other person was elected president shall be elected to the office of president more than once. mr. goodlatte: i now yield to the gentleman from alabama, mr. palmer. mr. palmer:but this article shall not apply to any person holding the office of president when this article was proposed by congress, and shall not prevent any person who may be holding the office of president, or acting as president, during the term within which this article becomes operative from holding the office of president or acting as president during the remainder of such term. mr. goodlatte: i now yield to the the gentlelady from virgin islands ms. plaskett. ms. plaskett:this article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the constitution by the

legislatures of three-fourths of the several states within seven years from the date of its submission to the states by the congress. mr. goodlatte: yield to the gentleman from colorado, mr. tipton. mr. tipton:amendment xxiii section 1 the district constituting the seat of government of the united states shall appoint in such manner as congress may direct a number of electors of president and vice president equal to the whole number of senators and representatives in congress to which the district would be entitled if it were a state, but in no event more than the least populous state. mr. goodlatte: i now yield to the gentleman from colorado, mr. buck. mr. buck:they shall be in addition to those appointed by the states, but they shall be considered

for the purposes of the election of president and vice president to be electors appointed by a state, and they shall meet in the district and perform such duties as provided by the 12th article of amendment. section 2 the congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation. mr. goodlatte: i now yield to the gentleman from ohio. amendment xxiv section 1 >>the right of citizens of the united states to vote in any primary or other election for president or vice president, for electors for president or vice president, or for senator or representative in congress, shall not be denied or abridged by the united states or any state by reason of failure to pay poll tax or other tax. section 2 the congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation. mr. goodlatte: i now yield to the gentleman from new jersey, mr. lobiondo. mr. lobiondo:amendment xxv

section 1 in case of the removal of the president from office or of his death or resignation, the vice president shall become president. section 2 whenever there is a vacancy in the office of the vice president, the president shall nominate a vice president who who shall take the oath upon confirmation by a majority vote of both house of congress. mr. goodlatte: i now yield to the gentleman from texas, mr. green. mr. green: thank you. section 3 whenever the president transmits to the president pro tempore of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives his written declaration that he is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, and until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary, such powers and duties shall be discharged by the vice president as acting president. mr. goodlatte: i now yield to

the gentleman from texas, mr. farenthold. mr. farenthold:section 4 whenever the vice president and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as congress may by law provide transmit to the president pro tempore of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives their written declaration that the president is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the vice president shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as acting president. mr. goodlatte: i now yield to the gentleman from florida mr. bilirakis. mr. bilirakis:thereafter, when the president transmits to the president pro tempore of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives his written declaration that no inability exists, he shall resume the

powers and duties of his office unless the vice president and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive department or of such other body as congress may by law provide, transmit within four days to the president pro tempore of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives their written declaration that the president is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office. mr. goodlatte: i now yield to the gentleman from texas, mr. hurd. mr. hurd:thereupon congress shall decide the issue, assembling within 48 hours for that purpose if not in session. if the congress, within 21 days after receipt of the latter written declaration, or, if congress is not in session within twenty-one days after congress is required to assemble, determines by two-thirds vote of both houses that the president is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the vice president shall continue to

discharge the same as acting president, otherwise, the president shall resume the powers and duties of his office. mr. goodlatte: i now yield to the gentleman from ohio, mr. chabot. mr. chabot:amendment xxvi section 1 the right of citizens of the united states, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the united states or by any state on account of age. mr. goodlatte: i now yield to the gentleman from arkansas, mr. westerman. mr. westerman k4r0section 2 the congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation. mr. goodlatte: i now yield to the gentleman from texas, mr. veasey. mr. veasey:amendment xxvii

no law, varying the compensation for the services of the senators and representatives, shall take effect, until an election of representatives shall have intervened. likes -- >> follow the house, live on c-span. president obama has threatened to veto the keystone bill. the senate is considering its own keystone bill. right now a list on your screen of the democrats in the house who approved that version of the

bill earlier today. >> friends and countrymen. let's today welcome all of the new members and families. this is a truly historic day.

[applause] it is an important day for our country. >> we recognize the enormity of the task before us. we know that hard work awaits. >> follow the gop led congress. best access is c-span.org, and on c-span radio. >> tomorrow on washington journal, neil irwin will look at jobless numbers. and, there will be a discussion of the terrorist attacks in paris.

after that, bob brewer from the center of disease control and prevention talks about a new report finding that alcohol poisoning kills more than six americans each day. washington journal live on saturday. earlier today president obama was in tennessee to talk about jobs, the economy, and a proposal to bring college costs down. he was there with vice president joe biden. >> >> dr. jill biden. [applause]

>> hello, thank you. hello. it's great to be back in knoxville, and hello to my colleagues, and no to all the -- hello to all the students who are here today. thank you, governor haslam, for the kind introduction and for welcoming us to your state. we are here today because community colleges have entered a new day in america. community colleges lead the way in preparing graduates in the fields of advanced manufacturing, energy and information technology. some of the fastest growing fields in america, and the rest of the world. in fact, nearly half of all undergraduate students attend community colleges. equipping american workers with

the skills they need to succeed in the global economy is a top priority for president obama and my husband joe, the vice president. [applause] >> but i am not a politician. i am an english professor. [cheers and applause] >> i have taught in community colleges for more than 20 years, and i still teach full-time at a community college outside of washington, d.c. in fact, i was just in my classroom yesterday preparing for this semester ahead. teaching is my life's work. i teach because i love seeing the difference that i hope to make in my students lives.

my goal is to always give them the confidence in their own ability, because i know that confidence will carry them well beyond my classroom in whatever they do. and as i work hard every day to inspire my students, it is ultimately they who inspire me. in my classroom i find single parents who come to school in the evening we read from a long day, yet eager to create a brighter future for their children. i have taught veterans to return to the classroom to complete their higher education as they look to transition to civilian careers. and i have seen workers who have gone as far as they can go in their jobs, get the skills they need to reach the next level. i see it over and over again

because the students are so committed to furthering their education. they know it is the key to a better life for themselves and their families. i know what happens in a community college classroom, and it is extraordinary. a second lady, and the president obama's request, i have traveled across the country visiting community colleges from seattle to miami, and from texas to right here in the heart of tennessee. in fact, two years ago i visited roane state community college during my community college to career bus tour. i have been to over 60 campuses to learn more about how community colleges are providing students with the education and training that they need for the jobs of the 21st century. this all goes back to our fundamental belief, if you are

ready to work, you should be able to find a job that fits your skills or get trained with the skills you need for a better job. we all reap the benefits when our citizens are well-educated and well trained. it means that our economies are more vibrant, and the future is brighter. this is the moment for community colleges to shine. as an educator, i am grateful and proud to work for a president, and a vice president who are committed -- [laughter] -- to restoring the promise of the american educational system. we recognize the value of

community colleges and in investing in them. we believe that all americans deserve the opportunity to reach their full potential. it is now my pleasure to introduce my husband, our vice president, joe biden. [applause] >> thank you. please excuse my back, i apologize. my name is joe biden. im jill biden's husband. can you imagine her working for me? this is the first time i have heard that. that is why this is worth the trip. i am here, sandwiched between a

great president and a great second lady whose passion for the community college is as intense as you could probably see. and this is known as jails -- ji ll's territory. no, i mean that sincerely. this is her territory. she and arne duncan, our secretary of education have been just absolutely relentless and and they are making the case . this is the single best kept secret in america, it is the community college system. and our administration is committed to letting that secret out. so thank you for your hospitality. it was not only great being here but getting to ride with you from the airport governor.

this is a beautiful part of the world you all live in. [applause] my friend, lamar alexander, who as the old saying goes, in my old neighborhood back --, he has forgotten more about education that most people. and bob corker is a great friend, we served together on the foreign relations committee. now he is the chairman of the powerful committee, and -- [applause] -- and pellissippi state community college president anthony wise. it is a delight. i imagine some of the students hymie and all students, out

there in the audience, you have all you have all know the names of people that joe was talking about. the 19-year-old who although qualified, to go to a four-year college. the 35-year-old woman has the victim of abuse and her family has broken away and decided that she is moving forward, going to take care of her and her children, has the courage to go back. the man who has lost a job and has never really been to school, he musters up the courage to decide to go back to school. to go to community college, that guy who says ok, i'm going to try this. that's a hard thing. that is a very hard, hard thing to do. for people to do.

but the stock of students and to make up our -- the stock of students who make up our community colleges is the stuff of america and its heroes. i really mean that. we really need you. take zero college. when the president and i were sworn in, we said that our first goal was to pull america out of the greatest recession that our country has experienced. and reestablish the footing of the middle class. that footing was already being lost before the recession. because, the middle class is the vehicle that built this country. it is built on the shoulders of hard-working, middle-class people. the fact of the matter is, everything that we have done, and we have made mistakes, but

everything that we have done was designed to give the middle class a better footing. that we had to rebuild the foundation in the economy. immigrants and republicans and quite frankly the american people have the great -- grit to do it. and america is coming back strong. [applause] i might note, you no longer -- significant business people or anyone who talk about how the rest of the world, the asia, china, are going to outcompete

the truth of the matter is america is positioned to take on a large role in the 21st century, as it did in the 20th century. and if we do what we should, there's no reason why this will not be an american century. the magic, the magic of the growth of the united states beginning in the early 20th century was the consequence of the decision to build in new york. everyone is entitled to have access, free access to education. the rest of the world was way behind. but it took a long time to catch up, but they have caught up. and now, we know what you all know. 12 years is not enough. 12 years is not enough.

any more than eight years was enough in 1919. it doesn't mean that everyone needs a four year college degree or graduate degree. there are many other avenues. but six out of 10 jobs by the end of this decade will require training beyond high school degree. it can be an apprenticeship. it could be a certificate. it could be a two-year degree. so the world has changed. competition has changed. the united states and the american people have it bill into their dna, a confidence that is showing now and showing through as it always has. we have to make sure that every person in america gets an education into the extent that they desire. to the extent to which they are capable.

how do we maintain and guarantee that we have the most skilled workforce in the world? it is absolutely necessary, if we are going to capitalize on the overwhelming potential that still exists in this country. ladies and gentlemen, the facts are there. the opportunities are there as well. we are going to need, after a study was done, 1.3 -- jobs by the end of this decade. average salary, $50,000 a year requiring a two-year degree. and health care, another 600,000

nurses in the near term. i could go on. jobs in manufacturing and energy, these are the types of jobs that americans can get through training at a community college. the point is, that access to education after high school is vertical. -- critical. it is as critical as a high school education was for our grandparents. it is simply that straightforward. and as jill has said, any country that out educates us will outcompete us. any country that out educates us will outcompete us. there is no reason why we should allow that to happen. i just said this, it is the best cap -- kept secret, it is a

community college. nearly 40% of students in america in college, they are in community colleges. there is a direct path, if the student chooses it, to take those credits that are transferable from state universities, to a four-year degree, cutting and half -- cutting in half the cost. it is fully in our capacity to do more. president kennedy said, book -- " our progress as a nation can be no swifter than our progress as a nation. our progress as a nation can be no swifter than our progress as a nation."

michelle barack, i don't say that often. [laughter] the president and the first lady, we were standing in a hall , looking at each other and marveling that we were standing there we said, we would not be standing there without the help we had gone. the help we had getting the education that we had. no one of us would be standing there. everyone should have the opportunity. no guarantees. everyone. the man who i believe is more committed to making sure that everyone has the opportunity more committed than any man or woman i have worked with, that

is the man i want to introduce to you. my friend, the president of the united states, barack obama. [applause] [applause] [applause] >> hello, everybody. thank you. thank you. everybody, please have a seat. it is good to be back in tennessee. i hope that you guys are not getting tired of me. i have been coming around a lot

lately. [laughter] there is a lot of good stuff happening here. i want to begin by thanking joe and jill biden. they are not just good friends and good partners, but they really believe in the power of education and in creating those kinds of opportunities that gave us the chances and incredible opportunities that we have had today. understanding the promise of america's community colleges, joe really understand it. joe, he really doesn't have a choice. [laughter] before i get into the reason i am here today, i want to begin by saying a few words about the tragic events that we have seen unfold in france.

events have been fast moving this morning. i just spoke to my counterterrorism adviser. we have been in close touch with the french government throughout this tragedy. the moment the attack took place we directed all of our law enforcement and counterintelligence to address this challenge. we are hopeful the immediate threat is now resolved. the french government continues to face the threat of terrorism and has to remain vigilant. the situation is fluid. france is our oldest ally. i want the people of france to

know that the united states stands with you today, tomorrow, our thoughts and prayers are with those impacted. we grieve with you and fight beside you to uphold universal values that bind us as friends and as allies. in the streets of paris, the world has seen -- that we stand for freedom and hope in the dignity of all human beings. that beings. that is what the city of paris represents to the world, and that spirit we will endure forever long after the scourge of terrorism is vanished from this world. now, i am in knoxville not only because i just like knoxville,

but i am here today because one of my resolutions is to make sure that folks across this great country feel like they are coming back. and there is no doubt, thanks to the steps we took early on to rescue our economy and rebuild it upon a new foundation america is coming back. i am not running for office anymore. so let me just present the facts. i promised that 2014 will be a great year for america. this morning we got more evidence to back that up. in december, our businesses created 240,000 new jobs

unemployment fell to 5.6%. that means 2014 was the strongest year for job growth since the 1990's. unemployment -- unemployment fell in 2014 faster than any year since 1984. think about that, 30 years. most importantly, we are seeing faster job growth in industries that provide good-paying jobs, traditionally middle-class jobs, than anything else. since 2010, the united states of america has created more jobs than europe, europe, japan, and any other advanced economy combined. american manufacturing is in its

best stretch of job growth since the 1990's. we are actually seeing companies insourcing instead of outsourcing, realizing that we want to be here with american workers making american products. american is now the world's number one producer in oil, gas, we have doubled the production of clean energy, and you are saving more than a buck per gallon at the pump. although i keep on reminding folks gas prices go up and come down and then go up so, i just want everyone to no that you should enjoy this.

take the money you are saving, pay off the credit card, kit and new appliance, by a fuel efficient car so that when prices go back up you are still well positioned. thanks thanks to the affordable care act, 10 million americans have enjoyed health insurance. by the way, we have done this while cutting our deficits by deficits by about 2/3. everyone thinks they did a survey. 70% of americans say it is going up. come down by 2/3 since i took office. so meanwhile, thanks to the hard work of students and educators

dropout rates are down, and after 13 long years of war in afghanistan has come to a responsible end. so i say all this because of these six years have demanded a lot of hard work and sacrifice. as a country, we have every right to be proud of what we have to show for it. now that we have seen calmer waters economically, if we all do our part, we can start making sure wages and income start

rising again and make sure the middle class is the engine that powers american prosperity as it always has. that will be the focus of my state of the union address. i want to give you a little preview. don't tell anyone i said that. i am giving you the inside scoop. that will be the emphasis of my message, how do we build on the progress we have made. why stand on formalities? two days ago i was in michigan. we talked about what else we can do around advancing manufacturing. yesterday i was in arizona where i announced the dream of making homeownership a reality for more middle-class families. later today, joe and i will head to clinton to take action to develop industry further. right here, right now i am going to announce one of my most

important state of the union proposals, and that's helping every american afford a higher education. part of the reason i wanted to come here was because tennessee is at the forefront of doing some really smart stuff. we got some proud tennesseans who can take some credit for the great work that has been done . first, your governor, he is here. your two very fine senators.

your senior senator knows a little bit about this. congressman john duncan. your mayor. and we've got anthony wise. and we have got all of you. now, joe and jill touched on these thems, but let me amplify this a little bit. here in america we do not guarantee equal outcomes. some people have good luck and

some people have bad luck. you know, things don't always work out perfectly. but we do expect that everyone gets an equal shot. we do expect everyone can go as far as their dreams and hard work will take them. we don't expect anyone to be bound by the circumstances of their birth. if they were, i would not be if they were, i would not be here. jill is so accomplished that he -- she would have succeeded no matter what, but we expect everyone to get a fair shot. in exchange, we expect that if you work hard, you can get ahead. it should not matter what your last name is, what you look

like, what family we are born into, how we worship. what matters is effort and merit. that is the promise of america. and the way we deliver on that is making sure our education system works on behalf of every person who lives here. america thrived in the 20th century in large part because we made high school the norm, and then we sent a generation to college on the g.i. bill including my grandfather. then we dedicated ourselves to cultivating the most educated workforce in the world and invested in one of the crown jewels of this country, our higher education system. and dating back to abraham lincoln, we invested land-grant

colleges and understood that this was a hallmark of america this investment in education. but eventually the world caught on and caught up. and that is why we have to lead the world in education again. that's why my administration is working to make high-quality education available to all our kids. if we invest early it pays pays dividends on the back end. we are working to bring broadband to students and make sure every child is plugged in why we are recruiting more highly trained math and science teachers, why we are working to raise standards and invest more in our elementary and middle and high schools so every young every young person is prepared for a competitive world.

and this world is not easy and sometimes controversial. it's not going to be the same in every state. in places like tennessee, we are seeing incredible strides as the consequences of these efforts. in the past year, tennessee students have improved reading and math scores more than any other state in the country. that is a credit to their hard work, the teachers' hard work the governor's hard work, leaders from both parties. it has been a bipartisan effort. every tennessean should be proud of that. today in a 20th century economy where your most valuable asset

is your knowledge the way to get ahead is not just a high school education, you got to get a higher education. that is why all of you are here. now, the value of an education is not purely instrumental. education helps us be better people, helps us be better citizens. you learn about the world and engage with new ideas and maybe have a little fun. and expand your horizons. that is terrific. that's a huge part of what college has to offer. you are also here now more than ever because a college degree is the surest tickets to the middle class, the key to getting a good job with a good income and providing you the security to or even if you don't have the same job for 30 years, you are so

skillful it ensures you are always employed. and that is the key not just for individual americans, but for this whole country's ability to compete in the global economy. jobs and businesses will go where the most skilled and educated workforce resides because businesses are mobile now. technology means they can locate anywhere, and where they have the most educated, most adaptable, most nimble workforce is where they will locate. i want them to look no further than the united states of america. i want them coming right here. i want those businesses here. i want the american people to get those jobs. that is why we have increased grants and took on a student

loan system and said, let's cut out the middlemen and give it directly to students instead we have increased scholarships, cut taxes for people paying tuition, we have let people their student loan payments at 10% of income so that they can borrow with confidence particularly if you're going into a field like nursing. we are creating a knew college rating system that will give parents and students clear and concise information to shop around for a school with the best value for you. and it gives us the capacity to recognize schools that offer a great education for a reasonable price. lamar and i were talking about how we can do more to simplify the application process for federal student loans.

which is still too complicated. so we have done a lot of good work and will keep at it. but today i want i want to focus on the centerpiece of my education agenda, and that's the community colleges like this one. for millions of americans, community colleges are essential pathways to the middle class because they are local flexible, they work for people who work full-time, they work for parents who have to raise kids full-time, they work for folks who have gone as far as their skills will take them and want to earn new ones, but do not have the capacity to suddenly go study for four years and not work. community colleges work for veterans transitioning back into civilian life. if you are the first in your

family to go to college or coming back to school after many years away, community colleges provide a place for you, and you can get a great education. jill has been teaching at community colleges for like 20 years. she started when she was 15. she's still full-time today. she can see the excitement in -- and the promise and sometimes the fear of being a 32-year-old mom going back to school, never finished the degree she started, life got in the way, and now she is coming back and getting a knew skill set and seeing a whole a whole range of options opening up. it is exciting, and that is what

community colleges are all about, the idea that no one with drive and discipline should be left out, locked out of opportunity, and certainly not denied a college education just because they do not have the money. every american, whether young or young at heart, should be able to earn the skills and education necessary to compete and win in the 21st century economy. so today, i am announcing an ambitious new plan to bring down the cost of community college tuition in america. i want to bring it down to $0. we are going to -- [applause] i want to -- [applause] i want to make it free.

i want to make it free. community colleges should be free for those willing to work for it. because in america, quality education cannot be a privilege reserved for the few, but a right for everyone willing to work for it. the good news is, you already do something like this in tennessee. you call it tennessee promise. you call it tennessee promise. we thought, why not just build on what works? we are going to call it america's college promise. and the concept is simple -- america's college promise will make two years of community college free to responsible

students who are willing to work for it. now, i want to underscore that last clauses -- everybody who is working hard for it. there are no free rides in america. students would have to do their part. colleges would have to do their part. states would have to do their part. this is not a blank check, a free lunch, but for those willing to do the work and for states and for local communities that want to be a part of this it can be a game changer. think about it. students who started at community colleges during those two years and then go on to a four-year institution essentially get the first half of their bachelor's degree for free.

people who enroll for skills training will graduate already ready to work and will not have student debt. two years of college we will become as free and universal as high school is today. we are also taking another page from tennessee's playbook and expanding technical programs much like you do through your 27 colleges in applied technologies. you know, joe did a terrific job running a task a task force we put together to look at job training and technical training systems all around the country. and at a time when jobs are changing and higher wages call for higher skills, we have to make sure that they get those skills. real-world training that lead to

good jobs. we want more women and minorities to get jobs in fields that traditionally they have been left out of and connect community colleges with employers, because when that is done right, it pays off for everybody. students learn on the job, employers get access to talent colleges get help designing courses that prepare people for the workplace, all of which creates better pathways to today's middle class. we will find the ways that work and help you grow. in a few weeks i will send my plan to congress. i hope that congress will come together to support. opening the doors of higher education should not be a democratic issue or republican issue.

the governor is a republican. the governor is a republican. thanks to his leadership democrats and republicans came together and offered free community colleges for students. meanwhile in my hometown, the mayor, who is a democrat, is now offering community college so that they graduate with good jobs. if a state where a republican leader is doing this and a city with democratic leaders are doing this, how about we all do it? let's do it for our people. let's do it for our people.

there are a bunch of good bipartisan ideas out there. a few days ago, senator alexander joined forces to introduce the legislation that would make financial aid forms simpler. a lot of people applauded it because it has been a while since i filled it out, but i understand there are more than 100 questions on it. maybe it should not be hard to apply for college. i have committed to working with senator alexander to shrink it down and make life easier. we are not going to agree on everything, but simplifying the form is something we should be able to agree on and get done this year. because in the end, nothing is more important to our country than you, our people.

we have this incredible bounty the god-given resources that we enjoy. our greatest resource is our people. i want to say to students, staff, and faculty how proud i am of what you are doing. i know you had to overcome obstacles to get here. many of you are the first in your families to go to college some of you are working full-time while doing it. but you are making an investment in you and by doing so making an investment in this country's future. and i want to use one person's story is an example. where is she? is she here?

i thought she was here a second ago. i am going to tell the story anyway. she was raised by a single mom. when it came time for college, the money was not there. she lives in tennessee. she had a great free option. she comppleted visiting institutions. now she is a senior in college working full-time, just like she has since her first day in college. she says, a lot lot of people like me get discouraged. i get discouraged. but i can look back and say you made it so far. things are not always what you want, but you can make them what you want. that is wisdom. things are not always what you

want. but you can make them what you want. that is what america is about. we can make of our lives what we will. there will be bumps and challenges. we have come through some very hard times, things are not always what we wanted, but we have overcome discouragement overcome division, and discord and do not give up, get up fight back, come back stronger than before thanks to the hard people. the united states of america is coming back. i have never been as confident in my entire life that we we will make of our future what we want of it thanks to you. i appreciate you, tennessee. god bless you. god bless america. ♪

[captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2015] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] >> this tweet from cnbc --

coming up tomorrow, the reporter will look at december jobless numbers, which saw unemployment fall to 5.6%. then a discussion of this week's terrorist attack in paris. after that, you talk about a new report finding that alcohol poisoning kills more than six americans each day. plus, phone calls, facebook comments, and tweets. live at 7:00 a.m. eastern on c-span. >> here are some of our programs this weekend. on c-span two, cass sunsteni. -- sunstein.

then sunday, the college series. in american history tv, that are day, brian durck tries to understand the views of what americans before entering this war. sunday afternoon, discussion on birth control advocate margaret sanger. find our complete television schedule at www.c-span.org and let us know you think about the programs you are watching. call us, e-mail us, or send us a tweet. to the c-span conversation. like us on facebook. follow us on twitter. >> earlier today on the senate

floor, lisa murkowski and maria cantwell discussed the keys to excel pipeline, -- xl pipelane. -- pipeline. senate plans to hold a vote on its version of the bill on monday. this is 45 minutes. morning those of us on the energy and natural resources committee had an opportunity for good discussion about our nation's energy future and more specific to the agenda of yesterday's business meeting was a bill that would allow for a much delayed project, the keystone x.l. pipeline, allow for that project to advance. it moved through the committee

favorably. it moved through the committee with bipartisan support. and as i noted to several colleagues yesterday the discussion that we had in the committee about the significance of this pipeline, the significance of its contribution to our nation's economy from a jobs perspective from a resource perspective were considerable. obviously there was debate on both sides. i think good, healthy debate. and it's debate that i hope we will see reflected on this floor in the next week and perhaps the week following as we have an opportunity to -- to debate. but first we have to get on to that bill. we have that process in place. we'll have a -- a vote on the motion to proceed the first of next week and i am anxious as the new chair of the energy committee, to be moving the

debate here in the senate on issues that are so important to us in this nation. when we think about our nation's security, national security and energy security, when we think about our nation's economy and our prosperity so much of it comes back to energy and access to energy that is abundant, affordable clean diverse secure. these are principles that i have laid out about my views of energy. but i -- i am hopeful that the discussion that we will have on this floor will help advance us as a senate, as a congress and really as a country in moving forward on those policies that will only make us stronger and more secure. the debate yesterday in committee i felt was kind of a

precursor of some of the agenda items that we will see on this floor that will be brought forward by way of debate -- by way of amendments, and i would encourage colleagues as they think about next week, as they think about the debate here that we will have on energy let's stick to energy. we haven't had a good, robust debate on energy in a long while while. we have a lot of other concerns. we have colleagues that want to bring up the president's initiatives as they relate to immigration or perhaps health care. we will have plenty of opportunity here in the senate under leader mcconnell's management to -- to hear and debate issues that are of great substance and weight. but we have waited far too long for our energy issues to be fully debated on the floor. so i'm welcoming that discussion. we heard a lot of good reasons

within the committee we've heard a lot of good reasons here on the floor about why keystone x.l. pipeline is significant is important to this country but this morning i want to take a few moments to -- to discuss some of the arguments that have been made against it and perhaps provide some context some rebuttal. because i think it is fair to acknowledge that the keystone x.l. evokes some strong feelings feelings. but not all of what we have heard is perhaps as factual as we would like it to be. and as we note often around here, people are entitled to their own opinions but they're not entitled to their own facts so i'd like to -- i'd like to raise some of the responses. one of the -- one of the issues that we heard yesterday was that this -- this bill is just almost too much.

well if those not only on the committee, on the floor would look directly to the language of the bill, it's pretty simple. the text of the full bill takes up just less than two pages. it's roughly 400 words long doesn't take long to read or understand. it's pretty simple. it's a pretty simple measure. it approves this long-delayed cross-border permit that is needed to construct the keystone x.l. pipeline. that's all it does. it approves a permit. it doesn't give some grand sweetheart deal to a foreign company. it doesn't feather the nest of of -- of oil companies. it allows for a permit to cross the border between the united states and canada to allow for a

construction project. and it does this while protecting private property rights. it allows nebraska to find the best possible route for the pipeline and it requires all state and local obligations to be fully met. this bill does not deal with routing through the states. it was suggested that somehow or other we here in the senate and the house are kind of like the zoning committee here. huh-uh. that's not what's happening. it doesn't deal with the routing routing. that discussion as we know took place at the state level and appropriately so. so what this measure does is just allows for that cross

cross-boundary permit. and some of the other points that were raised were that somehow or other this bill is -- provides subsidies subsidies whether to trans-canada or to others. it does not authorize a single taxpayer dollar for any purpose. it doesn't create any new tax credits. it doesn't reduce current tax rate. the bill is simply about approving the keystone x.l. pipeline. it's that simple. it's that simple. and those that would doubt, i would encourage you to read it. again, it's pretty brief. another thing that we heard yesterday in committee was why the urgency why the push right now. we are just in the first week of the 114th congress why are we pushing so quickly to advance this?

well for new members such as the occupant of the chair the presiding officer here today this is -- this is the first opportunity that you will have had to weigh in on the senate floor on this very important legislation but for many of us who were here in the 113th congress we recall that it was just about six or seven weeks ago that this same measure in fact the same language of this bill is what we had on this floor just before we departed at the end of the 113th congress. we fell short one vote, one vote short of cloture. we had 59 supporters in the

senate we had obviously a very significant democratic majority so coming to 59 was pretty substantive and i think folks would remember that. so in effect, this is a little bit about unfinished business. we were working it less than two months ago a month and a half ago, we are now back in the 114th congress, so what's changed? well what has changed is that the presiding officer is now a member of the republican party. our leader, senator mcconnell, is leading the senate. we are now in a new congress with new leadership, and the bill that has been introduced by my friend and colleague from north dakota has 60 cosponsors. 60 cosponsors, not people that have said yeah, i think i'm kind of going to vote for this

bill. these are 60 who have committed and signed their name, and we now have enough votes to pass this chamber. so i think that's a good sign. i think it's not a bad sign that what we're starting with, mr. president, is a bill that is unfinished business but also a bill that has strong bipartisan support. 60 cosponsors. you know, it's not very often in this body that you have legislation that has that level of support. so why not start this new congress off with something that enjoys bipartisan support? i don't think it was the intention of our leader to start off saying by gosh, it's going to be republican ideas only. we're trying to find those

ideas, those issues that will advance our country. i believe that moving forward with the keystone x.l. pipeline is something that will advance the best interests of our country. so when we talk about timing, i think it is important to note that this is not only a good time i think it's the best time to be bringing up keystone x.l. our colleagues on the other side of the building here are taking up the keystone x.l. pipeline today. we had, of course, good news coming out of nebraska this morning with the announcement that that litigation has been resolved if you will, with the courts effectively upholding

the pipeline route. and there have been some on the other side of the aisle that have suggested that we shouldn't be -- we shouldn't be cutting off a process. we shouldn't be moving until things have been resolved in nebraska. and there are some that would say, well, okay that's something we do need to consider. it has been suggested that until that has been resolved, action on the keystone x.l. pipeline is somehow or other premature or untimely. but i want to speak to the aspect of timelines and whether or not we're moving too quickly here. the presidential approval process is actually another reason why we're starting on

this bill in this congress because a final yes or no decision has now been delayed by more than 2,300 days. i think the exact number is like 2,303 and we are counting. that's more than six years mr. president. not to build a pipeline -- we're not talking about building a pipeline and taking six years. we're talking about six years to get a permit to cross from the canadian side to the u.s. side. the energy committee is on its fourth chairman since the initial cross-border permit application was filed. we've seen a lot of cross. we've seen a lot of talk here in this body. literally everything that has happened during the obama administration, the legislation that has moved regulations all of the extracurricular stuff that goes on outside that's all happened, that's all

happened while the keystone pipeline permit has been pending. and you have to look at this. and you have to say 2,300 days and counting. over six years. it's pretty clear to me that the president just really doesn't want to make this decision. and so if the congress can step in and make that happen, the congress should step in and make that happen. i mentioned the decision coming out of nebraska this morning and the fact that it allows that -- the pipeline route is effectively upheld so that aspect of process that individuals were waiting for, i think we can fairly say has been

resolved. in the statement of administrative -- administration policy effectively the veto threat that the president has issued on keystone x.l. that i would note he issued the day that we gaveled into the 114th congress before we'd started any of our business, the president already is threatening to veto. and in his -- in his veto message he says that the legislation would cut short consideration of important issues relevant to the national interest and, again, i would just ask anyone really? 23 -- 2,303 days and we think we're cutting short a process? now, in his veto staff he

states further "the bill would further authorize the project despite ongoing uncertainty in nebraska." mr. president, that part of it has been resolved so that can't be used as the excuse. it's not just in that statement of administration policy. back in april the press secretary for the president mr. carney stated that -- and i'm quoting him here -- "absent a definite route through nebraska a decision by state is it can't continue until the situation in nebraska is resolved." okay, we're letting you know now, the situation in nebraska has been resolved. further, there was a statement that came out of the state department on april 18 where they note that a core reason for

the delay is that the potential impact of the nebraska supreme court which would ultimately affect the pipeline route. all right state department, you also have word now that there is none of that that we are waiting for. so when we talk about timelines, when we talk about why -- timelines when we talk about why it is imperative that we begin, that we allow for this permit to proceed it's because it's been six years. it's been the decks have been cleared and it is because it is an issue, an infrastructure that will benefit our nation as well as our friends to the northern border. i want to talk, just one last segment here, about the issue of job creation. because we've talked a lot about

the jobs that are created with a potential keystone x.l. project. we heard in committee in the discussion yesterday that hey this is not as advertised, there's only going to be about 35 to 50 permanent jobs, only 4,000 construction jobs that should be created we've been saying 4,000 it's closer to 42,000. so there's a lot of water in between 4,000 and 42,000. who is right here? i think it's important to note that the numbers that we're talking about are drawn from the state department's final supplemental e.i.s.p. and so -- e.i.s. so it's one of those situations if you're opposed to it you grab some low numbers if you're supportive you might grab the high numbers but i think you need to read the whole thing in context, my friends. that final supplemental e.i.s. goes on to say construction

contracts, materials and support purchased in the united states would total approximately $3.1 billion with another $233 million spent on construction camps. during construction, this spending would support a combined total of approximately 42,000 you thousand 100 average annual jobs and approximately $2 billion in earnings throughout the united states. it goes on further to say approximately 16,100 would be direct jobs at firms awarded contracts for goods and services including construction directly by keystone, the other approximately 26,000 jobs would result from indirect and induced spending. this would consist of goods and services purchased by the contractors and spending by employees working for either the construction contractor or for any supplier of goods and services required in the construction process.

so, again, this isn't lisa murkowski's numbers drawn from the air or senator hoeven, the sponsor of this bill conjuring up these numbers. these are the numbers that come from the state department's final supplemental e.i.s. this is what they are saying, 42,100 average annual jobs, $2 billion in earnings, 16,000 direct jobs, 26,000 indirect and induced spending. state department estimates construction workers on a seasonal basis four to eight months per period, on an annual basis that's 1,950 jobs per year for two years and that's where they get the 4,000 construction jobs. but think about it. the nature of the construction business is not that these -- that these are jobs in perpetuity. that means that you build things

and once they're built you move on to build something else. of course they're not permanent jobs. because we're not in a permanent state of construction. the key here is to approve projects in a timely manner so that workers these good, skilled, qualified workers can go from one job to the next and have permanent stable employment. not necessarily on the same project for their entire lifetime but to be able as a welder as a skilled technician to move from one project to another. mr. president, i would support this project even if it was just 4,000 temporary jobs but it's not. what we're talking about is supporting over 42,000 workers over a two-year period. that's significant. it's significant given the unemployment levels we're at, 5.6% now, you know, isn't this what we're wanting to do is to

bring on new jobs? let me tell you in my state right now we are trying to figure out how we can move alaska's natural gas to market. not only to benefit our state with revenues but the benefit of the jobs. we don't have a deal yet that allows us to build that pipeline although our governor today and our previous governor and governors before them have been working diligently to make that happen. and one of these days we're going to see it. but in the meantime, do you think that skeans are saying we're not so sure we want this because they're only temporary construction jobs? absolutely not. we're building training facilities we're bet getting our work force kind of teed up so we're ready because we want those construction jobs and we recognize that that will be a

construction project and by its very definition, it's not permanent. but don't you think that bolsters my state's he ask don't you think -- economy don't you think we're hoping every day we get moving on this project? absolutely. and is it going to benefit my state? yes. is it going to benefit this country? yes. so let's get moving on it and let's get moving on keystone x.l. i get a little frustrated when we talk about the jobs and we have those who say we should just kind of dismiss the fact that if you can't get to a certain number of jobs, the project's not worthwhile. what we are doing here is we are approving a nonsubsidized nonfederally funded project. this isn't costing us anything. this is going to be benefit to us. it's not an entire industry, nor is it multiple-year funding authorization for transportation projects around the country so i think those kind of comparisons are accurate and to

a certain extent unfair. i would suggest to those who criticize keystone x.l.'s job-creating potential to be -- to be careful here, because you don't want to put yourself in a position where you're going to wind up opposing nearly all individual projects for any purpose all across the country just because they don't create enough jobs. take -- take the department of energy's loan guarantee program. it's funded some good programs, in my view, over the years. we've seen some renewable energy projects in recent years that i think have been beneficial to our region, but by our count more than a dozen of these projects would create less than 50 permanent jobs. so these aren't -- we're not creating hundreds, we're not creating thousands. less than 50 permanent jobs. one solar project created seven permanent jobs. a wind project created ten.

geothermal project created 14. we had a transmission line that created 15 permanent jobs. so i think the question has to be asked should we oppose -- should we have opposed these projects based on the number of permanent jobs that are associated with them? is there -- is there somehow or other this minimum number of jobs that we're going to use as a benchmark for approval or denial or shouldn't we just be glad encouraged when any new job is created because it means that americans have found steady work? this is what i thought we were working towards. and keep in mind, keystone x.l. is one project. it's one project. it is one pipeline. it is one connector between

canada and the united states to connect up with a pipeline that has already been built to the south, to feed into our existing system. this is not brand-new frontier territory. we're allowing for a connector between canada and the systems that we have in the united states. but keystone x.l. is one project. it is one small part of the employment that energy production and infrastructure development can provide for our nation. we already have 19, 19 pipelines. and this is coming down from canada in the north and coming up from mexico in the south. we're already building up our l.n.g. export capability and so much else. so again keep in mind this is not the first time that there has been a request for a

cross-border pipeline. we have got 19 in place. what makes this one so special? mr. president, i have more that i intend to discuss. i know that our leaders are expected down to the floor here shortly. i look forward to good, honest debate about our energy resources, our energy opportunities and our energy challenges. i think the american public is -- is ready for this discussion. i don't know what happens in the -- around the dinner table in the hometowns in georgia but i can tell you in alaska we talk a lot about energy, and we

don't talk about it because we're an energy-producing state. we talk about it because it costs us a lot to keep warm in a cold place. it costs us a lot because we are not part of anybody else's energy infrastructure. we don't have transmission lines that connect us from one to the other. we have what we have, and we're thankful to have it and we're ready to share it with others around the country and around the globe but we talk a lot about affordability of our energy resources. we talk a lot about how we can access our abundant resources. we talk a lot about how we can use our ingenuity and our technology to advance us so that we can have cleaner energy sources, so that we can move to a world of renewable energy that is so exciting for us. we have a lot of fossil fuel in

alaska but let me tell you we have got a lot of everything else and we are excited to be developing our geothermal, our marine hydrokinetic, our biomass, our wind potential our solar potential. it's a little bit dark up there but our solar potential in the sunshine is second to none. we're excited about what we might be able to do in understanding how we can tap into ocean energy resources. it's exciting. we need to do more as a nation when it comes to efficiency and conservation. we should be leading in that way. and that's why i'm pleased that we're going to have an opportunity to again revisit the merits of the legislation that my friend, senator portman and senator shaheen have been working on so long as it relates to energy efficiency. taking that up as an opportunity for amendment. we have got such good things to be discussing, things that the american public is talking about, talking about because it

impacts them, impacts their family budget, it impacts their opportunities for -- for jobs, and it impacts our nation's security. i haven't talked here today about the security aspects of it but it doesn't take a foreign policy analyst to understand that gaining the benefit from an energy resource from our friends in canada is better than asking for that same resource from the opec nations asking to receive from venezuela, asking to receive from others that might not really like us. so that is a debate that again is so core to what we're talking about with keystone x.l.

we have a healthy relationship with canada. it's important because when you drive to my state, which is a heck of a long drive you've got to go through more of canada than anything else. i want to have a good relationship with canada, but i can tell you that our friends on the canadian border are wondering what's happening in the united states? 2,303 days, and you can't make a decision on whether or not you should be benefited from a jobs perspective, an economic perspective and a national security perspective. mr. president, i look forward to the discussion next week and i look forward to robust and full debate on good energy amendments that will be coming before this body and with that, i yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll.

quorum call: a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from washington. ms. cantwell: mr. president i come to the floor this morning to talk about the proposed keystone pipeline. the presiding officer: i'm sorry. the senate is in a quorum call. ms. cantwell: i ask the quorum call be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. ms. cantwell: mr. president i come to the floor this morning to talk about the keystone pipeline and i see my colleague from alaska here this morning. i think she and i were thinking that we were going to be continuing this debate next monday as the senate moves forward on the motion to proceed on rule 14, a bill relating to

this. obviously, we had committee action yesterday. but we're both here this morning. i should just say to my colleague before she leaves the floor, i really do look forward to the opportunity where she and i can sit down and talk about a comprehensive energy strategy and things that could go into that legislation that will really move our country forward and produce jobs. i had a chance to work with her father and work with other republicans on the energy committee when we produced some very good energy legislation in both 2005 and 2007 that really did result in moving our country forward. they were bipartisan and definitely not unanimous. i mean, there was a great deal of debate about them, but we got them done nonetheless. so i really am looking forward to working with the senator from alaska on that issue and it's probably safe to say the senator from alaska and i probably had other plans this morning than coming here to the senate floor but nonetheless that's what this is all about and happy to come down here and talk about the recent decision by the nebraska supreme court that just

came down and how congress is going to continue to discuss this issue. many of my colleagues probably know that the house is taking up this action probably sometime today and that the president has always said that he's very interested in having a process play out in nebraska before he made any decisions about this particular issue since the president of the united states and the state department have the authority to look at this issue as it relates to what's in the national interests of the united states of america. so i would say that this decision by the nebraska supreme court today is a very interesting decision, a very interesting decision because the majority of the supreme court four out of the seven individuals on the court basically said that this law was unconstitutional. this attempt to circumvent what is a public interest process by the citizens of nebraska to raise concerns about a pipeline going through their community

the majority of the supreme court said yes that attempt by the nebraska legislature is unconstitutional. unfortunately, for those citizens in nebraska and those citizens in the united states of america who want to make sure that the environmental security issues and economic issues are fully discussed, they are getting shut down by a supermajority of the nebraska supreme court. they failed to get five out of the seven supreme court justices to side with them. but nonetheless i think that there is a lot in this decision for all of us to think about and that is just how much this process has been circumvented. to me, it's very unusual that the united states senate would be asked to vote on a bill that would expedite the siting of a pipeline through the united states of america simply because a canadian company wants us to do so.

it's perplexing to me because i hear a lot of people talk about our neighbors and i definitely value the relationship that the united states and canada has. we're in the process of having a major discussion with them on some very impacting issues for the pacific northwest and so we do have to work with our neighbors. but i am struck that my neighbors, my neighbors in british columbia, my neighbors just to the north of us in the pacific northwest seattle and vancouver enjoy a great relationship and washington and british columbia enjoy a great relationship the british columbia people, 68% of british columbia residents oppose a tar sand pipeline across their province. that's right. a canadian province definitely doesn't want a tar sand pipeline through their neighborhood. we have native americans first nation individuals all across

canada, that don't want this pipeline and they don't want it in canada. we have a lot of environmental concerns being raised about the current facilities and the processing of these materials in alberta and a lot of people who are raising questions about canada's standards on producing tar sands in general. people should know that the canadians don't live to the same standards that the united states of america has on the production and the processing of these materials. we actually have better laws. but nonetheless bubbling up in canada is a lot of concerns about these environmental issues about the product about the left-behind product the pet coke product that as my colleague from michigan stated yesterday is causing environmental concern in michigan and illinois, and a lot of people, my colleague from california i'm sure, has been down here talking about benzine

the side product, that is left behind that can affect individuals. to say that just because this court decision came down all those environmental issues and security issues have gone away is surely a misstatement. what's still being pressured here is for congress to do a sweetheart deal for a business interest that doesn't meet the standards that we would like to see in the united states of america on tar sands. first of all, i believe that they should pay into the oil spill liability trust fund just as u.s. companies who produce other oil products have to pay into the oil spill liability trust fund. this is a very important issue for me because oil spills are something that we in the pacific northwest cared about for a long period of time. in fact, the commandant of the coast guard appeared before the senate commerce committee last year and i had a chance to ask

the commandant whether the coast guard had a way to respond to a tar sand oil spill and he basically told me that, no, they didn't. so to me, there are a bunch of environmental issues and a bunch of issues of process and a bunch of issues of paying fair taxes for helping to clean up oil spills that are part of the issues that should be discussed on this case. but my colleagues on the other side want to hurry up and give a special interest the certainty of the united states congress being a citing commission on a project that really needs to go through the proper processes and channels. this issue as i said, was proposed in the state of nebraska and when the state of nebraska ran into some issues where the public was saying i have concerns about the environmental issues, instead of dealing with those environmental

issues basically the company and their advocates came to the united states congress and tried to get that route approved. well the long and short of it is if they had been successful in their actions in getting congress to approve that pipeline that pipeline would be approved today through the aquifer that is a major aquifer and has now been decided that that would have been the wrong route and would have caused major problems to an aquifer that reaches about eight states in the midwest. it would have caused major problems. thank god congress, who tried to act and give a sweetheart deal to the company at that time was thwarted by the president of the united states who said i'm not making this decision now. i'm going to consider all of the issues of national interest. and because of all of that guess what happened? the company said yeah, that's right. we should go back and really figure out a better place because we haven't considered

all of the environmental issues. okay now this decision today still does not mean that the normal process that most states go through, which is called, in our state a utility and transportation commission; in the state of nebraska i think it's called a public service commission. but most u.s. companies when they want to cite something like this go through the state's utility and transportation commission and that commission has a public process and answers all the questions that the public raises, debates the issues that are before the public and makes sure that those issues -- i know many of my colleagues probably can relate to this more from a transmission lines or grid system. i'm sure people have always saw a neighborhood complaining about a transmission line going through their neighborhood. this is a pipeline. and for us, pipelines are very important in the pacific

northwest. we had a natural gas pipeline that blew up killing young children in the bellingham area. for me, pipelines and where they go and the process and safety and security of them are things that should be in the broad daylight of public discussion by the proper channels. so in this case people circumvented that public commission process in nebraska, circumvented what would have been a utilities and transportation process let the governor decide that, and then sent it to the nebraska supreme court to determine whether in fact the governor had the authority to do that. so four of those seven justices said it was unconstitutional. not the supermajority for sure, but four of them said it was unconstitutional. but nothing in that decision corrected the original problem of them circumventing the environmental and economic and security issues that a public

commission is supposed to go through in this process. so i ask my colleagues, why are we in such a big hurry to make this decision on behalf of a utility commission and on behalf of of the president of the united states when there are real issues of safety and security that need to be discussed? my colleagues here next week are going to have a lot of discussion on a lot of different amendments but i still advocate that congress has no business citing for a special interest where a pipeline should go without the due process of citizens who are affected by that having input to the decision. so i hope my colleagues will continue to let a process play out. i hope my colleagues will care more about finding out. i would just point out that there is a great article i will submit for the record, mr. president, that is about business week citing the current

keystone pipeline failure on wells to be securely in place. it really did discover the fact that those wells were not being done properly. you know, we in the pacific northwest do celebrate that we are a gateway to asia. we celebrate the fact that a lot of people would want to use that gateway. but we are very concerned about all of our processes as we see an increase by other countries wanting to move product through our gateway when safety, security environmental and public issues are not being fully addressed. so i hope my colleagues will continue to make sure due process is given and that we will continue to make sure that all these environmental issues are >> those remarks from senate

energy committee leaders. the senate was in session but no votes were held. the chamber returns monday at 2 p.m. eastern. we expect them to spend majority of the week debating the senate version of the keystone pipeline and a procedural vote will be held at monday five 30 p.m. eastern. follow the senate live on c-span 2 -- at 5:30 p.m. earlier today, the house passed their version of the keystone bill in the chamber gathered on the bill to -- gathered on the floor to read the u.s. constitution. this the third time they've started a session this way. we begin with house speaker john boehner reading the preamble. this is one hour, 10 minutes. we the people of the united states, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the

common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this constitution for the united states of america. mr. goodlatte:article i section 1 all legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a congress of the united states, which shall consist of a senate and house of representatives. i now yield to the majority leader, the gentleman from california, mr. mccarthy. mr. mccarthy: i thank the gentleman for yielding. section 2 the house of representatives shall be composed of members chosen every second year by the people of the several states and the electors in each state shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the state legislature.

mr. goodlatte: i now yield to the gentleman from maryland, the minority whip, mr. hoyer. mr. hoyer:no person shall be a representative who shall not have attained to the age of twenty five years, and been seven years a citizen of the united states, and who shall not, when elected, be an inhabitant of that state in which he shall be chosen. the actual enumeration shall be made within three years after the first meeting of the congress of the united states. and within every subsequent term of 10 years in such manners as they shall by law direct. mr. goodlatte: i now yield to the gentleman from louisiana, the majority whip, mr. scalise. mr. scalise: i thank the gentleman from virginia. the number of representatives shall not exceed one for every 30,000, but each state shall have at least one

representative, and until such enumeration shall be made, the state of new hampshire shall be entitled to choose three massachusetts eight, rhode-island and providence plantations one, connecticut five new-york six, new jersey four, pennsylvania eight delaware one, maryland six, virginia ten, north carolina five, south carolina five, and georgia three. mr. goodlatte: i now yield to the gentleman from tennessee, mr. cohen. mr. cohen:when vacancies happen in the representation from any state the executive authority thereof shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies. the house of representatives shall choose their speaker and other officers, and shall have the sole power of impeachment. mr. goodlatte: i now yield to the gentleman from south carolina, mr. wilson.

mr. wilson: thank you w and l graduate chairman goodlatte. section 3 the senate of the united states shall be composed of two senators from each state, chosen by the legislature thereof for they shall be divided as equally as may be into three classes. mr. goodlatte: i now yield to the gentleman from california, mr. garamendi. mr. garamendi:the seats of the senators of the first class shall be vacated at the expiration of the second year, of the second class at the expiration of the fourth year, and of the third class at the expiration of the sixth year, so that one third may be chosen every second year. mr. goodlatte: i now yield to

the gentlewoman from north carolina, ms. foxx. ms. foxx: no person shall be a senator who shall not have attained the age of 30 years and nine years a citizen of the united states and who shall not when elected be an inhabitant of that state for which he shall be chosen. mr. goodlatte: i now yield to the gentleman from florida, mr. deutch. mr. deutch:the vice president of the united states shall be president of the senate, but shall have no vote, unless they be equally divided. the senate shall choose their other officers, and also a president pro tempore, in the absence of the vice president or when he shall exercise the office of president of the united states. mr. goodlatte: i now yield to the gentleman from tennessee.

>> the senate shall have the soul power to try all impeachments. when sitting for that purpose, they shall be on oath or affirmation. when the president of the united states is tried, the chief justice shall preside, and no person shall be convicted without the concurrence of two thirds of the members present. mr. goodlatte: i now yield to the gentlewoman from michigan mrs. dingell. mrs. dingell:judgment in cases of impeachment shall not extend further than to removal from office, and bedisqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust or profit under the united states, but the party convicted shall nevertheless be liable and

subject to indictment, trial judgment, and punishment, according to law. mr. goodlatte: i now yield to the gentleman from pennsylvania mr. marino. mr. marino: thank you, chairman. section 4 the times, places, and manner of holding elections for senators and representatives, shall be prescribed in each state by the legislature thereof, but the congress may at any time by law make or alter such regulations except as to the places of choosing senators. mr. goodlatte: i now yield to the gentlewoman from ohio, ms. joyce beatty. mrs. beatty:each house shall be

the judge of the elections, returns, and qualifications of its own members, and a majority of each shall constitute a quorum to do business, but a smaller number may adjourn from day to day, and may be authorized to compel the attendance of absent members, in such manner, and under such penalties as each house may provide. mr. goodlatte: i now yield to the gentleman from pennsylvania mr. costello. mr. costello: thank you, mr. speaker. each house may determine the rules of its proceedings, punish its members for disorderly behavior, and, with the concurrence of two thirds, expel a member. mr. goodlatte: i now yield to the gentleman from oregon, mr. blumenauer. mr. blumenauer:each house shall keep a journal

of its proceedings, and from time to time publish the same excepting such parts as may in their judgment require secrecy, and the yeas and nays of the members of either house on any question shall, at the desire of one fifth of those present, be entered on the journal. mr. goodlatte: i now yield to the gentleman from ohio, mr. wenstrup. mr. wenstrup:neither house, during the session of congress, shall, without the consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other place than that in which the two houses shall be sitting. mr. goodlatte: i now yield to the gentleman from virginia, mr. scott. mr. scott:section 6 the senators and representatives shall receive a compensation for their services, to be ascertained by law, and paid out of the treasury of the united

states. they shall in all cases, except treason, felony, and breach of the peace, be privileged from arrest during their attendance at the session of their respective houses, and in going to and returning from the same, and for any speech or debate in either house, they shall not be questioned in any other place. mr. goodlatte: i now yield to the gentleman from ohio mr. latta. mr. latta:no senator or representative shall, during the time for which he was elected be appointed to any civil office under the authority of the united states, which shall have been created, or the emoluments whereof shall have been increased during such time, and no person holding any office under the united states, shall be a member of either house during his continuance in office. mr. goodlatte: i now yield to

the gentlewoman from oregon, ms. bonamici. ms. bonamici:section 7 all bills for raising revenue shall originate in the house of representatives, but the senate may propose or concur with amendments as on other bills. mr. goodlatte: i now yield to the gentleman from kentucky, mr. guthrie. mr. guthrie:every bill which shall have passed the house of representatives and the senate, shall, before it become a law be presented to the president of the united states. if he approve he shall sign it but if not he shall return it with his objections to that house in which it shall have originated, who shall enter the objections at large on their journal, and proceed to reconsider it. mr. goodlatte: i now yield to

the gentleman from minnesota, mr. walz. mr. walz:if after such reconsideration two thirds of that house shall agree to pass the bill, it shall be sent, together with the objections, to the other house by which it shall likewise be reconsidered, and if approved by two thirds of that house, it shall become a law. mr. goodlatte: i now yield to the gentleman from arkansas mr. hill. mr. hill:but in all such cases the votes of both houses shall be determined by yeas and nays, and the names of the persons voting for and against the bill shall be entered on the journal of each house respectively. mr. goodlatte: i now yield to the gentleman from new jersey, mr. pascrell. mr. pascrell:if any bill shall not be returned by the president within ten days -- sundays excepted --

after it shall have been presented to him, the same shall be a law, in like manner as if he had signed it, unless the congress by their adjournment prevent its return, in which case it shall not be a law. mr. goodlatte: i now yield to the gentleman from michigan mr. benishek. mr. benishek:every order, resolution, or vote to which the concurrence of the senate and house of representatives may be necessary, except on a question of adjournment, shall be presented to the president of the united states, and before the same shall take effect shall be approved by him, or being disapproved by him, shall