last september. i urge my colleagues to again support this measure and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. donovan: mr. speaker, i have no more speakers. if the gentleman from new jersey has no further speakers, i am prepared to close once the gentleman has done so. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from new jersey is recognized. mr. payne: mr. speaker, i'd like to submit a letter from the security industry association to be submitted into the record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. payne: thank you. i have no more speakers. so i'm ready to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman is recognized. mr. payne: oh, thank you. thank you, mr. speaker. our first responders are on the front lines of emergency response. in recognition of their bravery and sacrifices, they make every

day a, in and out, we must make -- day, in and out, we make make sure that they have the access to the most up to date help them do their jobs better and safer. to that end, i urge my colleagues to support h.r. 687 and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. donovan: mr. speaker, i ield mr. donovan: i once again urge my colleagues to support h.r. 687. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yield. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 687. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid n the table.

for what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition? mr. donovan: mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 584, the cyber preparedness act of 2017. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 584, a bill to amend the homeland security act of 2002 to enhance preparedness and response capabilities for cyberattacks and dissemination of homeland security information related to cyberthreats and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from new york, mr. donovan, and the gentleman from new jersey, mr. payne, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from new york. mr. donovan: thank you, mr. speaker. i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection mr. donovan: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. donovan: mr. speaker, i rise today in support of h.r. 584,

the cyber preparedness act of 2017. cybersecurity is a major national security issue and the threat is real and immediate. day in and day out, nation states or criminal actors target the united states' critical infrastructure, private sector and every day americans and they are succeeding. however, with the heightend awareness on cybersecurity, it appears that the united states is not adequately prepared to prevent and respond to cyberattacks. since 2012, fema has released an annual national preparedness report, which highlights states' progress in meeting 32 core capabilities as defined by the national preparedness goal. every year, states have ranked their cybersecurity capabilities as one of their lowest. i found these facts very alarming and wanted to learn more about the current state of cyber preparedness.

that's why last congress, my subcommittee, the emergency preparedness response and communications ski held a joint hearing with the cybersecurity subcommittee to look at cyber preparedness and how the federal government can help states address some of the challenges they face. we heard from a homeland security adviser, a fusion center representative, the center for internet security, a chief information officer and a chief technology officer who explained the great progress the united states has made in enhancing their security capabilities. however, they caution that challenges still remain, especially with regard to information sharing of cyberthreats and risks. and where the homeland security grants may be used for cybersecurity enhancements. last congress, i introduced this bill to address the findings from that hearing. i introduced this bill in this congress to ensure that states

and first responders have the resources needed to prepare for and protect against cyberattacks. this commonsense legislation will enhance cyber risk information sharing with state and major urban area fusion centers, authorize representatives from state and urban area fusion centers to be assigned to the national cybersecurity and communications integration center and permit the end kick personnel to be deployed to the fusion centers and allow information sharing on cyber preparedness best practices with state and local stakeholders and clarify the eligibility of state homeland security grant program and urban area security initiative funding for cybersecurity enhancements and it will work to combat and -- the overclassification of cyber risk information so it can be shared more broadly with stakeholders, who have a need to

know. i appreciate that chairman mccaul, chairman ratcliffe and ranking member payne join me again as original co-sponsors of h.r. 584. this bipartisan legislation passed the house by vote last congress. i am pleased that the house is willing to take up this measure again in the new congress. i urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bipartisan bill. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from new jersey is recognized. mr. payne: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise in support of h.r. 584, the cyber preparedness act of 2017 and yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. payne: thank you. mr. speaker, since i became ranking member of the subcommittee on emergency preparedness four years ago, states have repeatedly expressed the concern about ability to confront the cyberthreat and

have rated cybersecurity among the core capabilities in which it had the least confidence. last congress, the subcommittee held a hearing on state and local efforts to counter the cyberthreat with state emergency managers and chief information officers testified about activities they were undertaking to secure their networks and infrastructure. for example, my home state of new jersey has begun developing its own cyber information sharing capability similar to d.h.s.'s national security and communications integration center. since the subcommittee held its hearing last year, the federal government has made significant rogress in providing

cybersecurity guidance to federal, state and local stakeholders. in december, 2016, the department of homeland security issued its national cybersecurity incident response plan which describes roles and responsibilities among stakeholders with respect to preventing, disrupting and responding to a cyber event. additionally, the plan also provides guidance on information sharing related to cyberthreats. facilitate d help implementation of national cyber incident response plan by promoting the sharing of cyberthreat indicators and information as well as cybersecurity's best practices with state and major area urban fusion centers. the bill designates cybersecurity as an allowable

use of state homeland security grants in urban security initiative funds which would help other states replicate the cyberthreat information sharing capabilities developed in new jersey. this is commonsense legislation passed by the house last congress. and i urge my colleagues to support the measure once again. with that, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. donovan: mr. speaker, i have no further speakers. if the gentleman from new jersey has no further speakers, i'm prepared to close once the gentleman does so. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from new jersey is recognized. mr. payne: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized.

mr. payne: mr. speaker, last fall, the threats of cyberthreats we face came into focus when a foreign government attempted to interfere and undermine the inintelligent of our presidential election by hacking into the campaign and political data bases. h.r. 584 includes language to address this threat by directing d.h.s. to share cyberthreat information regarding election equipment and technology with fusion centers. r. 584 seems to secure our critical cybernetworks by improving cyber information sharing with fusion centers in the full spectrum of cyberthreats. with that, mr. speaker, i urge my colleagues to support h.r. 584 and yield back the balance of my time.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. donovan: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. i urge my colleagues to support h.r. 584. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 584. those in favor say aye. . those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed. without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition? mr. donovan: mr. speaker, i move the house suspend the rules and ss h.r. 690, the gains and global nuclear architecture act. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report. the clerk: h.r. 690 a bill to amend the homeland security act of 2002 to enhance certain zutes of the domestic nuclear

detection office and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from new york, mr. donovan, and the gentleman from new jersey, mr. payne, each will control 20 minutes, the chair recognizes the gentleman from new york. mr. donovan: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill der consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. donovan: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. donovan: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i rise in support sponsored by representative richmond. h.r. 690 directs the department of homeland security's domestic nuclear detection office to develop and maintain documentation that provides information on how the office's research investments align with

gaps in the global nuclear detection architecture and the research challenges identified by the domestic nuclear detection office. it further directs the domestic nuclear detection office to document the rationale for selecting research topics and develop a system attic approach in evaluateing how the out comes of the individual research proper jets collectively contribute to the research challenges. isis has declared its intention to develop weapons of mass destruction which include nuclear devices as well as devices. al dispersal the key is to make sure nuclear material never falls into terrorist hands. according to data compiled by the international atomic energy agency, there were nearly 1,150 incidents involving theft,

criminal possession or loss of radiological material reported between 1993 and 2014. the james martin center for nonproliferation studies in california identified 325 instances alone between 2013 and 2014. and 38 different countries where nuclear or radioactive material was stolen, lost or outside of regulatory control. the amount of nuclear material in peaceful uses in the world has risen by 70% since 1999. it will continue to grow in the coming decades as global use of nuclear power increases. just last summer, six men were convicted in georgia for trying to sell uranium 238 and in january of 2016, three members of a criminal group were detained with trying to sell

cease anyium 137 which could be used to make a dirt bomb. we must make sure they never get their hands on radioactive materials and this bill will enhance the office's ability to provide radiation protection devices specifically aimed at preventing terrorists from being able to obtain enough radioactive material to construct a dirty bomb. this bill will ensure that the research topics it chooses to invest in to detect smuggled nuclear materials are aligned with the gaps that have been identified in the global nuclear architecture, a multiagency framework for detecting, analyzing and reporting on nuclear and other radioactive materials that are out of regulatory control. requiring the office to document their rationale for choosing research topics will ensure that

the most important gaps in the global nuclear detection architecture are addressed. i would like to thank mr. richmond for the work that he and his staff have done on this legislation. i believe this will better unable this country to detect the smuggling of nuclear materials and prevent isis and other terrorists from carrying out a nuclear radiological attack on american soil. before i close, i would like to ask unanimous consent to insert into the record an exchange of letters between chairman smith of the committee on science, space and technology and chairman mccaul of the committee on homeland security. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. donovan: i urge all members to join me in supporting this bill. and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. . the gentleman from louisiana is recognized. . the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized.

mr. richard: thank you, mr. speaker. i want to thank the gentleman from new york, mr. donovan, for his help and support and his bipartisanship. h.r. 690 is based on a bipartisan bill i introduced last year, h.r. 5391, which passed the house in september. for decades security experts have warned of the danger that radioactive materials could be smuggled within and across our borders and use as an act of nuclear terrorism. the dndo brings together expertise from across the federal government to detect and prevent the illicit transport, storage and assembly of radiological weapons. these interagency partners coordinate their efforts using a multilayered framework. the global nuclear detection argue texture or the gnda. it describes federal programs, guidelines and detection

technologies and identifies research challenges and security gaps. in 2015, g.a.o. looked at how dndo manages its $350 million research and development program. the report found that dndo needs to do a better job of doming how it chooses which projects -- determining how it hooses which projects to do. h.r. 690 would resolve these issues by requiring dndo to document the rationale it uses to prioritize research topics, explain how selected investments align with gaps and research challenges and develop a systematic approach to evaluate the outcomes for individual projects. such documentation is essential to ensure that dndo is making the right research investment to keep this nation secured. with that, mr. speaker, i urge my colleagues to support h.r.

690 and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. donovan: mr. speaker, i have no further speakers. if the gentleman from louisiana has no further speakers i am prepared to close once the gentleman does so. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from louisiana is recognized. mr. richmond: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. richmond: thank you, again, mr. speaker. my bill, h.r. 690, would help dndo use its limited resources towards projects that actually close the vulnerability gaps. preventing and detecting nuclear smuggling is a complex endeavor. it requires seamless coordination between law enforcement and intelligence officials across the federal government. i urge my colleagues to support h.r. 690 and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. donovan: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. donovan: mr. speaker, i once again urge my colleagues to support h.r. 690, and i

yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 690. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed, and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition? mr. donovan: mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 655, the securing the cities act of 2017. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 655, a bill to amend the homeland security act of 2002 to establish the securing the cities program to enhance the ability of the united states to detect and prevent terrorist attacks and other high consequence events utilizing nuclear or other radiological materials that pose a high risk to homeland security in high-risk urban

areas and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from new york, mr. donovan, and the gentleman from louisiana, mr. richmond, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from new york. mr. donovan: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and and their remarks include any extraneous material on the bill under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. donovan: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. donovan: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, as the chairman of the subcommittee on emergency preparedness, response and communications, i rise in support of h.r. 655, the securing the cities act of 2017. representing new york's 11th congressional district, which includes staten island and brooklyn, and as a former district attorney, i fully understand the importance of protecting our major cities from scatstroffic terrorist attacks. in keeping -- catastrophic

terrorist attacks. in keeping our pledge to never forget 9/11, it's our responsibility to ensure an attack like that never happens again. this bill gives the department of homeland security the tools it needs to carry out this mission. in 2015, the committee on homeland security held a hearing at ground zero in lower manhattan. at that hearing, we heard from commissioner braton of the new york city police department who described the current threat environment facing new york city. in his testimony, he specifically referenced the risks that terrorists may introduce illicit nuclear materials in the city to conduct an attack. similarly, secretary of homeland security kelly recently stated that the united states must prepare for the veality of a catastrophic -- eventuallyity of a catastrophic attack. this bill establishes the securing the cities program at the department of homeland security to enhance the ability

of the united states to detect and prevent terrorist attacks and other high-consequence events using nuclear or other radiological materials in high-risk urban areas. the securing the cities program within the domestic nuclear detection office provides training, equipment and other resources to state and local law enforcement in high-risk urban areas to prevent a terrorist group from carrying out an attack using radiological or nuclear device. this program began in 2006 as a pilot program in the new york city region which included jersey city and newark. since 2007, the new york city region has purchased nearly 14,000 radioation detectors and trained nearly 20,000 personnel. the pilot program has been so successful. los expanded to the

angeles-long beach region in fiscal year 2012, the national capital region in fiscal year 2014 and for the cities of houston and chicago in 2016. once the securing the cities program is fully implemented, it will protect nearly 100 million people across this country. i would like to thank the department of homeland security for its hard work and commitment to this program. given the alarming terrorist threat from isis and al qaeda and their willingness to carry out an attack using a weapon of mass destruction, this program cannot be more vital. i urge my colleagues to join me in supporting h.r. 655 and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from louisiana is recognized. mr. richmond: mr. speaker, i rise in support of h.r. 655, and i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. richmond: thank you, mr. speaker. for over a decade, the securing the cities program has provided a growing number of first

responders from new york city and newark, new jersey to los angeles and long beach to washington, d.c., houston and chicago with the tools they need to detect radiological and nuclear threats. securing the cities is administered by the department of homeland security's domestic nuclear detection office, dndo, which houses the department's experts on preparing for and responding rare nuke events. the program makes funding available to participating jurisdictions for planning and analysis related to radiological and nuclear threats as well as equipment purchases, training and exercises. through this program, dndo supports grantees by providing subject matter expertise, training, coordination and technical support. h.r. 655 would formerly authorize the existing securing the cities program and improve it by directing the government accountability office to assess

the program and offer recommendations for how it can become more effective. mr. speaker, this bill passed the house last congress by a vote of 441-4. with that i urge my colleagues to support it once again and reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. donovan: mr. speaker, i have no further speakers. if the gentleman from louisiana has no further speakers, i am prepared to close once the gentleman does so. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from louisiana is recognized. mr. richmond: mr. speaker, i yield myself the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. richmond: mr. speaker, the securing the cities program plays a critical role in protecting communities across america from the threat posed by radiological and nuclear weapons. h.r. 655 will ensure that this important program continues and becomes more robust in future years. i urge my colleagues to support h.r. 655 and i yield back the balance of my time.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. donovan: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. don mr. speaker, i once again urge my colleagues to support h.r. 655 and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 655. hose in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed, and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition? mr. donovan: mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 437, the medical preparedness aloublet use act. -- allowability use act. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 437, a bill to amend the homeland security act of 2002 to codify authority under existing grant guidance authorizing use of urban area

security initiative and state homeland security grant program funding for enhancing medical preparedness, medical surge apacity and mass prophylaxis capabilities. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from new york, mr. donovan, and the gentleman from louisiana, mr. richmond, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from new york. mr. donovan: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and and their remarks include any extraneous material on the bill under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. donovan: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. donovan: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, as chairman of the committee on homeland security's subcommittee on emergency preparedness, response and communications, i rise today in support of h.r. 437, the medical preparedness allowability use act. h.r. 437 was introduced by congressman bilirakis, a former chairman of the emergency

preparedness subcommittee. this bill amends the homeland security act of 2002 to make it clear that the state homeland security grant program and urban area security initiative grant funds may be used to enhance medical preparedness and purchase medical countermeasures. h.r. 437 codifies current grant guidance to ensure that recipients of the state homeland security grant program and the urban area security initiative grants will continue to be able to use these funds for medical preparedness equipment and activities. mr. speaker, the threat of a terrorist attack using a chemical or biological agent is real. we must ensure our first responders have the tools and capabilities they need should such an event occur. in my district, the city of new york has put their homeland security grants to good use for this purchase. in 2014, they held a full-scale

exercise which simulated an anthrax attack on the city. participants from agencies across the city, including the health department, the new york city police department and the office of emergency management worked to set up locations to quickly distribute life-saving medical countermeasures to city residents across the five boroughs. we must ensure that the state homeland security grant program and the urban area security initiative funds continue to be available despite any changes to yearly grant guidance for exercises like the one conducted by new york city and other important medical preparedness activities. this bill does just that. identical language to h.r. 437 passed the house last congress by a vote of 377-2. mr. speaker, i thank congressman bilirakis for introducing this commonsense bill. i urge all members to join me in supporting this bill, and i

reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from louisiana is recognized. mr. richmond: mr. speaker, i rise in support of h.r. 437 and yumeds. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized sh -- mr. richmond: mr. speaker, i rise in support of h.r. 437 and i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. richmond: an intentional release of bipathogens like anthrax attacks which shook washington after 9/11, we must ensure that our medical response communities are prepared to respond to events that may stretch their capabilities. in recent years, the metropolitan medical response program has been eliminated and grants supported by the department of health and human services such as the hospital preparedness program have been cut. as a result, many many hospitals have been forced to make tough choices and divert limited funding to support medical preparedness.

the urban area security initiative and state homeland security grant program funding can be used to bolster medical preparedness capabilities but the ability to use funds for that purpose is contingent on the grant guidance issued every year. h.r. 437 would make enhancing medical preparedness and medical surge capacity and capacities eligible for grant funds under the law. this measure passed in the house last congress and i urge my colleagues to support this measure. with that, mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. donovan: i yield to the gentleman from florida, mr. bilirakis. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from florida is recognized. mr. bilirakis: thank you, mr. speaker, and thank you, mr. chairman and i thank the ranking member for his support. i rise today in support of critical legislation to support

public safety and first responders. the medical preparedness allowable use act, h.r. 437. my bill will help secure medical countermeasures for first responders ensuring we are prepared for any type of emergency. for instance, last year in florida we faced the outbreak of outbreak. this will conduct medical preparedness activities such as planning, training and purchasing protective equipment to combat zika or other public health threats going forward. our first responders are there for us on the front lines. i consistently find myself in awe of these brave men and women and the sacrifices they make on the public's behalf. they're heroes. the least we can do is make sure they have the tools they need to do their jobs and keep us safe

and that's why my bill -- that's what it seeks to accomplish. and the legislation authorizes grant funds for the stockpiling of countermeasures including medical kits, protective gear, ventilateors and more. this should give us all peace of mind to know this vital equipment will be there in case of a crisis. importantly the grant fund used in h.r. 437 already exists. the bill does not require new or additional funding. also significant, this bill has received strong bipartisan support. i want to thank my colleagues, representative susan brooks and peter king for being the original co-sponsors of h.r. 437. i was inspired to write this legislation during my time as subcommittee chairman in the

homeland security committee after a series of hearings with folks from emergency -- from the emergency response community. they expressed the urgent need for stockpiling these medical countermeasures and for providing first responders the assurance that grant funding may be used to support them now and in the future. they need certainty, mr. speaker. i'm proud to have the support of the emergency service coalition and the international association of fire chiefs on this issue. the medical preparedness allowable use act is going to make a difference to protect the public and protect our protectors. i strongly urge passage today. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the gentleman from louisiana is recognized. mr. richmond: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. richmond: i strongly support h.r. 437, developing and maintaining medical preparedness

is an important part of national preparedness. state and local governments should not have to wonder if they will be able to use grant funds for this purpose from year to year. i urge my colleagues to support h.r. 437. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the alyields. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. donovan: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. donovan: i once again urge my colleagues to support h.r. 437 and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 437. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid n the table.

for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 612, the united states-israel cybersecurity cooperation enhancement act of 2017. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 612, a brill to establish a grant program at the department of homeland security to promote cooperative research and development between the united states and israel on cybersecurity. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from texas, mr. ratcliffe, and the gentleman from rhode island, mr. langevin, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from texas. mr. ratcliffe: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days in which to revise and

extend their remarks and include any extraneous materials on the bill under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. ratcliffe: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. ratcliffe: i rise in support h.r. 612, the united states-israel cybersecurity cooperation enhancement act of 2017. i was debateful to work closely with my colleague, mr. langevin, from rhode island, on this vitally important legislation that will build upon the existing collaboration between the united states and the state of israel on critical cybersecurity issues. following our successful congressional delegation to israel in may of last year to discuss homeland security and cybersecurity issues, mr. langevin and i worked closely to champion two important pieces of legislation. last year, i introduced h.r. 5877, the united states-israel

advanced partnership act of 2016, which was signed into law on december 16 with mr. langevin's help and support. that legislation expanded a current cooperative research program between the two countries by adding cybersecurity to a program that had previously focused only on border security, explosives detection and emergency services. today, mr. speaker, i'm pleased to have h.r. 612r, the united states-israel cybersecurity cooperation enhancement act of 2017 come before the house. this bill would expand the memorandum of agreement already in place between our department of homeland security and the state of israel by authorizing the secretary to carry out a grant program at d.h.s. to support cybersecurity research and development as well as the demonstration and commercialization of cybersecurity technologies. during our congressional

delegation, mr. langevin and i were able to meet with top israeli officials including prime minister netanyahu to discuss how the united states and israel can better cooperate in these vital areas. we had the opportunity to meet with many of israel's cybersecurity companies and technology startups. over the past several years, israel has become a leader in cybersecurity and developed a deep and talented cyber work force, something we need greater focus on here in the united states. to that end, much our discussion with israeli officials and private companies revolved around how the united states and israel can work more closely together and learn from each other as we combat growing cybersecurity threats. this legislation is a product of those successful discussions. mr. speaker, the united states and israel are both under constant threat from nation states and other actors that

wish to do our countries harm, so it's vitally important that the united states and israel work hand-in-hand to build our cyber defenses to combat these cyberthreats together. mr. speaker, it's also vital that here in the house, both parties work hand-in-hand in america's national security vulnerabilities. given the current political environment, i thank my colleague for his willingness to do just that as demonstrated by his partnership on this issue. and i very much look forward to continuing to work with him on more cybersecurity issues during the 115th congress. i urge all my colleagues to support this legislation. and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from rhode island is recognized. mr. langevin: i rise in strong support of h.r. 612, the united states-israel cybersecurity cooperation act of 2017. and i yield myself such time as

i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. langevin: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, let me start by thanking chairman ratcliffe for his leadership on the subcommittee and in particular, on the issue of cybersecurity. i have greatly enjoyed our partnership on this and many issues and i appreciate his due diligence and his hard work on many national security issues. let me also start by expressing my deep gratitude to chairman mccaul and ranking member thompson in acting so quickly in bringing this bill to the floor. both the chairman and ranking member led a very productive committee last congress and their commitment to extend our national security has extended to swift action as well. that urgency is particularly relevant to this bill. as chairman ratcliffe mentions, last may, he and i traveled to israel to meet with public and

private cybersecurity officials. i think i can speak for my friend when i say we were impressed by the israeli's efforts in this. israel was the first country to recognized the threat. and they had their leaders in cybersecurity now for a decade. for instance, the first fire wall technology was developed by an israeli firm. these are across the security landscape. israel is the second largest export of cybersecurity goods and services behind only the united states. u.s. companies certainly have taken notice and mr. ratcliffe and i met with some of their representatives during our trip. just last week, reuters reported that one of the components of microsoft $1 billion cybersecurity strategy is acquisition of three israeli corporations.

collaboration with our closest middle east ally in this emerging threat domain makes sense from a national security perspective, preserving israeli security is important to securing security in the region. we have a lot to learn from each other as well, which is why i championed government-to-got reaction for more information between d.h.s. and israel that was championed by former deputy secretary. beyond our government's working together, chairman ratcliffe and i also believe the government can do more to encourage collaboration between our private sector on issues relevant to homeland security. that's why upon our return, we worked in close collaboration to develop two bills to enhance these relationships. i could not have asked for a better partnership in this effort and i was thrilled that our first bill, the united

states-israel advanced research partnership act was signed into law last month. it is our second bill which the house passed in november, but failed to make it through the senate before congress adjourned last year that we are discussing this bill today. specifically, this bill creates a cybersecurity grant program to joint research and development ventures between israeli and american entities. projects would be selected after a merit-review process and address requirements and cybersecurity determined by the secretary of homeland security. the grants would also be subject to a cost-sharing with at least 50% of project funds coming from a non-federal source. importantly, h.r. 612 leverages existing united states-israel r&d infrastructure, the bynational or bird information and b.s.f.

both organizations have a proven track record of encouraging joint research ventures. bird has financed r&d and commercialization projects that have led tore $8 billion in commercial sales since its founding while b.s.f. funds collaborations between the top scientists in our respective countries as 45 nobel laureates have received support from the foundation. congress passed the energy independence and security act in 2007 that led to the creation of bird energy and capitalizes on both networks, the united states and israeli entities to help creed these joint ventures. these factors are critical in the cybersecurity domain where techniques and tactics change on

a weekly or monthly basis. having people from different backgrounds and the security culture working together engenders an environment with such re-examination is encouraged. while both the u.s. and israel have robust cybersecurity communities, further collaboration will spur more advancement to combat the threats that we face. and although some of these advances are technological in nature, basic cybersecurity research, such as investigations into the psychology of secure interface design and social engineering is also supported by the bill. all told, the programs authorized in h.r. 612 will both address urgent homeland security needs and build capacity for further transnational collaboration on cybersecurity all while matching federal investment with private sector dollars and funds from the israeli

government. mr. speaker, i normally preface my remarks on cybersecurity with the speculation of the threat our country faces. i would hope given recent events i don't have to remind my colleagues of the dangers we face which i see as one of the key national security challenges of the 21st century. though i would hope incidents like the recent attack on ukrainian power grid demonstrate the power of a computer keyboard to affect our critical infrastructure, i would hope the breach of hundreds of millions of accounts at yahoo!, which affected around 10% of the world's population, demonstrates how pervasive data collection is and its vulnerabilities. and i will certainly hope that the russian information warfare operations targeting the very foundations of our democracy, our elections, demonstrates the stakes we face. in the face of these threats, we must join together with our allies to protect a free and

open internet and ensure that the amazing benefits of technology are not overshadowed by the new vulnerabilities that they open up. mr. speaker, h.r. 612 is an important step to driving the innovation we need in the security space to meet these two goals. as with any bills that make it to the floor, this bill owes much to the dedicated staff on both sides of the aisle who spent countless hours behind the scenes reviewing this legislation. i thank them for their extraordinary and exceptional work. i'm grateful to chairman mccaul and ranking member thompson and subcommittee ranking member richmond for their continued leadership on this, on cybersecurity and chairman ratcliffe for his work and their assistance in quickly actualizing the lessons we have learned on our trip to israel. o finally, i oh, once again in

closing, to my friend across the aisle, chairman ratcliffe, who in his first term immediately had a substantial impact on our nation's cybersecurity with whom it's been a great pleasure to work. i look forward to our continued work in this congress and beyond and, mr. speaker, h.r. 612 does three things. it encourages innovative approaches to address top priorities in homeland security r&d, it strengthens ties with israel, one of our closest allies, and it does so in a public-private partnership that matches federal investment. so with that i urge members to support h.r. 612, and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. ratcliffe: mr. speaker, i have no other speakers, and i'm prepared to close once my good friend from rhode island does. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from rhode island is recognized. mr. langevin: i thank the chairman and, mr. speaker, i

yield myself the balance of the time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. langevin: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, if you indulge me for a moment, i'd like to read something the saudi arabian computer emergency response team put out last week. quote, following a recent cyberattack which targeted several national organizations, this is an urgent call for your cybersecurity team to be on the alert. attacks which could possibly cripple your organizational systems. those of my colleagues who are not aware, the shamoon attack of 2012 took out tens of thousands of computers at the saudi state oil company saudi aramco. it has been targeting saudi government agencies and private industry since november. i bring this up, mr. speaker, because open source intelligence reports points to iran as being responsible to

the original shamoon attack. i believe it's a good chance that iranian aligned actors are behind the recent incident as well. our partners remain under this threat every day and so do we. seven iranian attackers were arraigned for probing the network of a new york dam. the same threats that leave me unable to sleep, keep my friend, dr. matana, head of the israeli cybersecurity bureau up at night as well. closing our vulnerability is hard, mr. speaker, but it's possible if we bring our two countries perspective to bear on the problem. i know my colleagues in the senate share these sentiments and i hope they will quickly take this bill up and start fostering further collaboration as soon as possible. so with that let me again thank chairman ratcliffe for his leadership, his outstanding work on this bill. i urge my colleagues to support

it and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. ratcliffe: thank you, mr. speaker. i'd like to thank the gentleman from rhode island for his kind words. i'd also like to thank him and commend him for his leadership on cybersecurity issues for many years in this house, and i look forward to working with him for many years, hopefully, to come and i thank him for his friendship and collaboration in helping to make america safer. and with that, mr. speaker, i, again, urge all my colleagues to support h.r. 612, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 612. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed, and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table.

pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, proceedings will resume on the questions previously postponed. votes will be taken in the following manner, ordering the previous question on house resolution 70 and adoption of house resolution 70, if ordered. the first electronic vote will be conducted as a 15-minute vote. remaining electronic votes will be conducted as a five-minute vote. the unfinished business is the vote on ordering the previous question on house resolution 70 on which the yeas and nays are ordered. the clerk will report the title of the resolution. the clerk: house calendar number 6, house resolution 70, resolution providing for consideration of the joint resolution house joint resolution 38, disapproving the rules submitted by the department of the interior known as the stream protection rule. the speaker pro tempore: the question is on ordering the previous question. 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.]

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote the yeas are 236. the nays are 183. the previous question is ordered. the question is on adoption of the resolution. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. the gentleman from florida is recognized. mr. hastings: mr. speaker, i ask for a recorded vote. the speaker pro tempore: a recorded vote is requested. those favoring a recorded vote will rise. a sufficient number having arisen, a recorded vote is ordered. members will record their votes by electronic device. this will be a five-minute vote . [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote the yeas are 236 --

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote the yeas are 236. the nays are 186. the resolution is adopted. without objection, a motion to reconsider is laid on the table.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from oklahoma rise? >> madam speaker, i send to the desk a privileged report for filing under the rule. the clerk: report to accompany house resolution 74, resolution providing for consideration of the joint resolution house joint resolution 36, providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5 united states code of the final rule of the bureau of land management relating to waste prevention, subject to royalties and research conservation and providing for consideration of the joint resolution house joint resolution 37, disapproving the rules submitted by the department of defense, the general services administration and the national aeronautics and space administration relating to the federal acquisition regulation. the speaker pro tempore: referred to the house calendar and ordered printed.

the house will be in order. members, please take your conversations off the floor. the house will be in order. members, please take your conversations off the floor. the house will be in order. will members kindly take their onversations off the floor.

will members please take their conversations off the floor.

he house will be in order. members please take your conversations off the floor. the chair will now entertain requests for one-minute peeches. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from north carolina seek recognition? ms. foxx: i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentlewoman is recognized for one minute. ms. foxx: madam speaker, the house is not in order. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. ms. foxx: thank you, madam speaker. every campaign season, like clockwork, families are bombarded with an endless stream of political robo calls. there's little voters can do to

stop the annoyance which all too often comes right in thed my of family dinners and bedtimes because politicians made sure to exempt themselves from the pow ore they have do not call registry. that's why i've introduced legislation h.r. 740 to stop the intrusion of political row bo calls this homes across -- robo calls in homes across americans. the robo calls off phones act or robocop act requires a revision of legislation regarding the do not call legislation and prohibit prerecorded campaign messages from being sent to those on the do not call registry. it gives americans the ability opt out of bothersome interruptions. removing these political robocalls is a matter of fair ns and will help bring peace and quiet to homes throughout the campaign season. i yield back.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back. the house is not in order. will members please take their conversation off the floor. for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> thank you very much, madam speaker. i rise today to recognize the incredible work of former congressman and now california state attorney general javier becerra. attorney general becerra holds nearly three decades of elected public service as a state legislator a member of congress, and now as california's attorney general. i am proud to call javier becerra my friend. it's been a pleasure to work alongside him as he clagesly fought for all american, for women, lgbtq communities, minorities and comprehensive immigration reform. he's the first latino to serve in on one of the most powerful committees of our house and the

first latino chairman of the democratic caucus. mr. cardenas: our -- through his work our priorities have become refined. attorney general becerra, thank you for your tireless service to our country, you have become one of the most influential leaders of our time. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does to the gentlewoman from new mexico seek recognition? without objection, the gentlewoman is recognized for ne minute. >> madam speaker, i ask -- i stand here today to recognize the extraordinary leadership of javier becerra, who for the last 24 years proudly served the people of los angeles, california, as a member of the united states house of representatives. javier's career in public service began as a call to fight

for people like his parents, a clerical worker and a construction worker, who were often neglected in the policymaking process. ms. lujan grisham: he was elected in congress in 1992. he most recently served as the first hispanic member on the committee on ways and means. he was also the chairman of the house democratic caucus and chairman of the congressional hispanic caucus. he worked with his colleagues to increase opportunities for working families to improve social security and to strengthen medicare he fought for a tax code that was fair to hardworking families and small businesses he stood for immigrants of all communities in his support of the dream act and comprehensive immigration reform he continues this important work now as the attorney general of california where he is already using his position, knowledge, and experience to uphold our values by rejecting policies that this administration hopes to exact on the american people. representative becerra, thank you and your family for your service, your community, your

colleagues, your country, and i thank you for your service. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas rise? from california. texas. without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> madam speaker, we have the lowest levels of northbound apprehension coming across our southern border in modern history. we have more mexican nationals going south to mexico today than coming north to the united states. we have less than zero migration from mexico. in el paso, texas the border community, is the safest city in the united states. mr. o'rourke: on top of that, there's been not a terrorist a terrorist plot, or a terrorist organization that's connected to our border with mexico. but just in case, we're being vigilant, spending $19 billion a year to secure that border, 20,000 brave members of the border patrol who patrol every

inch of that 2,000-mile border. madam speaker, we d not need a wall on our southern border. it's a waste of time, it's a waste of resources, and it takes our eye off the real threats to this country. madam speaker, i ask that my colleagues join me in opposing a wall from this new administration. with that, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? without objection the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> madam speaker, i rise today to thank my friend and former colleague javier becerra for his long and effective record of service on behalf of california in congress. attorney general javier becerra has been a true mentor and a friend to me, especially during his transition serving -- during the transition serving as a new member of congress. his support and service affirmed

that the children of immigrants and the immigrants themselves have a crucial role to play in our federal government. r. carbajal: i want to congratulate mr. becerra on his well-deserved appointment to serve as california's attorney general. while he's no longer with us in the house, i know his new appointment will be even greater felt across our country during these troubling political times. i have no doubt that as attorney general javier will defend our constitution and fight for families in california and help our state serve as a beacon of hope and progress in america. madam speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentlelady from ohio seek recognition? without objection, the gentlewoman is recognized for one minute. ms. kaptur:hams, i rise to focus on -- ms. kaptur: madam speaker, i rise to focus on president

trump's executive action to deny entrance to the united states of certain refugees and travelers who were cleared and properly vetted. the arbitrary and discriminatory nature of his order is odd in that he only identified seven countries to be included an one must ask, why were other nations excluded? yes, excluded from the executive order are several middle eastern, african and other nations where the trump organization has business interests. cluding turkey, the united arab emirates, azerbaijan, and saudi arabia where the majority of 9/11 terrorists originated from. we know mr. trump has failed to divest from his company as ethics experts have duly noted. every morne -- american should wonder if he designed this executive order with his own business interests at least partly in mind. this is the purpose of divestiture, to eliminate any possible question of doubt or possible mal intent.

without divethsing from management and ownership, president trump's circumstances threatens the basic tenet of the rule of law that the government and all its actors will discharge duties in the best interest of the american people, not their self-interest or their interests of their cronies or the interest of their brand. i yield back my remaining time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back. are there any further one-minutes? under the speaker's announced policy of january 3, 2017, the gentleman from texas, mr. gohmert is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.

mr. gohmert: thank you, madam speaker. might say, it is great seeing you in the chair, madam speaker. you're a natural fit. maybe we can do something about that at some point. it's great. it is an honor to speak in 24 -- speak in this hallowed hall and there has been much ado made about contrived misrepresentations about what's going on with president trump's executive order regarding seven countries that the obama administration designated as being problems when it comes to refugees coming from those countries. and it's been absolutely incredible and i think some of

us were talking, it really exemplifies why networks like n that was the one, the only 24-hour cable news network, have ost so much to other networks. nbc, cnbc, and even fox news t caught up in some of the misrepresentations and i couldn't believe that they were spending the kind of time talking about a contrived issue. now, there was a problem in some innocent people being delayed and improperly handled. people that didn't deserve that.

i'm familiar with how that feels because i deal, like most of us do in this body, i deal with t.s.a. on virtually a weekly or even sometimes more often basis. but there's a great article here ,y john hayward from january 29 sober heyward says the and logical reasons for president donald trump's executive order on refugees and visitors are rising above the noise after an evening of his terical overreactions and emotional metdowns on the nation's tv networks. advocates of sane, secure immigration policy have long noted it's almost impossible to have a reasonable discussion of the refugee and immigration

issues because it's been sentimentalized, politicized, even beyond the realm of rational thought. this weekend brings them another superb example of media magnified sleeking about fascism -- shrieking about fascism, bleeding about -- bleeting about white nationalists, howling about persecution, false invocations of the constitution, and theatrical sobbing on behalf of the statue of liberty. we do have that water coming off the statue of liberty being analyzed so that we can determine whether or not it's tears or something else. but nonetheless, readers who for to wallow in the motion them examples can be found in this handy dossier of hysteria

compiled by "the washington post." but clear-eyed adults prefer to examine plain facts about president trump's executive order. number one. it was not a muslim ban. i have the executive order here and unlike those in the senate and those in the media who were just excoriating the president and anyone involved in this executive order, i actually read it, unlike those people. i read the executive order. and because i read the executive order, i understood there was no an against muslims, no ban against islam, it was very straightforward. and hayward's article points that out he said, you'll search the executive order in vain for mentions of islam or any other

religion. by sunday morning, the media began suffering acute attacks of honesty and writing headlines such as, quote, trump's latest executive order banning people from seven countries and more, unquote. and that was from cnn. and madam speaker, i'm very pleased that cnn finally got around to having a more truthful headline. granted, cnn still slips the phrase muslim majority countries in the article including "the post" which they reprinted its text in full, but "muslim," not rd "trump." the order applies to all citizens of iraq, iran, syria,

libya, somalia, sudan and yemen. it does not specify muslims. the indefinite hold on syrian refugees will affect christians and muslims alike, not to mention people of every other religion and people of no religion. as tim carney of "the washington examiner" points out, the largest muslim majority countries in the world are not named in the executive order. more countries may be added to the moratorium in the days to come, as the secretary of homeland security has been instructed to complete a 30-day review of nationes that don't provide adequate information for vetting applicants. it's also noteworthy that the ban is not absolute. exceptions for foreign

nationals traveling on diplomatic missions, north atlantic treaty organization visas, c-2 visas for travel to the united nations, and g-1, g-2, g-3 and g-4 visas are expressly made in order. the departments of state and homeland security could also grant exceptions on a case-by-case basis. that's all in the executive order. and, quote, when in the national interest issue visas or other immigration benefits to nationals of countries for which visas and benefits are not otherwise blocked, unquote. there's a provision in the executive order that says applications based on religious persecution will be prioritized, quote, provided that the religion of the individual is a minority religion in the individual's country of nationality, unquote.

and so it's important to note here, i think, from the , cutive order it says applications based on religious persecution. that means that people that have applied for visas or immigration benefits to come in the united states who hemselves raise their religion as a reason to let them in the nited states, those need to be prioritized based on whether or t their religion is actually being persecuted. those holding those religious beliefs are actually being persecuted, and i think that's a rather intelligent way to approach things. but in those cases, it would be the applicant that would raise the issue of religion, not the

trump administration, not the state department, not homeland security. it would be the foreign applicant trying to come in the united states who would be the one to raise that issue. the article goes on, this has been denounced as a, quote, stealth muslim ban, unquote, by some of the very same people who were conspicuously silent when the obama administration pushed christians through the most savagedly persecuted minority in the united states with only the yazidis to the back of the migration line. so it is important to note that for years this administration has been part of the discrimination and persecution against christians in the world against whom there has been a genocide in progress.

when the head of the u.n. was in charge of the refugee program, was asked, why is there not a similar percentage of christians coming in as refugees to other countries to the percentage that christians make up in that nation they come from, and basically the man who is now head of the united nations said, well, it's important to leave them where they have this historical presence, basically. so in other words, yes, there's a genocide going on. they want to kill off every christian in those areas, every christian in the middle east, and so the u.n. -- now secretary general, says, let's

leave them in the area where they're being wiped off the map , brutally killed, let's leave them there until we can say this place where they were historically has now shown there are none there, they've all been brutally murdered, as the u.n. watched and didn't help. is outrageous how uncivilized this united nations filed the and i bill and i still think we should bring it to the floor that would require a complete defunding by the united states of the united nations until such time as they withdraw the resolution of the security council that condemned israel.

i mean, it's like a teacher of mine in the fifth grade after i got beat up by a bully who had been held back two grades, was about 18 inches taller, she pointed to the class and said, this is what happens when little boys try to play with big boys. well, that's basically what the obama administration had been doing. it's basically what the u.n. had been doing. they took the side of the mean bullies that had been devastating the christians in the area, and having talked to so many christians who were iving in syria and who the mainstream press said, oh, they're big assad fans. no, they're not big assad fans. they knew he could be quite brutal, but their only point that the mainstream media and

the united states and the world s missing that assad prevented christians from being the victims of a genocide. d as assad was weakened, the assaults and the murders and the rapes of christians increased exponentially. and i do think that the united states may still be held to account in the ledger of world history, what i would submit is god's ledger, for having the right to he moral stop a genocide of christians in the middle east, and we participated in leaving them where they were, as did the u.n., so they could be brutally

murdered. going back to mr. hayward's article. number two, the order, talking about the executive order of donald trump, the order is based on security reviews conducted by president barack obama's deputies. and madam speaker, for those in the mainstream media, i think it's important to repeat that line. president trump's executive rder that didn't ban muslims but that ordered a temporary pause on people from certain countries from whom we had no information or inadequate information to vet the people that are coming in, it was based on security reviews conducted by president barack obama's deputies. white house counselor

kellyanne conaway pointed out, the seven countries named in president trump's executive order are drawn from the terrorist prevention act of 2015. the 2015, quote, visa waiver program improvement and terrorist travel prevention act of 2015 named iraq, iran, sudan, syria. while its 2016 update added lib are a, somalia and -- libya, somalia and yemen. quote, these are countries that have a history of training, harboring, exporting terrorists. we can't keep pretending and looking the other way, said conway. moratorium is largely temporary. citizens of the seven countries -- and by the way, in this executive order that president trump signed, there's no mention of the countries. it refers to what president obama signed, declaring first

the four countries and then the three countries. this refers to that which president obama signed. he doesn't single out or name the countries, and i can't help but think, as intelligent as some of the people are that are assisting president trump, that hey showed a massive amount of naivity because it appears that they thought if in the executive order president trump refers to documents that president obama signed designating these countries as countries where we didn't have adequate information, then even the mainstream media would have to go back to president trump and look above his signature and see that these are places that president obama said were threats. and then they would, having

some semblance of a conscience, have to point out that actually trump is just putting in an executive order what basically obama signed off on but didn't go ahead and carry out what needed to be done based on that law. ut, as i say, these folks were rather naive and as the saying goes in washington, no matter how cynical you get, it's never enough to catch up in this town. and so the trump administration, the trump advisors have a lot of growing how to understand just unfair the media can be. it's a valid presumption that if you don't name the

countries, you make the mainstream media go back and look at what president obama signed that they'll understand, oh, this is what president obama proclaimed that he's basing this on so we can't be so mean to president trump. well, it didn't turn out that way, and they're learning that just because it would make in t sense, be common sense most areas of the country, areas that are not the fringe, that voted for hillary clinton, but most of the country would say it's common sense. it isn't common within the original 10-by-10 mile boundaries of the district of columbia which are no longer 10-by-10 after ceding the land west of the potomac to virginia back in the 1840's. but number four -- this is the

heyward article -- obama banned immigration from iraq and carter banned immigration from iran. act checking website politifact, twists itself into knots to avoid giving a true rating to the absolutely true fact that jimmy carter banned iranian immigration in 1980 unless applicants could prove they were enemies of the could he mainy thee ockrass -- khomeini theocracy. they stated that carter, quote, acted against irani nationals, not against an entire religion. president trump's executive order is precisely the same. it doesn't name a religion.