journal, budget issues and terrorism. then congressman leonard lance his perspective. he also talks about the fight against isis and to the to be 16 presidential race. you can join become decision on facebook and twitter. host: it was the final g.o.p. debate of 2015 last night in las vegas. the candidates sparred for more than two hours over national security issues. we want to turn to all of enthuse morning and ask, who won? republicans, 202-748-8001. democrats, 202-748-8000. independents, 202-748-8002. you can also send us a tweet if you'd like. or go to facebook. r send an email to journal @c-span.org. good morning, everyone. phone lines are open, so start

dialing in. the candidates talked terror last night. that's the headline over las vegas. that was the topic after the paris attacks and the san bernardino shootings. if you look at some of the early voting states, we'll start with the "des moines register," where they have the caucus, the headline out of iowa, republicans in that state say trump slips, rubio shines. a little bit from jennifer acobs' piece this morning -- host: it said bush repeatedly feuded with trump, and at the same time drove home that

national security is his wheelhouse, the iowans said. take a look at the he can changes between the florida governor and donald trump last night. we'll begin with trump defending his stance on muslims and jeb bush following occupy that, saying it's not a serious proposal and that donald trump is not a serious candidate. >> first of all, we need to destroy isis. that should be our objective much the refugee issue will be solved if we destroy isis there, which means we need a no-fly zone, safe zones for refugees, and build a military force. we need to embed our forces, our troops inside the iraqi military. we need to arm directly the kurds, and all of that has to be done in concert with the arab nation f. we're going to ban all muslims, how are we going to get them to be part of a coalition to destroy isis? the cuds are the our strongest allies. they're muslim. this is not a serious proposal. in fact, it will push the arab

world away from us at a time when we need to reengage with them to create a strategy to destroy isis. donald is great at the one-liners, but he's a chaos candidate. he'd be a chaos president. he would not be the commander in chief we need to keep our country safe. [applause] > mr. trump. mr. trump: jeb doesn't really believe i'm unhinged. he said that very simply because he has failed in his campaign. it's been a total disaster. nobody cares. and frankly, i'm the most solid person up here. i built a tremendous company, and all i want to do is make america great again. i don't want our country to be taken away from us, and that's what's happening. the policies that we've suffered under other presidents have been a disaster for our country. we want to make america great again, and jeb, in all fairness, he doesn't believe

that. mr. bush: if you think this is tough and you're not being treated, imagine what it's ing to be like -- or dealing with the islamic terrorism. this is a tough business. mr. trump: oh, you're a tough guy, jeb. mr. bush: we need to have a leader that's real tough. mr. trump: you're real tough. i'm a 4 and you're a 3, so, so far i'm doing better am you started off over here, jeb. you're moving over further and further. pretty soon you're going to be off the end. host: this is back and forth last night between donald trump and jeb bush, parted of last night's two-hour debate in las vegas. the candidates sparring over national security issues. "the washington times" front page this morning, donald trump defends his stance on muslims in his ban of muslims entering the united states. one of the candidates, lindsey graham, the senator from south carolina, apologized for donald trump's proposal. we'll go to john in pennsylvania, an independent.

hi, john. what do you think of last night's debate? who won? caller: nobody won. this collection is best characterized as a rolling dumpster fire. the only thing they did last night was try to scare the american people more than they've already done. there doesn't seem to be any end in this. if they all think back to what robert gates said about the middle east, anybody that goes into the middle east for a ground war needs to have their head examined, and these guys are all talking about that. host: well, they weren't all talking -- i mean, they weren't all talking about it, because you saw the differences within the party when it comes to what you do in syria, where you have rand paul saying you can't put ground troops in the middle east, and you had others saying that you need to, and ted cruz sort of nuancing that, saying you need to bomb them, unleash the full power of our military. caller: well, it's all based on

the fear factor, though. i mean, if you really think about it, there have been, what, 48 terrorist deaths since 2001, and there's been 300,000 gun deaths in the united states, so they're just trying to scare people. nobody won. host: ok. that's john, an independent. daniel in maryland, also independent. hi there. daniel, you with us? daniel? caller: yes, this is daniel. host: all right. you're on the air, sir. caller: i don't know what people are seeing on trump. trump can handle himself. you have the entire establishment attacking, i think he's doing quite well. bottom line is if president obama can handle it, everyone's open game now. anyone can handle it. host: candaele, who's your candidate? caller: my candidate right now is trump-cruz.

host: trump-cruz. caller: that's it. host: ok. how do you -- how do you describe -- caller: i think it's fear mongering. i think anybody in america that is not worried about terrorism, it's easy to say unless it happens in your community. if it happens in your community, then all of a sudden you say well -- it's totally different. when you say gun deaths, violent deaths with guns, you can't say one here, one there, because there's a lot of deaths in inner cities, as we all know. i live in baltimore, and there's probably one every night. host: all right, daniel. heard your point on that. i want to show you another exchange from last night's debate based off the headline from politte co-, how cruz and rubio -- the headline from politico, how cruz and rubio exposed the g.o.p.'s rift on foreign policy.

take a look at this exchange between rube scombrow cruz, who sparred frequently last night. >> marco has continued these attacks, and he knows they're not true. yes, it is true that i voted against the national defense authorization act because, when i campaigned in texas, i told voters in texas that i would oppose the federal government having the authority to detain u.s. citizens permanently with no due process. i have repeatedly supported an effort to take that out of that bill, and i honored that campaign commitment. but more broadly, the notion marco is suggesting that somehow he also has tossed a few insults in this direction, let's be absolutely clear. isis and radical is lame i can terrorism will face no more determined foe than i will be. we will uttering destroy them by targeting the bad guys. one of the problems with marco's foreign policy, he has

far too often supported hillary clinton and barack obama undermining governments in the middle east that have helped radical islamic terrorists. we need to focus on killing bad guys, not getting stuck in middle east civil wars that don't keep america war. >> the first distinction is, if you are an american citizen and decide to join with isis, you are going to be treat as an enemy combatant, an enemy of an army attacking this country. [applause] >> number two, we do need our defense capabilities t. is a fact that the customs would leave with us an even smaller air force and smaller navy than the one we are going to be left with. the final point that i would make is hillary clinton and barack obama's strategy is to lead from behind t. sounds like what he's outlining is not to lead it all. we cannot continue to outsource foreign policy. we must lead. we were the most powerful nation in the world. we need to begin to act like it again. whoip won?

rich in south bend, a democrat, you're up next. caller: good morning. i would call last -- good morning. i would call last night's debate the chicken hawk debate. every one of those guys on the main stage, when they were of military age, chickened out of -- chickened out. everyone. and cruz, who was the toughest, really -- senator, you are 29 years old on september 12, 2001, and you chickened out. host: david, texas, a republican. caller: good morning. host: good morning. caller: i felt like trump won because he didn't lose from the standpoint of that technical aspect. just a couple of details. somebody earlier mentioned the deal about the gun deaths in the u.s. if you factor out -- host: david, i don't want to go down that road. i really want to focus -- let's

stay with last night's g.o.p. debate. who won? you say trump did because he didn't lose. what do you mean? i don't feel like the dynamics associated with the republicans at this point. i thought that rubio did well. i thought that ted cruz was able to gloss over the issue of the difference with the n.s.a., the change in the n.s.s. rules. i think that the n.s.a. collection of met adata has been one of the most misunderstood things related to national intelligence. my understanding is the french, for example, use the same process, and that was -- a lot of discussion and debate about how much approximate that has stopped other acts of terror. i've heard lots of stories about how it's stopped things before they got to that point. but my understanding of how the french acted so quickly after the fact was that they used that technology. they got ahold of the terrorist

cell phones, at least one or two of them, and my understanding is they used that technology to immediately be able to track who they were communicating with, and that's what led to so many arrests and led to the next attack. that's a big part of what's being missed here in this discussion. it's just meta data, it's not conversations. cruz did act in a way that reduced what the n.s.a. can collect, and it's going to be -- there are a lot of issues related to how quickly they'll be able to assemble that data to use it, and it's definitely less. also cruz, look, i liked a lot of things about ted cruz fray republican standpoint. i think he's a little too absolute. i think he scares some people. i think rubio is a better choice in that regard when you look at two of them. but cruz -- i was just listening to another show earlier. they showed the sound bites where cruz had the deal about the immigration issue. he does clearly support

legalization, and he has said so -- i just watched it on video a few minutes before calling you so. a couple of his big, strong debating points were based on things that weren't quite factual. host: so you brought up two interesting parts of last night's debate. i want to stick with the metadata, surveillance of phone records. you might be interested in this. here's the opinion page of "usa today" editorial board, and they say don't reconnect the n.s.a.'s phone records dragnet. they say, in fact, the program had been operating for nine years before farook killed 14 people at a holiday party. it was operating when they were married, when she came 209 u.s., and when, according to news report, they had contact with six people who federal authorities scrutinized for possible terrorism ties --

host: as david said about this program, mike rogers, who uselessed to chair the intelligence committee, a republican from michigan, he's no longer in congress, he writes the opposing view today, and he says this -- the program did not and does not collect the content of conversations, just the to and from billing data re tunal provided by companies --

host: as you said last night, ted cruz, marco rubio, rand paul all got in on this zpabet had the sharpest back and forth of the night on this issue, so i want to show you first, ted cruz, on why he voted to get rid of this program. ted: well, the premise of your question is not accurate. i'm very proud to have joined with conservatives in both the senate and house to reform how we target bad guys. and what the u.s.a. freedom act did is two things. number one, it ended the federal government's bulk collection of phone metadata of millions of law-abiding citizens. number two, the second half that is critical, it strengthened the tools of national security and law enforcement to go after terrorists t. gave us greater tools, and we are seeing those tools work right now in san

bernardino, and in particular, what it did is the prior program only covered a relatively narrow slice of phone calls. when you had a terrorist who could only search a narrow slice of numbers, primarily land lines, the u.s.a. freedom act he can up and down that, so now we have cell phones, internet phones, and now we have the phones the terrorists are likely to use, and the focus of law enforcement is on targeting the bad guys. what the obama administration keeps getting wrong, whenever anything bad happens, they focus on law-abiding citizens instead. bad guys. we need to focus on terrorists and stop them before they carry out acts of terror. host: that was ted cruz on why he voted for the u.s.a. freedom act, which ended that bulk data program. here's marco rubio responding to cruz's answer. >> senator cruz is right. there was bipartisan support for that, but you voted against it. so is senator cruz wrong? mr. cruz: there were some that

voted for if because they wanted to keep it alive. here's the world we live in. this is a radical jihadist group that is increasingly sophisticated, and its ability to radicalize american citizens, and its ability to exploit loopholes, and its ability to capture and hold territory in the middle east in multiple countries, this is not just the most capable, it is the most sophisticated terror threat. we are now at a time where we need more tools. that tool we lost, the met adata program was valuable. >> senator cruz? mr. cruz: i would note that marco knows what he's saying isn't true. marc levin wrote a column last week that said the attack ads that are running is saying the same thing, that they are knowingly false, and they are, in fact, an attack like barack obama, and the reason is simple. what he knows is that the old program covered 20% to 30% of phone numbers to search for terrorists, the new program

covers nearly 100%. that gives us greater ability to stop acts of terrorism, and he knows that. mr. rubio: i don't think national television is the place to discuss classified information, so let me be very clear. there's nothing we are allowed to do under this bill we could not do before. this bill, however did, take away a valuable tool that allows the national security agency and other intelligence agencies to quickly and rapidly access phone records and match them up with other phone records to see who terrorists have been calling. because i promise you, the next time there is an attack on this country, the first thing people are going to want to know is, why didn't we know about it and why didn't we stop it? the answer better not be because we didn't have access to records or information that would have allowed us to identify these killers before they attacked. host: going back and forth over the n.s.a. surveillance

program. the fact checking person at "the washington post" has had to say about ted cruz's claim that the old program only covered a percentage of calls. they say that's not exactly the case, that the act limited data collection to the greatest extent reasonably practical. the government now needs a court order to collect up records. the government also needs to prove it has reasonable suspicion that the suspect whose phone records it is seeking to collect is linked to a terrorist organization -- host: you heard the followup by marco rubio saying we've lost a tool at our disposal, and he says it depends what he means.

the government still does have a metadata program, but it is now targeted rather than a bulk collection program. under the u.s.a. freedom act, the legislation ended the bulk collection of phone records and scaled back the program. david, texas, a republican. david, who do you think won last night's debate? caller: well, thank you for letting me still be here after that. let me answer one thing about the metadata first, please. it's simple math. i work with databases. i've done computer work for 30 years. the issue about the database part is, for one thing, it limits the amount of data from five years to 18 months. there are a zillion phone companies. i know you got the big guys, but the phone companies are going to be responsible for storing the data. everything i've heard about that indicates they're going to have different rules about how long to hold the data. when something happens, you got

to get a court order, but they get the order, and then what? they have to pull the data. they have to go to the different phone companies and get them to supply the data. you got to pull ought these databases together. it's want like c.s.i. on tv. host: it takes too long? caller: that assumes that all the phone companies do it, and what if you miss the wrong phone company. the battle of midway, virtually every war has been won because of intelligence. the battle of midway in 1942 was won because we broke the japanese code. we got our carriers down there. they had an overwhelming force. we surprised them. we surprised them because when they sent out their planes to see if there was a threat of american carry years, there was one plane, the one that went out in the direction where the american carry years were, their radio didn't work. they didn't get the data from one plane, and that caused the japanese to lose four carries years over the next two days.

host: got your point. i got to get in other calls. massachusetts, democrat, hi, bob. caller: like what happened last night, you see all that time clock. they had a time clock that went for two days, two days, a time clock. they all rallied up against each other, and wolf blitzer, what he did is in the situation room, that should be made for the president, and the other thing, black muslims are the number one muslims in america. all black american muslims, they're the most in the united states, and they didn't get no play last night. host: in tennessee, independent. hi, greg. caller: hi. getting back to the fisa court, first of all, that stands for

foreign intelligence surveillance activity or whatever, well, first of all, let's look at what's coming out, not looking in. in america, i'm amazed y'all haven't caught on to that. that's strictly against our constitution. you said gain, like earlier, they've been collected for nine years, right? well, there you go. they already lied nor 2350eu7b years about it. you don't think they're listening to your conversations. host: greg, did you like rand paul's answer on that? caller: rand paul's got the best liberal -- libertarian, that's right, look on that type of subject. but the only winner closest to a winner was trump, because nobody is looking at the real issues.

it doesn't take about 10 minutes to click on the internet and find out that these are nothing but false flag events. they were running a drill in san bernardino. everybody knows it. so why are we even talking about it like it's a real terrorist act whenever we fund isis and then we opened the boreders to let them come in, and then if they do get radicalized, we helped train them. host: let's listen to senator rand paul, because he got in on that debate over the n.s.a. surveillance program last night. here he is. >> this has been a very big issue for you. many of your colleagues are calling for increased surveillance by law enforcement. you called it hog wash. why is that hog wash? mr. paul: i think marco gets it completely wrong. we are not any safer through the bulk collection of all americans' records. in fact, i think we're less safe. we get so distracted by all of the information, we're not spending enough time getting specific information on

terrorists. the other thing is, the one thing that might have stopped san bernardino, might have stopped 9/11, would have been stricter controls on those who came here. marco has opposed at every point increased security accident border security for those who come to our country. on his gang of eight bill, he would have liberalized immigration, but he did not, and he steadfastly opposed any new border security requirements for refugees or students. last week, i introduced another bill saying we need more security knee. once again, marco opposed this. marco can't have it both ways. i think he wants to be this, oh, i'm great and strong on national defense, but he's the weakest of all the c57bd dates on immigration. else the one for an open bored irthat is leaving us defendless. if we wanted to defend the country, swreed to defend against those coming in, and marco has more than allegiance to chuck shumer and the liberals than conservative olicy.

host: last knit's exchange between the three senators, republican senators up on the stage there in marco rubio, senator ted cruz, senator rand paul over this surveillance program. chris crstee, the new jersey governor, had a different take. take a listen. mr. christie: this is what it's like to be on the floor of the senate. endless debates about how many angels on the head of a pin from people who never had to make a con chen shall decision. for seven years, i had to make these decisions after 9/11, make a decision about thousand proceed forward with an investigation or how to pull back, whether to use certain actionable intelligence or not to, and yet they continue to debate about this bill and the subcommittee. nobody in america cares about that. what they care about is, are we going to have a president who actually knows what they're doing to make these decisions. for the seven years afterwards, new jersey was threatened like no other region in this country, and what we did is

took actions within the constitution to make sure that law enforcement had all the information they needed. we prosecuted those and stopped fort dix from a mosque in new jersey because we worked with the muslim american community to get intelligence, and we used the patriot act to get other intelligence to make sure we did those cases. this is the difference between being a sandrr doing spending and spending your life as one of a hundred debating it. let's talk about how we do this, not about which bill these guys likes more. the american people don't care about that. host: we're talking about last night's final republican debate. who do you think won? lisa in florida, a republican. you're on the air. caller: i think donald trump, and i think rubio and bush better look at what's going on in the state of florida and tcheck out, some of the reports that have been given to the

police about homes and stores where they have the muslims have -- when i say stores, i mean, places where did you to eat, restaurants. they have pictures showing the americans that they have killed holding their heads up. host: have you been to these places, lisa? caller: yes, i have, and they have stacks and stacks of papers where you can read what it is you want to do, and they have the forms so you can fill them out for one to be one of the terrorists and go overeast. host: so lisa, is that why you are supporting donald trump, because of what he said about the banning muslims from entering the u.s.? caller: it isn't so much -- it's our people that we have that are in this country, that birth srts.

we've got to look for them. host: i'm going leave it there so i can get in north carolina, a democrat. who do you think won? caller: oh, good morning, greta. how you doing? one, oh, my god, that debate was -- i mean, that was awful. if aid choice to vote for a republican, i would vote for donald trump. the reason is we're missing some things that really benefit his country, like construction , i mean, everything that was lost in the middle east already. we got to spend a moment with that, and donald trump, if i was going to vote for a republican, i would vote for donald trump. but excuse my expression, is just scaring the white people to death, and that's unreal. the guy from massachusetts is

right. the more black muslim in the united states than any place else. host: so rainee, zpow lisa, we have a conversation here on the "washington journal" yesterday with the arab-american institute president and founder and he talks about arab americans in the united states, 2/3 are christian, 1/3 muslim, and he talked about how many there are and their viewpoints and how they're feeling at this stage, if you want to watch that, go to our website, c-span.org. you can learn a little bit more about the arab-american community in this country, also you can follow them on twitter and on the website as well. we are going to keep getting your thoughts on who won last night. but in other news happening up on capitol hill, as many of you know, lawmakers, republicans and democrats trying to negotiate over a 1.1 trillion year long spending bill. it looks like they've got a deal. they did put something on the

record for lawmakers to record last night, and a vote could come thursday or friday. politico reporting that the speaker of the house unveiled the budget deal to his rank-and-file republicans last night at 9:00 went through some of the details, and they will meet again this morning at 9:00 a.m. this is from politico's reporting, that in closed door meeting with fellow republicans, ryan touted a pause in obamacare cadillac tax, the listing of a long-standing oil export ban, and preservation of several other policy preferences in this year-end deal, which includes several hundred billion in tax breaks. the bills will get a vote later this week. the spending bill will likely be carried by democrats, who consider it a major victory, and the tax bill will get more votes. two pieces represent the last order of business for the house this year. we're going to talk about that coming up here with two

lawmakers on the "washington journal" this morning. the house will be gaveling in early at 9:00 a.m. so they can get to some of the last remaining business. but the vote on this spending bill, on the tax break bill, likely to come thursday or friday. also, many will be watching the federal reserve today. front page of the "wall street journal," the fed is poised to raise rates and end to an era, we will be covering the federal chairwoman, janet yellen's news conference, after the meeting that she will have with the board. that's at 2:30 p.m. eastern time on c-span3 this afternoon. many people will be watching to see what she says about increasing the interest rates. front page of the "usa today" this morning, obamacare costs jump. alaska, minnesota are leading in the increases, many can expect higher premiums and deductibles. lass lags has the largest average percentage increase in monthly premiums for obamacare.

so that, if you're interested in the front page of "usa today," last night's debate about national security issues, what to do about syria and the middle east, "washington post" front page this morning, saudi arabia launches its own alliance to fight terrorism. this is a muslim anti-terror coalition of countries that are coming together. 34 member groups to be headquartered will coordinate mutual assistance for members all over the islamic world. wayne in west jefferson, north carolina, an independent, good morning to you, wayne. what do you think about last night's debate? caller: donald trump won the debate. why? donald trump is going to dismantle the corrupt, ineffect federal government, and the reason he's going to be able to do it is outlets like you, the american people now don't have

a control media telling them what to country. we have alternate ways to find out the truth. the republicans and the democrats after reagan became one party, the progressives, and they played one end against the other, back and forth, all the election since then. it's over with. the truth is out. it's a nasty job, but he's going to dismantle this corrupt federal government. host: ok. maryland, a republican. good morning to you. caller: good morning. i would like to make a comment and say that as a muslim-american, i would defend this country over my own birth country, somalia. he idea that all muslims are anti-american is not true. and my second comment is, i find donald trump deplorable,

but i can see how people find him appealing. you know, he's honest. but i would never vote for him. host: let me ask you, so since these comments have come out from donald trump and this whole discussion has been ignited, how are you feeling about the way you're perceived in public? caller: honestly, i'm scared. i wanted to cry when i heard his speech. i couldn't believe it. i really did want to cry. i couldn't believe what he was saying. it's not true. there's not even an ounce of truth to it. no one is denying that there are terrorists. and they need to be destroyed. off the face of the earth. but the idea that everyone is like that is not true, and no one harbors, you know, positive things, no one likes them, the community doesn't like them. because of them, we're dealing

with a lot of things. so no one what are bors them. no one likes them. we're as against them as everyone is. so i think the pressure is even greater for us as muslims in america. host: ok. all right. so that's a muslim-american in maryland, calling on the republican line. leslie in oklahoma, a democrat. hi, leslie. caller: hi. i'm going to leave a comment. i think there was a good night against donald trump. host: ok. why do you say that? caller: because someone has put something out there to donald trump that, i don't know. i'm really nervous. host: don't be nervous. you just like the way he took him on? caller: yeah, he took him on, because i don't think donald trump should be president. host: how old are you, leslie? caller: i'm 15. host: you're 15. how closely are you and your friends following this

campaign? caller: really close, i don't know. host: if you could vote, who would you vote for? caller: i would vote for hillary. host: why is that? caller: because she looks like a really -- a woman that would take responsibility for, like, everything and make u.s.a. a better place. it's going to be kind of weird for a woman being president, but i think we should give her a chance. host: what about your parents? caller: my parents vote for hillary, too. host: ok. leslie a democrat in tulsa, oklahoma. hillary clinton yesterday, before the g.o.p. debate, laid out her plan to fight isis. she was at the university of minnesota in minneapolis. here's what she had to say. ms. clinton: we cannot allow terrorists to intimidate us into abandoning our values and our humanitarian obligation.

turning away orphans, applying a religious test that discriminates against muslims, slamming the door on every single syrian refugee, that is not who we are as americans. we are better than that. host: hillary clinton's speech. if up to the watch the whole thing go, to our website, c-span.org, part of our road to the white house coverage here on c-span. we're getting your thoughts on who won last night's republican debate. bob in kentucky, independent. hi, bob. caller: thank you for taking my call. i thought that donald trump was a man that won. the reason why i support him is a lot of them say he's not conservative or he's not liberal. i could care less about either one of them. i'm looking for a patriot, somebody that looks at this

country. when he said he's not going to let the muslims in, he's looking for this country. the rest of them is kissing their butt. host: bob in kentucky. donald trump asked at the end of the debate, if he would still run as an independent candidate or would he promise not to do that, and he said he would run as a republican. he wants to do it the traditional way is what he told cnn after the debate as well. expounded upon what he had to say at the end of the debate, saying he will run on the republican ticket, but he has grown to have a lot of respect for the republican party leaders so that he would run as a republican in this race. ernest in georgia, democrat, hi. caller: good morning. thank you for taking my call. what happened last night on hat stage shows that they need

to make a bag check, because all the inmates were on the stage last night. all they talked about was perpetual war, nothing about helping this country, and none of them are patriots. it just shows why hillary clinton needs to be elected president. thank you. host: ok. speaking of war, there was also an exchange last night between rand paul and chris christie where the two were asked about having a no-fly zone over syria , and would one of them shoot down a russian airplane if it violated that airspace. chris christie saying yes, he would, because the no-fly zone means just that, no-fly zone. and rand paul calling those comments risky. this is how long each candidate got to speak t. matches up with the poll numbers that you're seeing. ted cruz is now in the lead in iowa with 16 minutes and 27 seconds. donald trump followed that with 13 seconds and 33 seconds. and then it was rubio with about 13 minutes. chris christie got 10 minutes. ben carson, 10 minutes as well. jeb bush about, 10 minutes. rand paul, nine minutes.

fiorina also got about nine minutes. and then kasich with almost nine minutes, a little shy of nine minutes in last night's two-hour diabetic national security. tim, south carolina, republican. caller: hey, how are you this morning? host: good morning. caller: i'm outraged at particularly what the democrats are saying. if anybody listened to what lindsey graham had to say in the undercard, i mean, if the american public just completely moronic idiots, i mean, hillary clinton as president? do you know how many terrorist attacks we will have if this woman is he sflect i don't mean to be racist, but black people that talk about the inmates and the asylum, has anybody looked to see what obama and this woman has done to this country? i mean, are people just -- are they all off their medications in the democratic party? it's amazing to me. i don't understand it. nobody will listen to what graham has been saying for four

years about this. and also about what john mccain has said the exact same thing, and it's come to fruition, and nobody wants to listen. it's amazing. it blows my mind. host: here's the headline about the president. he was at a naturalization ceremony yesterday in washington, part of the theme week that he has much he's at the pentagon on monday. yesterday, naturalization ceremony where he said america can't forget its roots. the president warned against ignoring the country's immigrant history there, and then later in the week, he'll be at the national counterterrorism center, and hen leaving friday for his holiday vacation in hawaii. steve, independent in new jersey. caller: good morning, greta. hank you for taking my call. actual i am always -- there's never anything.

bush doesn't really offer anything. he's almost always feeding ush. he's always saying, i think we can't talk about democracy when you cannot talk about democracy in other people's countries. my second comment is we need a president who can lead the country. i think we need a leader who scares about many issues, including social issues. -- nk the election must security, income equality. this is what we want for the next president, and i think this is what's really important with our country. host: all right. janet in satellite beach, florida, democrat. what do you think? caller: good morning. i thought the debate was awful

last night. it seems to me that a lot of these republicans is speaking a lot of hate. it seem like the media is like tearing them on this hate, they're talking about they want to go out like muslim, there's a lot of different muslims, a lot of different races. there's white muslims, black muslims. muslim is a religion, not a culture, not a race. right now, they're teaching a lot of hate, and it's dangerous for this country. and everyone better wake up, because if any of these guys get in here, we are going to be in trouble. when they say take america back and make america great again, they need to explain what they're talking about, because america was horrible to some race in this country. that's the history of this country. what do you want to take it back to, hanging, lynching

black people not going in stores, not walking down the street? what do you want to take it back to? that's a horrible thing if that's what you're talking about. host: got the point. malcolm, arizona, democrat. caller: hi. i feel like the undercard is performing even better than the last person of the debate. i was really impressed with lindsey graham and acknowledge that foreign policy, and i also was impressed with carly. after i got to listening to the first half, i actually wanted to change my party over to independent and let this play its way out. i really do hope that lindsey graham can stay around for a little longer, that he can bring american people to reality. host: ok.

that's malcolm in arizona saying lindsey graham won. "financial times," front page, coalition warns -- the u.s.-led coalition is warned that jihadists can bank roll its war men for years. about $20 million is spent every month to pay for fighters, a further $15 million to $20 million is spent on local fighters. experts from intelligence vary, but most agree the core force is at least 30,000 strong with 50,000 to 70,000 split. host: much will be hard to disrupt without risk of civilian casualties or even humanitarian disaster. that on the front page of the "washington times." there's also the front page of the "new york times," clinton's

gambit on the syria war, the air campaign begun in a burst of enthusiasm on september 30 from russia, has blunt rebel advances, it has had minimal effect on the jihadist of the is lame target and has made an already dire humanitarian crisis even worse -- host: with that, there's this story in "the washington post" about secretary of state john kerry meeting yesterday with his counterpart in russia, as well as russian president vladimir putin, and they have agreed to resume syrian negotiations. they will take place on friday in new york. they agreed yesterday that the is lack i am state and a militant group would be included on a list of

terrorists organizations that would be barred from the organizations and will continue to be targeted, but neither gave any hint of whether any groups will be placed on the list. both men made clear they still have much to accomplish in new york where diplomats for most of the countries that have pledged to work to an end to the four-year civil war will take a cease-fire and political settlement in damascus. there's this from the "wall street journal," that kerry has softened the administration's position on assad. mr. kerry said washington still believes mr. assad needed to step down in order for there to be stability in syria, but he said that the u.s. wasn't focused on the country's past and that the syrian people need to decide the future of their country. mckenzie, tennessee, a republican. we're talking about last night's debate. what did you think? leon, got to turn the tv down. listen through your phone. ann, are you ready? florida, a democrat. caller: yes, i'm ready. i just wanted to say that -- am i on? host: you are on the air.

the republicans are doing so much war mongering, so much hate mongering, and we've been at war in the mideast for going on 15 years now. and the war has been killing and doesn't seem to be stopping people. you know, they hate us more. we have more recruiting. we're helping them recruit. ok, so if we go to war like you republicans keep cheering for, who's going to pay for it? how are you going to pay for it? they're all talking about the flat tax and all the experts say if there's a flat tax, according to every republican's plan, then we'll be running in a deficit and the government will not be able to function 100%, and yet while the war mongering, which will cost billions of dollars, they're also cutting taxes again. it just makes no sense. st: let me go to patricia in

san antonio, independent. caller: i just spoke with someone on the line, but now i just want to express my concerns that i am for the muslims here in the united states. that aren't terrorists, because i believe that their hearts are where they should be. but what i want to express, i believe that the constitution of the united states is what we should follow and that anybody that wants to implement sharia law, that that would be the wrong thing. host: all right. we'll show you another exchange from last night's debate. the issue of protecting the homeland came up and that brought up immigration. marco rubio was asked to explain why he was part of the gang of eight that had the comprehensive immigration reform package put together with senator chuck schumer on the other side for democrats, for republicans, and if he is for a pathway to citizenship. here's today say. >> i answer that had question repeatedly. i am personally open after all

that's happened, i personally am open to allowing people to apply for a green card. that may not be the majority position, but that's down the road. you can't even begin that process until you prove to people, not just pass a law that says you're going to bring illegal immigration under control, you're going to have to prove to people it was working. that was the lesson of 2013, and it's more true today than then. after a mike graer to crisis on the border, they're starting up again now after all these executive orders, more than ever, we need to prove to people that illegal i guess congratulation is under control. >> senator cruz? senator cruz, on the campaign trail, senator rubio has said his immigration plan isn't that different from yours. is that true? senator cruz: anyone that watched the battle that we had, there was a time for choosing, as reagan put it, where there was a battle over amnesty, and

some chose, like senator rubio, to stand with barack obama and chuck shumer and support a massive amnesty plan. others chose to stand with jeff sessions and steve king and the american people and secure the border. this issue is actually directly connected to what we've been talking about, because the front line with isis isn't just in iraq and syria, it's also in kennedy airport and the rio grande. border security is national security. one of the most troubling aspects of the raub yo-schumer gang of eight bill was that it gave barack obama blanket authority to admit refugees, including syrian refugees, without mandating any background checks whatsoever. we've seen what happened in san bernardino, when you're letting people in, when the f.b.i. can't vet them, it puts american citizens at risk. i tell you, if i'm elected president, we will secure the border. we will build a wall that

works, and i'll get donald trump to pay for it. host: the debate last night featuring the republican candidates. it was their last of 2015. we're turning to all of you this morning to ask you, who do you think won? phone lines, republicans 20rk2-748-8001. democrats, 202-748-8000. i happened penalties, 202-748-8002. alfred in maryland, republican. you're on the air. caller: good morning. thank you for allowing notice speak this morning, and thank you for c-span. what i like the debate last night is what a lot of people have to realize is a lot of the discussion that we're talking about this morning, and that is the bombings and going to war. this discussion was driven by cnn and news. that was their talking point or their focus of the debate last night. i personally support donald trump. i like the patriot review in supporting safety.

i also note that he's -- that he drivers a discussion about economics and safety in our country by securing our borders. host: all right. carl in woodbridge, virginia, a republican. caller: well, i think trump says what we all feel. he's not very smooth about it, and he comes off really hard nd everything else, but real quickly, i have no idea what we're doing worrying about assad and syria. assad has always been a friend of iran, has always been a friend of russia, and will continue to be. this is an insignificant little country in the middle east that has problems within the syrian border. isis is global, exactly what obama said. it's amazing the hypocrisy of democrats right now. sobe trying to do in syria exactly what bush did in iraq. take out a dictator and then put in a moderate regime

through democracy. look that got us in iraq and got them a shia pro government that is a big problem for us. this is the exact same thing, and any democrat who tries to deny it is not seeing the truth. host: that was charles from virginia. we'll leave the discussion there for now. coming up, we'll turn our attention to what's happening on capitol hill. the clock is ticking for congress to fund the government. we'll yet an update from debbie dingell from michigan, and then later, republican congressman leonard lance of new jersey, a member of the energy and commerce panel. we'll be right back.

>> the reagan narrative was he was, you know, a lightweight, grade b actor with premature orange hair, which is what gerald ford said about him in 1976, turning prematurely orange. and even with all the successes of his administration, all the, you know, historians have consistently rated reagan low. i believe out of ideological bias. >> sunday night on q and had a, a historian discusses his book "last act," a look at ronald reagan's life after leaving the white house and the way he's been remembered since his death.

>> i like ronald reagan because i developed in the 1980's. but i also write about the facts. i don't make things up. i don't believe that anybody else makes things up. and i think, too, that we've succeeded in repositioning people's thinking about ronald reagan so that it was the picture that emerges of a very serious, deep thinking, considerate man. >> sunday night at 8:00 eastern on "q&a." >> "washington journal" continues. host: we have congressman debbie dingell, democrat of michigan, back on the program this morning, here to talk about this budget deadline that lawmakers have to fund the government for a year. you're looking at $1.1 trillion spending bill. we understand, as you were saying before we came up live, this was posted at 2:00 a.m. it's a 2,000-page bill, but not

the actual bill was posted. where do things stand right now? congress woman dingell: i don't want to use the word chaos, because that's what's happening. last night what the democrats and the republicans held a caucus, hearing from the leadership about what they thought was going to be in the bill. i went home and watched the debate, stayed awake until 1:00 a.m. waiting to see what was going to be posted, and the bill was in the house, there's going to be two votes, one on the tax ender it he will bill and one on the omnibus. i went to bed at 1:00 knowing i had to be alert for you all, and i'm told that the bill was 2,000 pages, was posted or a place holder was posted at 2:00 a.m. this morning. republicans and democrats are going to have a talk thus morning at 9:00 a.m. leadership will talk about what the specifics are. but then people are going to

look at the exact specific language, because we all know the devil is in the details. even when people tell you that this is the compromise that's been reached, how it's written matters. you're going see a lot of people setting this bill, writing out the pros and cons. host: will you have the three days to read it, 29,000-page bill, where you vote on it? congresswoman dingell: that's one of the answers i'm going to seek at caucus this morning. when i left at approximately 9:00 last night, they were still hopeful that the vote was going to be on thursday. because the omnibus was not posted until after midnight, i am guessing this vote is likely to go into friday. but that is a guess based on absolutely nothing. but if they do follow the three-day rule, the vote will, at least on the omnibus, would have to be on friday. host: let me ask about you this part, according to the "new york times," that house democratic leader, nancy pelosi of california, has voiced

opposition to the huge package of tax breaks, the second vote you'll have, safely it would unfairly benefit big businesses. guest: i think many people are worried about the tax extender bill to there is a great amount add overand it will all the budget deficit and we have to think about that it there are many things i support in this tax extender, things i makeve deeply in like permanent r&d tax credit or charitable text inductions, the child tax credit, the earned income tax credit but there are a lot of corporate techs extenders may permanent in there as well. i have not heard the final number. i'm looking at stood what that will add to the overall deficit.

free is no such thing as a lunch. ultimately, those will have to be paid for. how are we going to do for them and where will it come from worries me. from michigan and the automobile industry's big there can guest: this is important to the automobile companies. there are also important jobs and drivers in my district but i want to talk of suppliers community. i have the university of michigan and what's in there in terms of things that matter to academia. it's also important when you parentsthis tax that used to offset the cost of higher education. of 435ill be a day people studying a very long, intense bill. omnibust me go to the

$11 -- one point$1 trillion spending bill -- guest: initially, it have been thought of the lifting of the ban would be in the tax extender bill. late yesterday, it was learned that there would be in the omnibus and i suspect part of don't thinkink -- i the on can pass without democratic support. is of the things that important as you study this bill is what's not in it. they were trying to use this bill is a vehicle for any significant policy riders and summative but many didn't. we will have to see if the freedom caucus and how they vote based on what is not in this bill which means you only democratic votes to pass the

bill. last night when i left the caucus at 9:00 p.m., there was concerned by many members that this was -- they had not seen the renewable language. support renewable energy in this country to extend the tax credits. 4:00 a.m. that the renewable credits are in there but i have not seen the language. as itucus this morning gets real information is important. in exchange for lifting this 40-year-old ban on exporting crude oil, the democrats want more provisions for renewable energy. guest: we want energy to be affordable. we don't want to return to the days where we had a fear of whether we had enough energy in this country. we need to lessen our dependence on fossil fuels. we need to make sure we are developing alternative energies. companies are able to

get more money and the world marketplace but people are very happy. gasoline prices are at the lowest level they have ever been. we want energy to be affordable to everybody in this country. apparently, speaker paul ,yan to his caucus last night cadillac tax, it needs a cause. guest: i like it when we talk about the american people winning. the cadillac tax is something that's important to me. i a cosponsor on that bill because i come from michigan. i get very frustrated when people talk about members of congress having better health care than anyone else. the reality is that mark --

working men and women represented by unions have had people who fought to make sure they have good health care. the unions have negotiated for people that they can go to a doctor and get could quality health care. penalizedould have the uaw worker who would have a significant tax put on them. when i was at the automobile companies, i worked there for a long time. my health care was 10 times better than my husbands and i paid less. it was a negotiated benefit. it offset some of the income that people were getting. it was put the total compensation package. working men and women in this country are still feeling what happened in 2008.

they are still recovering. income disparities getting bigger. they have not seen the recovery that many people have. when they've now got to pay a , that will hurt the workers. that's what that's about. congresswoman debbie dingell replaced her husband in the 12 the district and is serving her first term. john dingell served in the house for 59 years. she was at general motors for 30 years and her health care better than her husband. let's get our viewers involved. massachusetts, independent caller, good morning. caller: good morning, i can't understand you people in washington. you always waits the last minute. for breaks anday you people do nothing at all.

i cannot believe what's really going on. you wait until the last minute every time for every bill. you rush off to run back and vote through the holidays. why does congress wait until the last minute? you are serving in your first term but you have seen this before. guest: it's a compromise. i am very frustrated that everything is a crisis and we wait until the end. totakes time for people reach the compromise that needs to be done. you have to have the pressure of the negotiating deadline and the budget will run out and you got to reach a compromise somehow. this bill passes, it will be for two years so next year, you get to focus on whoever won the presidency and the next transition and you will not see this crisis and i will be as happy as you are. host: what do democrats get out

of this negotiation? -- i: we will see more wish -- i would like to say emma what do the american people get out of these negotiations? what will be included that helps people? there are many things i am happy about in this bill. all of us are worried about health care in this country and investing in research and development which has been terribly cut it we are investing more in national security and education. those are one of the things that i need to look at. when i get to the office come i want to see the numbers and see where the priorities are. i hate waiting until the and. -- until the end. i think this should be a win for the american people. host: one item not and this not in thisl -- spending bill is the syrian refugee program will continue.

the president can go forward with relocating and resettling 10,000 syrian refugees in this country. john and arlington, virginia, republican, you're next. caller: i am a little frustrated by the congress. as close toeved energy independence as we ever been. what they want to do is export oil? that makes no sense. we have the lowest gas prices we have had in years and instead of raising the gas taxes that could , theye infrastructure passed that phony boat is not fully funded and dips into the supplies, the security supplies the united states keeps. i don't know why those guys cannot get together and understand that this is a great opportunity to fix our infrastructure. a chance and they are thinking of the next election and it's not doing any of us any

good. guest: i agree with you and that's one of the questions you will see democrats think of today and some republicans. what does this mean for energy supply in the united states? what will it do to the cost to the consumer? i am worried about the transportation bill which is a compromise. if we are going to be competitive as a country, we have to invest more on our roads and infrastructure. it's one of the most serious problems. when you are in the congress, you've got 445 different people and that there was a compromise. i hope you and other voices across the country will keep saying that and letting your elected representatives know that what we did this year was a first step toward what has to be much more radical investment. lancaster, california, independent. caller: i would like to talk percenters1%

like nancy pelosi and hillary clinton being above the law and many to redo their taxes. we've got to treat the american people right. we cannot just make laws to enforce -- we don't enforce our immigration laws which is demeaning our country. has made it so illegal immigrants from all over the world can get free medical care off the backs of the american citizens. they are getting social security and everything else. guest: first of all, illegal thegrants are not getting things you talked about. it's important we treat all americans equally. there is a lot of misinformation out there about a person being treated differently. nancy pelosi is very careful

because she knows how much media is looking at her income tax. about is theried income disparity that is happening in this country. 2008, i think there are many people that don't feel better off. more people are not getting jobs while the economy is recovering but we are not putting more people back to work for a variety of reasons. when he to treat all americans equally and i believe every american should have equal opportunity. when ilook at this bill get back to my office come i will be looking to see how it treats all americans. will it help working men and women? if you live in this country, you should be able to get affordable health care, have a home, live in a safe place, be able to get a good education, and take care of your kids and i want to look at this ill and ask if this will do this? host: michigan, madison heights, democrat. for youit's very nice

to take my call and i thank you very much. that last caller i think watches fox news a little too much and is in the republican denial bubble. i would like to ask you, debbie come i hope your husband is doing fine. he was a fighter for michigan middle-class and always has been. i thank you so very much for fighting for us here in michigan and for being in the congress, taking over your husband's seat. it must mean the world to you and i know it means the world to all of us here in michigan that wants that he quality. we are starving here in michigan. one in three children are living in poverty. want to say that the republican congress, the , hopefully thete republicans were not have the

presidency. have you ever heard of such a thing as a presidential debate that has a theme? it's terrible. this along's on comedy central. guest: thank you very much. i love my husband with my whole heart and soul so you are saying things that mean a lot to me. he is doing ok. i have to say that i have learned a lot of things hands-on about the health care system in the last year. one of my passions is the fact that we've got to do something about long-term care in this country. i am luckier than 99% of the people in this country. trying to navigate the health care system between medicare, we are not on medicaid, but i have met some money people. the system is broken. i can tell you the moments of panic i have had them last year and the bureaucracy of paperwork and how you get the access to care.

i know what other people are experiencing so i want you to know that that is public my one.r i take it very seriously, the need to fight for people in this country and having access to affordable quality health care and what we will do about long-term care. of problems out there and we have to fight to make sure we're taking care of all americans. that's what our responsibility is. host: the caller mentioned the children in michigan starving and the hunger problem and the hub -- and the poverty problem. then you explain more? guest: poverty is a problem into many places across the country. there are people in our communities that you have no idea that are hungry. people comingof to talk to me from an organization. if you look at the group, you would have thought one person was the hungry person and it was twins who so effectively talk to

what happened to their mother who had to quit her job to take care of the grandmother. , it was extra income not that much, came into the household, it hardened and they were not able to get some of the help they needed. so many young people in our community are going to bed hungry at night. people want jobs and cannot find them. i get really upset when people talk about going to work. there are people that want to work that cannot find a job that we need to help them find a job and have policies that create jobs and help people find jobs. dearborn represent the community and many people know their is a big arab-american community in michigan. what have you heard from them in recent weeks? guest: i have been spending a lot of time at this community. they are my friends and they are leaders in the muslim community.

they are in the automobile industry. they are doctors and businessmen and teachers. they are integrated and members of our community and they are scared. them becauseting they live in this country. they are being targeted by anti-muslims, people who think they are promoting something they are not promoting. the thing that frustrates me the most is of one more person says , righted to condemn them after paris, there was a press conference condemning it to talk about what the muslim faith is doing. the day after thanksgiving, they had a rally outside the dearborn library condemning and trying to bring attention. they are being terrorized and getting hate mail. there are people in my committee that have people come up and rip things off of them. these are good, loyal americans who love this country. when people do this, they are

helping paint this picture of what we are not as a country and are driving people i to joinsl. spent my jewish friends -- sent me a famous poem from world war ii. we are looking at all these first that came away and took the socialists. i said nothing. then they came and took the trade unionists and i was not a trade unionist and i said nothing. then they came and took the jews and i was not a jew so i said nothing. and then they came for me and no one was left to say anything. we're all equal. that's what this country was founded on. it was freedom of religion. shere are people -- the mcvey came from michigan. we have to be aware and of some is not right with me to tell people but let's not target people because of nationality or religion.

those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it. [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2015] an independent,. it's a big spending bill before congress breaks for the holiday season, is the bill going to pass? the 9/11 health care bill? guest: that something that's very important to me for the 9/11 that it is in there. it's one thing i will look for but that was one of the things i asked about last night and we are told it's in there. host: will it be permanent or just extended? guest: that's a good question. i think it will be permanent but i don't know. that's what i really want to tell people. this was not posted until 2:00 a.m. and the details are not there and the devil is in the details. these are all good questions we will all be asking. i promise you, we will look at

those details before we make a decision. host: how much debate will there be on the floor? before this about happens, they can turn into here with the lawmakers have to say. be 2 debateswill in the house. be ae house, there will vote on the tax bill, the extender tax bill and they vote on the omnibus spending bill. the firsting that vote will come on the extender bill and it could come tomorrow. i don't know how the republicans will handle it. we will learn that throughout the day. debate will be important. that occurs in both caucuses will be important as well because as people get information, there are a number of people that have still not made up their minds about how they will vote.

as we all know, when we come down to these crisis votes, they can get very close. i don't know if the three-day until friday. if you can tell, we are all learning together this morning. host: exactly, democrats have their own caucus meeting with their group last night and so did republicans have a are meeting again this morning at 9:00 a.m. separately to talk about what's in this bill and republicans and democrats will start counting votes at that point to see who will vote for what. adrian in washington, illinois, democrat. i would like to know if you are involved in that v ote last december, the multi- pension reform? is affecting over 400,000

retired teamsters. up to 60%to take away of their pensions. reiterate, did anybody take the time to read this bill before they voted on it? thank you. guest: i was not in the congress last december so i did not vote on it. the present of the teamsters is a good friend and has been talking about this for a long time. i know how it really hurts people. i am very focused on it. i do not believe it is in the's bill. it's one of the questions i will be asking and there are a number of people -- there is a bill in the house and a republican from ohio has a bill in the senate. there are people that understand how you are hurting because of it. host: alpine, texas,

independent. caller: thank you for taking my call. the congresswoman made a pitch to eliminate the cadillac tax. she made a convincing case as part of the total compensation. the question i have is the cadillac tax was part of obamacare to pay for obamacare. if you eliminate the cadillac tax, that will increase the deficit and obamacare will remain unpaid. how can she justify eliminating attacks when it's needed for the revenues of the country in the total budget scheme? guest: first of all, it's not eliminated. that it isnding is postponed by two years. the medical device taxes well. we've got to take a look -- no bill is perfect.

i quote my husband -- law that camect down was the 10 commandments. in this day and age, moses probably could not get the 10 commandments past. are there unintended consequences of people being penalized? then you look at how you offset that. this is something that is unfairly hurting mark -- working men and women. thatre absolutely correct we've got to figure at how we balance the budget. it's my biggest concern about the tax extenders because it will add to the budget deficit. when you do that, you got to offset costs. i have breakfast whenever i am home with a group of tp people. i know they will scream at me. they are dead right about balancing the budget. i'm on the budget committee. i will get in the elevator and ask how we get these bureaucratic things we need to

eliminate? we've got to work together as republicans and democrats because we cannot keep taxing on his budget deficit to our children. we've got to figure out honestly -- ae will tackle bureaucracy has grown so big and many to invest in things that keep a strong as a country. host: from "usa today" - are you concerned about this? guest: to say that i am not heard what- i have you are hearing. i have spent a lot of time in hospitals in the last year and i talk to people and i talk to senior groups. it's one of the issues i care

about the most and people with chronic illness in people who are older are really suffering. you talk to hhs at many people are paying for a lesson we have many more americans that have access to health care that never had it before. they are able to go to the doctor. some people are finding their co-pays have gone up. i want the facts. we need to understand them. what people are paying in many states, the prices have gone down. what terrifies me as the cost of prescription drugs. we see the stories and newspapers about what's happening to cancer drugs. i have been talking to people over the last few months who are diabetic in what's happening to their insulin costs where it's gone up by $300 per month.it may not see my cup m like a lot but they are being sent over the edge. willingat are democrats

to do to change about the affordable care act to address these rising premiums? guest: we have to have a discussion into next year. the affordable care act is doing a lot of good. i think people have access to health care who have not had it. is over important thing all the cost of health care is going down this country. it is not skyrocketing the way it was and people forget that was one of the reasons we did this. the automobile company's were paying more than health care than the seals in the cars. you had up existing condition, you cannot get health care. seniors care has gotten better and women would charge more because they were women. we have to look at it. me ask you about the paris climate change costs where they can up with a deal but some are critical because of does not

include a carbon tax. what effect will it have a new automobile industry? guest: they are committed to being part of the answer. what they had to do happened when they negotiated a fuel economy standard cafe. year 2025. miles per they are committed to it and we have the aluminum truck which is lighter and we have to make sure they are safe which they are. that's a significant impact of what has happened and they are committed. host: are they had of the curve in some ways? guest: they are because they have been a target for a long time and they were significant now ibutor but a vehicle sitting in the driveway emits less.

the automobile industry is committed to being a part of the solution. more timesh we had but the houses gaveling in early. guest: good to be with you and happy holidays. host: we will take a short by can we come back, we'll talk with republican congressman who leonard lance of new jersey to talk about the deadline, an effort to combat isis. ♪ ♪

week.t week's authors the former missouri state senator on mr. smith goes to prison, what my year behind bars taught me about america's prison crisis, tuesday, december 22 at 8:30 a.m. his whitehead on battlefield america, the war on the american people. university of georgia law onfessor is our guest wednesday, december 28 at 8:30 a.m. eastern talking about "how the other half banks." on8:30 a.m. eastern thursday, december 24, political scholar matthew green joins us to talk about "underdog politics." and friday, december the five, also at 8:30 a.m., author and historian and lecturer show discusses his book "last act."

be sure to watch c-span's "washington journal" during authors week starting december 21. "> "washington journal continues. host: we are with congressman leonard lance represents the seventh the district. we talked with debbie dingell and both parties had your separate caucus meetings. what were you told by the speaker about this $1.1 trillion spending bill? cogressman lance: that the bill have been finalized and there had been an agreement reached between the leadership in the house and the senate as well and the bill would be introduced last night over the three-day rules of the earliest we can vote on the bill is thursday. we will have another conference this morning at 9:00 a.m. i think that is true with their democratic colleagues as well.

[captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2015] host: what do you want to hear from your leadership this morning about what's in this bill? i think mostance: of us are undecided because we have not seen what is in the bill. we want to examine the bill thoroughly. i want to make sure it is fiscally responsible. this is more than $1 trillion. this is not the way to proceed and move forward. i hope we can proceed in regular order. we want to make sure that the bill contains up. --ding for the military contains appropriate funding for the military and does not lead to a situation where he repeat this. the annual appropriations process conducted by the appropriations committee, and there are 12 bills that should be passed, but that has been stymied in the united states senate by the fact that the filibuster exists in the senate and senator reid has not permitted bills that should be brought to the floor.

basis, --he threat of of isis, are you ok with the on them is billed not including on thee pa to put ause syrian iraqi refugee program? congressman lance: i would preferred be contained in the bill and i voted for that. unfortunately, that did not reach the final document because the white house and democrats in the senate among others did not favor it being placed in the bill. i think it's unfortunate. i don't know whether for me it's a dealbreaker but i think it is unfortunate. understand, the bill contains the legislation regarding the visa waiver program. that's another aspect of all of this and i voted for that as well with overwhelming support. i would have preferred it be in syrianll, a pause in the iraqi refugees.

host: is that an issue that you vote no? congressman lance: i don't know, i will examine the closely and favor the original bill doing that. what about the tax extender package, $600 billion price tag? this would extend some taxes for corporations and some for individuals and some very narrow niche winners in this package. are you for this? i am likelylance: to the level i want to see the details and extends parmalee the research and develop an tax credit which is essential. unfortunately, some of these extenders have been for a year or two soap businesses could not plan appropriately. extensionsermanent in some provisions and longer-term extensions five years or so for others. i want to examine the particulars of that. we discussed of the extenders bill in our conference last night and undoubtedly we will do

again this morning. host: what are your question this morning for the leadership? thisessman lance: does help the business community in this country to create jobs for the american people? we have a relatively low unemployment rate, the participation rate is not a strong as it should be. not everyone has come out of the recession of 2008. i call it the great recession. tax policy should be based on fundamentally on the principle this helps create american jobs for middle-class americans. host: what provision could be included in this $1.1 trillion spending bill that would create jobs? congressman lance: research and development clearly creates jobs. if companies invest in research and development, that creates jobs. host: we talked about the visa waiver program. what about the affordable care act?

you are on the energy and commerce committee. any provisions to deal with that? the energy lance: and commerce committee in which i serve, the oldest committee in in 1795 isstablished the committee of jurisdiction for the president's health care legislation. billimportant to me in the risk corridorss which means we cannot subsidize big insurance companies that was contained in obamacare. i'm in a want of obamacare and i wish it to be replaced, repealed and replaced. under the original legislation, subsidies were supposed to be given to insurance companies. that's why many of them agreed to obamacare. last year in the appropriations bill, i took the lead in the house at marco rubio is taking the lead in the senate to make sure that there was budget

neutrality regarding trying to subsidize big insurance companies. my understanding is that invision is contained again the bill in which we will vote later this week. that is an important win for the american taxpayers. i think that is an issue that is an and to me and certainly senator rubio has taken the lead on the other side. host: if the insurance companies don't get those subsidies, is and a way to upend the law they leave the approval care act? congressman lance: they made a deal with the white house. it is inappropriate for the white house to expand the funds about the appropriations process. we are suing the white house on this very issue. the way that funds are appropriate in this country through the congress and not treat executive branch and we

think the president has overreached in this area. obamacare should be replaced and the american taxpayer should not be subsidizing these insurance companies. host: here's the headline in "usa today" -- with the subsidy gone, will we see even higher premiums and the doctor balls if the subsidies are eliminated? congressman lance: i don't think they are related. obamacare has been a fire and that's why the premiums are going up. the promise of obamacare was that premiums would go down and if you like your dr. you can keep your doctor and none of that has occurred. if we are able to elect a republican as president of the united states next year, and we certainly will replace obamacare. i don't think that was the topic of discussion in the presidential debate last night

but certainly that is an important issue domestically. the preeminent issue regarding the security of the american people. i believe that was the principal discussion for last night. host: what in the affordable care act is driving higher premiums and the doctor balls? congressman lance: it's the lack of competition, in my judgment. policy that to competition in health care market and we think that will being -- will bring premiums down and result in high-quality care host:. we will go to oakland, california, independent. caller: hello? host: you are on the air. caller: good morning. i have not talked to you in a while but i want to say happy holidays. the last time i spoke to you was january 2014. host: happy holidays. caller: i want to offer food for thought. in theve said to you

past, i am so tired with these republicans get on here talking about the wars, obamacare -- i want the senator or congressman, whatever he is, to address the question. the question, not just dancing around it. if he wants boots on the ground, for example, how many of his sons and daughters would he offer up to go fight the war? not hide behind a desk but be on the ground. host: we will get an answer. congressman lance: thank you for your question and merry christmas to you and your family. i do not favor boots on the ground at this time in the middle east. i think you raise a good point. i think we have to look to others in nato particularly those in that region of the world to step up to the plate. i would have gone into afghanistan at the beginning of the last decade but i have a

mixed emotion on the fact that we also went into iraq. i was not in congress at that time. i think i would have been more cautious regarding going into the iraq. in my judgment, we should have gone into afghanistan because of the terrible attacks on our homeland. on 9/11 i certainly recognize your point of view and i do not think we should put boots on the ground without making sure that our allies are involved and even then, i would be reluctant. host: if you don't think they are necessary, does the president knew -- need a new authorization of military force? that would lance: limit his responsibilities. it's the first time in american history that is the case. i think we should examine that. i thought the president's speech several sundays ago was incredibly weak. that was raised in the debate last night.

governor christie demonstrated how strong he would be as a commander-in-chief and we need a plan on i don't think this president is foot path -- has put forth a plan. caller: good morning, is there anything in this bill that goes after the 1%? taxesem paying more because they keep saying we don't have jobs. 1%cannot fix jobs until the pay their fair share in this country. you,essman lance: thank the omnibus bill is not a tax bill. if funds the government for the remainder of the fiscal year from now until september 30 of next year. our fiscal year in washington runs from october 1 through the following september 30. relates toender bill

provisions in the tax code but it does not change rates in the tax code. i believe we need fundamental tax reform in this country at the individual level and the business level. the speaker of the house paul ryan certainly is taking the lead in that area. formally, he was chairman of the ways and means committee and the new chairman, captain brady, is working on that issue. i would like to see tax reform next year working with this white house. if that's not possible, certainly with the election of a new president next november. host: democrat in burtonsville, maryland is next. caller: good morning to you both. my question is regarding the fact that i have heard your guest and several colleagues advocate for the repeal and replacement of obamacare. i was wondering if the republican party has made any

headway on an alternative. thank you, lance: that is an excellent question. i have advocated for one of the proposals that has been in the hopper for some time, when obamacare was originally passed. there are several proposals but i think we republicans should concentrate on putting one proposal on the table. what i would suggest is a , purchasempetition policies across state lines print i liked the provisions in health care law, no denial of coverage based upon a pre-existing condition, letting young people stay on their parents policies until their 26 amp into me is to reform, medical malpractice insurance reform and that is not contained in the legislation. i think prices arising for health care because there is not enough competition. i think competition would bring

about lower prices or at least stabilize prices and also a continuation of what we all favor which is high-quality health care. unfortunately, under the presidents legislation, people have lost their doctors in many situations. host: we will go to new york, independent caller. caller: good morning to both of you. hospitalt out of the and i have to tell you that it was a disaster. with what start off the doctors get paid in the bill i have received from being in the hospital was outrageous. i have medicare. we have a lot of problems in this country that we don't talk about. but there are people out there getting health insurance better than mine and they get subsidized. i don't.

my husband and i pay $2200 per year for our health insurance which i consider to be pretty good. but there are people out there that did not have health insurance, went for it, and now they cannot pay for it. i don't understand what's going on down there. you people should work a week or two per year and then go home because i don't see you doing anything. you, isman lance: thank believe we should make sure that medicare is preserved and protected and that is true of social security as well. if you are in the medicare program, that means you have spent your life and your husband his life paying into that system. i'm committed to making sure that system will continue. regarding congress, we have passed significant legislation in the last several weeks, a transportation bill, a repeal of no child left behind, these are

bills that were a competition a with both capacity houses of congress and signed into law by president obama. there was a customs bill that is working its way to the congress. i think we have been productive under the leadership of speaker paul ryan and certainly next year, there is more work to accomplish. i am looking forward to the presidential race. i hope there will be a new republican president in january 2017 i think congress at work together on the great issues confronting the nation and it's clear the most important issue at the moment in the minds of the american people is the security of this country, the security of our homeland, and i hope we can continue to address that issue. is from anext call republican in shawnee, oklahoma. are you with us? caller: can you hear me? host: go ahead.

caller: the biggest problem in this country when we look at 20-20 $5 trillion in ist, the biggest problem most people get fired but without term limits, the house and senate are a bunch of corrupt snakes and make deals and are up there forever. look at hillary clinton. she will never be arrested after breaking 13 different laws. they are all corrupt. there is no term limits and i stay in there forever and then make deals with each other and the public how great they are doing. [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2015] you are serving host: your third term congressman. congressman lance: i'm sorry my fourth term. the terms in the house are only two years. that's in the american constitution. i favor that and i would favor term limits if it applied to everybody. i don't favor term limits of it only applied to one state over another state. i would favor term limits of it

were to apply to everybody. the way to accomplish that will be to have a constitutional amendment. it would require a vote in both houses of congress and ratification by 3/4 of the american legislature. or there could be a constitutional convention to do that but i don't think that is likely. i am somewhere in the middle of the hierarchy on capitol hill. i am not at the highest levels of seniority. i have only been here seven years but i certainly take your sentiment and if it were to apply across the board, i would favor that. pennsylvania, democrat, welcome to the conversation. caller: good morning to both of you. nighthed the debate last and during the debate, the first session, they were asked if they

would bring back the draft. most of the republicans including mr. graham said no and i don't know if anyone knows this 40% of millennial republicans 18-29 stated that they wanted to central to syria saidet 622% of millennials they would not analyst in the service, volunteer for the service or anything like that. i'm a veteran. oft question was not asked the rest of the candidates. congressman lance: first of all, thank you for your service to the nation as a veteran. we should always honor our veterans and those currently serving in the military and military families.

although families may not serve personally, they are involved particularly at this holiday season as christmas approaches. we should thank the families of those currently serving and thank those of currently serve and we should thank you and others who have served us in the past. i do not favor a draft in this country. we have a volunteer force but i whok if there are those want boots on the ground, they should be asked about that. i don't favor boots on the ground, at least not at this time. i would like to see a military that is representative of the nation as a whole. that would include young people from all segments of our society. i think we should encourage young people to be involved in military service. that does not mean that everybody has to be involved. as you know, president nixon ended the draft at a difficult time in our nation's history

during the war in vietnam. system ofent from a deferral based upon being in college to a lottery system. i think that was infinitely preferable and more fair than the system that had preceded it. i think the consensus in the nation was not to continue with the draft. i don't think there the support on capitol hill to do that. i think we should encourage young americans from all walks of life to be involved in the military based upon the volunteer force we have. host: dave in michigan, a republican. caller: good morning. on your comment about mr. christie for president, he is a jersey politician. as far as i'm concerned, jersey let's put it this way, i live in a home in

northern michigan. $300 property tax each year to stay in my home. my best friend, i was born and raised in south jersey. my best friend there has to pay $8,000 per year to stay in his home which is about the same size as mine on a smaller piece of property. i's just as a rural is where am. i would not trust a jury will does a jersey politician to save my soul. i am proud tonce: be from the state of new jersey my family has lived in new jersey since 1739. i think it is a wonderful place to live. the district i serve as largely suburban to rural. where one of those districts that contributes greatly to the united states of america tax revenues.

they come from the district i serve to washington to benefit the american people. those across the country including the middle west. regarding the high property taxes in new jersey and that is certainly true, i believe there should be greater consolidation of services in new jersey. we have too many jurisdictions in school districts and municipalities. we do, however have extremely fine public schools in suburban new jersey, among the best anywhere in the united states. that is one of the reasons our property tax burden is so high. i personally would never discriminate against anybody based upon where he or she was born or raised. we are a union of 50 states. i can see on capitol hill great talent from among members across the country including members and michigan. i am honored to serve on a committee that is chaired by

fred upton who is a member of congress and house of representatives from michigan. i believe that michigan is a great state and i believe new jersey is a great state as well. host: you said you support chris christie for president and he does not agree with donald trump on banning muslims from entering the country. lindsey graham night apologized for that remark by the billionaire.what do you think of it? congressman lance: i have put out a statement in that area. i think it was an unfortunate statement and i understand the sentiment we need to protect the homeland. i give mr. trump credit in that regard however, i think the policy would be counterproductive. kurds of thethe islamic faith, i don't think there can be an absolute ban. host: you said earlier that one way to protect the homeland is to strengthen this these a

waiver program which is legislation you have been part of. it looks like it will be included in the spending bill. can you remind our viewers what this would do? congressman lance: there of various countries around the globe, i think 38 but it is very easy there to get into this country from there it these are waiver program spread you wave the process. we want to tighten that up for obvious reasons. i am pleased it is in the omnibus spending bill and it had overwhelming support. apparently, the white house is willing to sign the document that includes that. host: how do you go about tightening it? we have to gonce: through the regular visa process in a has to be an interview before a person can come into this country. host: for all 38 countries? congressman lance: i believe that is the case. host: what would that do to

terrorism? congressman lance: it might take a little longer but most people could pass the process. who wouldfew people not be able to pass the process. first and foremost, the security of the nation is at the top of our agenda. host: dayton, ohio, a democrat, good morning. talk aboutanted to health care since you are talking about that before. i like the congressman along with the rest of the gop media to be honest with the american people and stop misleading them about the affordable care act. the issues that are coming up are not with the aca but the insurance companies. we saw doctors drop in hospitals drop and we saw people getting kicked off before the aca. up.ften saw prices going

the aca slowed that progression but when people lose their doctors and lose their care, that is the problem of the insurance companies. we cannot deregulate to solve the issue. we need to regulate because we are looking at an industry that is profit driven from people's health. the houseserve on subcommittee on health. congressman lance: these are issues that confront our committee. every day and every week. i believe the promise that was made is not been fulfilled. there have been many people who have come into my district office in new jersey who have lost their doctor and their coverage has been decreased and their premiums have increased as a result of obamacare. i believe that fundamentally it needs to be reformed, repealed and replaced. let me stress that i do not

repeal of it but it has to be replaced and i hope we are able to work on not. the morning papers indicate that games are rising. that will continue to be the case based upon what i see other shortcomings. in the process i want to work together in a cooperative and bipartisan way. i hope with this white house but if not, with whoever is elected president. host: the congressman is heading back up to capitol hill where republicans will meet behind closed doors to talk about this $1.1 trillion spending bill and democrats will do the same. when he to say goodbye to you now because the houses gaveling in early this morning to get to this remaining legislative business before your holiday session. thank you for being here and have a good holiday. congressman lance: merry christmas to you. us and we does it for will now take you to the floor of the house and live coverage on c-span.

the speaker: the house will be in order. the prayer will be offered by the guest chaplain, rear admiral margaret grun kibbin, chief of chaplains for the united states navy, washington, d.c. chaplain: would you pray with me. almighty god, whose way is in the sea and whose paths are in the great waters, we offer our gratitude to you for the pastors, rabbis, priest, and imans who over the course of 240 years have left the safety of their homes and the comfort of their pulpits to wear the cloth of this country's navy. we would ask that you would grant your blessing on these whom you have called to ensure that the voices of faith are never silenced. to provide the sanctuary of

your presence. to serve alongside the sons and daughters who faithfully serve in every climb and place to preserve the ideals you have authored. in our efforts to preserve liberty, remind us that the freedoms we enjoy are gifts of your grace and our deliberations to uphold justice, keep us bound to your love mercy, and our encounters with each other. guide us with your steadfast love that in these days of tumultuous seas of conflict and raging waters of uncertainty, your way be known and your path revealed. it is in the strength of your name we pray. amen. the speaker: the chair has examined the journal of the last day's proceedings and announces to the house his pproval thereof. pursuant to clause 1 of rule 1, the journal stands approved. the pledge of allegiance will be led by the gentleman from georgia, mr. allen. mr. allen: i pledge allegiance

to the flag of the united states of america and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. the speaker: the chair lays before the house a communication. the clerk: the honorable the speaker, house of representatives. sir, i am writing to advise you of my intention to retire from federal service in early 2016. accordingly i hereby resign as chief administrative officer of the house effective upon the election of my successor or as you otherwise direct. it's been a high honor and distinct privilege to serve you and your colleagues, past and present, since the 1970's, and especially so to serve alongside the extraordinary dedicated men and women of the office of the c.a.o. during the

114th congresses. in order to ensure a seamless transition, i am pleased that the clerk of the house, karen haas, has graciously detailed to my office mr. will plaster, a senior member of her staff, to serve on as interim basis as deputy chief administrative officer. mr. speaker, i appreciate more than words can adequately convey the priceless opportunities afforded me throughout my career to serve this magnificent and uniquely american institution we call the people's house. i congratulate you on your election as speaker and wish you-all the best in the challenging days ahead. signed, sincerely, ed kapsty. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to clause 1 of rule 1, mr. cassidy of the state of connecticut is removed effective december 31, 2015. pursuant to the provisions of section 208-a of the legislative reorganization act of 1946, the chair will appoint william plaster of the

commonwealth of virginia, to act and to exercise the duties of chief administrative officer in the house of representatives effective december 31, 2015. the chair will administer the oath at this time. will mr. plaster please present himself in the well. will the gentleman raise his right hand. do you solemnly swear that you will support and defend the constitution of the united states against all enemies, foreign and domestic. that you will bear true faith and allegiance to the same. that you take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion. and that you will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which you are about to enter, so help you god. mr. plaster: i do.

he speaker: congratulations. the chair will entertain up to five requests for one-minute speeches on each side of the aisle. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas rise? mr. johnson: unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker: without objection, the gentleman is recognized. mr. speaker, the terrorist attack in san bernardino, the deadliest attack on u.s. soil since september 11, made it clear that our homeland is vulnerable to terrorists. the terrorists couple's attack also made it clear there are serious screening problems fiance d with the k-1 visa program. that is exactly how the wife

involved in these attacks came to the united states to begin with. protecting our homeland is my most sacred duty which is why i want the american people to know that right now i will be introducing legislation to put a halt on k-1 visa programs until the congress votes to resume it. in the meantime, my legislation would require the g.a.o. to review the national security risks associated with this program and to submit findings to the congress. this is a right and commonsense thing to do. we must protect our homeland. yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the gentleman is recognized for ne minute.

mr. olson: mr. speaker, the color purple and panther pride are alive and well in texas. bridge point high school has been opened for five years. five short years. yet last saturday they took us to heights schools that have been around for 50 years have never achieved. they made the final four, the state -a division ii semifinal football playoffs. the panthers came up a little short, but fans like me walked ut darn proud of our guys. they never quit and they never will. i have a warning for teams we

play next year, panthers don't retreat. we reload. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yield back. for what purpose does the gentleman from tennessee seek recognition. cohen: to address the house for one minute. the speaker: the gentleman is recognized. mr. cohen: i look forward to supporting the spending bill because it does so much good for america, moves us forward, brings us together as a body to ove america forward. included in there is an amendment i had on the house floor and the senate accepted to add an additional $4 million to testing rape kits. there's a horrific backlog of rape kits in this country, and the federal government has stepped forward. now we'll step forward with $45 million. last year it was $41 million to give to local governments to reduce the backlog. that means we'll be able to catch the guilty and stop them

before they violate the law again and violate another woman. rapists are often serial onders. i look forward to supporting the omnibus bill. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from georgia seek recognition? >> request unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> thank you, mr. speaker. the only thing five years of obamacare has shown us has been its multiple and continues flaws. when this legislation was signed into law, the president freely gave money away to established state exchanges. however they forgot one piece of the puzzle, they provided no provisions for recouping funds when the state exchanges failed. these accounts spent billions of taxpayer dollars and provided zero solutions to protect taxpayers when states decided to stop operating the

exchanges. mr. allen: where's the accountability? this burden cannot be placed on the taxpayer. today i introduced the transcy and accountability of failed exchanges act to ensure americans are not on the hook for the billions they were wrecklessly dold out to the states to establish these state exchanges. by promoting accountability and transparency, my legislation fixes the problems providing clear steps to recover federal funds when state exchanges fail and requires unused funds to be returned back to the treasury department to pay down the national debt. i urge my colleagues to co-sponsor this legislation that promotes accountability and transparency and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania seek recognition? mr. tomorrow slon: -- mr. thompson: mr. speaker, request unanimous consent to address the house for one

minute. revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. thompson: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to once again reinforce the importance of proper management of our nation's national forests. over the past two decades, timber harvest in the allegheny national forest have fallen dramatically. following a trend we have seen in national forests nationwide. this is a domino effect on communities and school districts in and around the forests because since 1908, counties and national forests, they are entitled to 25% of the receipts from the timber sales under the 1908 good neighbor compact. these are communities which were built on the lumber industry and natural resources. many are among the most rural, porous in -- poorest in pennsylvania and the funding from stimber sales is critical for schools, roads, something these towns, schools, districts depend on. due to this diminished revenue, we must pass real reform that

leads to good management practices in our national forests. as such i continue to support the resilient federal force act of 2015 or h.r. 2647. i believe this legislation is a key to increasing timber har vest in our national forests which will not only ben benefit our communities but create a forest that is healthier and less prone to wildfires and invasive species. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i seek unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. lamalfa: mr. speaker, i'm pleased to announce my nominees to our appointments for the nation's service academies. with religiouses, we have nominated a group of young men and women that are committed to representing the first district and our great nation. for the u.s. naval acad m we have trent foster. we have cody rolllyson. and david sha doc.

for the u.s. military academy we have nichlas katz, bradley sawyer, and ryeant. four, for u.s. air force academy, we have cristiianian jackman. for our u.s. marine akid mi we reader we have mason royce. for the u.s. naval academy and u.s. military academy we have maurice rig. congratulations to them all. we thank the council for helping with the interview process. thank the parents for raising them to be the go-getters that they are. their dedication required to get to this point. and the nominees themselves for the hard work that it takes in the service they are willing to do and put out and sacrifice for us. god bless them all. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, the chair will postpone further proceedings today on motions to suspend the rules on which a recorded vote, the yeas

and nays are ordered. or on which the vote incurs objection under clause 6 of rule 20. record votes on postponed questions will be taken later. for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 2820 as amended. the eaker pro tempore: gentleman moving to concur on the senate amendment? mr. pitts: that's correct. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 2820, an act to re-authorize the stem cell their pucic and research act of 2005 and for other purposes. senate amendment. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the

gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. pitts, and the gentleman from texas, mr. green, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from pennsylvania. mr. pitts: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and and insert remarks extraneous materials in the record on the bill. . the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. pitts: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. pitts: mr. speaker, i rise today in support of h.r. 2820, the stem cell therapeutic and research re-authorization act, introduced by my colleagues, representative chris smith of new jersey and representative doris matsui of california. of bill is another example the energy and commerce committee's outgoing effort or ongoing effort, i should say, to work together in a bipartisan manner to strengthen public health and solve problems in our nation's health

care system. h.r. 2820 re-authorizes the national chord blood inventory program and the c.w. bill young transplantation program through fiscal year 2020, which provides federal support for the cord blood donation and research, essential to increasing patient access to transplants. the national cord blood inventory, the ncbi, is a program to collect, store and distribute umbilical cord blood to those in need of a cord blood stem cell transplant. these cord blood units must meet specific criteria and are ailable through the c.w. "bill" young transplantation program to treat patients who need a transplant. the blood forming cells from cord blood have unique qualities that help some

patients who would otherwise be unable to have a potentially life-saving transplant and ncbi is the largest and diverse marrow registry in the world. e c.w. "bill" young crel transplantation program help patients who undergo transplants and help match donors to patients who are in need of an unrelated marrow donor. 70% of all patients who need a transplant don't have a match donor in their family. and this program gives them whatever -- gives them somewhere to turn. so i support h.r. 2820. i urge my colleagues to support this important piece of legislation. i reserve the balance of my ime. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. green: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. h.r. 2820, the stem cell

therapeutic and research re-authorization act would continue the highly successful be the match imagery for bone marrow and umbilical cord blood transplantation. this program provides hope to people in need of life-saving transplants. each year about 20,000 patients receive blood marrow transplants. 70% of those patients do not find a match within their family, and instead rely on the be the match registry to find a nonrelative bone marrow donor. 12 's why i -- the nearly million registered donors and collection of 209,000 cord blood units are so important. i'm glad we've come together in a bipartisan basis in our committee and the house and senate to support this life-saving program. i want to thank congresswoman matsui for her leadership in this area and urge my colleagues to vote yes to concur with h.r. 2820, and i

reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from pennsylvania is recognized. mr. pitts: mr. speaker, i would like to reiterate the important work that the national marrow donor program does for patients. be the match operated by the national marrow donor program has facilitated more than 68,000 marrow and cord blood transplants, which is an average of more than 520 transplants a month. they conducted their first transplant as the national marrow donor program in 1987, and they also continue to lead the way in developing new cellular therapies, advancing services to speed the transplant process and improving treatments for posttransplant complications. be the match invests in dedicated researchers whose countless hours in the lab and the caring for patients have helped more patients than ever

to receive a transplant. beyond establishing the registry, investment in medical research over the years has been essential in helping find the answers that save the lives of more patients. in 1990, the nobel prize in medicine was awarded to dr. danal thomas for discoveries in cellular transplantation. n 1994, the first peripheral blood stem cell collected for use in transplant occurred. in 1998, the cord blood program was launched. nmdp repository was built, one of the largest labs built for medical research. in 2004, be the match and the nmdp partnered with medical college of wisconsin to create

the center for international blood and marrow transplant research. and the great work and discovery continues, so i urge bipartisan support for h.r. 20 and support discovery and cures for patients. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. green: mr. speaker, i'll continue to reserve. we don't have anymore speakers, and if the chair is ready to -- mr. pitts: we have one more speaker. mr. green: we'll reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the entleman reserves. the gentleman from pennsylvania is recognized. mr. pitts: mr. speaker, at this time i'm pleased to yield two minutes to the gentleman from georgia, mr. carter. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from georgia is recognized for two minutes.

mr. carter: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today in support of h.r. 2820, the stem cell therapeutic and research re-authorization act of 2015. the bill re-authorizes the national cord blood inventory program and the cw "bill" young transplantation program, two programs that save lives every day through bone marrow transplants and blood infusions. this bill is very similar that georgia general assembly passed in 2007, establishing the newborn umbilical cord blood bank. i voted for that legislation in the georgia general aservely and i will vote in -- assembly and i will vote for this legislation. for those that limb phonea, sickle cell and leukemia, help from the cord blood program and the bill young transplantation program may be the last hope of living longer, healthier lives. that's why h.r. 2820 is so

important. this bill re-authorizes these two programs through 2020 and continues to provide life-saving techniques and research to many who fight for their lives every day. this bill originally passed this house september 8 by voice vote and i urge my colleagues to support it again. thank you, mr. speaker, and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. green: we continue to reserve. mr. pitts: we're prepared to yield back. mr. green: we're prepared to yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. pitts: i yield to the prime sponsor of the legislation, mr. critz smith of new jersey. -- mr. chris smith of new jersey. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new jersey is recognized. mr. smith: i want to thank chairman pitts for his extraordinary work on this legislation.

green, o thank chairman pallone and mr. upton for their strong support in this legislation. in the senate we had orrin hatch, frank burr, al franken who worked in a bipartisan way to ensure that this life-affirming, life-saving legislation not only made it through the senate but was beefed up, made stronger. this was, you know, people talk about the lack of bipartisanship. i do believe this is one of those bills where we've all come together to say whether it be bone marrow or adult stem cells in the form of cord blood that it be made available to as many people as possible in the most useable and efficacious way. mr. speaker, we know this, and i won't try not to be too redundant because i know the chairman explained it. the bill under consideration by the house does re-authorize through 2020 two critically

important and complementary programs. cell w. "bill" young stem trant plantation program and the national cord blood inventory. it's especially important during this time of gift giving to re-authorize these life-affirming and life-giving programs. americans willing to give the gift of life to others are at the heart of the success of this program. in re authorizing it, we are grateful for the adult donors willing to provide bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cells as well as mothers who donate their child's cord blood through public cord blood banks. under the national cord blood inventory program, mr. speaker, contracts are awarded. to cord blood banks to collect cord after birth. about four million births occur in the united states every year and god in his grace and love has left a gift that then gives

life and helps to cure diseases, including leukemia, and other devastating, specifically blood-related diseases, is left after that birth. again, cord blood and the placenta itself is teaming with stem cells that are, again, highly efficacious in curing and mitigating disease. americans have access to more than 12 million adult volunteer donors and 209,000 cord blood units through be the match. the program's bone marrow and cord blood centers make information about these available to donors and patients and the office of patient advocacy helps families dealing with life-threatening diagnosis. and the outcomes database tracks results. again, if you want to know how something is working or not, you track it, and you're constantly recalibrating to in order to make it belter. today's -- make it better. today's bill is the second

bill, a law that i authored a decade ago joined by artur davis of alabama. legislation that, again, cleared the senate with the great help of senator orrin hatch. that bill built upon the excellent work of our distinguished late colleague bill young of florida to facilitate bone marrow transplants and created a brand new national umbilical cord blood donation and transplantation program. you know, dr. jeffrey shell, the c.e.o. of nmbp, be the match, has noted for many diseases, including blood cansors and sickle crel anemia disease, cellular therapy is the best hope for a cure as he told chairman pitts in his committee that patient population rising most quickly is the elderly population, growing by double digits every year and the reason for that is that the medical conditions for which transplant is often the only cure tend to occur in older populations of diseases ike acute leukemia and

mylofibrosis, closed quote. it has turned medical waste, postbirth umbilical cords, treating more than 70 diseases, some say as many as 80, including leukemia, limb phonea and sickle cell anemia. let me conclude by saying -- lymphoma and sickle cell anemia. let me conclude by saying during consideration of the health subcommittee, language was added using adult stem cells and birthing tissues to develop new therapies for patients. last year i visited celgene corporation in new jersey to learn of their extraordinary efforts to use cord blood to heal diabetic foot ulcers and how they turn embryotic membrane to help wounds to the approval and regulatory -- to

finalization. again, i want to thank the chief co-sponsor, ms. matsui, mr. jolly and mr. fattah. again, this is a bipartisan bill and i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks and, again, i want to thank the chairman for your leadership. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the gentleman from pennsylvania is recognized. mr. pitts: i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and concur in the senate amendment to h.r. 2820. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. mr. pitts: mr. speaker, i request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. all those in favor of taking this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. a sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from virginia seek recognition? mr. goodlatte: i move that the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 4246, the national guard and reservist debt relief act of 2015. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. h.r. 4246, a bill to exempt an additional four-year period from the application of the means test presumption of abuse under chapter 7, qualifying members of reserve components of the armed forces and members of the national guard who, after september 11, 2001, are called to active duty or to perform a homeland defense activity for not less than 90 days. the speaker pro tempore:

pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from virginia, mr. goodlatte, and the gentleman from tennessee, mr. cohen, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from virginia. mr. goodlatte: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on h.r. 4246, currently under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. goodlatte: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. goodlatte: every day at home and abroad uniformed men and women risk their lives to protect our freedom and way of life. among those brave souls are military reservists and members of the national guard who have been called to duty in iraq, afghanistan, and many other places across the globe. we are eternally grateful for their service to our country. the federal government has a responsibility to ease the transition of reservists and

guardsmen back into civilian life upon their return home. some may return home with physical handicaps. for others, psychlogical challenges face them and their families. some of these veterans and their families have suffered financial hardships and occasionally bankruptcy is the unfortunate last resort. in a chapter 7 bankruptcy, debtors surrender virtually all of their assets to the bankruptcy trustee and receive a discharge from their debts at the end of the short case. in 2005, congress made a number of reforms to the bankruptcy code under the bankruptcy abuse prevention and consumer protection act. a significant policy goal of that act was to address abuses of the chapter 7 bankruptcy process. to that end, congress inserted into the bankruptcy code a threshold test to gauge whether debtors have disposable income that could be used to pay their

debts. this is commonly referred to as the means test. if debtors are able to pay some portion of their debts from their disposable monthly income, then the filing of a chapter 7 bankruptcy case is presumed to be an abuse of the bankruptcy system. debtors can contest that presumption or can seek relief under other bankruptcy chapters, including chapter 13 under which they can restructure how to pay for their debts over time from their disposable income. in 2008, congress recognized that military reservists and national guardsmen sometimes confront unique financial challenges as a consequence of their military service. for instance, if these military members receive hazard pay during their service, that could actually inflate the results of the disposable income calculation under the means test, lifting them out of chapter 7 eligibility. so congress enacted the national guard and reservist debt relief act which president

bush signed into law in october of 2008. this act allows reservists and national guardsmen to bypass the means test making it easier for them to file a chapter 7 case. the original act expired in 2011 but was extended for an additional four years. the exemption is once again set to expire on december 19. h.r. 4246, introduced by mr. cohen and mr. forbes, further extends the existing exemption to 2019. we continue to call on our guardsmen and reservists to serve our country. we should ensure that those military members who fall on hard times are not denied access to bankruptcy because of their service to their contry. the bill before us today extends the sunset date by four years at which time congress will have the opportunity to re-examine whether this exception to the means test continues to be necessary. i want to thank the gentleman

from tennessee, mr. cohen, and the gentleman from virginia, mr. forbes, for introducing this legislation and i urge my colleagues to vote yes on the bill and reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from tennessee is recognized. mr. cohen: thank you. i yield myself such time as i may consume. first i'd like to ask that mr. conyers' floor statement be entered into the record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. cohen: , thank you. mr. conyers is the ranking member and i appreciate his support just as i appreciate mr. goodlatte bringing this bill to the floor. bills don't get to the floor without the chairman of the committee recommending them. so thank you, mr. goodlatte. and i thank mr. conyers as i have been thinking about the apology for slavery and jim crow that came to the floor seven years ago and wouldn't have come without then chairman conyers. today i thank mr. forbes and my other sponsors, mr. nadler and mr. rohrabacher, who have co-sponsored this bill with me. i rise today in support of h.r. 4246, the national guard and

reservist debt relief extension act of 2015. this bipartisan legislation en sure certain members of the national guard and reserve who fall on hard economic times after their service will continue to obtain the bankruptcy relief which we have granted them in the past so they won't have to fill out substantial paperwork required by the so-called means test of chapter 7 of the bankruptcy code and meet that test. the means test came into effect about 10 years ago when president bush signed into law the bankruptcy abuse prevention and consumer protection bill. that made numerous amendments to the bankruptcy law. it provided a means test that made it more difficult to get into bankruptcy court. this gives national guards and reservists an opportunity to-g to extinguish their debts without the test. the 2008 law created an exception to the means test presumption of amuse buste for

members of the national guard and reserves who after september 11 served on active duty or homeland defense activity for at least 90 days. the exception remains available for 540 days after the service member leaves the military. many service members we know are subjected to unscrupulous lenders and payday loans. and we have seen stories that show that up to 11% of service members have been taken out payday loans, 11% of enlisted personnel and active duty military obtain these loans which include vehicle title loans, pawnshop loans, and other high interest loans. they are preyed upon and understanding they give service to our country and preyed upon by folks near the military establishment and in the muents, it's appropriate that we give them this relief. it's a way for our nation to recognize the sacrifice made by national guard and reserve members who have served on active duty, or homeland defense since september 11 and may be suffering financial

hardship. the bill is supported by the national association of consumer bankruptcy attorneys and veterans of foreign wars. again i thank mr. goodlatte and ranking member conyers. my fellow co-sponsors. i urge all my colleagues to support this bill. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from virginia is recognized. mr. goodlatte: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, we have no further speakers remaining. we are prepared to close if the gentleman from tennessee is prepared to close. mr. cohen: i think i have closed. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from virginia is recognized to close. mr. goodlatte: thank you, mr. speaker. i urge my colleagues to support this important legislation that continues a very good [tiss that benefits our guard and reservemen. yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 4246. so many as are 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 upon the table. mr. cohen: mr. speaker, i would ask for a roll call on that quefment it -- question. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman ask for the yeas and nays. all those in favor of taking this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. a sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20 , further proceedings on this uestion will be postponed. the speaker pro tempore: for

what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass s. 1090. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: senate 1090, an act to amend the robert t. stafford disaster relief and assistance act to provide elinlibility for broadcasting facilities to receive certain disaster assistance, and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. costello, and the gentleman from indiana, mr. carson, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from pennsylvania. mr. costello: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and tend their remarks and include extraneous material on s. 1090. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. costello: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. costello: currently the robert t. stafford disaster relief and emergency assistance act, also known as the stafford act, provides for assistance to governments and nonprofit

organizations to rebuild damaged facilities following a declared disaster. s. 1090, the emergency information improvement act of 2015, clarifies the eligibility of certain not-for-profit broadcasting facilities for disaster assistance consistent with existingpolicy. these stations provide essential alerts and information before, during, and after disasters and emergencies. these broadcasters are intergrat -- are an integral component of our national public alert and warning system. following a disaster, it is critical that these facilities get up and running as soon as possible to ensure the public receives necessary emergency information. for example, during recent major disasters, these broadcasters were critical to getting information to the public quickly. i also want to thank congressman palazzo for his leadership on shepherding this bill through committee and getting it here to the house floor.

thank you, mr. speaker. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from indiana is recognized. mr. carson: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, s. 1090, emergency information improvement act of 2015, would clarify the eligibility of certain broadcasting facilities for public assistance. broadcasters are critical partners when it comes to emergency management in the face of a disaster. one of the best ways to prevent deaths and injuries during a disaster is to warn those in harm's way of impending danger. this allows people to take necessary precautions to avoid injury and death and minimize property damage. broadcasters work hand in hand with the emergency managers to provide this notice before disaster strikes. after a disaster, the broadcasters' role remains just as critical. they continue airing information about ongoing hazards and aid recovery efforts by providing how to

information on accessing recovery assistance. from hurricane sandy, mr. speaker, to this year's floods in the carolinas, emergency broadcasts save lives and keep people out of harm's way. this is not just about large-scale disasters. when a violent storm caused by the sudden collapse of a concert stage in my hometown, indianapolis, indiana, local broadcasters kept a tragedy from becoming that much worse. timely alerts enabled fair officials to clear the midway minutes before the storm struck. potentially saving lives of hundreds of people. we see this all over the country. every year. unfortunately, mr. speaker, broadcast facilities are not immune to hazards. this is why this bill is so important. when broadcasting facilities are damaged by disaster, we must ensure that they are eligible for reyoifer assistance so that they can be up and running in time for the next hazard.

i would note, mr. speaker, this language is absolutely identical to language my good friend from new york, mr. nadler, has been so tirelessly advocating for. i want to thank him for his efforts on bringing this issue to our attention and his diligence in ensuring this matter was brought to the house floor. i urge my colleagues to support this measure, mr. speaker. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from pennsylvania is recognized. mr. costello: mr. speaker, i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from indiana is recognized. mr. carson: any additional speakers? mr. costello: no. mr. carson: all right. i yield back, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from pennsylvania is recognized to close. mr. costello: mr. speaker, i urge passage of the bill. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass senate bill 1090, those in favor -- mr. costello: on that i demand the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: 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 upon the table. does the gentleman from pennsylvania request the yeas and nays? mr. costello: i do. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. all those in favor of taking this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. a sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from kentucky seek recognition? roger federer mr. speaker, i move that -- mr. rogers: mr. speaker, i move that the house pass joint resolution 78. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the resolution. the clerk: house joint resolution 78, making further continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2016, and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from kentucky, mr. rogers, and the gentlewoman from new york, mrs. lowey, will each control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from kentucky. mr. rogers: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and and their remarks include extraneous materials on the consideration of h.j.res. 78. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. rogers: and yumeds. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. rogers: mr. speaker, i rise today to present h.j.res. 78, a short-term continuing resolution that will fund the government through december 22.

last night we posted -- or this morning we posted a full-year omnibus funding bill. the bill will responsibly fund the government for the remainder of the fiscal 2016 year at the level set by the bipartisan budget act passed in october. we're set to consider it later this week. however, our current funding mechanism expires today at midnight. to allow for enough time to read and process this legislation, it's necessary at this point that we pass another continuing resolution to keep the lights on in our government. the legislation you have before you today simply extends current levels of funding for critical government programs and services for six additional days through next tuesday. it's very short and limited in scope, buying us enough time to

shepherd the omnibus through to enactment and then for the bill to be enrolled, sent to the president and signed into law. so i urge my colleagues to support this bill, to give us the time to consider the full appropriations package and bring the fiscal year 2016 appropriations process to a close. and i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman from new york is recognized. mrs. lowey: mr. speaker, for the second time in a week i rise in half-hearted support for the continuing resolution before us. i yield myself such time as i may consume. this is the third time the republican majority brought us to the brink of a shutdown in just the past 11 weeks. it's been over 2 1/2 months since we passed a bipartisan two-year budget agreement that set guidelines for appropriations. we should have a final bill

signed into law by now. there are no excuses for these constant delays. unfortunately, republicans insist on including dangerous harmful policies in spending bills that would restrict women's reproductive health decisions, harm the environment, roll back consumer protections, just to name a few, delay the ability of congress to come to a fair bipartisan agreement on time. however, we did know throughout this process that republicans would need democratic votes to pass the omnibus, and that is why i'm pleased to say we were able to get rid of more than 150 poison pill riders, including those related to women's health, labor, such as efforts to block the fiduciary rule, and the joint employer rule, consumer financial protection, clean air and water, all gone. however, i was disappointed we

were unable to reverse the 19-year-old provision on federal funding for the research of gun violence. the budget agreement enacted in november provided additional funding, allowing us to make critical investments reflecting democratic values. there are some large increases to the national institutes of health and the army corps of engineers, for example, head start, energy research, cops hiring, nutrition funding and so much more. we also prevented further cuts to the e.p.a. and other agencies routinely targeted by republicans. i'm disappointed that the omnibus does not deal adequately with puerto rico crisis. it does carry the 9/11 health and compensation fund, and the omnibus carries some tax matters, including the cadillac tax and solar and wind tax credits. and all the package is a mixed

bag. each member will have to read the details for him or herself. and while i'll vote to keep the government open today, mr. speaker, the american people deserve a congress that does its job on time and puts the interests of hardworking families ahead of special interests. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back. the gentleman from kentucky is recognized. i rogers: mr. speaker, may inquire of the gentlelady if she has speakers? mrs. lowey: mr. chairman, i'm delighted to yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman has yielded back. the gentleman from kentucky is recognized. mr. rogers: and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass house joint resolution 78. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the joint resolution

is passed and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, proceedings will resume on motions to suspend the rules previously postponed. votes will be taken in the following order. concurring in the senate amendment to h.r. 2820 by the yeas and nays, passing h.r. 4246 by the yeas and nays, passing s. 1090 by the yeas and nays and passing h.r. 3654 de novo. the first electronic vote will be conducted as a 15-minute

vote. remaining electronic votes will be conducted as five-minute votes. the unfinished business is the vote on the motion of the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. pitts, to suspend the rules and concur in the senate amendment to h.r. 2820 on which the yeas and nays were ordered. the clerk will report the title of the bill. -- an rk: h.r. 2820, a act to re-authorize the stem cell therapeutic and research act of 2005, and for other purposes. 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 15-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]