries and expenses, $94,800,000. interagency law enforcement, interagency crime and drug enforcement, $515 million. federal bureau of investigations salaries and 857,000., $,356, construction, $110,982,000. drug enforcement administration -- ries and expenses,

the chair: the clerk will suspend. for what purpose does the gentleman from tennessee rise? mr. cohen: i rise, mr. speaker, to greet my fellow tennessean and report i have an amendment at the desk. the chair: the clerk will report the amendment. -- clerk: mr. cohen: amendment to h.r. 4660. the chair: the gentleman has two amendments. mr. cohen: i do have two amendments. the chair: which one is the gentleman offering at this time? mr. cohen: .072. the chair: the clerk will report the amendment. the clerk: amendment offered by mr. cohen of tennessee. page 32, line 15, after the first dollar amount insert, reduce by $5 million. page 44, line 6, after the dollar amount insert, increase by $5 million. page 47, line 21, after the dollar amount insert, increase by $5 million.

the chair: the gentleman is recognized for five minutes in support of his amendment. mr. cohen: thank you, sir. first i'd like to express my appreciation for the career of chairman wolf, in particular his co-chairmanship of the tom lantos human rights commission. he's done tremendous work on human rights issues that have of great import and chairing that commission named by our great colleague tom lantos similar pressive and i thank you for that -- is impressive and i thank you for. that the amendment i have before us would increase by $5 million the bill's funding for grants to address the backlog of sexual assault kits at law enforcement agencies. nadarkhani analysis has been -- d.n.a. analysis has been revolutionary in capturing criminals and prevent crimes from occurring in the first place but this evidence does us no good if it remains untested and sits on the shelf in a lab somewhere. despite progress over the last few years, the number of untested rape kits continues to number in hundreds of thousands in our nation. that's hundreds of thousands of victims whose assailants have

never been brought to justice, on more women. a recent article highlighted the need to end this backlog once and for all. it described a serial rapist who was finally caught by the police in 2012. he could have been stopped nearly a decade earlier if only his first victim's rape kit had been tested. but it was not and instead he was able to and did attack five more women over the next eight years. missed opportunities like this happen all across our country every day. the trauma inflicted on victims of rape can be compounded when they know their assailants walk free while critical evidence goes untested. the city of memphis leads the country in untested rape kits, with a backlog of over 12,000 built up over decades. the mayor in our city leadership have committed to addressing this problem and have devoted significant resources to eliminating the backlog but they need our help. the estimates are it would cost at least $6.5 million to test

each rape kit. far beyond the means of a city forced to tighten its belt during these difficult times and deal with other economic problems. this makes federal assistance essential. i appreciate the chairman's commitment to eliminating the backlog and the funds in this bill are an important start. they put in $36 million. $1 million more than the president recommended. but it's merely a drop in the bucket compared to what's needed. this amendment would take $5 million from the drug enforcement administration, which is a $2 billion agency that receives a $35 million increase in this bill, even though their work product will go down because of the lack of need to enforce marion laws in states where they've been legalized or medical marion has been legalized. with a growing number of states in that category, d.e.a. can and will shift its resources from marion and still have plenty of money -- marijuana and still have plenty of money to stop cocaine traffickers and

the other drug trade they should make as their priority. the d.e.a. would barely notice these funds but for a small investment we can make an even more significant cut in the rape kit backlog at law enforcement agencies. women will be spared being raped and justice will be served. i think the choice should be clear. we should stand with the victims of this most heinous crime that we know in this nation and ensure their assailants are brought to justice. i urge the adoption of my amendment and i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from virginia rise? mr. wolf: strike the requisite number of words. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. mr. wolf: we have no objection to the amendment. the chair: for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania rise? mr. fattah: i move to strike the last word. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. frat mr. fattah: this is an extraordinarily important amendment and the issue is important not just in tennessee but throughout the country. so we also support the amendment and urge its adoption. the chair: the question is on

the amendment offered by the gentleman from tennessee. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. the amendment is agreed to. for what purpose does the gentleman from tennessee seek recognition? mr. cohen: thank you, mr. chairman. i have an amendment at the desk. the chair: the clerk will report the amendment. the clerk: amendment offered by mr. cohen of tennessee. page 32, line 15, after the first dollar amount insert, redules by $1 million. page 74, line 13, after the first dollar amount insert, increase by $15 million. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. mr. cohen: thank you, mr. speaker. this amendment, which i offer with mr. quigley of illinois who is a champion of equal access to justice, would restore the bill's devastating cuts to the legal services corporation. this nation is justifiably proud of its legal system. when we visit with foreign folks or travel in foreign lands the thing i hear most about america they appreciate

is our legal system. but it can be impossiblyy complex with language all its own unfamiliar to many people with laws and procedures. it can be a bewildering maze even for highlyy educated people. even for lawyers. now imagine that you're poor, uneducated or scared and trying to navedwate the legal system by yourself -- navigate the legal system by yourself. without legal -- think about victims of domestic violence who need protective orders from abusive partners, homeowners facing foreclosure and indeed we've had too much of that in the last few years, or seniors who have been victimized by fraudulent lenders. legal assistance is vital to ensuring that these parties are treated fairly and made aware of their rights. that's why i've been a champion of legal services which helps fund legal aid programs throughout the country. unfortunately this bill cuts $15 million from legal services corporation which will mean untold numbers of americans will go unrepresented in court and unable to pursue justice. even if this amendment passes and the funding is restored to

the $365 million level, it will be a far cry from what's really needed. consider this statistic, mr. speaker. in 1995 the legal services corporation was funded at a $400 million level. that's higher than it was last year and higher than it would be if this amendment passes by $35 million. but in today's dollars, that $400 million figure would be $600 million. and all we're asking is to get us to $365 million. unfortunately we've cut our commitment to this program and it's having serious consequences. nationally nearly 50% of all eligible potential clients are turned away because of lack of funding. in memphis, memphis area legal services lost 5% of its funding due to sequestration. when you add in state and local funds lost in recent years because of budget cuts its funding was reduced by more than $300,000 and its staff was reduced from 50 to 38. the attorneys do heroic work but to further reduce its funding will have serious consequences for their ability to serve those in need.

the rights week of guaranteed under the law mean nothing if they can't go to court to enforce those rights and with no money to hire a lawyer and no ability to navigate the system on their own, too many people are left without justice. unless we ensure legal assistance, we effectively shut the courthouse doors to americans who rely on attorneys to protect their rights. this amendment would decrease funding by reducing funds for the drug enforcement administration, a $2 billion administration agency that receives a $35 million increase in this bill. this does not intend to stop d.e.a.'s important work to prevent prescription drug abuse or go after heroin and cocaine traffickers. but they can do their work with the funds that will be in this bill after this money's given to legal services. d.e.a. would barely notice this loss of funds but in the hands of legal services, it would change the lives of thousands of people who need legal representation. we're still coming out of a great recession. and the disparity in wealth is greater than ever. those people in the middle class and those people who are poor particularly, which are

greater than ever, have more and more and more need for legal services. it should not be cut at this time. i want to thank the gentleman from illinois, mr. quigley, for co-sponsoring this amendment and i urge my colleagues to support it and i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from virginia rise? mr. wolf: strike the requisite number of words. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. mr. wolf: i rise in strong opposition to the amendment. the gentleman's amendment would cut the d.e.a. by $18 million to pay for $15 million increase for l.s.c. the d.e.a. primarily targets high-level drug trafficking organizations,dy rupting and dismantling them -- disrupting and dismantling them, interrupting drug trade and contributing to counterterrorism activities tied to and financed by drugs. it does not focus on low-level criminals nor on users. . it has seem a challenge not only from the cartels.

the cartels from every drug area in the nation is controlled by the mexican cartels. our funding level of l.s.c. is 50 million above last year's house level. it is above the f.y. 2012 enacted level. the bill also includes an additional $43 million upped the violence against women program specifically for legal assistance for domestic violence victims. this amounts to 15% above the enacted level. lastly, later today we will likely consider amendments that significantly reduce or eliminate l.s.c. i plan to oppose those amounts that are going to cut legal services. but i oppose this amount and i -- i oppose this amendment and i ask for a no vote. the chair: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from oregon rise? the gentlewoman is recognized for five minutes. >> thank you, mr. chair. i rise to support the cohen amendment.

ms. bonamici: legal aid programs are federal, state, and private partnerships. around the country legal aid offices work hard to diversify funding but cuts from a number of sourcers including federal cuts in recent years have severely impacted their ability to serve low-income families. legal services corporation funds legal aid around the country, and they make a real difference for low-income and elderly orr gonians and american. they serve people with the most critical legal needs, food, setter, medical care, income maintenance, and physical safety. in my state of oregon about 40% of the cases handled by legal aid attorneys involve helping victims of domestic violence and their families. protecting them from abuse. about 80% of legal aid's clients are women, most with children to support. under current levels, legal aid is able to assist only a fraction of the eligible population. in oregon, legal aid serves only about 20% of the legal needs of eligible oregonians.

i was proud to work at legal aid early in my career. i spent many years there. and i will never forget the people we were able to help. they desperately need legal assistance at a time in their life when they can least afford it. not low-income by choice, and that was the most poignant message about helping low-income people, most had unexpected medical bills, had lost a job or spouse. legal aid helps real people. so today i'm here for people like beth who thought she had escaped her son's abusive father only to have him turn up, kick in the door, and threaten her all while she was pregnant. legal aid was able to help her get a restraining order and custody of her son who has asthma and only one kidney. now they are building safe and stable lives free from abuse. i'm here for people like jennifer, stage four cancer survivor and oregon health care member who got a bill from a

medical center from a procedure performed years earlier. they threatened to shut her off from seeing her doctor and took actions clearly illegal under oregon law. legal aid stepped in and she was able to continue her follow-up visits with her doctor without collection agency harassment. i'm here for people like natalie and her son, zach, who has a severe gastrointensal disorder. when he was 3 he was finally able to take food orally, then social security cut off his disability. natalie tried to hire a lawyer but she couldn't afford the fees. legal aid stepped in and got those benefits restored, giving zach a better chance at a normal, active life. today i'm here for people like michael. he and his family lost everything in hurricane katrina. and they came to oregon to start over. then the i.r.s. penalized him for unpaid taxes. legal aid helped him amend his tax return to fully account for his losses from katrina, and instead of penalties he was able to receive a refund. these are the faces of legal

aid. they are real people who have real needs who need real help. they need access to justice. low-income people can't just open up a phone book and pick out an attorney to take a case. these are not cases that lawyers take on a contingency fee base. lawyers don't help tenants who are evicted on a contingency fee. the president has asked for $80 million more than what this bill provides for. this amendment asks for just $15 million in addition. it is the least we can do. i urge a yes vote on the cohen amendment and i yield back the balance of my time. thank you, mr. chair. the chair: the gentlewoman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania rise? >> i rise to strike the requisite number of words. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. mr. fattah: to establish justice, the notion that access o our court system was a critically important, indispensable right of citizenship in our country, the

founders had embraced at the earliest moments we had a republican president, president nixon, who created the legal services corporation to provide access to our courts, notwithstanding the economic circumstances of americans. legal services operates in each of our states, and we have a responsibility as we consider this bill to think about where the gaps in justice exist. the chairman has been extraordinarily helpful in trying to focus on this question. however i think that in terms of the numbers as presented i side more with the author of the amendment. inasmuch as d.e.a. we are funding and it's critically important in a city like my own and communities all across our country, but we are funding d.e.a. at $35 million above the

request. that is after o.m.b., after d.e.a. walkthrough their numbers, looked at the budget, ascertained what was needed, the committee's mark at the moment, the chairman's mark, would provide more than what was requested. whereas when we look at legal services, it's $80 million shy of what was asked. though i think that if we are trying to balance the scales of justice here, the idea that thousands of active service, military personnel have relied on legal services to protect their homes from foreclosure, to deal with other types of issues. that we have veterans who depend on access to community legal services or legal services as provided under this program, that the house at this moment should consider the author of the amendment and his point which is that we should provide an additional -- less than $20 million.

it's $15 million for purposes for the legal services corporation, and that in terms of the d.e.a. we would still be funding it higher than the requested level. but we'll be making sure that not only citizens can have access to the courts, but that active duty military and our veterans would have access to lawyers that they otherwise could not afford to protect their legal rights given the fact that they wear or have worn the uniform to protect our due process rights. so i stand in support of this amendment and i hope that the house would vote in favor of it. thank you. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from -- the chair: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from texas rise? ms. jackson lee: to strike to strike the last word. the chair: the gentlewoman is recognized for five minutes. ms. jackson lee: let me take this moment to thank the chairman of the subcommittee, mr. wolf, for his long-standing service and commitment to so

many issues that so many of us have worked on for such a very long period of time. helping the most vulnerable and helping those who often cannot help themselves. let me associate myself with the remarks that have been made by the author of this amendment and also the ranking member, mr. fattah, who spoke to the question of justice. mr. chairman, i have served on the reiterations of the legal services corporation in my own community. way before coming to the united states congress. i'm reminded of the early words of the constitution that said we organized to create a more perfect union. then i match that with our bill of rights that so many people, if they cannot recite all of them, they know issues like due process, right to a trial by jury, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of access and movement. all of those things are deprived to persons in many instances who cannot access the

courts. i remember in particular my gulf coast legal services corporation who worked extensively on issues dealing with housing. for good hardworking people sometimes come up against a brick wall. a hard wall where they have done everything they could, but they are facing eviction. they have come bonn difficulty. -- they come upon difficulty. there is relief for that action if they can get to the white house, either explain to their landlord or find some relief. maybe have experienced housing discrimination, but they do not have access to the courts or to resources necessary to provide them with a lawyer to be able to address their injustice or their indignity. and i, too, am a strong supporter of the d.e.a. i sit on the house judiciary committee. and i was hoping that we could find some pathway to move

forward in recognizing that the numbers of those needing legal services corporation dollars is mounting. lawyers in law firms have come to me who are members of the state bar of texas, the american bar association, and begged for the funding of the legal services corporation. so i believe that all of us on this floor have good intentions and i know that we have respect for the legal services corporation. i'm hoping we can find a way to work with the gentleman's amendment and support it because i am in essence providing the documentation that i have seen firsthand where people have stood under the scales of justice empty handed. they were not balanced. they did not receive support because they could not access the courthouse, a vital and important part of democracy in america. with that, mr. chairman, i yield back. the chair: it the gentlewoman yields back.

no other members seeking recognition the question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from tennessee. so many as are in favor say aye. those opposed, no. it in the opinion of the chair, the noes have it. mr. cohen: i would ask for a vote, the yeas and nays. the chair: pursuant to clause 6 of rule 18, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from tennessee will e postponed. pursuant to clause 6 of rule 18, proceedings will now resume on those amendments on which further proceedings were postponed in the following order. amendment by mr. pompeo of kansas. amendment by mr. mcnerney of california. amendment by mr. braiden stein of oklahoma. amendment by mr. king of iowa. amendment by mr. cohen of tennessee. first amendment by mr. cohen of tennessee. second amendment by mr. cohen of tennessee. the chair will reduce to two

minutes the time for any electronic vote after the first vote of this series. the unfinished business is the request for recorded vote on the amendment offered by the gentleman from kansas, mr. pompeo, on which further proceedings were postponed and on which the ayes prevailed by voice vote. the clerk will redesignate the amendment. the clerk: amendment offered by mr. pompeo of kansas. the chair: a recorded vote has been requested. those in support of the request for recorded vote will rise and be counted. a sufficient number having arisen, a recorded vote is ordered. members will record their votes by electronic device. it this will be a 15-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the chair: on this vote the yeas are 129, the nays are 280. he amendment is not agreed to. he committee will be in order. he committee will be in order.

lease come to order. will members please take their seats. will members please take their seats. he committee will be in order. he committee will be in order. members please take their seats. the committee will be in order. for what purpose does the gentleman from maine seek recognition? >> thank you, mr. speaker. i request unanimous consent to address the house out of order for one minute. the chair: without objection, so ordered. mr. mitchell: thank you, mr. speaker -- mr. michaud: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, the veterans affairs committee chairman jeff miller and i rise to ask that the house pause to remember the

courageous sacrifice that our men and women have went through when they lost their lives on the beaches of normandy, france, during the allied invasion of june 6, 1944. we request a moment of silence in honor of the brave americans who were lost 70 years ago on d-day and their families who mourn their loss. the chair: will all members ise for a moment of silence. without objection, two-minute voting will continue. the unfinished business is the request for a recorded vote on the amendment offered by the gentleman from california, mr. mcnerney, on which further proceedings were postponed and on which the ayes prevailed by voice vote. the clerk will redesignate the

amendment. the clerk: amendment offered by mr. mcnerney of california. the chair: a recorded vote has been requested. those in support of the request for a recorded vote will rise and be counted. a sufficient number having arisen, a recorded vote is ordered. members will record their votes by electronic device. this will be a two-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the chair: on this vote the yeas are 306, the nays are 106. he amendment is agreed to.

the unfinished business is the request for a recorded vote on the amendment offered by the gentleman from oklahoma, mr. bridenstine, on which further proceedings were postponed and on which the ayes prevailed by voice vote. the clerk will redesignate the amendment. the clerk: amendment offered by mr. bridenstine of oklahoma. the chair: a record the vote has been requested -- a recorded vote has been requested. those in support of the request for a recorded vote will rise and be counted. a sufficient number having arisen, a recorded vote is ordered. members will record their votes by electronic device. this will be a two-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the .s. house of representatives.]

the chair: on this amendment the yeas are --

the chair: on this vote the yeas are 340. the nays are 71. he amendment is agreed to. the unfinished business is the request for recorded vote on the amendment offered by the

gentleman from iowa, mr. king, on which further proceedings were postponed and on which the ayes prevailed by voice vote. the clerk will redesignate the amendment. the clerk: amendment offered by mr. king of iowa. the chair: recorded vote has been requested. those in support of the request for recorded vote will rise and be counted. a sufficient number having arisen, a recorded vote is ordered. members will record their votes by electronic device. this will be a two-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the chair: on this vote the yeas are 218. the nays are 193. the amendment is adopted. the unfinished business is the request for recorded vote on the first amendment offered by

the gentleman from tennessee, mr. cohen, on which further proceedings were postponed and on which the nays prevailed by in a voice vote. the clerk will designate the amendment. the clerk: first amendment offered by mr. cohen of texas. the chair: recorded vote has been requested. those in support of the request for recorded vote will rise and be counted. a sufficient number having arisen, a recorded vote is ordered. members will record their votes by electronic device. this is a two-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the chair: on this vote the yeas are 127. the nays are 282.

he amendment is not adopted. the unfinished business is the request for recorded vote on the second amendment offered by the gentleman from tennessee, mr. cohen, on which further proceedings were postponed and on which the noes prevailed by voice vote. the clerk will redesignate the amendment. the clerk: second amendment offered by mr. cohen of tennessee. the chair: a recorded vote has been requested. those in support of the request for recorded vote will rise and be counted. a sufficient number having arisen, a recorded vote is ordered. members will record their votes by electronic device. this will be a two-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the chair: on this vote the eas are --

the chair: on this vote the yeas are 173. the nays are 238. the amendment is not adopted.

>> mr. speaker, the house is not in order. the chair: the gentleman is correct. the committee is not in order. the gentleman from colorado. for what purpose does the gentleman from new jersey seek recognition? >> i rise for the purpose of engaging in a colloquy with the chairman and the gentleman from massachusetts. the chair: does the gentleman move to strike the last word? mr. lobiondo: i move to strike the last word. the chair: without objection. the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. mr. lobiondo: noaa's habitat restoration program yields substantial, long-term economic value and help create jobs. not only along the jersey shore but along coastal areas

throughout this nation. it's my understanding that the fiscal year 2015 commerce, state, justice appropriation bill provides $25 million for habitat conservation and restoration, including sustainable habitat management, but it appears that there's -- the funding -- that no funding is specifically designated for the fisheries habitat restoration. as you move forward with this bill, i ask that you try to habitat 's fisheries restoration programs and thereby let noaa supporting community-based restoration and provide expertise to the natural resource damage assessment restoration efforts. fisheries habitat restoration directly support the volunteer rebuilding of sustainable fisheries and recovery of these species, these federally listed species.

>> i thank the gentleman from new jersey. i agree with my colleagues that habitat restoration programs are vital to coastal areas, including massachusetts, elsewhere throughout this country. in march, i led a letter with over 70 co-signers through the appropriations committee supporting funding for this important program. noaa's coastal program serves as the front line of defense in a fight to keep our communities resilient, create domestic jobs and promote local economies while benefiting fish and wildlife including coastal ecosystems. for each public-private partnership creates jobs, local and regional and coastal economies that generate more than half the nation's g.d.p. these programs are important lands that will benefit and be able to filter pollutants from

stormwater runoff, control flooding after storm events, provides nursery habitats and create nesting and forging habitat for coastal birds. the resulting clean water and more abundant habitats that benefit local economies by improving land values, supporting commercial fishing, improving tourism and creating new businesses and they also do beneficial work to enhance recreational opportunities. mr. keating: i stand with my colleague from new jersey in urging for adequate funding for noaa's fisheries habitat restoration program in order to allow noaa supporting community-based restoration programs that create jobs and help protect fragile communities like the ones in my district. mr. wolf: if the gentleman will yield? mr. lobiondo: yes, i yield to the gentleman. mr. wolf: i thank the gentleman from new jersey and massachusetts. i recognize noaa's restoration

programs, especially the community-based restoration program and we'll work to address your concerns as the bill moves forward in conference with the house and senate. mr. lobiondo: i thank the gentleman. >> our support of these coastal communities is vitally important. mr. fattah: the work of noaa has made a vital difference and i share the chairman's concern on this matter and we'll work together on this issue. i thank you. mr. lobiondo: i thank the chairman. i thank my colleagues and i yield back. the chair: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from colorado seek recognition? mr. polis: mr. speaker, i have an amendment at the desk. the chair: the clerk will designate the amendment. the clerk: an amendment offered by mr. polis of amendment. page 32, line 15, after the first dollar amount insert reduced by $35 million.

the chair: the gentleman from colorado is recognized for five minutes. mr. polis: thank you, mr. speaker. i'm pleased to join my colleague from georgia, mr. broun, to offer this bipartisan and commonsense amendment. the underlying c.j.s. appropriations bill provides $2.42 billion for the drug enforcement administration salary and expenses. that's $35 million above last year, fiscal year 2014 enacted level and above the president's budget request. the report says the increase will, quote, help d.e.a. offset the necessary pay and nonpay base cost, end quote and will also, quote, support d.e.a.'s growing workload, unquote. a mysterious $35 billion above and beyond what the agency requested, the congress is adding without any description of where it's even going that means anything besides bureaucratic gobble dei gook.

s if we have sh -- gobbledy-gook. this body, like the american people, needs to tighten its belt and where we can try to save money and here's an opportunity to save $35 million. i've noticed that the same $35 million has been targeted by other members of this body for their project that's important to their district. why don't we just add it to the deficit reduction account? e d.e.a. -- what has the d.e.a. done to deserve a $35 million raise when many americans are not getting raising, at a time when agencies across the board are being asked to tighten their belt, why are we singling out the d.e.a. to receive funds above what the d.e.a. itself requested in the president's budget? the d.e.a. has demonstrated time and time again that it can't officially manage the resources it already has. it's diverting funds to ridiculous things like

impounding industrial hemp eds which have known nor catics. wasting money on marijuana infractions that are legal in states where they occur. if they simply refocus those resources, frankly, mr. speaker, we should be talking approximate cutting their budget to better meet their limited scope. instead we're giving them a raise? although under legal federal aw, they -- to be clear, industrial hemp is an agricultural commodity, not a drug. don't they know this? d.e.a. administer refused to d.e.a. dge -- the administrator refused to acknowledge. this is the type of thinking that leads to this kind of -- and continued misappropriation of tax dollars. examples like this shows that the d.e.a. doesn't have a

growing enforcement workload other than in their own minds. in pursuit of misguided priorities, when they should be focused on prescription drug abuses on the rising heroin problem, they continue to focus on harmless seeds that have no narcotic content to the point of actually impounding them. is that what they're using this over $30 million of taxpayer money? this amendment ensures that d.e.a. will have to tighten their belts just like agents from d.o.d. to department of education. they have the money they need to complete their mission. we don't need to increase our deficit to fund misguided and misinformed priorities. i urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this simple, commonsense amendment that simply strikes $35 million from the d.e.a.'s budget, returns the d.e.a. budget to the same funding levels as 2014 and the same funding levels as the president's budget. i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman yields. mr. wolf: i strike the requisite number of words. the chair: the gentleman is

recognized for five minutes. mr. wolf: the reason the numbers is what they were, there was an indiscriminant cut by the administration by $35 million. secondly, i know the gentleman from colorado didn't mean this but you just kind of blew off the d.e.a. agents. we have lost a number of d.e.a. agents have died, a number of d.e.a. agents died in afghanistan. a number of d.e.a. agents have risked their lives for us here. mr. polis: if the gentleman will yield? mr. wolf: not now, no. i'll yield at the end. and the head of d.e.a. is a career civil servant who was a baltimore -- city of baltimore police officer, has given her the to law enforcement for last 30 years. so i don't think you meant it but if i were a d.e.a. agent back in some remote area, maybe

watching c-span in afghanistan where there's a number of d.e.a. agents would are risking their lives when we're in a very safe community surrounded by policemen but maybe they're in kabul right now where there was just some killings the other day -- mr. polis: if the gentleman will yield? mr. wolf: i will at the end. so i oppose the amendment. d.e.a. is striving to cope with significant challenges. we have increased heroin. members of congress have come up. the committee has tried to address their needs. heroin midwest, heroin virginia, heroin all over, heroin, heroin. the d.e.a. is doing and dealing with that, the trafficking of prescription drugs. we just increased money for prescription drug abuse because it's the number one impact on young people. d.e.a. is the line of defense.

d.e.a. is the one that's fighting the mexican drug cartels. every community in the united states, the drug operations are impacted by the mexican cartels and it's d.e.a. that are doing this. this bill tries to help and it also helps d.e.a. with the impact that they were hit with sequester. i urge a no vote for the amendment. now i yield to the gentleman from colorado. mr. polis: i thank the gentleman from virginia. the d.e.a. folks on the ground in afghanistan deal with opium and heroin production, not marijuana. my remarks with regard to marijuana in addition with regard the head of the d.e.a., she may have been a fine line officer and cop on the beat but .he's a terrible agency happy to yield back. mr. wolf: i saw -- she has not embarrassed herself before the

body. you know, this institution's going to go criticizing people ho served us that way, i think she's done an honorable job. i think she's represented the d.e.a. well. also, i think, there's been an effort by some in the administration to attack her in a way that almost reminds me of the nixon administration. i was in the nixon administration. they had policies whereby they would go after civil servants and career people. i think some of the things that have been done against her. so i think this is a very bad amendment. if you want to allow the cartels to come in, if you want -- and you can't just take $35 million and say it has no impact on the agents that are working and giving their life and sacrificing their life in afghanistan. this is a bad amendment. i urge a no vote and yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from pennsylvania.

>> move to strike the last word. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. mr. fattah: the mind that you need to be able to hold pposing competing views all at once, right? so here we go. first of all, i think that the d.e.a. is one of our extraordinary law enforcement under the d.o.j. i think the attorney general has done a great job and i definitely believe that the administrator of the d.e.a. has done a great job rallying up cartel members, doing all kinds of work, interfacing with interpol and its efforts, so on one level i disagree with my colleague in his characterization. . i do also however agree that 35 million plus up over the requested amount is too large which is why i support it. and we'll support the notion that some percentage of those

dollars should go into legal services. versus go to an agency that didn't need it or request it. i don't think we should be plusing it up by $35 million. notwithstanding the fact that i don't agree with the gentleman in terms of their performance per se on a host of issues. i think that the gentleman is really concerned about the underlying question about his home state and states similarly situated, and i agree with him there that the state has made a different decision and that this should not be unnecessary harassment relative thereto. but if we are going to repeal a prohibition every 1200 years or so -- 100 years or so, we did alcohol in 1933, maybe we are at the moment where we are going to do something similar on marijuana. it does not mean, however, we think every illegal narcotic in

the world should be available without penalty or punishment for every single person who might desire it. so the country's trying to make some decisions, and we have to kind of paragraphs through this as we -- pars through this as we work forward. i rise to say that i don't support the amount in which we would take this $35 million and put it into what is called deficit reduction. i suggest that the 41,000 veterans who were able to fight off foreclosure and other challenges by using legal services last year, those dollars should go to legal services so that our veterans can have the legal services that they need in order to interface with our civil court system and to have the rights that they fought for protected. i think the house will be able to work its will. i hope that we vote against this amendment. that we support the effort to put these dollars into legal

services, and that we continue to hold high the great courage and sacrifice of our law enforcement agency as they fight crime here and abroad. i yield back. the chair: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas rise? without objection. the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. >> mr. chairman, i'd like to yield to my good friend, the chairman from virginia. mr. wolf: i thank the gentleman. i wanted to read just briefly to the house some of the names that are on the wall of honor of d.e.a. agents that have given their life for their country. special agent-dirnl' going to put the whole list in the record. special agent james terry watson, june 21, 2013. special agent michael e. westin, october 26, 2009. special agent chad l. michael, october 26, 2009.

special agent leighman, october 26, 2009. special agent samuel s. hicks, november 19, 2008. special agent thomas j. byrne, august 30, 2008. task force officer jay biagones, november 5, 2004. special agent donald c. ware, october 12, 2004. special agent terry love tuss -- loftous, may 28, 2004. telecom specialist, armstead, march 18, 2003. diversion investigator al walton, march 1, 2001. special agent royce d. trammell, august 28, 2000. larry seeland, september 25, 1995. special agent sean e. curl,

december 12, 1997. special agent kenneth mccullough, april 19, 1995. erry a. lynch, april 19, 1995. officer assistant carol j. fields, april 19, 1995. roana l. chafee, april 19, 1995. shelly bland, april 19, 1995. frank s. wallace, august 27, 1994. special agent juan var rest, august 27, 1994. special agent meredith thompson, august 27, 1994. special agent j.w. steal -- steele, august 27, 1994. special agent frank fernandez, august 27, 1994. special agent richard e. foss, june 30, 1994.

defective stephen j. stree, november 19, 1993. pecial agent becky dowalsky, october 21, 1993. special agent george d. alt house, may 28, 1992. special agent alan h. wynn, august sp, 1991. special agent eugene mccarthy, february 2, 1991. le investigator wally howard jr., october 30, 1990. and the list goes on. i won't take -- i'll put the whole list in the record. so this is to make up for what happened on sequestration. these people are literally giving their lives. we will also insert in the record with regard to the helicopter crash that took the lives of the agents there, too. so for those reasons i strongly oppose the amendment. yield back the balance of my time. thank the gentleman. >> i join the chairman in strong opposition to this amendment. the last thing we need to do is

take resources away from our men and women in uniform in the frontline defending us, enforcing our laws, and the date that the chairman mentioned, april 19, 1995, it's important to remember that was the oklahoma city bombing when a lot of law enforcement officers lost their lives in oklahoma city. i urge all members to oppose this amendment. i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from tennessee rise? mr. cohen: strike the last word. the chair: the gentleman moves to strike the last word. is recognized for five minutes. mr. cohen: thank you, mr. speaker. this has been an interesting discussion. i want to choin chairman wolf in commending the d.e.a. agents who lost their lives. most of which i'm sure lost their lives way before sequestration. whose lives would have been lost, they are good men and women, but it's not because we didn't give them enough money. and when we are cutting other areas of the government, we just saw legal services getting cut by $15 million, why are we giving d.e.a. $35 million more?

they just did a book here, "the dangerous consequences of marijuana abuse." i don't know how many of these were published, but it's almost a comic book when you read it. they go so far as to have a section -- i love cats pets, i miss my cat and dog. they have a section here, pets are also at risk. more dogs are being poisoned by marijuana. they are really going to the bottom line to try to find some rationalization for their work that they are protecting pets. and these pets are in areas that marijuana is not legal. they also have a section in here about other consequences of marijuana use and that's where they get the pet section. then they have this section here, and they have this whole area about somebody breaking in and stealing cash from a marijuana dispensery and saying this was a problem. you sure it's a problem, just

like people break into liquor stores and rob them. the reason they do because there is a lot of cash money there and the federal government hasn't allowed the marijuana dispenseries to use credit cards. because of the fact that they have to use cash they attract the robbers and burglars, that's not a response something that marijuana caused, that's something the government caused by requiring there to be a great number -- a lot of cash there. and that -- independent of the fact that it's marijuana. that is listed under they have other consequences of marijuana use. that's not a consequence of marijuana use, that's a consequence of the government not allowing those people to use credit cards instead of having a large amount of cash on hand. the director there has embarrassed herself time after time after time. she's the last supporter of the failed war on drugs. she refuses to accept fact that what president obama said that alcohol has more damage to consumers than marijuana, she questioned the president on that and she's wrong. she also questioneds mandatory

minimums and things mandatory minimums are still the right thing to do. i think most all of know mandatory minimums are a colossal failure, $30,000 a year to put people in jail. she criticized mitch mcconnell, senator mitch mcconnell criticized her because they went and confiscated seeds in kentucky there for study. they are out of control. and the $35 million additional that we are intending to give them is throwing money away. it's not going to have anything to do with d.e.a. agents being killed. in fact, it might save some, but the fact is we have to prioritize where we spend our moneys, and this is not a spot. if we want to put them in -- put that money into education, we want to put it into health care, we want to put it into other areas that are important, probably the $35 million should be in the national institute of health. where we could find a cure for

cancer or diabetes. find treatments for stroke or illnesses deal with heart disease and aids. alzheimer's. parkinson's. that's where the money needs to go. that's money that saves american people's lives. giving that money to the d.e.a. is not going to save any d.e.a. agent. more d.e.a. agents are going to die from cancer and heart disease and diabetes and parkinson's and aids and die because they have been shot. that money would be better effectively to save them by putting it at n.i.h. and bethesda, maryland, and finding cures and treatments for diseases that are going to kill us all. we are not doing n.i.h. we are doing d.e.a. that's a mistake. i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from alabama rise? >> i move to strike the last word. the chair: the gentleman from alabama moves to strike the last word. five minutes. >> mr. chairman, i was going to submit an amendment today regarding surveys on the red

snap in the gulf of mexico. instead i rise to engage chairman wolf, the gentleman from virginia, in a colloquy. i'm pleased the committee is recognizing in its committee report the shortcomings of current methods used by noaa fisheries to conduct stock assessments, specifically affirming the inadequacy of generated data and frequency of surveys and insufficient use of independent research and developing these stock assessments. however, i'm inclined to stress that further efforts must be taken to address the agency's faulty data. mr. byrne: the gulf of mexico, for example, stock assessments meant to provide data for the gulf of mexico fishery management council's he fish, do not include data retrieved from structures on which these fish live and thrive. nor do they acknowledge reef structures both natural and artificial, are relevant to

conducting stock assessments. i have personally spent time with sciences from the -- scientists from the gulf coast, including those from the university of south alabama and dolphin alan sea lab and seen for myself the over abundance of fish which live on these reefs. of which there are 17,000, 17,000 reefs off the coast of alabama alone. last friday congressman scalise and i went out and fished in the gulf of mexico. it took us 45 minutes to go out. we fished for 15 minutes. and caught our limit and it took 45 minutes to go back. those reefs are absolutely filled with fish. to date stock assessment datial provided by noaa fisheries has proven unreliable and helped result in a broken management system. in march of this year the united states district court for the district of columbia found that the noaa survey process and the data is totally insufficient. that was a finding of a court

in a court case. in my district we will experience as a result of that a nine-day red snapper season this year. starting june 1, ending june 9. despite the fact that these fish are so abundant it is difficult to catch anything else. in short, current stock assessments generated by noaa fisheries lack the ability to adequately determine whether overfishing has occurred or to inform fishery managers how to prevent overfishing from occurring in the future. i join the committee calling for greater accountability over noaa fishery stock assessments. it is simply insufficient and they are not being responsive to the needs of the fisheries. if noaa fisheries is to receive a federal appropriation at all for scientific data collection, it must prove that it will vastly improve the methods with which it conducts stock assessments.

including taking into account the relevant habitats and bilogical features of the stock in question, and produce a stock assessment that can truly account for our fisheries resources. i appreciate the gentleman's attention to this matter and i thank him for his time. i yield back. mr. wolf: thank you. i appreciate the gentleman's concerns and we will continue to work. the chair: the gentleman yields his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from virginia -- mr. wolf: would the gentleman yield? strike the requisite number of words. we had a colloquy going. i tell the gentleman i thank him for his comments. we'll work with you. the chair: the gentleman can remain on his feet. mr. wolf: for the appropriate way for the people in your region. yield back. mr. fattah: i strike the number of words. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. for what purpose does the gentleman from michigan rise? >> i move to strike the last word. the chair: the gentleman moves to strike the last word.

the gentleman is recognized. >> the issues raised by mr. polis, the question on the amendment that he offers has not to do with much of the policy but the fact that we have to make budget decisions that are based on priorities. mr. kildee: i think he's correct to raise the question as to whether a $35 million-plus is the proper priority when compared to the other competing interests that we're all trying to facilitate. so with that i would like to yield the remainder of my time to the gentleman from colorado, mr. polis. mr. polis: i thank the gentleman from michigan. and to be -- the chair: the gentleman from michigan should remain on his feet. mr. polis: very clearly there are two issues here. why are we plusing up an agency above their own request level for a vague bureaucratic purpose, that's question number one. when other agencies are being cut. that's what this amendment addresses. however, there's been a lot of discussion on the floor about some of the wasted efforts on

d. -- in d.e.a. and i want to talk about the moving testimony that my colleague gave with regard to the name of the brave agents of the drug enforcement agency who gave their lives in service of this nation and i'd like to inquire of him how many of those whose names he read who gave their lives would be alive today with their families today if it wasn't for the failed federal policy of prohibition with regard to marijuana. i happy to yield to the gentleman from virginia if he has an answer. the chair: the gentleman from ichigan controls the time. mr. polis: happy to further yield to the gentleman from virginia. how many agents would be alive today with their families? the chair: the gentleman from michigan controls the time. mr. polis: mr. speaker, i'd like to know if anybody in this body can answer the question and tell the surviving husband, the surviving wife, a 10-year-old child who lost their father to a failed

federal policy, how many of those agents would be alive today if it were not for the failed federal policy on prohibition? does anybody have an answer? i thought that might be the case, mr. speaker. i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman yields back his time. mr. kildee: i yield back. the chair: the gentleman from michigan yields back. >> i move to strike the last word. the chair: for what purpose does the gentleman from arizona rise? >> i'd like to speak to the amendment. the chair: the gentleman from arizona moves to strike the last word. he's recognized for five minutes. mr. gosar: i yield to the gentleman from virginia. mr. wolf: four agents have died since 2009. four agents have died since 2009. i yield back. the chair: the gentleman from arizona yields back the balance of his time.

the question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from colorado. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the noes have it. the amendment is not adopted. mr. polis: mr. speaker. the chair: the gentleman from colorado. mr. polis: on that i request the yeas and nays. the chair: the gentleman has asked for a recorded vote. pursuant n favor -- to clause 6 of rule 18, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from olorado will be postponed. for what purpose does the entleman from colorado rise? the gentleman from colorado is recognized -- from california is recognized. mr. hunter: thank you, mr. speaker. they both start with c's. chairman wolf, there is a situation you and i discussed

involving a former u.s. marine imprisoned in mexico for making a wrong turn while in possession of three legally owned firearms. andrew endured two combat tours in afghanistan. he was meritoriously promoted to sergeant on the battlefield. a high honor for any serviceperson. and he, like others, returning from war has been diagnosed with posttraumatic stress. that's why he was in san diego so he could seek treatment for that disorder. for two months andrew has been in jail in mexico. he's been mistreated. we found out yesterday he had been beaten, he'd been chained to the wall and beaten by his mexican imprisoners. he's been threatened and he's been looking for a way out since that night he was pulled over in secondary screening. he acknowledged his mistake and disclosed his firearms and wanted to come back to america. that was not good enough for mexican authorities and the legal proceedings in andrew's case is only just beginning. my problem, mr. chairman, is that the state department, beyond the consulate in

tijuana, has done nothing. our justice department has done nothing despite numerous appeals from me and others including yourself. mr. chairman, i know that yarned served with honor and distinction and all hands ondeck approach is owed to him in return. i hope we can continue working together to ensure this federal government is doing all it can for andrew and i hope you can weigh in also with the department of justice, encourage their coordination with the department of state and urge greater action to support andrew's legal defense. mr. wolf: i thank the gentleman for his efforts on this. i have followed it. i personally tell you i appreciate it. i also appreciate the fact gretta was down there. i watched one of the interviews. it's painful to watch a united states citizen -- i know you were in new jerseya. i know your dad was very proud what you had done. why we cannot get someone else,

we can do everything we can to help you and we will call the attorney general's office tomorrow. i'll try to talk to mr. holder who i know will be sympathetic and see what we possibly can do to get the gentleman out. we will do anything the gentleman asks. mr. fattah: if the gentleman will yield? i also would like to join in in whatever we can do from our side to help in this matter so they can come to a positive resolution. mr. hunter: i thank the gentlemen. i yield back. the chair: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from new york rise? >> mr. chairman, i move to strike the requisite number of words. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. mr. crowley: after consultation with both the offices of the chair and the ranking member, i now rise for the purpose of entering into it a colloquy with chairman wolf and with ranking member fatah.

four years ago when the house -- ranking member fattah. four years ago i offered an amendment at that time with my colleagues, congresswoman gabrielle giffords and congressman jerry mcnerney, to correct a long-standing inequity at the national science foundation. unlike their counterparts of the historically black colleges and universities and tribal colleges and universities, hispanic-serving institutions have not benefited from a specific program at the n.s.f. to provide them with the grants for research, curriculum and infrastructure development. the amendment corrected this inequity, requiring the n.s.f. to create a separate program for h.s.i.'s. it was adopted and it became law at that time. but to this day, the n.s.f. has not implemented the program as codified in law and funding has yet to be provided.

hispanic-serving institutions serve the majority of nearly two million latino students enrolled in college today. my district alone has about 10,000 students attending hispanic-serving institutions in the fields of science. without access to targeted grants, h.s.i.'s have difficulty increasing the ranks of latinos in the stem fields where they have been historically underrepresented. we must ensure that latinos, the youngest and fastest growing ethnic group in our nation, are prepared with the knowledge and skills that will contribute to our nation's future, economic strength, security and global leadership. i would like to work with chairman wolf and ranking member fattah to aim for a dedicated stream of funding at the n.s.f. to support stem programs at hispanic-serving institutions.

at this time i'd be pleased to yield to ranking member fattha. mr. fattah: let me thank the gentleman from the great state of new york and pledge to him that i'd be more than willing to work with him to increase he number of hispanic students and support of hispanic-serving institutions through the national science foundation. i yield back -- i yield knowing that i pledge to work with you on this matter. thank you. mr. crowley: thank you. i'd also like to yield to the gentleman from virginia, mr. wolf. mr. wolf: thank you. i want to thank mr. crowley for raising this issue. mr. serrano raised -- i think he raised this during one of the hearings and also mr. diaz-balart. i'd work with you. we will deal with this. i want to thank you for raising the issue. i yield back. mr. crowley: i thank the chair and the ranking member for agreeing to work towards this funding stream and with that i'll yield back the balance of

my time. the chair: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the clerk will read. the clerk: page 32, line 19, bureau of alcohol, tobacco, firearms and explosives. salaries and expenses, 1,200,000,000. for other purposes the gentleman from michigan seek recognition? >> i have an amendment at the desk. the chair: the clerk will designate the amendment. the clerk: amendment offered by mr. kildee of michigan. page 33, line 4, after the dollar amount insert increased by $15 million. page 63, line 22, after the dollar amount insert reduced by $23 million. the chair: the gentleman from michigan is recognized. mr. kildee: thank you, mr. chairman. i offer this amendment. i represent flint, michigan, and saginaw, michigan, two cities that have dealt with

significant violence and there are cities across the country that are plagued with extreme violence and are unable themselves, these communities, to deal with the challenges simply having the resources to deal with the crime that they're seeing every day. on occasion, the a.t.f. has been able to provide support to these communities through their violent crime reduction partnership program, so-called surge. what my amendment would do would be to provide an additional $15 million to the a.t.f.'s budget to conduct additional surge operations in america's most violent communities. as i said, there's a high correlation between communities experiencing serious violence, high rates of murder and other violent crime in cities that are experiencing problems, significant financial stress such as they simply don't have

the resources to deal with the tidal wave of violence and in fact in many cases see the loss of police and prosecutorial capacity. this amendment would address that by allowing a.t.f. to utilize the additional funding to support those communities, those most violent communities. it makes a difference. it pays off. in 2012, when a surge was executed in my hometown of flint, the murder rate, the homicide rate was cut in half for that period. in oakland, california, we saw violent crime go down in just a four-month period by 14%. these programs do work because what they do is they support those local law enforcement officials, local prosecutors to make cases against the most violent offenders. really an important thing. the offset -- and i know this will rankle some and i know the chairman is particularly

concerned with this as is the ranking member, and i completely understand it. the offset comes from the nasa exploration fund. i understand and i support the work -- don't get me wrong -- and the important priority that this congress places on the work that nasa is doing in this regard. from my perspective, i think it's important we keep for this conversation, in the case of nasa's budget for exploration, see a $191 million increase over what was requested. and i understand if we could do that and we could do that and still deal with the other priorities i'd be all for it. but when i see my hometown and other cities like it literally seeing their kids die because we don't have adequate resources to deal with the violence, it seems to me

reasonable to take a small portion of a very large increase in funding to an important program. don't get me wrong. a very important program. but to take a small portion of an increase in order to support this kind of work that the a.t.f. is doing when if i could turn to the a.t.f. and say use your increased budget to fund this, i'd be certainly willing to say that. but in this case we see with the a.t.f. with a modest reduction over what was being proposed, what was requested and the budget within nasa that i'm addressing seeing $191 million added. it's a question of competing important priorities, i understand. where i live, and where i come from, it is very difficult for me to find a higher priority than getting resources to help make cases against the bad guys who are killing