the speaker pro tempore: on this vote the yeas are 325. the nays are 100. 2/3 having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the senate amendment is agreed to. without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. the unfinished business is the vote on the motion of the gentleman from north carolina, mr. hudson, to suspend the rules and concur in the senate amendment to h.r. 2719 on which the yeas and nays were ordered. the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 2719, an act to require the transportation security administration to implement best practices and improve transparency with regard to technology acquisition programs and for other purposes. senate amendment. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and concur in the senate amendment. members will record their votes by electronic device. this is a five-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives.

any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote the yeas are 425. the nays are zero. 2/3 having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the senate amendment is agreed to and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. the unfinished business is the vote on the motion of the gentleman from north carolina, mr. hudson, to suspend the rules and concur in the senate amendment to h.r. 1204 on which the yeas and nays were ordered. the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 1204, an act to amend title 49 united states code to direct the assistant secretary of homeland security,

transportation security administration to establish an aviation security advisory committee and for other purposes. senate amendment. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and concur in the senate amendment. members will record their votes by electronic device. this is a five-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the speaker pro tempore: the yeas are 416, the nays are 5, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended and the senate amendment is agreed to and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table.

he house will be in order. the house will be in order. the speaker pro tempore: the house will be in order. members are asked to remove their conversations from the house floor.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from north carolina seek recognition? >> i ask unanimous consent to take from the speaker's table the bill h.r. 1281 to amend the public health service act to re-authorize programs under part a of title 11 of such act, with the senate amendments thereto and concur in the senate amendment. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: mr 1281 an anth to amend the public service act to re-authorize programs under part a of title 11. senate amendment, at the end, add the following, section 12, formed consent for newborn screening, research. mrs. emerson: i ask that the reading be dispensed with. the speaker pro tempore: is

there objection? without objection, the senate amendment is agreed to and motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from north carolina seek recognition? >> i ask unanimous consent to take the bill s. 2521 and ask for its immediate consideration in the house. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report. the clerk: senate 2521, an act to amend united states code to provide for reform to federal information security. the speaker pro tempore: is there objection to the consideration of the bill? without objection, the bill is read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider is laid n the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? the speaker pro tempore: i send to the desk a concurrent

resolution and ask for unanimous consent for immediate consideration in the house. the clerk: house concurrent resolution 123, directing the clerk of the house of representatives to make a correction in the enrollment of the bill h.r. 3979. the speaker pro tempore: is there objection to the consideration of the concurrent resolution? without objection, the concurrent resolution is agreed to and the motion to reconsider s laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from michigan seek recognition? >> i send to the desk a concurrent resolution and ask unanimous consent for its immediate consideration in the house. the clerk: house concurrent resolution 124, concurrent resolution providing for a correction in the enrollment of h.r. 5771. the speaker pro tempore: is there objection to the consideration of the concurrent resolution? without objection, the concurrent resolution is agreed to. and the motion to reconsider is laid on the table.

for what purpose does the gentleman from michigan seek recognition? mr. camp: i move to suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 5806. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman will suspend for a moment. pursuant to clause 8, rule 20, the chair will postponeon motions on a recorded vote and the yeas and nays are ordered or on which the votes incur objection under clause 6, rule 20. any record votes on postponed questions will be taken later. for what purpose does the gentleman from michigan seek recognition? mr. camp: again, mr. speaker, i move to suspend the bill and pass the bill h.r. 5806. the clerk: h.r. 5806 a bill to amend the internal revenue code to modify and make permanent certain expiring provisions. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from michigan, mr. camp and the gentleman from

michigan, mr. levin will each control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from michigan, mr. camp. mr. camp: i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to resize and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. camp: mr. speaker, we find ourselves here today to once again address a group of tax provisions that need to be made permanent. this time for the sake of those who give to and ultimately benefit from charitable organizations. every day, selfless americans nationwide decide to donate and support an array of causes be it a cure for cancer, helping underprivileged children succeed in school. the speaker pro tempore: the house is not in order. the house will be in order. members are requested to remove their conversations from the house floor.

the house will be in order. the gentleman from michigan is recognized. mr. camp: every day, selfless americans nationwide decide to donate in support of causes be it finding a cause for cancer, helping underprivileged children succeed in school or providing a meal and shelter that for some is hard to come by. countless americans dedicate their lives to these causes and serving their friends and neighbors in need. the three charitable policies in this legislation can provide tremendous support for those good works. however, because these policies are only temporary, they are not nearly as effective as they can or should be. and it's well past time that congress takes the necessary action to support america's charities and those that benefit from their work and make these policies permanent. what our charities do in america is beyond the power of government to give. now, we were close to reaching a

bipartisan deal with the senate that would have made them permanent. but the president decided to lay politics and shoe a veto threat. the president considers the policy that encourages donations to food banks to be a giveaway to big corporations, i would like to see the president travel to the west midland center to see that food pantry and tell them they are a corporate giveaway. the supporting america's charities act fixes what the administration and some senators decided not to. and this legislation will ultimately increase charitable giving, by making these policies permanent and enabling charities to better serve those in need. these bipartisan proposals previously passed the house in july of this year and continue

to experience unrivaled support from organizations nationwide. in fact, more than 1,000 charitable organizations, 1,032 have written every member of congress in support of the permanent tax incentives. take for example, a joint letter authored in july by america's five leading charitable organizations, in discussing their unanimous support, they said, quote, the incentives being considered by the house have encouraged individuals and small businesses to actively support the development and sustainability of our society. they have spurred contributions, for example, to build health centers, to develop counseling programs for at-risk youth, to provide nutrition assistance to hungry children, to conserve land and to offer therapy for people with developmental disabilities. i don't think i'm alone when i

say this, policies that promote donations to health centers, youth counseling programs and therapy for people with disabilities are not giveaways to corporate america. and mr. speaker, just today, i was at walter reed hospital visiting the brain trama center there that was built for our wounded warriors. it was made possible through private donations and then made as a gift to the united states government for those men and women who served in our military. that is the kind of giving we need to encourage. that is the kind of giving this legislation would encourage and as i said last week, the end of the year is fast approaching and a new tax filing season is around the corner. now is not the time for those who selflessly donate to wonder what tax surprises are waiting for them, nor more is it a time for charitable organizations to

grow uncertain about their futures. . we should do everything in our power to encourage individuals to give more and help charitable organizations expand their reach nationwide. is the giving spirit of the holiday season around us? i encourage my friends on both sides of the aisle and both sides of congress, look at the policies here, not the politics, look at the policies and support those who give, support those who are in need by voting on h.r. 5806 and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from michigan reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from michigan, mr. levin, is recognized for 20 minutes. mr. levin: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from michigan is recognized. mr. levin: let me make clear at the outset, this isn't a debate about the excellent work of

charities or foundations or their vital role in our society. this house has already taken action to provide for the three provisions included in this bill for this year's tax returns as part of the broad extender bill that passed last week. so when the chairman talks about no surprises, we've already passed through the house and what will become law is an extender bill that makes it clear for this tax season these provisions are in effect. there's no doubt about that. so everyone who voted in favor of the package has already ensured that taxpayers can benefit from these provisions this year. look, this isn't about politics

, and frankly, as the lead sponsor originally of one of these bills, i find objectionable any reference to politics. i sponsored that bill regarding food contributions because of my belief that many people wanted to contribute to help supply nutrition. and when the president issued his statement of administration policy, there was no politics at all, zero. e had made that clear in july. and i think it's regrettable -- let me leave it at that -- that anyone would say that politics has anything to do with this issue.

as i said, these provisions are already going to be available for taxpayers in this tax season. what this is about is fiscal responsibility and fiscal priorities. what this bill does is it takes three provisions out of the many in the extender bill. three. leaving aside whether it's r&d, leaving aside whether it's the education provision, leaving aside whether it's the child tax credit that would expire in terms of its improvements in a couple years. what this does is to take just these three, important as they are, and say we're going to make those permanent without paying one dime for them. not one dime. adding $11 billion to the debt. and i must say -- and we've had

some back and forth on this -- what everyone thought of chairman camp's comprehensive bill -- and we had some questions about it -- but never questioning the fact that it took some hard work and i think some courage to put these ovisions into the context of comprehensive tax reform. and so it's counterintuitive in a way to just pick these three p and to make them permanent unpaid for. so let me just read the statement of administration policy, if i might. i just hope it sets to rest any claim that this is about politics, because as an original sponsor of one of these bills, i can just

emphasize what propeled me to propose it -- propelled me to propose it, to all the food pantries i went to, to all of the church groups i went to who were providing food, to the business people i talk with who food, sentially donating to their credit they couldn't sell, and to do so in a way that it was timely and so that the foods were very easily he hadible and readily so -- edible and readily so. so with that spirit -- and i hope talking about the spirit of the season -- this administration policy, i hope with that spirit it will be received. and i quote from it. the administration supports measures that enhance nonprofits, fill an tropic -- fill an thropic organizations

-- philanthropic organizations in their many roles, including as a safety net for those most in need, an economic engine for job creation, a tool for environmental conservation, that encourages land protections for current and future generations and an incubator of innovation to foster solutions to some of the nation's toughest challenges. the president's budget includes a number of proposals that would enhance and simplify charitable giving incentives for many individuals. however, the administration strongly opposes passage of h.r. 5806, which would permanently extend three current provisions that offer enhanced tax breaks for certain donations. as the administration stated, when strongly opposing some of

the legislation this past july, if the same unprecedented approach of making certain traditional tax extenders permanent without offsets were followed for the other traditional tax extenders it -- tore more to deficits over the next 10 years, wiping out most of the deficit reduction achieved through the taxpayer relief act of 2012. earlier this year, the house republicans themselves passed a without any tax extenders that were made permanent without any revenue measures. as with similar proposals, republicans are imposing a double standard, by adding to the deficit to continue tax breaks while insisting on offsetting the proposed extension of emergency

unemployment benefits and the discretionary funding increases for defense and nondefense priorities such as research and development in the bipartisan budget act of 2013. house republicans are also making clear their priorities. by rushing to make these tax cuts permanent, without offsets, even as the house republican budget resolution calls for raising taxes on 26 million working families and students, by letting important improvements to the eitc, the earned income tax credit, the child tax credit and education tax credits expire. the administration wants to work with the congress to make progress on measures that strengthen america's charitable sector. i want to repeat that. the administration wants to work with the congress to make progress on measures that

strengthen america's charitable sector. however, h.r. 5806 represents the wrong approach. if the president were presented with h.r. 5806, his senior advisors would recommend that he veto the bill. i reserve the balance of my ime. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from michigan reserves. the gentleman from michigan. mr. camp: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from michigan is recognized. mr. camp: i actually read the statement of administration position myself. i see nothing in that that gives any member a reason to vote no. and let me just say, feeding america estimates that h.r. 5806, this bill we're debating tonight, would feed -- would create 100 million new meals a year. and frankly, i would say to my friend from michigan, if you're

hungry, you can't wait. let's do this now. and i would say in response to reading a statement of administration position, the president has repeatedly said, send me bipartisan measures that we can work on together. there is no more bipartisan issue than helping america's charities help the needy, help those who are hungry, help those without housing. in michigan, our home state, we have a pilot program with a cereal manufacture is capturing excess breakfast products. over 20,000 pounds of food per week is donated. if a tax law is changed to 5806, seven times that amount would be donated by that company, by the private sector, filling a need the government is not meeting. a lot of hungry kids don't always get meals outside of

school. so they take this cereal home in their backpacks for weekends. there is no reason to wait. let's do this now. look, we passed a one-year measure on all these other things. that only gives us two weeks. for a lot of these charitable provisions, they need a longer window. they need more certainty to put these programs in place, to put the distribution systems in place to get the food and the resources to people in need. with that i yield such time as he may consume to the distinguished gentleman from the ways and means committee, the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. gerlach. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from pennsylvania is recognized. mr. gerlach: i thank the gentleman and thank the chairman for his leadership in bringing this legislation to the floor. i had some prepared remarks that i wanted to give relative to the conservation easement part of this legislation because it's a hugely important issue to the people in southeastern pennsylvania and

many other states as well. because through conservation easement transactions, tens of thousands of acres are preserved throughout the course of a year in a metropolitan area like philadelphia, other areas that preserve, watersheds, preserves the natural resources of that area, allows farmers to keep farming, allows people to hold on to the great open space that creates the vistas and quality of life that people want to have in their communities. and i had my prepared remarks ready to go to talk about why that is important, once again, to try to pass legislation to allow for at least some period of time to allow for those transactions to go forward because of the tax deductibility that would be present in the tax code. but in listening to our colleague from michigan a few minutes ago, to somehow throw out the proposal that since we passed this already a few weeks ago in a one-year extension,

that one year being 2014, the year we're already in, also the year that's going to expire in 21 days, to say somehow at this point in time in this legislative session that's ok, that's how we'll take care of conservation easements in the future, we'll pass the one-year extension as we did in the house, send it to the senate. it will go ultimately to the president. look at what the great job we did for conservation easements here in the united states. we gave them 21 more days worth of decisionmaking time to determine whether or not they want to move forward with a transaction that will conserve open space and farmland around our country. that's pitiful, with all due respect to my colleagues here in the house. we have legislation that has hundreds of co-sponsors, republicans and democrats here in the house. we have that same kind of bipartisan support in the senate. we have charities all around the united states calling in to congress asking that this legislation be passed,

regardless of whether they are a group involved in conservation easements or in other charitable pursuits like food banks or the i.r.a. issues. they want to do something that we can finally agree to do and get it done by the end of the year. i don't think that's too much to ask for congress to do, and here we have the bill right in front of us that on a wide bipartisan basis is supported in the house and senate, we can pass it to make it a permanent part of the tax code so these groups can plan in the future and these individuals can plan in the future for how they want to help their charities in their communities, it's right before us and yet we still have opposition to basically coming together to do what we want to do to begin with. we need to look at ourselves in the mirror over the next 24 hours and figure out why we're here in congress. i hope you have a wonderful opportunity to help the charities in your community to make a permanent change in the

tax code and that's something we can all reflect on in the 113th congress as one time, one place, one bill we could come together on and help our communities and help our charities. so i ask all of our colleagues to support this legislation and with that i yield back. mr. levin: i yield three minutes to the gentleman from illinois. mr. davis: let me thank the gentleman from michigan for yielding. let me be clear. i yield to no one in terms of my support for programs and activities to help those who are in need. i support federal tax policies that support charities. i have hundreds of charities and foundations in my congressional district and even more throughout the state of

illinois. they all provide tremendous support to individuals in great need. but i don't believe that this this momentssary at in order to provide those services. i am disappointed and cannot support this irresponsible bill, which adds to the deficit. the republican leadership talks a great deal about fiscal prudentens and even requires in their budget resolution that in a tax extender be made permanent be offset. the republican leadership could have easily paid for this bill by closing a tax loophole or two. the republican leadership could have easily brought up this bill under a rule that allowed an offset to be added.

instead, they have chosen to add to the deficit in a political ploy. so i say again, mr. speaker, and i pledge to my constituents and to the charitable organizations, to work in a bipartisan way to advance charitable benefits. however, i cannot support this irresponsible bill. the president has issued a veto threat, and i support the president. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from illinois yields back. the gentleman from michigan reserves. the gentleman from michigan is recognized. mr. camp: i yield to the the gentlewoman from kansas, ms. jenkins. the gentlewoman kansas is recognized. ms. jenkins: i thank the gentleman for his leadership and so many others here in the people's house. he will be greatly missed. i rise today in support of h.r.

5806, the supporting america's charities act. this bill reflects the good work that has been done in the ways and means committee during the 113th congress. it makes permanent important provisions that would continue to allow taxpayers to make contributions from their i.r.a.'s to charities, and contributions of conservation sements on a tax-preferred basis. greater traps will assist taxpayers by helping to advance their charitable goals. charitable deductions are encouraging charitable giving to lower the costs. it recognizes the amounts given to charities which should be treated differently. i urge my colleagues to vote for this bill and i hope the senate

does the same. thank you, and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from kansas yields back. the gentleman from michigan reserves. the gentleman from michigan is recognized. mr. levin: are you ready to close? mr. camp: yes. mr. levin: i yield myself such time as i shall consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from michigan is recognized. mr. levin: the way we've acted here, taxpayers will be able to thishe i.r.a. rollover for tax season. that's for sure. people who want to make donations, however they do it relating to nutrition and food, will be able to do that for this tax year. so the issue is not whether we care much about those provisions

. as i said as someone who has worked so hard in terms of nutrition policy, food donations, who's been to so many know how important it is that these contributions continue. they will, under the action of this congress. that is not the question. the question is whether this institution will take three provisions out of the extenders' bill that we passed and make them permanent, unpaid for, unpaid for, permanent and unpaid for, increasing the deficit by $11 billion, without giving the same consideration to every

other single provision in the extender bill. whether it's education or research and development and so many other provisions that also have some urgency to them. no, i don't think anybody should worry here about voting no and having challenged by anybody their dedication to tax policies that give people incentive to give to charities, to foundations or to nutrition programs or their dedication in terms of conservation. what the majority has decided to do was to take, as i said, out of the extender bill, three provisions knowing that the president would veto them. i guess trying to score points against the president instead of

scoring points for those whose programs are in question here. nd so that's what this is all. >> you can say with total honesty that you have voted for legislation that makes sure for this tax season, like for all other extenders, that people will be able in this case to give contributions to deduct them, to roll over their i.r.a.'s, whatever. it will be up to the citizen to make that decision. we are providing that opportunity for citizens. and anyone who tries to undermine the deep dedication of anyone on this side or the president of the united states to the importance of charity, i

think is doing a real disservice to the nation and to themselves and to themselves. i urge a no vote. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from michigan yields back. the gentleman from michigan is recognized. mr. camp: i yield myself the balance of the time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. camp: i would say briefly, actions speak louder than words, and while technically yes, we are going to make sure that for the last couple of weeks, as my colleague from pennsylvania so eloquently stated, these tax policies will be in place, but we need more than that. i mean whether it is food inventory or conservation easements, these are long-term policies we are asking people to get involved in. let's talk about southeast michigan. we know who is doing a lot of the work in detroit.

a lot of foundations are. they are setting up plans and processes to help rebuild that city. and they need more than two weeks, the policy. they need permanent policy. these are simple, bipartisan measures, whether it's food inventory, charitable i.r.a. or conservation easements. we know the watershed of new york city was protected by conservation easements. they couldn't do it in two weeks. and the things we can do with conservation will last decades into the future. they need the intergenerational, long-term policy to put these kinds of plans in place. and even as i mentioned earlier, with regard to food inventories and charitable i.r.a.'s, those

aren't decisions you make on a whim. are you going to turn your i.r.a. over to charity? it may be a decision, do you have the ability to do that or not. not something you can do based on a couple of weeks. we are the only nation in the world that let's these things expire. i mean what the gentleman hasn't said is these items were expired for all of 2014. we are going to put them in place for the last two weeks and retroactively say you can make an easement conservation contribution, well, you can't and probably not going to do it in the next two weeks. because when the clock hits 2015, you aren't going to have the tax policy. look, i would ask people, just don't vote in lockstep. really examine your conscience and whether at this time of year, with the great needs this

nation is facing and has faced for the last decade, what can we do to make a difference now, and why do we need to wait. as the gentleman says -- has said, we have tried to make these things permanent. that hasn't worked. hasn't worked in the comprehensive tax overhaul or trying to make a lot of these extensions permanent. but these are important. and these will make a difference where government doesn't go. and it's our foundation and our charities that actually innovate in this area and find out what works, as we know government isn't the most innovative in this area. and that's why these are important to do now. and i think especially in this

season of giving, we shouldn't just vote because our leaders tell us to, because we have gotten some letter from the administration. we should really look carefully on how we can make a difference by this vote that we're going to take and what that will mean for people's lives and the countless families who depend on selfless americans to make it from day-to-day. i urge a yes vote on this legislation and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from michigan yields back. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 5806. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative -- mr. levin: i ask for a recorded

vote. the speaker pro tempore: yeas and nays are requested, all those in favor of taking this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing. a sufficient number having arisen, yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8, rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to take from the speaker's table the bill s. 444, the howard coble coast guard and maritime transportation act, and ask for its immediate consideration in the house. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is asking for s. 2444. the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: senate 2444, an act to authorize appropriations for the coast guard for fiscal year 2015 and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: is there objection to consideration of the bill? without objection, the bill is read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass s. 2651. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: senate 2651, an act

to repeal certain mandates of the department of homeland security office of inspector general. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from california, mr. hunter, and the gentleman from california, mr. garamendi, will each control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from california, mr. hunter. mr. hunter: thank you, mr. speaker. i ask unanimous done sent -- consent that all members may have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on s. 2651. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. hunter: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself as much time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. hunter: s. 265 1, the d.h.s.-o.i.g. mandates revision act of 2014 repeals three reports, the department of homeland security, office of inspector general, is required to conduct and submit annually to congress. the reports include evaluations of the cargo inspection targeting system for international, intermodal cargo containers, coast guard mission performance and certain department of homeland security grants. without a mandate, the department's office of inspector general can continue to conduct these audits

periodically but at its own discretion. it's estimated that repeal of these mandates will save nearly $2 million for the taxpayers annually. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. waxman: mr. speaker, i yield my is he -- mr. garamendi: mr. speaker, i yield myself as of time as i may consume. rise in support of this legislation. it alleviates the office of inspector general of the united states department of homeland security from having to perform three annual audits, repealing these audits will help ever so slightly in reducing the cost and the congressional mandate. all this information is available to us in other forms and it's good to get rid of these reports which are sometimes not really sent anyway. by the way, mr. hunter, congratulations on the recently passed coast guard legislation. mr. hunter: i thank the gentleman from california. mr. garamendi: furthermore,

eliminating the mandate will allow the o.i.g. to give sources to finding out what went wrong wherever it might be. in this way the legislation might improve the oversight of programs and the activities at the department of homeland security which would be extremely useful to congress. mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. hunter: mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california reserves. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. garamendi: i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. hunter: i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california yields back the balance of his time. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass senate 2651. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and, without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from georgia seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, the move to suspend the rules and pass the bill, h.r. 5810. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 5810, a bill to amend the united states cotton futures act, to exclude certain cotton futures contracts from coverage under such act. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from georgia, mr. scott, and the gentleman from georgia, mr. scott, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from georgia, mr. austin scott. mr. scott: thank you, mr. speaker. i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on the bill, h.r. 5810. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. scott: mr. speaker, i yield to my colleague from georgia, mr. westmoreland, for as much time as he may consume.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from georgia is recognized for as much time as he shall consume. mr. westmoreland: thank you, mr. speaker. i want to thank my colleague from georgia fo giving me the time. i -- forgiving me the time. i rise today in support ever bill. support of this this would meet the cotton industry's growing need for a world contract for cotton on the united states market. h.r. 5810 offers a simple technical fix that is needed due to the outdated 1916 cotton futures act in terms of recognizing the global cotton trade. recent discussions with usda revealed that the 1916 cotton futures act requires all cotton tendered on a cotton futures contract that is listed for trading on a u.s. exchange be classified by the usda. this is unrealistic, both logistically and financially, for non-u.s. cotton stored in warehouses outside the u.s. the industry's desire to trade and hedge a more modern contract requires the legislative tweak to the 1916

cotton futures act, to allow for any non-u.s. cotton tendered towards this u.s. contract to be inspected and classed by non-usda persone -- personnel. our proposal would not change the regulation of the contract, nor the current usda classing requirement that u.s. cotton must be classified by the usda personnel. additionally, this bill also would not impact fees being generated by the usda in the classing of u.s. cotton. tenders toward existing cotton futures. here's the bottom line. for the industry to be able to hedge the 2015 cotton crop, they will need to -- a tweak to this futures act that they may petition the cftc for the new world contract to be listed. if h.r. 5810 is not passed, a new contract would likely be listed as other exchanges in europe or singapore. with such unanimous support for

this contract and solution, we hope this effort will be considered technical in nature and adopt it quickly. i urge my colleagues to support the measure and, mr. speaker, with that i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from georgia yields back. the gentleman from georgia reserves. the gentleman from georgia is recognized. mr. scott: thank you very much, mr. chairman. as my colleague from georgia, mr. westmoreland, has just eloquently stated, there's a great need for this. everybody's in agreement on it. the cotton number two contract is needed as a hedging tool for our cotton industry globally and it's needed so that we can have both delivery points inside as well as outside the united states because our global markets are now more global. as my colleague, mr. westmoreland, mentioned, week of not touched this law since 1916. that's nearly 100 years.

you can imagine so much has changed. it's very, very much more global and we do not need to put our cotton participants in trade, in marketing, in commodities at a disadvantage. and as was indicated to other markets, this is urgent. if we do not move within the next three weeks so that we can have this on the books as law in time for our cotton participants in the united states to be able to function for their year 2015. and in the cotton business, you start early. you start in january and february. so it's very urgent. the legislation benefits everybody. all participants are in agreement. the bottom line is that this gislation is about mod earnization and our markets as i said before have become much more global, it's a technical

correction and it will help our cotton farmers, our cotton producers, and those who have to hedge in the marketplace around the world and does not, does not put our cotton industry in the united states advantage globally -- at a disadvantage globally. and i certainly urge that we all accept this amendment and move forward with a very, very important part of american industry, the cotton industry. i yield back my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from georgia yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from georgia is recognized. mr. scott: mr. speaker, i yield myself as much time as i may consume. as my colleague said, mr. speaker, every year cotton farmers prepare their fields. off the field they must prepare as well. hedging risks and protecting themselves from possible disaster with cotton contracts on commodity exchanges. cotton number two contract is the benchmark contract for the

entire united states cotton industry. however, recently a wide range of cotton industry participants have recommended the development of world cotton contract with delivery points inside and outside of the united states. this is in recognition of the global nature of today's colten industry. -- cotton industry. the 1916 cotton futures act requires that all cotton futures contracts must be classed by the usda, regardless of where the cot season being stored. this -- cotton is being charged. this does not recognize the global cotton trade that exists today. h.r. 5810 would simpley allow for cotton futures contracts to be offered on a u.s. exchange that is based off of world market price. this bill will neither change the regulation of the current futures contracts nor the current usda classing which requires u.s. cotton to be classed, again, by usda personnel. with these technical changes in h.r. 510 and new cotton futures contract will be available in

u.s. commodity markets, i urge my colleagues to support h.r. 5810. mr. speaker, i reserve the alance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from jnl has already yielded back his time -- georgia has already yielded back his time. is that correct? the gentleman from georgia is recognized. mr. hunter: -- mr. scott: mr. speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from georgia yields back the balance of his time. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill, h.r. 5810. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and, without objection, the motion to railroadky -- to reconsider is laid on the table.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that the committee on foreign affairs be discharged from further consideration of h.r. 5816 and ask for its immediate consideration. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 5816, a bill to extend the authorization for

the united states commission on international religious freedom . the speaker pro tempore: is there objection to the consideration of the bill? without objection, the bill is engrossed, read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i was also going to ask unanimous consent to take from the speaker's table house concurrent resolution 107 with the senate amendments thereto and to concur in the senate amendments. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the concurrent resolution and the senate amendments. the clerk: house concurrent resolution 107, concurrent resolution denouncing the use of civilians as human shields by hamas and other terrorist organizations in violation of international humanitarian law. senate amendments, strike the preamble and insert the following, whereas the use of human shields is unconscionable and morally unacceptable, whereas --

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. royce: might i ask unanimous con sent to dispense with the read -- consent to dispense with the reading of the amendment. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the reading is dispensed with. is there objection to the original request of the gentleman from california? without objection, the senate amendments are agreed to and the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? mr. royce: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that when the house adjourns today it adjourn to meet at 9:00 a.m. tomorrow. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. royce: and, mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and pass s. 1683. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: senate 1683, an act to provide for the transfer of naval vessels to certain foreign recipients and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from california, mr. royce, and the gentleman from california, mr. vargas, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from california, mr. royce.

. royce: thank you, mr. royce: i ask that a letter signed by myself regarding this bill be entered into the record. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. royce: mr. speaker, i rise in strong support of this legislation, senate bill 1683. it would allow the united states to transfer certain decommissioned naval vessels to taiwan and to mexico. it also makes some technical amendments to u.s.-export control laws. let me say i appreciate the broad bipartisan support, that the contents of this measure

already received because this april, the house passed the underlying bill, h.r. 3470, which i'm the author, the companion legislation to this bill. and mr. engel and i were the co-sponsors. i'm pleased that this important legislation supporting the defense of our allies has been passed by the other body and with passage by the house it will make its way to the president's desk. on april 10, 1979, the taiwan relations act was established to govern america's relationship with the republic of china-taiwan. the act has maintained peace and security across the taiwan strait and the asian-pacific region. and during this time, taiwan has undergone amon you mental transformation from poverty to the vibrant multi-party

democracy. taiwan's economy has evolved and it is our 10th top trading partner. as chairman, i led two bipartisan delegations to taiwan to examine their economy and defense capabilities and today's legislation is the product of the committee's bipartisan effort to prioritize the u.s.-taiwan relationship. so this legislation authorizes the president to send four vessels to taiwan. these are ships that are greatly needed to augustment their defense capability. i have seen the world war i-era submarines and the 50-year-old fighter jets that form the core of their military. congress has made it clear that it wants more defense sales and more transfers like this to taiwan, including transfers to

support the modernization of its combat aircraft and its submarine fleet. these would bolster their defense to make sure peace and nefits taiwan and the entire region. excess decommissioned naval vessels will be going to mexico. we returned from mexico city and transfers such as these help to support the priorities of the u.s. navy while strengthening the capability of allies and our close partners to meet our shard maritime security objectives. the bill includes a provision requested by the department of commerce to ensure that our export control regime will continue to protect sensitive information related to export licensing. in particular, it clarifies that the business confidentiality

protections of the lapsed export administration act remain in effect under another provision of the law and will continue to protect information related to export licensing. this provision will both protect u.s. national security and the competitiveness of american exporters, while providing time for congress and the executive branch to modernize the statutory basis for our export control regime. while i'm disappointed this measure does not include a provision from the house bill that would have expedited arms sales to close allies, the committee will promote improvements in the next congress. the bill will also clarify that certain business confidentiality protections of the export administration act will continue to protect information related to export licensing. so i will reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentleman from california reserves. the gentleman from california, mr. vargas, is recognized. mr. vargas: i rise in strong support of s. 1683, the naval vessel transfer act and yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. vargas: this bill includes many of the provisions in h.r. 3470, which the house passed on april 7 and sent to the other body. i would like to thank chairman royce for the bipartisan manner in which the original house bill was drafted, considered by the committee and passed by the house. with today's action on s. 1683, we finish our work on this important legislation. in the taiwan relations act, the united states made a commitment to support taiwan's defense capability. to that end, this bill authorizes the president to transfer up to four surplus u.s. naval vessels to taiwan.

in light of china's increasingly aggressive actions in the pacific region, it is more important than ever to bolster taiwan's security. this bill authorizes the transfer of two surplus naval vessels to mexico, a critical defender-partner of the united states. these vessels will strengthen's mexico's ability to function effectively with the u.s. navy and joint operations. finally, the bill strengthens congressional review of the licensing and shipment of u.s. defense exports. these provisions are necessary in light of the significant regulatory changes now being implemented by the department of state, commerce and defense. the initiative will modernize our system of regulating trade and defense and dual-use items and congressional review must be an integral part of the system. mr. speaker, i urge my

colleagues to join me in voting for s. 1683, so we can send this legislation to the president for signature and to law. i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. royce: i reserve the right to close. but, mr. speaker, earlier this year, the foreign affairs committee held a hearing examining the promises that were made under the taiwan relations act. now that was signed 35 years ago and there are few pieces of legislation related to foreign policy that have been as consequential as congress stepping in with this act 35 years ago. it is the steadfast support of the united states congress that has helped taiwan become what it is today, a thriving modern society that strongly respects

human rights, rule of law, free markets. so passage of this act is a step towards keeping the promises that we made to taiwan 35 years ago in that taiwan relations act and i urge my colleagues to support this important legislation. i yield back. thank you, mr. speaker. fifment the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. vargas: as was said, this bill transfers the surplus of naval vessels to taiwan and mexico, two good friends and partners of the united states and makes necessary changes of regulating arms transfers and strengthens oversight. i would like to thank chairman royce for working with us in a bipartisan manner on this important legislation. and i would like to say as a freshman member who may not be serving on the committee, it was

an honor to serve under the chairman. he is a real leader in this ablery and i'm proud i was to serve with you. mr. royce: likewise. the speaker pro tempore: the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass 1683. senate those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the bill is passed. and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? >> i ask unanimous consent to -- that the committee of financial services be discharged for further consideration and ask for its immediate consideration. the clerk: senate 2270, an act to clarify the application of certain leverage of risk-base requirements under the d.o.d. frank law.

the speaker pro tempore: is there objection to consideration of the bill? without objection, the bill is read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider is laid pon the table. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from florida seek recognition? ms. ros-lehtinen: i move the house suspend the bill and pass enate 2142,. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: an act to impose targeted sanctions on persons responsible for violations of human rights of anti-government protestors in venezuela and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from florida, ms. ros-lehtinen and the gentleman from california will each

control 20 minutes. ms. ros-lehtinen: i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this resolution. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. ros-lehtinen: i ask unanimous consent to place into the record letters to the chairman of other committees of jurisdiction. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. ros-lehtinen: i thank the speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from florida is recognized. ms. ros-lehtinen: today, international human rights day, we consider and debate the bill before us the human rights and democracy protection act. the house passed a similar measure that i authored and introduced earlier this year and i urge passage of this measure before us that was presented by senators menendez and rubio. the people of venezuela have been craig out for help and begging the united states and all responsible nations to help

protect them against the tyranny nd the brutality under the regime, the puppets of the castro regime in venezuela. and today, the castro thugs imprisoned 52 human rights activist. congress speaks in a voice. the human rights situation in venezuela has gotten worse since e death of that other castro supporter, chavez. national youth day in venezuela, the freedom-seeking people of venezuela have risen up to challenge the abuses and the undemocratic actions being committed. demanding the most basic and fundamental rights.

oppressors have but one option, which they never fail to resort to and there was a response of a violent crackdown against those who had the courage to challenge his authoritarian rule ever since the peaceful demonstrations began on national youth day, 42 people have been killed. there have been nearly 60 reported cases of torture and 72 students remain jailed to this day. pro democracy leaders have raised their voices against the abuses of the regular emand have been persecuted and those who have been arrested face cruelty in prison. one of the faces of the democratic opposition continues to be imprisoned in a military facility. continuously denied visitors and

another, mayor of a city was impeached and arrested by the thugs earlier this year. his only crime was defend his constituents from the repressive abuses of the national guard deployed to violently quash them. but these cases are not isolated. earlier this year, a courageous woman and vocal opposition leader came to washington s d.c., came to the united states to speak in front of the organization of american states on the tragic situation in her homeland of venezuela. the organization of american states is a body that is supposed to uphold and protect the democratic charter and human rights in the americas. maria was blocked by castro sympathizers, madureo

sympathizers and she was prevented from even addressing this body. and when she returned home, what happened to her? she was illegally stripped of her position in the national assembly because she dared to speak out and in favor of human rights. but the problems of venezuela go beyond. nicholas' inability to contain a spiraling hyper inflationary economy marked by consumer goods along with a skyrocketing crime rate, creates a difficult, almost unbearable situation for the people of venezuela to endure. the legislation targets officials responsible for the perpetration of human rights abuses against the citizens of venezuela. and how do we do that. the heir visas and

distress signal sent to us by the people of venezuela did not just start in february. for years, the people have been calling out for help. asking us for our assistance. for us to do something, anything that will help stop the terrible human rights abuses of the authoritarian thug chavez and his mini-me. our administration has been seal ent, embarrassingly silent and turned a blind eye to the harsh and brutal horror and afraid to take action and until now has been far too afraid to challenge. but the united states congress will act, mr. speaker. let's send a strong signal tonight, not only to the administration, but to the people of venezuela that the united states congress hears,

sees and feels their suffering and we will not allow their nguish to go unobstructed. we must be the voice for those who are being silenced by their oppressive regimes and we must stand for the values that we believe in, not just here at home, but everywhere. mr. speaker, by passing this bill and sending it to the president's desk, we will do just that. with that, mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from florida reserves the balance of her time. the gentleman from california is recognized. >> thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i rise in support of senate bill 2142, the venezuela defense of human rights and civil society act of 2014. mr. vargas: and yield myself as much time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. vargas: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i'd like to begin by thanking congresswoman

ros-lehtinen, thank you for your leadership on this, and also senator men endezz for his leadership on this -- menndez for his leadership on this legislation. i'd also like to thank chairman royce who has approached this issue in a bipartisan way as he always does. congresswoman ros-lehtinen's bill passed the house unanimously in may and i'm pleased that we are now ready to send this bill to the president's desk. the world has watched closely over the last year as venezuela 's president has stifled the democratic aspirations of the venezuelan people. peaceful protesters seeking basic rights and dignity have been met with violence. 42 people were tragically killed and 800 were injured on both sides of the conflict. we mourn all of the losses. at the same time the maduro government has arrested political opponents and stood in the way of a free press. nearly 10 months after his

arrest, opposition leader lopez remains in jail on trumped-up charges. the u.n. committee against torture, seven former latin american presidents, and the leaders around the world have called for lopez's release. last week venezuelan opposition leader and former national assembly deputy was charged for conspiring to assassinate president maduro. another desperate move by a desperate government. maduro's government even considered the u.s. ambassador to colombia in on this bizarre conspiracy. it would be humorous if it wasn't so sad and dangerous. the legislation that we are considering today makes it clear that congress will not turn a blind eye to the human rights violations in venezuela. by stripping human rights violators of their visas, we're saying that those responsible or abuses in venezuela are not

welcome in the united states. by freezing their assets, we are making it clear that those who violate the human rights in venezuela won't have access to financial institutions in the united states. venezuela's leaders will say this bill's going to hurt the average venezuela citizen. that's nonsense. these sanctions won't touch the oil sector or other vital parts of the venezuela economy. they only affect those complicit in the recent crackdowns. finally, i'll note that this bill gives president obama needed flexibility to respond to events on the ground in venezuela. each and every sanction in this bill can be waived by the president at any time. let's stand with the people of venezuela and support immediate pass and of senate bill 2142. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california reserves the balance of his time. the gentlewoman from florida is recognized. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i

may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from florida is recognized. ms. ros-lehtinen: mr. speaker, at this time i'd like to thank and congratulate the vibrant venezuelan american community in our area, in south florida, and indeed throughout our great nation, for never forgetting the suffering of their native land. they have many family members in venezuela and they care deeply about what happens in their homeland. now they've adopted america as their homeland and they're proud americans but they're also very proud of their traditions and it is because of their desire to go back to a venezuela one day that will be free, that will be democratic, that will respect the human rights that we are here today fighting on their behalf. so thanks to our constituents for making this day a reality. and with that, mr. speaker, i continue to reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from florida reserves the balance of her time. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. vargas: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i yield three minutes to the gentlewoman from florida, representative wasserman schulz.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from florida is ecognized for three minutes. was was thank you, mr. speaker -- ms. wasserman schultz: thank you, mr. speaker. i too want to thank my colleague and the gentlewoman from south florida who has really been a passionate advocate and who i have stood in volume daret with on this and so many other issues. and i rise in strong support of the venezuela defense of human rights in civil society act of 2014. do i so as the proud representative of west venezuela. my hometown and one in which we have an incredibly rich and vibrant community of venezuelans and venezuelan americans. as a representative of one of the largest communities of venezuelans and venezuelan americans in the united states, i am here to strongly speak out against the continued unconscionable abuses of the maduro government against innocent citizens. earlier this year facing a repressive government and crushing economic conditions, thousands of venezuelans peacefully protested to demand their basic human rights and dignity. in response, president maduro

and his security forces brutally suppressed their own citizens in the streets and used the judiciary to squash voices championing freedom of expression and democracy. although president maduro has tried to further silence these voices by limiting media coverage of the ongoing oppression and repression and terrible economic conditions of his country, we can still hear the demands for justice and for dignity. this bill would impose sanctions on those individuals in maduro's regime who have ordered the arrest or prosecution of anyone exercising their right to peacefully assemble or protest or those who supported those actions. through our action here today, we signify the determination of the american people to stand for freedom and democracy and this bill reinforces the sentiment and actions of the u.s. congress and the obama administration. along with my colleagues, i stand in solidarity with those brave venezuelans continuing to advocate for their rights. including opposition leader lopez who outrageously remains in prison. i look forward to this message's passage into

president obama's signature and working with the obama administration and our allies to hold these perpetrators of injustice accountable for their crimes. thank you, mr. speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from florida yields back the balance of her time. the gentleman from california reserves. the gentleman from florida is recognized. the gentleman from florida reserves. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. vargas: mr. speaker, thank you. i'd like to emphasize that today's legislation is consistent with our treatment of human rights violators throughout the world. will this legislation all of a sudden turn president maduro and his government into great respecters of human rights? none of us are naive enough to believe this. what will it do? it will send a message to human rights violators in venezuela and throughout the world that your visas and your assets in u.s. financial institutions are in peril if you abuse individual human rights. i once again urge my colleagues to support the immediate passage of senate bill 2142.

i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california yields back the balance of his time. the gentlewoman from florida voids. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. mr. speaker, at this time i'd like to thank our entire south florida congressional delegation, all of us worked together in a bipartisan way to get this bill to this moment and i'd especially like to thank senator menendez, along with our own florida senator who we're so proud of, marco rubio, for their hard work on this bill and really for their work on the broader issues of the lack of democracy in our hemisphere, the disrespect for human rights, the lack of the rule of law. sadly in our western hemisphere, instead of seeing advances of human rights and advances of democracy, we have seen a sad erosion in these years and we thank all of the members for always using these esteemed floors to talk about

our basic values that we share with our hemispheric neighbors and that is respect for human rights, respect for democracy, respect for the rule of law and always to continue to do everything we can to make sure that all of our oppressed brotherers -- brothers and sisters will live in freedom, the freedom we enjoy so much. and i thank very much our chairman of our foreign affairs committee, mr. royce, for his help and his leadership in this fight. with that, mr. speaker, i have no further requests for time and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from florida yields back the balance of her time. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass senate 2142. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bim is passed and, without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table.

for what purpose does the gentleman from new jersey seek recognition? >> i move that the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 5656 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 5656, a bill to authorize the feed the future initiative to reduce global property and hunger in developing countries on a sustainable basis and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from new jersey, mr. smith, and the gentleman from california, mr. vargas, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from new jersey. mr. smith: 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 bill. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. smith: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new jersey is recognized. mr. smith: mr. speaker, the global food security act, h.r. 5656, is a bipartisan bill with over -- with 21 co-sponsors, including bennie -- betty

mccollum, our lead democrat who has worked very hard on this issue. i'd also like to thank house foreign affairs committee chairman ed royce, ranking member eliot engel, ranking member bass. i'd like to thank jeff fortenberry who has played a key role, as well as erik paulsen and other members who have joined across the aisle to work on this legislation and to work on the language. i also want to thank the staff that worked tirelessly on this, in particularly gene hoak um, elly stone, joan condun, katie crosby, and janice from the full committee, and from my own staff, piero, thank you so much for your work in helping to make this bill a reality and bringing it to the floor. mr. speaker, this is important legislation which will help provide a long-term solution to global hunger by authorizing and strengthening the existing national food security program

coordinated by usaid commonly known as feed the future. this program strengthening nutrition, especially for children -- strengthens nutrition, especially for children during the critical first 1,000 day window from conception to the child's second birthday it. also teaches small scale farmers, in particular women, the requisite techniques and best practices to increase agricultural yield, thereby helping nations achieve food security. something that is first and foremost humane, but also in the national security interests of the united states as well. this program is self-sufficient and host governments have committed to investing in local agricultural government and

undertaken reforms to allow the economy to flourish. local capacity and sustainability is one of the hallmarks and linking them and boosting transparency and accountability. the end result of this can be seen in lives saved and lives enriched. in the past year, the program has helped seven million farmers across the globe to increase harvests to improve knew trishon to 12. million children. 160 thureks nd fewer children suffering from malnutrition. progress has been made, malnutrition is the underlying cause for at least 3.1 million

children per year around the world and is response i will for 45% of all deaths among children under five, more than 800,000 babies, one in four newborns die each year because they are born too soon or they're too small as a result of poor maternal nutrition. one of the first laws i wrote over 30 years ago was the child survival fund, a $50 million protectingt included from t diseases and disease.boughts of for mere pennies on the dollar, we could intervene before problems arose, not only saving

money but lives. but this global security act can be transformative in the lives of so many. mall new frigs leads to stupted growth. stupided children suffer from abetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease and conditions that result in not only poor health but reduced earning capacity and lower income. of particular concern, women affected by stunting give birth to children who are likely to be affected by this preventable ndition perpetrating malnutrition. equate nutrition needs to be prioritized in food policies for the sake of children, women and by extension nations. by ensuring comprehensive

prenatal support, including nutrition in the first 1,000 days of life, it will prevent many deaths but children will be stronger, healthier and happier. they will be more prosperous. if women are well nourished, they are healthier and provide nutrition to their children. one of many trips to africa, the women were so concerned that they would be able to breadth feed their children but so malnourished, that was next to impossible but after several weeks they were able to do so. healthy children, that when these children get this kind of help, it ensures not only physical, but cognitive

development. healthy children thrive and empowered to become healthy adults and can make meaningful contributions to their families and societies. i note that the program authorized is not only penny wise but pound wise. it is economical in the long run and should lead to the reduction of the amount of money we spend on food aid. by authorizing this program which has its roots in the bush administration and thus is an example of bipartisan success on

both the executive levels, we are increasing oversight by requiring the administration to report to congress. h.r. 5656 demonstrates strong bipartisan support that does exist for assistance and strategy that gives people the tools to lift themselves out of poverty and to live healthier and better lives. i implore you to vote in favor of it and hopefully this legislation can become law by the end of this session. i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. vargas: i rise in strong support of h.r. 5656, the global food security act of 2014 and yield myself as much time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. vargas: i would like to begin by thanking congressman smith and congresswoman betty

mccollum for authoring this important legislation which authorizes the feed the future initiative and i would like to thank chairman royce for working with us to take this bill up in committee and bring it to the floor. around the world, 800 million people suffer from chronic hunger. malnutrition causes the death of .1 million children. president obama has made global food security a top priority and usais administrator has done tremendous work carrying out the policy. the feed the future focuses on reducing global poverty and hunger in developing countries through agricultural development. this program is only a few years old and already made real difference in fighting hunger, poverty and mall nutrition.

in 2013, feed the future helped 70 million farmers produce new technologies. this has secured $10 billion in private sector commitments, the majority of which has been made by african businesses and land is under improved cultivation and last year, the initiative reached more than 12.5 million children with knew trishonal assistance. this stems in part from the collaboration and partnership of more than 10 u.s. government gencies, the private sector, n.g.o. oomplet. they helped to advance real solutions to global hunger, poverty and mall nutrition. most importantly, feed the future has generated -- 19

countries across latin america, the caribbean, asian latin america. they are required to put forward a plan and contribute a portion of its own g.d.p. through agriculture development. the programs are sustainable and can be transferred fully to the host country. despite the gains we have made, there is still a lot of work that has to be done. we need continued american leadership. we need proven programs like feed the future to continue it's highly effective work in alleviating global hunger and poverty. i urge my colleagues to support this important measure and i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from new jersey. mr. smith: i yield four minutes to the gentleman from nebraska, a member of the appropriations

committee, but also one of the sponsors of the legislation before us. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for four minutes. >> first of all, let me thank my iend and colleague, chairman smith. mr. fortenberry: you rightly point out the agency director for international development has been steadfast in his leadership on this as well and deserves a tremendous amount of credit. i'm pleased to support this important bipartisan bill. the united states has a decade-long history on food security and this act, the global food scurelt act also known as feed the future, it saves lives, it creates sustainable development throughout the world and strength thention our own national security by stopping

the underlying problems that lead to international instability. mr. speaker, americans are the most generous people in the world. this bill continues our tradition of generosity in a smart whole of government approach that combines the goodwill as well as charities for a 21st century approach to development aid. feed the future is one of the most cost effective international development initiatives that we have championed today. it is the right thing to do. many of the 800 million people throughout the world who suffer from chronic hunger rely on agriculture to make a living. and back in 2007 and 2008, we launched this response to the global food crisis by helping to bring self-sufficiency to struggling agricultural communities worldwide. by working together with partner countries who are investing and

taking responsibility, what started out as a modest program has developed into a serious global commitment to end hunger and improve nutrition standards especially for vulnerable women and their children. in 201, market-based agricultural activities have reached more than 12.5 million children and helped some seven million farmers leverage new technologies on nearly 10 million acres of land. importantly, as well, feed the future has leveraged more than $10 billion in private sector investment, the majority from african businesses. mr. speaker, i urge my colleagues to support this very thoughtful measure which has earned broad-based support from universities nationwide, faith-based as well as private

enterprise. we will never regret the good we can do and the return on this investment will compound to the benefit of future generations in perhaps ways we can never measure. to everyone who has been involved here, to my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, i want to thank you all for working in a bipartisan spirit to get this important bill done. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. . the gentleman from new jersey reserves. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. vargas: i yield five minutes to the gentlelady from minnesota, representative betty mccollum. >> the global food security act is an important bill and i want to thank my colleagues, chairman royce, ranking member engel, representative bass for their work, their hard work to get this bipartisan legislation to the floor today. but my very biggest thank you,

my biggest thank you goes to my partner, representative chris smith. thank you, representative smith. more than 800 million people are conicically hungry and malnourished. they are struggling, forced to watch as their children suffer and too often tie from malnutrition. children who do survive will remain hungry and they are physically and mentally stunted. this malnutrition, lack of food hurts not only the individual but the development of an entire country. with this in mind, former senator lugar introduced legislation to have a global security strategy in 2009. while this bill did not become base,e did build a strong bipartisan support. and in 2010, president obama

took up the call to invest in agricultural development and launched it. with the support of congress, feed the future is accelerating economic growth and reduce poverty. it is working with small farmers in 19 countries to help them grow their way out of poverty. improve nutrition for women and children and to create income-generating opportunities. i have met the women farmers who are feeding their families, sending their children to school, investing in their communities because of feed the future and we need to continue to build on these successes. the global food security apple continue to enhance global food security by assisting small escape farmers, increasing yields and putting more food on families' tables and then

selling more food in the market. our bill is about partnering with hardworking farmers who are mostly women to make them more successful. it helps to provide the access, the knowledge, the tools, the markets and business opportunities because when a woman farmer succeeds, her children and family are healthier, they're more likely to succeed. h.r. 5656 is leveraging a unique partnership with n.g.o.'s, private sector businesses, educational institutions and faith-based groups. three minnesota-based businesses are already partnering with feed the future. in fact, general mills' c.e.o. said, and i quote, we are hungry to help the farmer in malawi, who by selling her crop will generate the money needed to support her family and pay for her children to go to school.

the end of the quote. so the bottom line is, we cannot sit by and do nothing as 800 million hungry people suffer and far too many die from malnutrition. as mothers and fathers are forced to watch their children go hungry, we can do something. human dignity and decency and our own national security demands that we support and sustain this important investment in agricultural development and nutrition. i urge all my colleagues to support the global food security act and once again i'd like to thank chris smith, chairman royce, ranking member engel, representative bass and all of our staff, carol, kelly, joan, janice and jen for all their work on this bill. i yield back, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back the balance of her time. the gentleman from new jersey is recognized. mr. smith: mr. speaker, i yield three minutes to the gentleman from minnesota, mr. paulsen, a member of the committee on ways and means, and also one of the sponsors of the this -- sponsors of this bill. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from minnesota is recognized. mr. paulsen: i'd like to thank

congressman smith for his hard work and his bipartisan leadership in bringing a very, very important issue to the floor and also for his long time advocacy for lifting people up out of poverty. mr. speaker, we've heard members speak on the floor here today very bipartisanly in support of h.r. 5656, the feed the future global food security act. the feed the future initiative embodies the very best of united states foreign aid. it is a new approach. it doesn't just provide handout, but instead provides a hand up to some of the very poorest parts of the world. feed the future is working to bring sustainable agricultural practices to targeted communities around the world to help lift people out of extreme poverty. in fact, in 2013 farmers working with the program applied these improved techniques to over four million spectators of land. the work goes far beyond just increasing yield for farmers, though, mr. speaker. it is introducing an entrepreneurial spirit into

these communities. a business model. an empowerment model. it's increasing family income, it's expanding economic growth and it's opening up new trade opportunities. this work is also empowering communities to take control of their future by building sustainable local economies. as they become more reliant on themselves, they become less reliant on government assistance. and this should always be the goal of our u.s. foreign aid programs. this program is also leveraging support, as has been mentioned, from the private sector, the civil sector, and the research community. this targeted approach from all of these sides of the equation and the reliance on advanced data and research has allowed them now to achieve these cost-effective results and those results are very impressive so far. 4 1/2 million farmers reached, over 9 million -- $98 million in private sector investment, $93 million in new local income and 12 1/2 million children under the age of 5 receiving very important nutrition programs. we need to continue to build

success upon -- on the feed the future initiative in our efforts to end global poverty. and there's no doubt that programs like this are driving a new pathway in foreign aid and bringing along life-changing results. i just want to thank the bipartisan work that's going on in congress, along with also the leadership that the doctorate usaid has led so we can continue to help so many. so i urge and ask all of my colleagues to support this very bipartisan legislation and the feed the future initiative and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from yields back and the chair will receive a message. the secretary: mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: madam secretary. the secretary: i have been directed by the senate to inform the house that the snass has passed s. 2614, an act to amend certain provisions of the f.a.a. modernization and reform act of 2012 in which the concurrence of the house is requested. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california is ecognized.

>> thank you very much, mr. speaker. i yield four minutes to the gentleman from massachusetts, a real champion for food security not only here domestically but internationally, representative mcgovern. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from massachusetts is recognized. mr. mcgovern: thank you, mr. speaker. i thank the gentleman from california for yielding me the time and for his leadership on these important issues. i also want to thank my colleague, my colleagues chris smith and betty mccollum for their leadership on bringing this important bill before the house. mr. speaker, i am very proud to rise in support of h.r. 5656, the feed the future global food security act of 2014. i remember in 2008 when our former colleague from missouri, congresswoman emerson, and i sat down with researchers from the g.a.o. to talk about how our global food security programs could be improved and made more effective. their advice was simple. create a comprehensive governmentwide strategy. i want my house colleagues to

know that it was state department and usaid officials under president george w. bush who were the first to brainstorm on how to undertake such a comprehensive approach to global food security. then in 2009 we were lucky enough to have the doctor with his deep experience and agricultural development, evaluation and analysis take the helm at usaid. most of all we had hillary clinton as secretary of state who understood the importance of tackling agriculture and nutrition in a comprehensive fashion in order to increase food security, strengthen small farmers, empower women and develop local and regional agricultural markets. mr. speaker, this bipartisan bill helps codify the -- and institutionalize one of our most important and effective global food security programs. feed the future. and its related nutrition and agricultural development programs. these programs have a proven track record of success. i want to thank all of the

n.g.o.'s and private sector partners that have brought these programs to life on the ground. i've been engaged on global hunger, child nutrition and food security issues for the past 18 years. i have never been more hopeful that the u.s. is finally pursuing a strategy that works and can make a difference. increasing the ability of nations to feed their own people, care for their nutritional needs of their children, increase incomes for their farmers and help them remain on their land is not just a worthy goal, it's an attainable one. h.r. 5656 will ensure that the u.s. stays on that course. i urge all my colleagues to support this bill. and finally, mr. speaker, i would say to my colleagues that global hunger, i believe, is essentially a political condition. we have the leadership capability, we have the resources, we have the ability to end global hunger. what we need is the political will. i urge my colleagues as they support this legislation to reflect upon the success story

of feed the future and let's amplify it even more. this program works, it deserves our support. with that i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. mr. smith: mr. speaker, i continue to reserve the balance of our time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. vargas: thank you very much, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, in closing the feed the future initiative has been successful in alleviating food insecurity over the last four years. this important bill authorizes this proven approach to food security. it is a moral, economic and security imperative that we continue the fight against hunger and malnutrition and i think we all need to thank the heart that has gone into this from our colleagues, certainly we want to thank chris smith, your heart has been in this in fighting for this and you brought us all together. same with betty mccollum. we appreciate that. with that i urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time.

mr. smith: mr. speaker, i yield myself the balance of our time. first of all, i'd like to thank mr. vargas for his leadership. this truly is a bipartisan bill. i want to again say how grateful i am to betty mccollum, to be working with her and her staff. our staffs. all trying to make sure we have a bill that will make a huge difference not only in putting our arms around the existing program but strengthening it and taking it to the next level. do i want to point out that this is about a whole of government strategy, all in on the part of the u.s. government. so that everyone is working on all six cylinders to make sure that a sustainable development occurs throughout the world in target countries, as those targets -- targets increase, it is totally inclusive women, to ensure -- i mean, when we've worked on issues like microtargeting we found particularly in some parts of africa. most parts of africa, that -- africa, most parts of africa, that women have really stepped up to the plate and done work. they have fully included in this effort.

and again i want to thank all of my colleagues. i want to thank the leadership. kevin mccarthy and the speaker, for making sure that this legislation got to the floor. our hope is that the senate may take it up. if not, we will be right back here next year. but i do hope they will take it up because the delay is denial. this is an important piece of legislation that will save lives. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill, h.r. 5656 as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and, without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. without objection, the title is amended.

the spare cl entertain requests for one minute -- the chair will entertain requests for one-minute speeches. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from washington eek recognition? without objection, the gentlewoman is recognized. >> thank you. in peaker, i rise today great admiration and a little bit of humility because i get to honor the life of a tremendous woman and a friend from southwest washington who's made a lasting impact on our region. ms. herrera beutler: she passed away this week at the age of 97. life long resident of clark county. margaret could rount the history of southwest washington in a way that was more complete and ex potentialny --

exponentially more colorful than any history book. her great-grandparents moved to the river valley before washington had even claimed stoodhood and more than 140 years later margaret's family still called our region home. there are people who live in a community and then there are people who define what community means. and margaret was the latter. she made it one of her life's ambitions to share the history of a community she loved and to preserve the memories of those who came before her. through the family's generous philanthropy, margaret's historical landmarks, supported museums and founded a library. her wit, her grit and her compassion made her one of the most celebrated women in our entire region. twice widowed and the mother of five, margaret did not let tragedy or the responsibilities of motherhood deter her from giving back to the community that she cared about so deeply. by the time she'd reached the ninth decade of her life,

margaret had become a household name in southwest washington. i conclude today by honoring her legacy. one of a passionate, historical preservationist who herself has earned a place in southwest washington's historybooks. with that i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back the balance of her time. the chair lays before the house the following personal request. the speaker pro tempore: leave of absence requested for mr. capuano on tuesday, december 9, and the balance of the week. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the request s granted. under the speaker's announced policy of january 3, 2013, the gentlewoman from california, ms. lofgren, is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee for the minority leader. ms. lofgren: mr. speaker, before saying anything else, let me ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks

and include extraneous material on the subject of this special order, our honoring our etiring members, congressman henry waxman and congressman george miller. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. lofgren: i am the chair of the california democratic delegation and we are losing from our membership two spectacular members who have served with tremendous distinction for 40 years each, representative miller and representative waxman werele final two remaining member -- were the final two remaining members of the house selected as part of the historic watergate class of 1974. both were instrumental in passing the affordable care act of 2010, which is the culmination of a nearly surgery-long struggle to guarantee that -- century-long struggle to guarantee that every american have access to quality and affordable health are.

representative waxman was one of the most prolific lawmakers in american history. he has a long record of not only legislative but oversight achievements. he was elected in 1974, re-elected 17 times. he chaired the energy and commerce subcommittee on health and the environment, the energy and commerce committee from 2009 to 2011, the house oversight and government reform committee from 2007 to 2009. this his mark all over body but his his five areas that he will be remembered most about is health care, consumer protection, environmental protection, telecommunications policy and just plain good government laws. some of the most -- some of the most important bill he is either wrote or do authored was the 1990 clean air act amendment. we can recall when he you couldn't breathe in los angeles.

that's no longer the case because of henry's leadership and work, preventing smog, air pollution, acid rain and the depletion of the ozone layer. the medicaid and chip expansion gave coverage and access to health care for children and working families and his nursing home reforms help protect the most vulnerable people in america. the waxman-match generic drug act gave rise to the generic drug industry and the orphan drug act gave hope to families across the country whose family members had diseases not lucrative prior to the act. from the ryan-white care act to the nutrition labeling act to the cigarette and smokeless tobacco health warning laws, henry has been recognized as a leader here. his oversight efforts were simply marvelous. looking at waste, fraud, and

abuse he, identitied over $1 trillion in wasteful and mismanaged federal contacts including wasteful spending in iraq and in response to hurricane katrina. his oversight of the tobacco industry and the wall street collapse are known throughout the country. he has over his 40 years here provided tremendous service to our country. our colleague, representative george miller has similarly left his mark not only his th body but on this country and indeed on this world. our friend george is an aggressive, unapologetic investigator on behalf of taxpayers and for the health and safety of children and workers. he took on asbestos executives, for-profit colleges, subsidized agribusiness, mining corporations, oil companies and administration officials of both

parties, and why? to stand up for the little guy who didn't have a voice he chaired three committees in the past o40 years, the committee on children and family the committee on natural resources from 1992 to 1994 and the committee on education and labor from 2007 to 2010. he's a longtime co-chair of the democratic steering and policy committee. he's among the 50th as is henry consecutive longest serving members of congress in history out of more than 10,000 members. his list of accomplishments is too long to read but certainly fair pay for women, investigating sweat shops, not only here but around the world, fighting for pension reform, standing up for occupational safety and occupational disease compensation, international labor standards, the minimum wage, and i -- anti-discrimination laws and defense of the right to organize

and collectively bargain. the notable legislation written or co-written by george miller, the fair minimum wage act of 2007, the student loan reforms of 2007 and 2010 the no child left behind act of 2002. the california desert protection act of 1994. the education for all handcapped children of 1975, now known as the individuals with disabilities act and the pay as you go act, pay-go, passed in 1982 to reduce the deficit and instill greater discipline in the budget process and to ensure that military and nonmilitary spending were treated under the same rules he played a key role in shaping the american recovery and reinvestment act in response to the worst american recession since the great depression. california is proud of our two colleagues and many californians and indeed some honorary

californians are here tonight who would like to say a few rds to honor these two outstanding men. first i would like to yield to mr. alan lowenthal, who represents a district in southern california, three inutes for his contribute. mr. loewen that'll: thank you and thank you for yielding -- mr. loewen that'll: thank you and -- mr. lowenthal: thank you and thank you for yielding to me. i'm thrill to have had a chance to say a few words about representatives miller and waxman. i had the wonderful experience of spending my first two years as mr. waxman and mr. miller conclude a great career. a little bit first about george miller, as has been pointed out, he's a progressive he, has

fought for the environment. he's been the leader in the natural resources committee, he's fought to protect public lands such as in the 1994 california desert protection act and created death valley national park and joshua tree. he was chief sponsor of the central valley improvement act of 1992 also to protect the fish and wildlife. i came also to the legislature, to the congress after chairing education in california and george miller was a champion and a leader here. we all looked up to him as was pointed out already. his great work on helping to draft no child left behind, great supporter of school modernization and community college. finally about george, passion, umor, respected by all, a zest for political combat. on the other hand, we can say, let's say what people say about

my good friend henry waxman. henry, like myself, had grandparents who were jewish immigrants. we both served in the legislature. "the washington post" said henry waxman is to congress what ted williams was to baseball, a natural. ralph nader once said, henry waxman is the only argument against term limits. senator allan simpson once said henry waxman is tougher than a boiled owl and "the los angeles times" describes representative henry waxman's tenacity as legendary. you all know his work on the environment, i'm just going to point that out, it's legendary. not only in terms of the clean air act, the amendment, he's also known for the safe drinking water act amendments, laws educing childhood lead exposure, formaldehyde standards act, reducks of greenhouse gases and taking on the tobacco industry. in keeping with his role as

defender of the environment, mr. waxman has served as chair of the house's safe climate caucus. it was a distinct honor for this new member to serve with henry waxman and a greater honor to be selected as the next chairperson of the safe climate caucus. i only hope that i and every member of the caucus can live up to the amazing legacy of public service that george miller and henry waxman have left this congress. i yield back. thank you. ms. lofgren: mr. speaker, i'm honored now to yield one minute to the democratic leader, nancy elosi. ms. pelosi: thank you to the leader of our california democratic delegation, zoe lofgren, thank you for bringing us together for a very bittersweet circumstance. that is to say how proud we are

to honor the leadership of two great giants of the congress, henry waxman and george miller, how sad we are that they are leaving us. i come to the floor, mr. speaker today to join in celebrating two of the most accomplished members of this great body. when i say most accomplished, i'm not just speaking in the context of the present congress. i'm talking about two of the most accomplished members of this great body of all time. a pair of californians with 80 years between them, 80 years of service in the house, retiring with an unparalleled record, certainly an unsurpassed record of legislative achievements to their name, congressman henry waxman and congressman george miller. i'm proud to do that as a californian and thank our chairwoman zoe lofgren again for this opportunity. as they depart for new endeavors

at the end of this session, which is in about 48 hours, each of them leaves a legacy of leadership that is felt in the lives of everyday americans. and that's so important. in doing so, they're both pioneers. for four decades, henry waxman's name has been synonymous with responsive action, responsible action, extraordinary legislative skill, passionate public service, and bold leadership on behalf of the people of los angeles who he represents and the american people. time and again, henry has been the first to appreciate the seriousness of challenges before us. and the first to bring forward solutions to solve them. time does not allow and other members will mention so many accomplishments but i want to focus on from the start, this is what i saw up close and early. from the start, in the early

ark days of the hiv-aids epidemic, henry waxman fought to invest in aids research, support treatment and care and prevention and pass the landmark ryan white care act. long before the rest of our nation awakened to the gathering storm of climate change, early on, congressman waxman worked to create bold new protections for the air we breathe, the water we drink, the earth we call home. from the first days of his long career he, recognized the urgency of delivering quality, affordable health care to all and together with his -- with some of our other colleagues, it was his leadership as chair of the energy and commerce committee, we honored that commitment with the affordable care act. also working on the affordable care act, from his committee, the education and labor committee, chairman jorbling miller has left an indelible

mark on the laws and the members of this august body. george has been the model of a serious and substantive legislator. a champion for working people who has had his hand in some of the most innovative and important legislation of our time. members over and over, some already have, others will, talk about his legislative accomplishment, i just will name some. i mentioned the affordable care act, lily led better, the first bill sign -- lily ledbetter, the first bill signed by president obama, to reverse discrimination in the workplace. don't ask, don't tell, the last bill passed by a democratic majority, ending discrimination. for women in the workplace and men and women in the military. earned income -- one thing i want to mention and this is pay-go. because again this is something i saw firsthand. george miller put together the initiative for pay as you go. so that we were not increasing

the deficit as we made investments for our future. it was 1982. we were at a mid-term convention of the democrats in philadelphia. george miller had the resolution to pass pay-go. very fiscally sound. and responsible. it passed. the resolution passed. it was so revolutionary that they never had a mid-term convention again because it was really there not to make speeches but to make change. but in any event he made that change. it didn't become effective, really, until several years later when president clinton became president of the united states. and we went on a pay as you go basis. so whatever we were doing, we were not increasing the deficit. he's been a deficit hawk. hawk. progressive deficit in the lead on that. so when he was doing the earned

income tax cut, healthy, hungry -- hunger-free kids, we haven't passed it yet but george advanced it in the house any number of times. education, lifetime learn, i keep coming back to the children. i have said that then people ask me what are the three most important issues facing the congress, i say the same thing, our children, our children, our children. their health, their education, the economic security of their families, the air they breathe, environment which they live a world of peace in which they can reach their fulfillment. no one in the congress has done more for our children, our children, our children. then george miller, george miller, george miller. only focuses on the children but live in a world that takes them outside our country. so forceful was he for advocacy

for children in other countries, for fairness and social justice, that he became a subject of the salvadoran death squads. they tried to search him down in the united states because he was such a fierce champion for fairness in their country as ell. and so here we are. two committed people. if you ask them what the secret of their success would be and , w they've achieved so much they will be modest. well, sometimes. but what they will both tell you separately is that, and what -- the guidance they give the rest of us, just stick with it. just keep on working. just make sure that the other side, whoever that might be, knows you're not going to go away, because you have a goal that is responsible, you have an urgency for the people and you will make sure that you make the difference.

and in many ways we all live in a nation shaped, defined and strengthened by george miller and henry waxman. their keen vision, abiding determination, courageous leadership have put them in the ranks of the greatest legislators in our history. when they leave this house, we can be certain that they will continue their extraordinary -- use their extraordinary knowledge and talent in new venues and new ways to serve america's children and families. as we acknowledge them and express our appreciation to them, we also have to acknowledge their spouses. janet waxman and cynthia miller have contributed 80 years of being spouses to members of congress. that's really almost like 80 years each. that's like twice as long as rving as to be a congressional spouse, all the sacrifices that involved. tonight we say a heartfelt thank you to not only george and henry and voice our gratitude to them, but to the waxman and miller families for

sharing these great men with our great nation. with that i yield back to the distinguished leader of our delegation. thank you. ms. lofgren: thank you. mr. speaker, i would now yield 2 1/2 minutes to our colleague from california, mr. takano. mr. takano: i thank the gentlelady, the dean of our delegation in california. i come to the floor with tremendous pride and a heavy heart as we say good-bye to two of the greatest liberal legislatorses california has ever known -- legislators california has ever known. henry waxman and george miller. i had the honor of receiving henry waxman's endorsement for my very first congressional bid in 1992 but i'd been an admirer of his long before. that i believe henry's career will be judged favorably by history. and going back to his co-founding of the los angeles county of democrats with congressman howard berman back in 1973, his passion for social

justice is long and storied. and i have to say, as a member from the inland empire where we suffer from some of the worst air quality in the nation, i am grateful for henry's commitment to clean air. he's been a sfal water of progressive value -- stalwart of progressive values, conducting powerful investigations on water pollution, aids, tobacco, to . me a few and who else could have cajoled executives of tobacco companies to coin that nicotine was not addictive under oath? only harry. let me turn to the other liberal titan, george miller. george's work on education and labor issues are unparalleled, from leading the effort that raised the minimum wage in 2007 to his commitment to protecting pell grants and expanding college accessibility for all students. his support of my bid to the education and the work force committee made one of this

teacher's life long aspirations a reality. to honor george, i plan on renaming the committee education and labor when we retake the majority. george's passion and presence on the house floor and in committee was powerful and will be missed. the commitment of both these men, the commiltment that both these men had to the -- commitment that both these men had to the right issues, not necessarily the popular issues, made them true public servants and an example for the rest of us to follow. while there's no question that both henry and george have earned their retirement, the house is losing two of its fiercest liberal voices. i'm humbled to have served one term alongside these gentlemen, but selfishly wish i could work with them for many more years. in departing, they leave -- they are leaving big shoes for the rest of us to fill, but i can safely speak for alls of us when i say to henry -- for all of us when i speak to henry and george, it has been an honor. thank you and i yield back.

ms. lofgren: mr. chairman, i now yield three minutes to my neighbor in the san francisco bay area, congresswoman jackie speier. ms. speier: i thank the california democratic leader and want to say very simply that members come and go on the hill. but some you can't imagine leaving. tonight i rise to honor two public servants whose departure will leave an extraordinary void for years to come. like the giant redwoods of california, these men are giants of the congress. representatives henry waxman and george miller have honorably served the state of california in this chamber for a combined 80 years. we've heard that earlier. exactly 40 each. both arrived in the shadow of watergate, ushering in gnaw era of strong congress -- ushering in a new era of strong congressional oversight. they led some of the most significant legislative achievements in our history and set the gold standard for

active oversight for all who follow. representative waxman, the mustache of justice, never backed down. his book "chronicle"ing his congressional investigating is the bible for conducting effective oversight and holding industry and government officials accountable. his work combating the tobacco industry is one of the greatest public health achievements of the last century. but it's only one of many accomplishments, including the clean air act, the safe drinking water act, the affordable care act and holding the bush administration accountable throughout the iraq war. s truth sir uminquiries cost -- caused plenty of c.e.o.'s to squirm and brought americans better quality of life. his statue in -- his stature in this congress is iconic and his oversight techniques are legendary. he will always be remembered as the grand inquizer to.

representative miller was mentored by phillip burt whon famously said, people sent me to congress to kick a and take names. well, george miller took that to heart, making his presence felt on the house floor through passionate speeches and actions to match. he didn't mince words or volume. george looks like a warm teddy bear. but much like a teddy bear, he is ferocious in protecting his children. all the children in this country. he worked to protect educational opportunity for low income students and children with disabilities from preschool to graduation. even in his final days of service, he has worked to expand access to early childhood education through a new white house initiative. he's also been an unwavering champion for working families and our environment. he fought pay discrimination, has worked to keep college accessible for all and

conserved the california landscape through his tireless efforts to preserve san francisco bay. as chairman of the house natural resources committee, mr. miller helped pass the central valley project improvement act of 1992, which increased water allocations for n francisco bay, and the sacramento-san joaquin river delta and he spent the last 20 years defending those special gains which benefit the bay area's wildlife, endangered species and commercially critical salmon runs. when george miller arrived in d.c., he was intent on extending affordable health care to all and thanks to his leadership on the education and work force committee nearly 11 million people are newly insured under the affordable care act. it's not often that members achieve such lofty goals in congress. but his masterful work has led to a law for the history books. henry waxman and george miller have represented the great heights in this chamber and what can be achieved.

i hope that we can all learn from their example and emulate their legacies. i yield back. ms. lofgren: mr. speaker, i would yield now to our friend and colleague from santa barbara, congresswoman capps, 2 1/2 minutes. mrs. capps: i thank our dean of the california delegation for yielding me time and, mr. speaker, it is with such great pride, also mixed with a heavy heart at our pending loss, as we gagget err here this evening -- gather here this evening to honor two of the giants of the house of representatives. and their friends -- they're friends, friendses to me, friends to us all, henry miller, henry -- george miller and henry waxman. henry and george are two of america's greatest public servants.

each serving their california constituents and serving the nation for almost 40 years. but it's not just their longevity that makes them so notable. they have been incredibly effective. they've used each of their days here in this institution to improve the lives of all americans. they've taught us who served with them. by their example to do the same. they've made their footprint their inprit on this place indelible for all age as. because they have focused on all americans and particularly the vulnerable. each of them have been especially skilled and adept at combining their keen knowledge of how to get things done here on the hill with their ability to dive deep into policy and to see how average americans, everyday americans, are affected back home in their

districts, all americans. when you look at any major piece of domestic policy over the past 40 years that they've served here, their inprint is felt. for example, henry waxman was so intimately involved in our nation's best efforts to strengthen medicare and medicaid coverage, to improve access to generic drugs so that all americans could afford their medicine, to protect our air and water. these topic have been mentioned but they're major pieces of legislation and he has led us in moving toward a clean tech energy economy. henry waxman literally wrote the laws that have improved the lifes of so many, including the -- lives of so many, including the ryan care act for h.i.v. treatment and prevary action, the landmark clean air act of 1990, the 2009 family smoking tobacco control and prevention

act, henry, working with you on the energy and commerce committee has been one of the greatest joys that i have experienced here in congress. similarly, george miller has been such a stalwart in protecting middle class families, the ones i worked with in the school district that i used to represent, similar to all the school districts across this country. you have promoted education and opportunity for the least of these, for all of these. he authored the last increase n the federal minimum wage, he passed the lilly ledbetter fair pay act so that we could address pay discrimination. imagine what that means to every woman, every family in this country. because of this legislation. he's led efforts to reform our nation's education system, as a

school nurse this hits home with me. made colonel more affordable, to protect -- college more affordable, to protect our environment and our coastal communities from increased oil drilling. and that's an issue that you empowered me to focus on when i came here as a new member of congress. it must be noted that thanks to each of these members, to the work that you did on the affordable care act, so incredibly important each of you were to this major landmark passage. families now can have the peace of mind knowing that they're not going to go bankrupt, just because they get sick. and while we're going to deeply miss you here in this place next year, as we gather to vote tomorrow, if you look around this chamber during that vote you can see each of the people you have mentored during your time here. including me.

so while you and your family are going to enjoy a very well deserved retirement next year, the legacy that you're leaving in this chamber will live on for a very long time. on behalf of this chamber, this congress, californians in my district and throughout the state, and all americans, i thank you, each of you, both of you. i yield back the balance of my ime. ms. lofgren: at this point i'd like to yield three minutes to our colleague, congresswoman doris matsui. ms. matsui: thank you, ms. love fwren, for yielding -- ms. lofgren, for yielding to me. we are here to thank two of california's greatest congressional legislators and our dear friends, henry waxman and george miller.

this is an especially, as the leader has said, bittersweet and poignant time, because they are our dear friends and we're so proud of them and we are going to miss them dearly. the reason why henry and george are so significant here in this body are that they're the architects of the most significant legislation of the last 40 years. you think about anything we've done in this house, whether it's health care, environment,, energy, consumer protection, communications, work forest protection, education opportunities, it goes on and on. and the reason why they have been so successful and why they are so dearly respected and loved is that they're men of the house. they're men of the people. they love this institution and they honor this institution and

so this institution honors them. they are people, individuals, who understand this country and understand what makes it great, understand that it's the people that they are going to be helping. henry has been a dear friend of mine for over 30 years. and he has -- and his absence will be keenly felt in the halls of congress and in the energy and commerce committee, which i serve. his four decades here, henry has been a stalwart advocate for his constituents in los angeles. and for this whole nation and the world, too. on the energy and commerce committee, i have worked closely with henry to tackle a number of critical issues facing the country. the affordable care act will forever stand out in my mind as one of the committee's greatest accomplishments and henry has been a true leader in that

passage. we worked together to combat climate change, eliminate the armful formaldehyde emissions, promote strong net neutrality rules and improve internet access for more americans. he has been a true leader. we're also saying good-bye to my real eye good friend, george miller, and during my time in congress he has become a trusted friend and colleague he led the fight on raising the minimum wage, fighting for a vibrant education system. but what i remember the most and cherish the most about him is that he leaves such a great legacy on water policy in california from historic california reform law that requires the balanced use of our state's scarce water resources to the many battles on the floor fending off ill-conceived attempts to drastically change the distribution of our precious water resources. with the departure of henry and

george, congress is losing the champions of the people whose knowledge and passion will not soon be replaced. he leaves many of us behind who understand how important it is. we say fare well to them but we also wish them well and certainly wish their families well and i yield back. ms. lofgren: mr. speaker, i would now like to recognize our colleague and yield to congressman mike thompson from napa, two minutes. mr. thompson: i thank our california delegation leader for yielding. mr. speaker, i rise tonight to recognize two men i have had the high honor and great privilege to serve with for their last 16 years in congress. george miller and henry waxman. and i've had the unenviable task to try and represent part of

george's old district, and i tell you, you've got to work about three times as hard just to try and catch up to where he's been. when i was first elected to congress, i learned quickly that none of us are able to accomplish anything without the help and the sacrifices of those who came before us. for many of us, myself included, none have helped or sacrificed more than george and henry. they fought the good fight, they have won some incredible battles, and america is a better place for it today. george, i remember, i don't know about fondly, but i remember like it was yesterday, joining forces with you to reverse a water decision that a former administration had made that killed 80,000 spawning salmon in my district. devastating, economically, the area that i represented. and had it not been for you,

those people would still be washed up on the rocks. but we came on this floor together and with your guidance and you as my mentor we were abling to help those folks weather that very, very terrible time. i appreciate your help and so do they. it's been said that any of us who experience any success at all in congress do so on the shoulder of giants. this institution has seen many giants but none larger than henry waxman and george miller. they're great legislators. they have legislated successfully on everything from health care to education to tobacco to natural resources. they have fought the fight that has made american people live a better life. we will always read in our history books about the great men and women who have worked in this magnificent institution. i for one am thankful that i had

the opportunity to serve with two of them. they're living legends and we should all recognize how fortunate we have been. their work and their accomplishments will endure long past their retirement and our country will forever be a stronger and better place because of george miller and henry waxman. thank you, thank you, thank you. i yield back. ms. lofgren: i would now like to yield to my colleague over the mountains, congressman sam farr, two minutes. mr. farr: thank you very much for yielding and being chair of the california democratic delegation, the largest single delegation in the united states congress. and with its champions of note, george miller and henry waxman. this is a historical room and this is a historical moment and

that's why it's being recorded and by -- and being covered by c-span this room is historic in that the leader -- leaders of the worldcom to speak theer join sessions of congress. we are every -- leaders of the world come to speak here to joint sessions of congress. we are reminded that one person can make a difference. tonight, we honor two people, each who have made one health of a difference. -- one hell of a difference. i don't think that i've ever met in my contacts with these two -- and my contacts with these two gentlemen goes way back, with george miller, he was 9 years old. he was the pudgey little kid and i was the tall skinny kid. now i'm the pudgey little kid and he's the tall skinny kid.

but we went camping, our fathers introduced us to politics, both of us ended up as staff members in the california state legislature where in 1968, henry waxman was elected. and george on the senate side and myself on the assembly side, i worked a lot with henry waxman, i was doing constitutional revision work and one of the few things henry was interested in was revision. this is about the history of the constitution and he'd carry these really complicated constitutional amendments to clean up the constitution. and i just remember the dedication, the style was always one of intellect, very legal, lawyer-like. quiet. but everybody respected him. we got a lot done. george. george is like his dad. he's the fiery one. in fact this podium right here, i saw broken by george hitting

it. this is a new podium, ladies and gentlemen. thanks to george miller. now it's adjustable and all kinds of things it didn't used to be in the old days. look, behind us is the american flag. there's 50 stars on it. everybody knows those represent the 50 states. in my opinion, they're going to remind us of the 50 pieces of major legislation that each one of these members carry. a lot of these people that come through here are famous and they're -- we've had senator kennedy and so on been in this house. we think of the legislation they've created. look, these gentlemen have done more for this nation in major legislation than any people in either the senate or the house. in fact, little be known but george miller would have been the speaker of the house when he -- when nancy pelosi wanted him to run. and he said, nancy, this is your

job. we're going to make history with you. these two gentlemen are some of the greatest people that ever served in the united states congress and i hope the record will remember all of their incredible accomplishments because we're a better country and a better world for their service. we're going to greatly miss them. ms. lofgren: i yield now to a new member of our delegation, congressman swalwell, up in the east bay, for two minutes. mr. swalwell: mr. speaker, it is truly an honor to pay tribute to two legislators, two lions of the united states congress, who i am honored to have the privilege to serve with for two years. henry, it's often said there's nothing more important than one's health and no one has done more to improve the health of americans than the gentleman from california, henry waxman. he provided better health care for the elderly and poor through improved medicare and medicaid programs. offered federal help to those with h.i.v. and aids and vastly

expanded the use of less expensive generic drugs. on and on and on. henry also worked to advance public health by improving the environment in which ewith live. this included pushing for legislation to protect the quality of our air, water and food. now george, my neighbor, just to the north, i'll never forget the first day i met george. it was at our caucus meet, he came up to me and said, how old are you? i told him i was 31 years old he said about the same age, just a little younger when elected and he gave me one piece of advice. he said, you are not elected in this town until you're re-elected. you go home every single weekend and you represent your constituents. and i saw george every single weekend flying home on that plane and i never felt sorry for myself because i knew that george went home for the past 40 years every single weekend. he's also stood up and advocated for working families. and i'm fortunate that not just

what he's done for advocating to increase the minimum wage but he came to my district and talked to our local brothers and sisters in labor about how he can teach me to work with them and listen to them and advocate for them. he stood up for children to make sure that poor kids across our district have access to education and a better chance to expand upon that freedom to dream. i think one of the greatest things about george is not just the legacy and the legislation that he's leaving but also the members that he's mentored. when you look at the bills george has passed into law, and in-- it inspires you to be part of a place that can do good and can do better. but perhaps my favorite memory of george is coming down onto the house floor as george was giving an impassioned floor speech. and george tends, as you know, to go just a little bver time but when he starts to go over time he starts to raise his voice and he starts to bang and

bang and bang on that podium as he's standing up for working families and children in our country and the poor speaker tries to gavel him down, but never, never, never has anyone been able to gavel down george miller. and what he has stood up for in this congress. long live your memory, george. long live your legacy. and may you continue to inspire all of taos do better. -- all of us to do better. ms. lofgren: i'm pleased to yield to our new colleague from the north bay, congressman jared huffman, one and a half minutes. mr. huffman: i thank the gentlelady. i also rise to join my colleagues in honoring two of the all-time greats of the united states congress, george miller and henry waxman. as many of my colleagues have said, these two will go down for sure in history as some of the most able policymakers, intellectual engines, and progressive champions in the history of the house of

representatives. people around this country benefit every day from their work in this body. from the clean air and clean water that we have because of their work, to human rights and workers' rights, to education, to consumer safety, to public land protections. safer and more affordable pharmaceuticals. the list goes on and on. and let's not forget the millions of people in this country today that have access for the first time to affordable quality health care because of a very important and historic health care act that they helped bring into law. this special order doesn't give us enough time, but two who have special meaning to me. for henry waxman, your work to expand the scope of the clean air act and strengthen its enforcement has been tireless and over the decades, it has

meant huge improvements to the public health of the american people. he was one of the leading architects in 1990 that targeted acid rain, smog and the thinning ozone layer and helped lay the groundwork for president obama's .mportant efforts to combat and safe climate caucus to create a climate policy. the science of this issue will catch up to the minds of our colleagues across the aisle and the duty to future generations will catch up to the hearts of our colleagues. but henry, the work you have done in this house has helped keep the positive track on climate change alive. and the work we have done will be standing on your soldiers.

george miller worked for years to bring california water policy era culminating into a project signed into law by 1992. the federal government was required to consider the impacts to california's fish and wildlife when managing the central valley project, one of the world's largest water management systems and one that did enormous damage to fish and wildlife and moved it too far in one direction and had to be reset and that is what george miller did. it encouraged more efficient water use and established conserves requirements and started to reform the old water contracts that gave away public water for 40 years at a time below market rates. the law that he authored paved away the restoration of the san

joaquin waterway. although, we will miss their daily leadership in our delegation and in congress, i know that their body of work will continue to stand the test of time. people of california have been very fortunate to have congressman miller and congressman waxman representing them for the past 40 years and privilege and honor for me to serve with them the past two years. ms. lofgren: i would now yield to our distinguished colleague rom los angeles, congresswoman roybal-allard. s. roybal-allard: we bid far

ewell. when i came to congress in 1993, they served 18 years as a colleague of my father, who had great respect for these men. i, as a freshman member, remember being very much in awe of them and their accomplishments. henry was already considered the health guru and george was well established as a leader in education and as a member of the house for the last 22 years, i have seen firsthand the expertise, the passion and courage with which they fought for policies and laws to improve the quality of life for all americans. and while their accomplishments are much too many to mention, henry will always be remembered for his championship of universal health coverage, his

efforts to ensure the affordability and the availability of prescription drugs and for his leadership in tobacco cessation policies. george's legacy will be a stewardship of a fair minimum wage, worker protection and staunch advocacy of full modernization and student aid expansion. my constituents and all americans, including future generations will benefit from the educational opportunities, labor protections, clean air and water and spappeded health access that were made possible by these two california statesmen with whom i had the privilege to serve. i will cherish the opportunities i had to collaborate with them on issues i had on newborn screening and education technology. henry waxman and george miller will need a void that is nearly impossible to fill and heritage

of critical policy imperatives that will define our efforts in health, education, labor and environmental justice for many congresses to come. these men truly understand the meaning of the responsibility of serving in the house of representatives. i wish them god speed, good health and sincere thanks for their lifetime of service for doing the people's work in the people's house. i yield back. ms. lofgren: i would be delighted to yield to our colleague from new york, an honorary californian or a fan of these two members, congressman paul tonko 1 1/2 minutes. mr. tonko: thank you to the gentlewoman from california for yielding. it's an honor this evening to join in the tributes to two very strong individuals who have

represented their districts so very well, representative waxman and representative miller. one of the benefits, one of the opportunities that comes away of members of this house is to stand alongside men and women of greatness who lead not only their home district and state, but the nation and the world, for that matter. and this evening, we recognize the contributions of henry waxman and george miller. when i first arrived in the house some three terms ago, my first assignment was on education and labor and i thank you representative miller for being an outstanding chair to join in your efforts, sound efforts, in providing for the empowerment of children, the strength the then of workers and stamping out discrimination, gender discrimination and all sorts of work that enabled us to address issues in your home state but the entire nation and the world. it has been an empowering

statement and to henry waxman, who was the ranker in energy and commerce when i joined in this third term, it was an honor to join with you, henry, and recognize the great work you have done on climate change, on energy issues, certainly on public health, from the warnings of tobacco, to affordable prescription drugs and to move forward with the affordable care act. it has been an honor and great treasure to call you colleagues and friend and thank you for your intellect and institutional memories that you carry with you and the passion that you have put forth for the states, country and the world. we will deeply miss you. ms. lofgren: i would be so honored to yield to our colleague from maryland, congressman chris van hollen, a

minute and a half. mr. van hollen: it is an honor to salute two extraordinary members, george miller and henry waxman, two friends, to swidshob an inspiration to me and so many other americans. what is extraordinary about these two men is that they greeted every day, every day of their 40 years here in the united states congress as if it were their very first day, with the same determination, with the same drive, with the same passion to make our country a little better place than they found it. and make no mistake, they came here on a mission, to build a more screws, a more inclusive nation where every american, every american has a fair shot at the american dream. and through that determination and that perseverance, they

succeeded. you look around the country today in almost every aspect of american life, these two gentlemen have left their mark from health care, to education, to workers' rights, to protecting our environment. they have changed the arc of american history. one quality really stands out when i think about both these individuals, fearlessness, moral courage, a willingness to take on the most powerful special interests on behalf of the common good, no matter the personal risks, no matter the political costs. they have been warriors for the public good. sometimes happy warriors, sometimes just tough warriors, but always standing up for what is best in america. it is the job of those of us who

remain here who dedicate ourselves to carry on the work that these gentlemen carried out for the love of their country. thank you. ms. lofgren: mr. speaker, i would also like to yield to another distinguished gentleman from maryland, congressman john sarbanes, a minute and a half. mr. sarbanes: it is a privilege to rise and acknowledge the incredible service of george miller and henry waxman. i had the honor of serving with both of them on each of their committees and education and labor and work force committee in the case of george miller and energy and commrs committee and oversight committee with henry waxman. as public servants, they are unrivaled. at a time when unfortunately when many americans have become cynical and wonder whether their

voice is heard here in washington. these are two individuals that when you look back over their careers in public service, you cannot have a shred of cynicism because they got up every day to help people across this country. in the case of henry waxman, his fight on behalf of consumers is legendary. his work to guarantee access to affordable health care is before us every day. his desire to see every citizen be able to live in a world where they have clean air and clean water, a world that is protected against the ravages of climate change, that is his legacy. in fact, when it comes to climate change, i think we can say he is the conscience of the congress. in the case of george miller, somebody who was deeply

committed to making sure that the next generation had decent educational opportunities and fought for that during his entire time here in congress and always putting the priorities and the needs of working families first. his legislating is a profession and these two individuals reached the height of that profession. they knew the substance of the work. they fought hard for what they believed in but knew how to reach compromise when it was demanded and as people, they're both decent, ethical and caring and most important, down to earth, getting up every day, saying i've got a job to do and going out to do it. we will miss them. we thank them for their service and as long as we have the privilege of serving here, we will cherish their legacy. i yield back.

ms. lofgren: i yield one minute to the gentleman from new jersey, rush holt, one minute. chosen : as one who has to step aside at the end of this term, i want to recognize and thank two legislative giants, henry waxman and george miller. and came at the same time but different people. but each showed compassion, courage, determination, persistence, a powerful mind, skill and good humor in accomplishing all these things that we heard about tonight. i have seen their personal qualities up close. i have been with henry as he stands for fairness and justice in israel. i have been with george miller as he inspects the vanishing glaciers that are the victims of our climate change. they have worked, as you have heard on elementary and secondary education, health

care, communication, clean air, clean water, sustaining lands and climates. they will not toller ate those who violate worker rights, family welfare and individual opportunity. in america or elsewhere, we heard about central america. i was with george miller in chile where he received the highest medal that that country gives for activities that he did as a freshman from this house hen he went to chile and courageously stood up in the face of terrorism to defend labor and individual rights. we could go on far beyond the hour that is allotted here. simply put, their record puts to rest any claim that government doesn't work, that government can't help people, that special interests always prevail. it makes us proud to be members

of this body. it makes us proud to be in the united states of america. thank you george and henry. ms. lofgren: i yield one minute to the gentleman from oregon, mr. blumenauer. . the speaker pro tempore: the entlewoman's hour has expired. ms. lofgren: we have just this one additional speaker, i wonder if i could have an additional two minutes. >> i'll yield. ms. lofgren: i appreciate the gentlelady for yielding so we macon collude. the speaker pro tempore: two minutes. ms. lofgren: mr. blumenauer, one minute. mr. blumenauer: just squeaking under the wire, i'm not going to do a george miller imitation, talking over the speaker and pounding the elect torn, nor am i going to repeat what has come

before us talking about the legendary accomplishments of these two gentlemen. when i first came here, i was privileged to be part of a small discussion group of faith and politics. it had henry and george. and it opened a base to me of people who cared about their colleagues, extraordinary kind thans both had given to me and my family, and give a face to this institution that is too often missing now. and i think that may be their greatest contribution. ms. lofgren: mr. speaker, we are through with an hour, we could have fill maryland hours, but we say good-bye to these two colleagues' 80 years of experience and expertise -- good-bye to these two colleagues. 80 years of experience and expertise will be leaving this congress. top of the charts the year they called ted was a song

"rock on" and that's what we hope they do. the world is a better place because of their wonderful service. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman's time has expired. under the speaker's announced policy of january 3rks2013, the gentlewoman from washington, mrs. mcmorris rodgers is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader. mrs. mcmorris rodgers: 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 subject of our special order. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mrs. mcmorris rodgers: mr. speaker, tonight we celebrate my friend and esteemed colleague,

chairman doc hastings for his 20 years of dedicated service in the united states house of representatives. doc has been a constant source of wisdom, of compassion, of patience, and of leadership for our chamber and i know that he will be sorely missed by all who have had the pleasure of working with him. every day he has represented the people the tricities, yakima, moses lake and all of central washington with his tireless commitment. when he first came to congress in 1995 to represent washington's fourth congressional district he, came with his sleeves rolled up, ready to get things done. he didn't come to seek the spotlight. he came to congress to help the people of central washington in every way he could. to make their lives better. that's exactly what he's done. in his years on capitol hill, doc has been a humble leader and a masterful legislator. it was in 1974 when doc entered

politics. he was elected franklin county republican party chair and served franklin county with his tremendous work ethic and attention to detail. as a proud early supporter of ronald reagan, it wasn't long before doc was chosen as a delegate for ronald reagan at the 1976 republican national convention. he went on to serve as a faithful representative in the state legislature from 1979 to 1987. he first ran for congress in 1992, came up a little short. but that didn't deter him. in 1994, he ran again and he soon came to our nation's capital after winning a race against then-incumbent and current governor of washington state jay inslee. that year, republicans gained crolve the house of representatives for the first time in 40 years. and doc embodied that spirit of

hard work and determination. in all the years i have known him, i've marveled at his ability to get things done without seeking the limelight. when i came to congress, i quickly learned that when doc spoke, people listened. it's because of him that b.p.a. rate increases in the pacific northwest were limited. it's because of them that those back home didn't see their electric rates skyrocket. it's because of his relationships both here and at home that we've been able to build upon the foundation of our economy. it's because of him that we've been able to move forward on so many effective economic solutions for the pacific northwest. doc has been a steady hand and an instrumental leader in his chairmanships on the house subcommittee -- committee on natural resources and on the house committee on ethics. in his recent work as natural resources chairman, doc worked to reform the 24-year-old

endangered species act in an effort to improve species recovery, reduce e.s.a. related litigation and ensure taxpayer dollars were spent efficiently and wisely. he worked to make the law work for both species and for people. his focus has always been on making laws more efficient and effective to help people. this is no exception. regardless of the issue, whether it's energy, healthy forests, protecting our dams, irrigation, agriculture, and manufacturing, doc has championed countless policies that have driven our economy in the pacific northwest. serving as founder and chairman of the house nuclear cleanup caucus, doc has tirelessly educated his colleagues about cleaning up nuclear waste, created by world war ii and cold war era nuclear weapons production programs. the program includes waste at hanniford site which is the world's largest and most complex

environmental cleanup ever. -- effort. and it is doc that has worked to ensure that cleanup moves forward safely and efficiently and it is doc that helped the tricities community prepare for the post-cleanup era. goes without saying that those in washington state are better because of doc's service. and as co-chair of the boish congressional northwest energy caucus, doc has worked to promote cooperation about issues that impact the continued availability of low cost hydropower. he gave us the opportunity to work together on policies like protecting the northwest important source of renewable hydropower. addressing the future of the columbia river treaty. protecting the snake river dam. and integrating wind energy into b.p.a.'s transmission system. under doc's guidance, we have had the opportunity to collaborate, to promote a strong future for our regional power

systems. and as a master of all things rules, he knows the rules better than just about anyone. the speaker could always turn to him when he needed a steady hand who understood the rules. but what i admire most about doc is that he's kind and selfless, he is as kind and selfless as he is brilliant. when our son cole was born, after he was diagnosed with down syndrome, doc was the one that welcomed us back and introduced cole to the world on the house floor. he's an invaluable legislator, an unmatched mentor, and a man i'm proud to call my friend. doc's family has always come first, his wife claire has been his partner, by his side, 20 years now in service and i can say from experience, it's not easy to have your family on one coast when you're on the other. claire and the entire hastings

family have always been a source continued commitment and unconditional love. i know doc feels so blessed to have that unwavering support. i thank the hastings family for sharing with america a tremendous and invaluable leader. his heart has always been with his children and grandchildren and i know that he'll be glad to be able to spend some more time with them. doc has filled the role of dean of the washington delegation and he's going to be missed. while this great leader will no longer walk the halls of congress every day, this institution is better and stronger for having had him here. doc will be missed every day but his legacy will live in congress and of course all across eastern washington. mr. speaker, i now yield to the kentucky, mr.

rogers, chairman of the ppropriations committee. mr. rogers: i thank the gentlelady for yielding. i will not be lengthy. i will be very serious. there are very few people that i've served with in this body these 34 years, for me, who have more respect and more friends than doc hastings. we are personal friends. we're professional friends, we're personal friends, and when our wiveses are back home we frequently have dinner together and we talk a lot of politics. talk about things going on at home. talk about things going on here in this body and the world. and there's nobody more knowledgeable of politics in america than doc hastings. he knows every congressional

district. he knows the politics of that district. and that makes for some great, great conversation. but i think the most important thing about -- that i can say about doc hastings is his character. the character he possesses. someone once said that character is doing the right thing when nobody is looking. and i've seen time and again doc aced with an opportunity perhaps that it would have meant taking advantage of someone or not doing the right thing. and he always does the right thing. and so that character, that

inner being, that radiates out to the world, comes through that balding head and reaches out to the world. doc, most people don't realize that doc hastings is one of the biggest nascar fans in america. he travels to watch the cars. and of course most of those started out in the south and still principally are. but doc loves the nascar world. and so that makes him a southerner. which is another reason i admire the man. well, we're going to miss this man. he has served so well here in so many different, important roles. chairman of the ethics committee. that looks after the ethics of members of congress.

he, of course, on the rules committee, the hardest working assignment i think anyone has. and his service there was superlative. and of course the chair he now holds that has turned out more bills, i dare say, than any other committee of the congress. it seems like every day there's a string of hastings bills that are being considered by the floor. he's a strong worker, a hard worker, he's conscientious in his work. he's approachable and friendly and likes to take advice. so we're going to miss this man. and we hope that the folks back in the home state appreciate just how well loved doc hastings

is here in the u.s. congress. so doc, we'll miss you. we want you to come back from time to time. and i'll even buy your dinner. god bless you. mrs. mcmorris rodgers: i'd like to yield to the gentleman from washington, mr. denny heck. mr. heck: i thank the gentlelady from washington state. i rise to acknowledge, thank, and pay tribute to the service of richard "doc" hastings on behalf of the people of this country and washington state. i've had the privilege of knowing him 35 years. ith perverse reference to mr. i served in the washington state house of representatives and we overlapped and someone who wears ifferent color jers eyes, --

jersies, materially different world views. with doc, it was never ever, ever, ever personal. he has a kind word and a ready smile for people. doc's finishing up 10 terms, 20 years in this chamber and i don't know that i ever adequately thanked him for being the very first person to come to my office and stepped his hand in friendship and offered to help me in any way he could two years ago, something that he probably doesn't remember. so natural an act it was for him but so meaningful for me. les tmp i leave the wropping impression of the differences doc and i have, i want to assert, he can be as good an ally as he can be, an honorable adverse sear. the gentlelady from washington

state has mentioned several of the days that congressman haceippings has worked with us -- hastings has worked with us. i cannot help but note his signature on a letter advocating re-authorization of the export-import bank and tremendous economic importance to our state and even more generic issues, doc is always front and center, standing proud and tall to do what he can on behalf of the men and women who have served. i want to reiterate of congressman hastings skill of presiding in this chamber. what an incredible skill it is to do with seeming ease, not procedures, and

but the manner in which you comport yourself is truly a thing to be admired. you did it with grace. and speaking of grace, more than a year ago, one of my dear, dear friends and metropolitanors, someone who also wears my colored jersey, former governor passed away, congressman hastings was one of the first people to take the podium and acknowledge the kindness that governor gardner extended to congressman hastings' family. it is a privilege to know you. it is a privilege to have served with you, but i'm very proud to have done so and i'm proud to have known you all these years and proud to call you friend, doc, and most importantly, on behalf of all of the people of washington state, includeing the people of the 10th congressional

district, we thank you for your fine, fine public service and dedication to all these issues that you worked on so ably and in a dedicated fashion for so many years. thank you, sir. yield back. mrs. mcmorris rodgers: thank you . i would like to yield to the gentlelady from vancouver, my riend and colleague. ms. herrera beutler: it's great to come down here and honor my friend and colleague, doc hastings from central washington. it's been a privilege to get to be right adjacent to doc. and we have been on either side and being the younger member of the delegation, the newest member of the delegation, i think your time, effort and

willingness to bring us along, bring me along, it's invaluable. it is impossible to overstate the influence doc has had over this body over the last 20 years. he has been a constant advocate fighting for the people in his home, region and state and the rest of washington. you have been doing it sips i was in high school. studying u.s. history. unlike a lot of politicians, he publicity. i joined the washington delegation four years ago and from the beginning, doc has been incredibly generous to me with his time ap wisdom and even his advice. like so many in this body, i truly value his friendship. during my time here, i have had

the privilege of -- i only want to say working alongside but following along on the issues that are important to my district whether it is joining him out at a reservation or trying to advance our nation's forest policies. it is plain to see how passionate how he serves the people of washington state. in this day and age where we here about politicians that no one likes, people who can't work together, it's important to remember and focus on the members who are the opposite, people like doc who are looking to find the common grouped and looking for solutions and who are wanting to confront the biggest challenges. and i hope i believe it's how doc's going to be remembered, a statesman, who always did the right thing by the people at home. doc's retirement is certainly a

loss for washington, but i'm happy that the pull of being home, the pull of family has timely won out after having to balance that on both coasts for so long. when i had my baby girl last year, feels like a thousand years ago, doc was one of the first we were, and sharing in the joy of our miracle. and i'm truly grateful. i think that as we walk into this body, i know for me, when i'm trying to work an issue ap advice, i'm going to miss, how would we do this, what's the strategy, that's one of the biggest things i remember, he is still with us. but one of the biggest thing i think of when i think of doc, his approach is lay out the strategies and talk to this

person and do it this way and that intimate knowledge of how the institution works we are going to be at a loss, having that institutional knowledge and the relationships. his intimate understanding of that and the way he has worked so carefully with people to advance ideas, we are going to miss it and we are going to feel the loss. but we look forward to hearing from you and watching you enjoy your time at home with your kid and grandkids. tell us how great it is from time to time. we are going to miss you. with that, i yield become. mrs. mcmorris rodgers: doc, on behalf of everyone in washington state and on behalf of my colleagues here in the house of representatives, we are grateful for your service, your leadership for our region and

your impact on our lives. as we walk the halls of congress, we often think of those who have gone before us and walked these halls and think about the fact that we stand on the shoulders of gipets. you have been a giant in our lives and you have bep a giant for washington state and congress. small token of your appreciation for your service. thank you, doc, may god bless you and your family. i yield to the gentleman from eorgia, mr. gingrey. mr. gingrey: thank you very much. i came down to the floor this evening, mr. speaker, to give my fair well remarks as i'm retiring as well as my good friend doc hastings and say what

a great human being doc hastings is and what a pleasure it has been for me in my 12 years. doc has been here longer than me. and draw from that his judgment, his kindness, great representation from the people of the great state of washington. it's a pleasure to say farewell to doc and i hope i see you very, very soon. mrs. mcmorris rodgers: we yield back. the speaker pro tempore: under the speaker's ajounsed policy of nuary 3, 2013, the chair recognizes mr. gingrey, for the remainder of the hour. mr. gingrey: mr. speaker, it is an honor to rise today for

perhaps my last time speaking as a member of this institution. i rise this evening first and foremost, to pay a debt of gratitude to georgia's 11th congressional district and to the people there who have graciously allowed me the privilege of serving them for these past 12 years. growing up mod essentially in augusta, georgia, i would have never dreamed that someday i would be standing where i am today. and i would not have had this opportunity if it weren't for my wonderful constituents in northwest georgia. i may be bias, mr. speaker, but i think the people in my district are the nicest and most hospitalable in this country. so, to them, on behalf of myself, my family and my staff, i extend my deepest thanks for allowing us to serve you in these house of representatives. to my wife billie, and my three

billy, s, and to my son i'm forever grateful, that you all have stayed by my side and you have supported me throughout my public service. i wouldn't be where i am today without your sacrifices. to my family, a huge heartfelt thanks. and mr. speaker, to my colleagues, it has been the honor of a lifetime to serve with all of you. the respect i have for each and every one transcends i'd yol and party line. i have made some of the greatest memories of my life with you, and i hope to stay connected with all of you in the years to come. and of course, in order to be successful in this body, one must have have a great staff. thank you to each and every one of the staffers who shown such

great devotion in serving the people and helping me to serve them in the 11th district of georgia. thank you all for joining in my fight to protect the freedoms of the people of georgia that we serve and working tirelessly for me for a better america. i entered into congress during a time of great unrest, not even two years after the 9/11 attacks in new york city. since then, i have been horpped to have been part of this body, as it has faced some of the largest challenges of the new millennium, the global war on terror, the great recession, medicare part d back in 2003, the stimulus response to the financial collapse, the central american free trade agreement, fighting for fiscal solvency, a litany of new challenges due to

the patient protection and affordable care act. and it is my hope, it is my hope that as history examines my actions as a part of this body, that the record will show that i always acted and voted the way i thought was in the best interests of the people i serve and to this great nation. now, i can't claim to be perfect, far from it. not every piece of legislation i championed passed. no matter the outcome, i take comfort in knowing that the work that i offered this body has spurred important debate that betters this institution as a whole ap at turn our country. i co-found the house g.o.p. caucus doctorso caucus and people who had served in the

medical profession prior to coming here, who utilized our collective firsthand medical expertise to develop patient-centered health reforms for all americans. we have tackled obamacare's threat on the doctor-patient relationship head on and have played a key role in the fight for s.g.r. reform. that fight continues. . it will be hard to let the doctors' caucus go and say good-bye to my colleagues, i extend my thanks to them who join with me as members of that caucus and i'm confident the group will continue its valuable work for many, many years to come. i would also like to take a moment to thank my democratic colleagues. people like my good friend from new jersey who is sitting here

in the chamber, like representative gene green from texas and many others. r putting party lines aside, joining with me to lead on a number of fights, not the least f which is the threat of antibiotic resist ant superbugs, a growing threat at hospitals across the country. we work sod hard on that legislation and we're so proud to see it pass, yes in a bipartisan fashion through the energy and commerce committee under the leadership of chairman upton, vice chairman of the committee, ranking member of the committee, henry waxman, chairman of the health subcommittee, joe pitts, ranking member of the health subcommittee, now chairman of the -- or ranking of the overall committee, mr. frank pallone. we work together. and this way exemplify what is

public service should be all about. identifying a problem and then working together to solve it without regard to party lines. but no matter how many problems we solve, there are, of course, many hurdles ahead. immigration. continued reckless spending. these new threats, these horrible threats in the middle east. ever growing executive branch and of course as i mentioned, health care. as an ob/gyn physician it worries me to be leaving congress at a time when our health care industry has been tipped on its side, i think, because of the patient protection and affordable care act. it's critical that this country find a more sustainable path to creating quality care and access to physicians. government bureaucrats have no place between doctors and their patients. but still in light of these few

frustrations, i have great confidence in this body. if history shows us anything, it's that despite the day-to-day angst of gridlock, and there's plenty of that to go around, this institution remains the greatest representative body the world has ever seen. the hurdles we face in this institution are always overcome, sometimes with more grace than at others, and it will survive, as it always has. our system of government is durable. it's resilient. and it's designed to withstand the test of time. it has been my greatest honor to have played even a small part in it. but now, my wife billie and me, it's time for us to turn the page. we're looking forward to having the opportunity to check a few

more boxes before we leave and then spend more time with all the grandchildren back home in marietta. so in short, mr. speaker, i guess you could say, i'm proud of the past, and i am excited for what the future may hold. but today, i'm just happy to say that i am leaving, i feel confidently, this body better prepared for the future than it was when even i got here. i want to thank, again, my colleagues, all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, republicans and democrats, and of course last but not least, the people of georgia's 11th congressional district for giving me this opportunity, this honor, and this privilege. and i would be remiss, mr. speaker, as i close, without honoring our military heroes. the men and women who have paid

so much sacrifice and their families for this great country. i think over 40 have given their lives in iraq and afghanistan and paid that last full measure. i just want to say, i will never and jamie atty saylors and your great son, the hero, paul, who gave his life for our country. mr. speaker, i thank you for this opportunity and the time tonight and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair announces the speaker's reappointment pursuant to section 306-k of the public health service act 42 u.s.c. 242-k and the order of the house of january 3, 2013, of the following individual on the part of the house national committee on vital health statistics for a term of four years. the clerk: dr. vicki m. hayes of

los angeles, california. the speaker pro tempore: under the speaker's announced policy of january 3rks2013, the chair recognizes the gentleman from new jersey, mr. pascrell, for 30 minutes. mr. pascrell: thank you, mr. speaker. i want to say before he leaves the floor, if i may, i wish him the best of luck, doc, i wish the other doc who is already off the floor, the best of luck. the gentleman who is going to speak after me, i'll yield to him later, he's leaving as well. i must say some things about all three of you, if i may. because you fit into these particular characteristics. the three of you are gentlemen. the three of you are real patriots. the three of you are civil in every respect. the three of you have a good sense of the congress, and the three of you have a great respect for the institution.

and you will be missed. god bless you, god speed, and good luck to you and your families. thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i rise today to discuss the state of our nation's economy. i've been waiting for this opportunity, mr. speaker, this is the time to do it. six years ago, when president obama raised his hand on the steps of the capitol of the united states of america and was sworn in as president, we were losing over 800,000 jobs every month. and these are mostly middle income and lower income americans who are out of work. in the final six months of president bush's administration, e lost 3 1/2 million jobs. by the time the recession was

over, 8.8 million americans were out of work. the ending of that recession, technically, was in march, was in june of 2009. but we did not start to create new jobs until march of 2010. and many of those jobs came from the census that was going on that year. our country's g.d.p., gross domestic product, in the fourth quarter of 2008, the last of president bush's administration, that decreased 8.9%. that is unbelievable -- that is an unbelievable number. and president bush is not solely responsible, we all shared in our financial demise. we've been digging ourselves out

of this deep, deep hole ever since. with almost no help from our friends on the other side. and i'm glad my brother friend from georgia mentioned that legislation that we passed in 2003. plan d. because right after we lost that debate and lost that vote, we became part and parcel of that legislation which had been democratically passed in this house, although we didn't like it. we cooperated. we didn't try to undercut, we did not try to minimize, the record will show that democrats stood up, shook off their loss, and became part of what american democracy is all about. we cooperated. now what have we had from the other side of the aisle? we've had no cooperation, we've had very little good will, we've

had simply speaking, no poetry whatsoever. in fact, just the opposite. we've seen the seeds sown of division and fear and disharmony. the american recovery and investment act which passed in february of 2009, our first response to the crisis, received zero votes from our friends on the other side of the aisle. we know now that this bill saved or created 3.6 million jobs in this country. although it's far too small to dig us out of the hole, but we're on our way. the affordable care act will allow a new generation of entrepreneurs to create a business prorkvide incentives for small business, to offer health insurance, and attract -- provide incentives for small business offer health insurance

and attract qualified workers. they brought growth to unprecedented levels, freeing up cash so businesses can invest more and hire more workers. zero votes from our friends on the other side. then when you lose you undermine as much as humanly possible. where was the other side of the aisle when the unemployment insurance for long-term unemployed expired? cutting off 3.6 million americans. including 350,000 veterans by the end of september of 2014. 550,000 ad lost over government jobs, dragging down our economy, our entire economy recovery, instead of working to keep people on the job, my friends on the other side of the aisle were pushing more and more disastrous job-killing bills. the record will bear me out on

this, we have the lowest number of federal workers, the lowest amount of employees, since 1966. so when our friends on the other side talk about big government they ought to know about it, since they created it. we've had the lowest amount of federal workers. for the last five or six years, many of those workers, forget about us, and not even gotten a -- have not even gotten a cost of living increase. so you can understand very clearly why the american people are frustrated with the pace of our recoughry. and in many ways,, i share their us from -- in many ways, i share their frustration. it's taken far too long and the fruits of recovery have not been equally distributed. during the recovery, incomes have been flat for the vast majority of americans. while the folks at the top of income scale are doing better

than ever. no one should try to undermine earningmaking a living, a living. but everybody should be part of making sure there are shared fruits on the vine and everybody gets a chance and an opportunity. the stock market is up over 165% since the low it hit at the depths of the recession. while stocks have fully recovered and continue to set record highs, the job market has lagged behind, not recovering all the jobs lost in the recession until just six months ago. five years after the recession officially ended. in my home state of new jersey, total employment is still well below where we were at the start of the recession. there are over 130,000 fewer jobs in new jersey than in december of 2007.

our unemployment rate is nearly a full point higher than the national average. take heed what happens to your own state, never mind what happens in other states. wages have also been stagnant. stuck at around 2%. for the last few years. if wage growth had been a more robust 4%, enough to factor in inflation and growth in productivity, the average worker would be making more than $3 more per hour today than they are. that is a fact. it is undeniable. this is because, for example, during the first three years since the end of the recession, the top 1% of americans captured 95% of the entire country's income gains. this wage stagnation didn't just start with the recession. incomes for the middle class had been stagnant for the past 15

years. and if you adjust for inflation, middle class wages are lower than they were in 1989. that is a fact. so there are many reasons for the middle class to feel like they're left out. like the recovery has left them behind. it's because the entire economy is leaving them behind. this year, seems like we may have finally begun to turn that corner and our economic recovery is still really accelerating. last week the bureau of labor statistics reported that the economy created 321,000 jobs. o that makes for 57 straight months of job growth. the longest streak of consecutive months of job creation on record for a total f over 10.9 million new jobs. for the last o