to the house floor for a couple of votes on measures they debated this afternoon. including one on-calling on usaid for -- to raise emergency funding for south sudan. also a bill that would improve security screening procedures for employees at airports. those votes coming up momentarily. here on c-span. over in the senate, while they've gaveled out for the day, they've finished their work, they approved the nomination of deputy attorney general and advance the nomination of labor secretary. with the cloture vote, the procedural vote coming up tomorrow morning at 11:30. according to our capitol hill producer, that's at 11:30 tomorrow on c-span2. off the floor also this evening on capitol hill, the treasury secretary's been up in leader mcconnell's office talking about tax reform and the administration's tax plan. meeting with speaker ryan. we'll take you live to the house floor here on c-span.

pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, proceedings will resume on motions to suspend the rules previously votes will be taken in the following order. house resolution 187 by the yeas and nays, house resolution 876 by the yeas and nays. the first electronic vote will be conducted as a 15-minute vote. remaining electronic votes will be conducted as five-minute votes. the vote is on the motion of the the gentleman from california, mr. royce, to suspend the rules and agree to house resolution 187 as amended, on which the yeas and nays are ordered. the clerk will report the title of the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 187, resolution responding to the famine in south sudan. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and agree to the resolution as amended. 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 411, the nays are two. 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the resolution is agreed to and, without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table.

the speaker: members will kindly take their seats, take their conversations off the floor. sth house will be in order. the chair lays before the house a communication. the clerk: the honorable the speaker, house of representatives, sir. i have the honor to transmit herewith a copy of the certificate of election received from the honorable chris w. could he back, secretary of state of kansas, indicating that, at the special election held on april 11, 2017, the honorable ron estes was dual elected representative in congress for -- duly elected representative in congress for the fourth congressional district, state of kansas. with best wished, i am, signed, sincerely, karen l. haas, clerk. the speaker: members will take their conversations off flooder -- off the floor. representative-elect estes

and members of the kansas delegation present themselves in the well. all members will rise and the representative-elect will raise is 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. estes demrmpling congratulations -- -- mr. mr. estes: i do. the speaker: congratulations. you are now a member of the 15th congress.

without objection, the gentlelady from kansas, ms. jenkins, is recognized for one minute. ms. jenkins: thank you, mr. speaker. the speaker: the gentlelady will suspend. he house will be in order. ms. jenkins: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise this evening to congratulate my good friend and our newhouse colleague, ron estes. i've known ron and his wife, susan, for many years. i can tell you he's truly one of the nicest guys you will ever want to know. ron and i share a common bond, having served as state treasurers in kansas. and i've watched him serve in that role well. with the nation $20 trillion in debt, it's always nice to add a fellow conservative to congress to help fix the debt and get our economy on the right fiscal track. which i know ron is committed to doing. he's dedicated his entire life to bold innovations and efficiency reform and problem-solving in both the public and the private sector.

kansans in the fourth district can be proud of their new congressman and i look forward to working with congressman ron estes on behalf of kansans. with that i would like to yield to our newest colleague, congressman ron estes. mr. estes: thank you. thank you, mr. speaker. thank you, member jenkins. and the entire kansas delegation. and thank you for all -- to all the members for serving. i also want to thank my wife, susan estes, who is up in the allery tonight.

nd my mother is also up there. my son brit and my daughters laura and grace estes. as you all know, you can't run an election and can't serve without family and friends and i appreciate the effort they put in on behalf of me. i look forward to serving with you. this is an honor to be a public servant and work with you in the chamber. my background both in the private sector before i was elected county treasurer and state from treasurer was the

focus how to get things done and that's the message that came through in the election was that the voters in my district want to see us accomplish things and get them done. and i appreciate the time and appreciate the opportunity and i look forward to serving with you to accomplish things for our country. the speaker: the chair announces to the house in light of the administration of the oath to the gentleman from kansas, the whole number of the house is 431. without objection, five-minute voting will continue. the unfinished is on the vote of the the gentleman from new york, mr. katko to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 876 on which the

yeas and nays are ordered. the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: a bill to amend the homeland security act to reform programs to the transportation security administration and for other purposes. the speaker: will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill as amended. members will record their votes by electronic device. this is a five-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the speaker pro tempore: the yeas are 409. the nays are zero. 2/3 being in the affirmative, the bill is passed and without objection, the the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from georgia seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i send to the desk a privileged report for filing under the rule the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title. the clerk: report to accompany use resolution and h.r. 1965 to amend title 17 to provide additional responsibilities for the register of copyrights and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: referred to the house calendar and ordered printed.

without objection, the title of h.r. 876 is amended. the house will be in order. he house will be in order. members will please take their conversations off the floor. nd clear the well. he house will be in order. members and staff, please take your conversations off the floor.

for what purpose does the gentleman from georgia seek recognition? >> request to address the house and revise and stepped my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. >> thank you, mr. speaker. it is with a heavy heart and solemn remembrance that i rise to pay tribute to an outstanding public servant, the honorable dawson mathis. he passed away on april 17, 2017. a memorial service will be held on saturday, april 29. a georgia man through and through, dawson was born on ovember 30, 1940 to marvin and nell. and attended south georgia college. before seeking public office, he

made a name for himself as the chor and news direct or at wlbt from 196 to 1970. that year, the young 29-year-old dawson was elected to represent georgia's 2nd congressional district. he served on the house agriculture committee where he was a staunch advocate for the farmers. he was known for working with lawmakers to find common ground that would best serve the interests of americans. in 1980, congressman mathis ran unsuccessfully for the united states senate. after being defeated in 1982, advocated on this behalf of peanut farmers. george washington carver once

said, no individual has any right to come into the world or go out out of it. indeed, congressman dawson mathis devoted many years of service to the people of georgia who has skill and genuine passion and he will be remembered for years to come. on a personal note, congressman mathis was one of my predecessors in serving the 2 rnedcoppingsal district of district. congressman mathis was a great representative for southwest georgia and rural america and i looked up to him as an example of how a public servant should serve his constituents. mr. speaker, my wife vivian and i and the 70 residents of georgia eel 2nd congressional

district salute him for his service and everlasting commitment to improving the quality of life to our citizens. i ask my colleagues here in the house of representatives to join us in steppeding our deepest condolences to his family and friends during this difficult time. we pray that they will be consoled and comforted by an abiding faith and the holy spirit in the days, weeks and months ahead. mr. speaker, i yield back, but i ask at this time that the house would observe a moment of silence in remembrance of the late congressman mathis. the speaker pro tempore: please tand for a moment of silence. the speaker pro tempore: the

chair will entertain requests for one-minute speeches. for what purpose does the gentlelady from florida seek recognition? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentlelady is recognize. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you so much, mr. speaker. i would like to recognize the women's committee of big brothers-big sisters of miami as the members gear up to celebrate the 17th annual miracle makers fashion show and luncheon on april 27. through its mentoring programs, big brothers and big sisters of miami has given our community over 50 years of proven success in providing at-risk youth with the tools and resources to discover their true potential and thrive in their personal, academic, and professional lives. thanks to the invaluable dedication of its staff and volunteers, big brothers and big sisters of miami has rightfully earned its reputation as the gold standard of mentoring youngsters. the upcoming miraclemakers

fashion show will highlight some of our community's most outstanding miracle makers while bringing attention to the positive impact that mentoring our youth can have. i encourage all south floridians who want to give back to our community to lend their time and support to big brother he was big sisters of miami. together, we can make a brighter future for all. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields. for what purpose does the gentleman from illinois seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, today as a member of the house oversight committee i had the opportunity to view classified documents relating to general michael flynn's disturbing foreign financial relationships. i'm proud that chairman chaffetz

and ranking member cummings worked together in a bipartisan fashion to bring those documents before our committee. the issue oforthi: russian influence in our democracy affects everyone. i hope all members will have the chance to review these critical materials. while the information in the documents is classified i remain profoundly disturbed by the questions they raiseful i also remain very concerned about how they're being portrayed by the white house. the growing credibility gap between the administration and the american people only underscores the need for an independent commission to uncover all the facts. i am heartened, however that today chairman chaffetz and ranking member cummings came together in a bipartisan fashion regarding this issue. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania seek recognition? without objection the gentleman

is recognized for one minute. >> mr. speaker, there's been a lot of talk lately about president trump's first 100 days in office. the first 100 days of an administration offer a chance to watch a new president turn proposed policy changes into reality. in southwestern pennsylvania, we are seeing president trump fulfill his pledge to end the war on coal and we are seeing real change. mr. rothfus: for example, the very day that president trump signed legislation overturning one of former president obama's anti-coal rule a coal company in somerset county announced it would open a brand new coal mine that will create at least 70 middle class jobs. it would be great if president trump could make it out to the mine's grand opening, scheduled for june 8. mr. speaker, i've met with miners as their mines were closed in the previous administration and listened to their stories as they worried about their kids and paying their mortgages. it's a new day, mr. speaker, and i look forward to more opportunities being created as

we continue to work beyond president trump's first 100 days to roll back washington, d.c.'s job-killing regulations. i thank the speaker and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. for what purpose does the gentleman from michigan 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, mr. speaker. last week in michigan i toured the bay area women's center which provides emergency shelter and counseling to survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence, and their children. mr. kildee: i toured the center to get a better understanding of their important work, to see what they do and how the women's center would be impacted by president trump's proposed budget cuts. 2/3 of they have women center's budget comes from federal grants through the violence against women act, one of the first bill us co-sponsored, i saw it signed into law by president obama.

i'm concerned. the cuts that president trump has proposed would effectively eliminate the important life-saving care, life-saving rescue that this organization provides to women and children and others facing domestic violence. 15,000 citizens. in michigan could lose access to these life-saving, very important services. what kind of country are we if we don't provide this sort of support to our most vulnerable citizens at their moment of need? we need to reject these dangerous cuts. with that, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from north carolina seek recognition? ms. foxx: thank you, mr. speaker. i asked unanimous -- 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: tomorrow, g.e. will hold its 2017 annual meeting of

share holders in asheville, north carolina. the company will also be celebrating its 125th anniversary. g.e. likes to hold its share owners meeting in a different city each year to highlight the company's strong presence in communities across the united states. and it certainly has significant business operations in north carolina. g.e. supports nearly 18,000 jobs in the state. between its direct employees and its suppliers. for every one g.e. job, three north carolina jobs are supported. $7.2 mpany also generates billion in total production output per year in north carolina and compensates employees more than twice the state average. g.e. makes this investment in our great state because it knows that the workers in north carolina, especially those at the g.e. facility in west

jefferson in the fifth district, work hard and have a commitment to excellence. thank you, mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields. for what purpose does the gentleman from rhode island seek recognition? without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. langevin: mr. speaker, i rise today in recognition of autism awareness month. it is shocking to know that at least one in 68 children have been identified with autism spectrum disorder in the united states. my own family has been affected by this situation with my nephew joshua, who is now 20, a bright and energetic young man who is autistic. mr. speaker, early detection and treatment plans are crucial to development of the child's social, behavioral and communications skill. as such, we must research new intervention, provide support to families and care givers and fund programs that assist those

living with autism well into adulthood. right now, especially when they age into adulthood, those resources are not there. on sesame street recently they introduced an autistic character named julia to teach people about autism. i'm hoping julia with can help convey a message to our youth and i will continue to support them with at provide the tools they need to survive. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman rise? without objection the gentleman is recognized for one minute. s i rise to recognize wesley oe of michigan who became the united states' chess champion. he's already one of the top chess grand masters. mr. paulsen: and he and his opponent went into a playoff

after a two-way tie. won e two-game playoff, he the first game handily and was able to force a win with a perpetual check whiz knight. his win streak is now 167 games. he has quickly made a name for himself in the world of chess since coming to america from the philippines, he's now the number two ranked player in the world and is prime position to play the top player, norway's magnus carlsson. congratulations to wesley soe on an impressive run of dominance. we'll be cheering for him as he continues to work on becoming the first american chess grand aster in more than 40 years. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? without objection the gentleman s recognized for one minute. >> mr. speaker, i rise today to

urk this -- to urge this congress to work together to avoid a shutdown of the federal government this week. we must pass a clean funding bill that members from both parties can support without any ideological riders. we cannot allow the american public and the families in my district to foot the bill resulting from partisan gridlock. a shutdown would mean disrupting economic growth and potentially triggering job losses across the country. mr. carbajal: like we experienced in the 2013 shutdown. a shutdown damages our economy and national security. it's vital this congress put forward a clean funding resolution. it would be irresponsible for us to engage in partisan political games with the funding of our federal government. mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania seek recognition? >> i request unanimous condition con -- consent to address the

house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. thompson: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to congratulate nancy lombard y on her well-deserved retirement. he's the executive director of the league of services. she's been instrumental in leading several programs that the league provoids for the betterment of local communities. nancy manages several programs including child care information services of clarion, clearfield, and jefferson counties. children first, which is a seminar for divorced parents to help cope with divorce and how it affects their children. safe haven which provides a safe meeting place for custodial parents visit with a noncustodial parent as well as child and adult care food program. nancy has given her time to numerous boards to advocate for children's needs, children and youth services and more.

she's been a valuable and dedicated leader to the league for many years and she will be missed. on behalf of congress of the united states, i wish nancy lombardo all the best in her retirement. i yeement bag -- i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman seek recognition? without objection, the gentlewoman is recognized for ne minute. >> thank you, mr. speaker. our children are this nation's greatest asset. our future is in their hands. so we have to make sure that they have the tools they need to lead our country and tackle whatever challenges the future holds. this is why i was shocked the president's budget makes drastic cuts to education, cuts that will have the biggest impact on kids who need our help the most. in my district, a quarter of our kids live in poverty with

parents working long hours in multiple jobs just to make ends meet. yet president trump wants to cut after and before-school programs as well as over $4 million in programs to hire and train teachers and reduce class size. as if congress -- as this congress crafts our budget, i ask my republican colleagues to reject these cuts and truly invest in our future. we'll never make america great if we leave our kids behind. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields. frup does the gentleman from kentucky seek recognition? without objection the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> mr. speaker, i rise today to bring awareness to april being national donate life month. 117,992 currently people who need life-saving organ transplants.

of those, there are nearly 1,000 kentuckians on that list. to put it in perspective, every 10 minutes, someone is added to that list. mr. comber: despite advances in -- mr. comer: despite advances in medicine there continues to be a gap between supply and demand. on average 22 people die waiting for a transplant. kentucky legislation passed in 2006 enabling residents to have vare wishes documented through at the kentucky organ registry. by joining the registry, an individual's wishes are documented in a safe and secure day a ta base. several states have created their own registry. 95% of americans are in favor of being a donor, only 54% are registered. this is why registering is to important. mr. speaker, i would also like to recognize my field representative, emila wilson who received a liver transplant in

2005 and is awaiting a second transplant. emila resides in livingston county with her husband alan wilson. after courageously undergoing her first transplant she has dedicated herself to advocating for organ donation. we're lucky to have her serving the first district of kentucky as a field representative. this is what elevates her as an advocate, friend and servant of the first district. during national donate life month, i encourage everyone to remember me bravery and diligence of people like emila. please consider the importance of donating life. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from michigan seek recognition? > i ask unanimous consent to address the house. federal workers protect our

public health and environment and deliver our mail ap help our businesses and home buyers and keep us safe. and would damage their morale services they provide. and in case congress ap white house fail to reach appear agreement. i urge my colleagues to co-sponsor the federal employee retroactive pay fairness act. this bill is unusual. we work hard to get it written into law, but this bill, i will prevent it. if this becomes law, it means congress has failed. republicans hold the white house and both chambers of the congress. have my friends will nothing to do to hold the house.

i urge them to work out a bill to avoid a government shutdown. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from michigan seek recognition? >> permission to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the gentleman is recognized. >> i rise on behalf of communities on behalf of communities of first district for zri, mobility and economic success. i believe when it comes to protecting taxpayer dollars, we as congress have a fiduciary responsibility to the american people. we owe it to them to what is working and what wasn't. the essential air services program is a great example of a program that is working and i'm proud to support it. grants make it possible for eight of the 10 airports to

provide reliable air services, promote economic stability and job growth and support a healthy tourism industry in the upper peninsula. the benefits that this program provides to small towns and across the united states are well worth the investment and i look forward to working with my colleagues in congress toville full funding and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does combasm arizona seek recognition? without objection. the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. biggs: sharon passed away last week after a few short days of her husband's death. steady. promoting she was a steadfast i con of the

conservative movement in arizona. i pray that the family will remember their lives. these two individuals made a difference for arizona and the causes. burt and sharon left a legacy. we do not have the final breath but we run with endurance the race. sharon ran her race and inspired countless individuals. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? >> address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. lamalfa: i rise tonight to recognize the beginning of world autism month and raise awareness for those impacted by autism.

and more children diagnosed each year then with aids, diabetes and cancer combined, which this disease is very -- impairs the ability for people to communicate. to april, join forces recognize the serious development of this disease. an arming of having a child with many costs $60,000 which families can't afford. they provide tools for children with autism and what will happen when the school days are over. many families face a services cliff and no longer to access the care they need. e must assure they must have

the care they need. dorgan tismspeaks improve quality. i urge my colleagues. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the chair lays before the house the following personal requests. the clerk: leaves of absence requested for mr. danny davis and mr. more reno and mr. new ouse for today and the balance of the week. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. he requests are granted. the gentleman from california, mr. garmeppedy is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader. mr. garamendi: thank you, mr. speaker. this will be 15, 20 minutes. but the subject that is very,

very important to all of us. i'm going to start on a different subject and what is wrong with this picture. a master sergeant, at one of the air bases in the united states that has served for almost 30 years, married the last 18 years to a young woman with three children. attempted to return from deployment in united kingdom, had her passport removed and she was deported to mexico. her children are in the united states. she served for 18 years along side her husband as he built and maintained america's fleet of spy planes. what's wrong with this picture, america? a mother of a service member, who senched for 18 years along

side her husband, a master sergeant, cannot come back into the united states because of an error that was made years and years ago. we are going to follow this up. and so when our generals talk about taking care of their troops, may i suggest they also take care of their spouses. we've got work to do here. but the subject matter tonight is a little different. although that issue is much on my mind. some of you may have seen this the news a month and a half ago. that's the spillway, a maintainance problem not paid attention resulted in a massive failure and put 188,000 of my constituents and my colleagues,

mr. lamalfa's constituents at risk. this is interstate 5 bridge in washington state connecting the united states to canada. it collapsed. we could put up other bridges, minnesota, et cetera mplets what we are talking about tonight is infrastructure. and the president wants a trillion dollar infrastructure and we await his proposal. we put millions of americans to work if we would have this infrastructure program. but more to it than just infrastructure. in the last five years, the transparency transportation bill i inserted into that bill that oureast 70% of the value in ansit systems, the -- be

american-made. this is about the failing infrastructure and also about aking it in america. this is the subject matter after seven years i talked about it on the floor here. make it in america. and our president wants to talk about this. and in fact, recently issued an executive order that says we ought to make it in america and he instructed his administration as few as they are, to make sure that in every effort at the buy american provisions, be honored. that has not been the case in the past. so, what we need to do is make certain that we make it in america and we spend the american taxpayer money on

american-made products. let me give you an example of what you do that. et me give you an example of what you do when you don't do that. californians take great pride in their state. we have the golden state bridge, we have yosemite and we have the industries, the entertainment and movie industries, we have san francisco and we also have major policy problems. make it in america. i want to give you two different examples. the san francisco-bay bridge. it's a beautiful bridge and replaces an old bridge that was built in the 1930's that was seriously deficient. however, it was made with a large, large input of chinese steel. $3.brillion over

budget but we did provide jobs in china and allowed the chinese steel industry to build a new steel mill to provide the high-quality steel that was supposed to be in the bridge. the wells weren't exactly good. and we wound up seriously over budget for that as well as other reasons. have californians don't the position. this, i take no pride in. this was a serious mistake by the state government and serious mistake who put this will bridge into process. what would it mean, if, for example, instead of trying to save 10% on the cost of steal,

our californian colleagues would have said, well maybe those jobs should be in america and maybe the new steel mills, could have, smuff, should have, but it didn't happen. on the further side of the continent we have new york. and californians don't like to talk about new york. here's something that worked out well. new york wanted a new bridge er the hudson river, the new tapanzee bridge in new york and they made a decision and it was going to be built with american steel. wow! what a nobel thought. let's go with chinaa. what happened, the steel arivende, the steel was quality, the bridge was built, $3.9 illion, on budget, on time and

7,700-plus american jobs. it makes a difference. when you make it in america and when your state dollars are spent on american-made equipment and supplies. american steel, american jobs. and american bridge. the oakland bay-bridge, chinese quality, rbudget, bad and the story is not a good one. so the issue of the day is, buy america. yes, indeed, we should and we could. give you an example of what happens. my republican colleagues like to take on the bail yoult. they like to talk about how bad

the american recovery act. it wasn't bad. it could have been better if there was more infrastructure and buy america. but there is one provision, one provision in the american recovery act that really made a difference. it was for the amtrak systems, basically the systems on the motives. , new loco wow, some $700 million. trains it was 80, 90 new to be built. american companies looked at this and said we don't build them and don't build electric. o we'll let this one go. there's that german company called siemens, 80 or so

locomotives, we have a manufacturing plant in california, we make light rail cars out there, transit cars. you say 100%? 100% american made? everything? from the electric motors to the brakes to the wheels to the paint? 100% american made? the german company said, we can do that. we could make it in america. and they did. last train that's been produced, this is the first train. don't tell me can't make it in america. don't tell me that our american taxpayer dollars should be spent in chi in or japan or someplace else. no. build it in america. buy american. and we'll put thousands, in fact, tens of thousands, of people to work. i'm going to give you another example. the american maritime industry

has been in a very steep decline for the last four decades. following world war ii, we had over 1,500 american ships. a decade ago we had over 00 american ships. on the ocean. our ship yards were making l.n.g. tankers 20 years ago. and they were american flagged. american mariners on those ships. today we have less than 80 american flagged ships and we don't make large commercial ships in the united states except on rare occasions. the maritime industry is absolutely critical to national defense. how do you think our men, women, and equipment get to the trouble spots of the world? you don't fly the m1 tank on an airplane. you put it on a ship. put the trucks on the ship. put the artillery on a ship. where are the american ships?

oh, i know. we'll call china. and they'll deliver our goods to the south china sea. doubt it. i don't think. so if you're concerned about national security, you'd better be thinking about the american maritime industry. are you thinking about it? are you thinking what is really possible, if we were to write 16 lines of law this year? t has to do with the export of two strategic national resources. oil and natural gas. ow operating in texas is l.n.g., liquefied natural gas facilitied, exporting natural gas. they liquefy it, put it on a ship and off it goes to somewhere in the world, like china.

it would take 100 or more l.n.g. tank ships to meet the full export potential of that one facility when it comes fully online. there were five other l.n.g. export facilities licensed in the united states, some of which are being built, one here near the washington capital in maryland. liquefied 225 new natural gas tank ships are going to be needed in the next decade or. so are any of them to be built in america? no. nada. none. unless -- unless we pass a piece of legislation that recall energizing american ship

bileding. -- shipbuilding. 16 lines of law that say it is a strategic national security issue to be able to build commercial ships in the united states. in the export of an equally strategic national asset, l.n.g. and crude oil, should be on those ships. his is not new policy. when the port of alaska opened, it was american steel in the pipeline, american ships taking that crude oil out of valdez, alaska. over the years, we kind of forgot about that. and the law disappeared. and now it's not american ships nd not american sailors. we can do this. the energizing american shipbuilding piece of legislation will be introduced this week. we have some 20 or more

co-authors and we want to follow what our president says about buying america. build it in america. how many jobs are we talking about? well over a couple hundred thousand in the ship yards. if that bill passes as we have written it, that would rear the engine the compressors, the pump the anchors, and the electronic equipment be american made also, we're talking about a whole supply train throughout most every state and businesses that are as reflective as the american manufacturing sector used to be. there's enormous potential in putsc policy that actually in place laws that build on the strength of america.

and of course american ships will be american flagged with american mariners. this is a good thing for america. this is a very good thing for our national security. it is a very good thing for jobs. and for our taxpayers, what does it mean? these are commercial ships so no direct. however, if the american shipyards are able to reconstitute their ability to build large commercial vessels, they will also be able to compete for the naval vessels. nd begin to give america naval construction competition in the ship yards. not a bad thing to have competition. that's one. number two. for more than three decades, we have had the school lunch program, which is also the school breakfast program, which is a critical program that

provides nutritious meals to students in our schools who would not otherwise be fed. now there's one genius here that said that, well, you don't need -- hungry kids can learn. really? i know a lot of my colleagues that can't think if they're hungry. at least that's a good reason to assume what they're actually talking about in policy. but a hungry kid will not be able to learn. they're thinking about their stomach, thinking about that egg. we've had the school nutrition program for some time. lunches and breakfasts. the law says that the food should be produced in america. but the practice is different. the practice is, we'll buy wherever we can. now i'll give you an example. in sacramento, california, a school district in sacramento,

whose name actually happens to be similar to the city, decided that they should purchase chinese peaches in big cans. yet within 10 miles of that school there were three packing plants that produced california-grown peaches. it turns out that the chinese peaches have some label on it that says organic. right. now there's a label you can believe. turns out that they're really not too organic at all. so in terms of quality, in terms of food that is produced domestically and locally, the buy america provisions that have been in the law for the school lunch and breakfast program need to be observed by school districts across this nation. so we've introduced another bill

called american food for american schools. it doesn't change the base exrequirement that the food be american produced food by our farmers. and by our packing houses. and by the facilities that take that food and bring that nutritious meal to the schools. no, it simply says that school districts can no longer ignore the law. that they're going to be required to follow the law. to report and to seek a waiver if the cost of domestically grown peaches, peaches grown within 10 miles of the sacramento school district, are too expensive compared to peaches that are imported from china or some other part of the world, they can seek a waiver. they can prove that those eaches are nutritious.

that they are not somehow contaminated. we've done the studies, there's some question about whether there is or is not contamination. i know in california we have the strictest laws concerning the quality of food. both on the tree and in the can. i want our students to have the best. but if the cost is way out of line, a waiver can be sought and granted. no more willy nilly, not paying attention to the law, which says american food for american schools and now there will be somebody watching to make sure that that law is followed. i would also add that in the california legislature, a similar bill is being pushed through the california legislature. once again it comes back to this issue. do you want to grow the american economy? you want to use our taxpayer money to support american jobs?

american manufacturing? or are you willing just not to worry about it and let the jobs o wherever they may? i'm still trying to find who it was, maybe one of my colleagues here in the house of representatives or a senator, but quite probably some staff person, and when they wrote the american recovery act they said, great. we need new electric locomotives. on the eastern corridor. and they said 100% american made. hundreds of jobs in sacramento building these. and the electric engines, the brakes, the steel, all the rest of it, all fwathered from america. 100% american made. so don't let anybody tell you it can't be done.

we write the law, it will be done. those l.n.g. ships, those oil tankers that will take our crude oil and ship it around the world, those can be built in america. in the american shipyards. with american welders an plumbers and boilermakers. and naval architects. and american businesses. providing the jobs here in the united states. it's possible. colleagues, it takes a law. that's our business. to pass laws that support the american jobs. that support american businesses. just like the american recovery act. 16 lines of law, the export of crude oil, the export of l.n.g., starting with 5% in the first year, then building up to 25% over the next seven years.

american ships will be built. american sailors will be on it. and american jobs will be here in the united states. we can do it. if we want to. mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. does the gentleman have a motion? mr. garamendi: i move adjournment. the speaker pro tempore: the question is on the motion to adjourn. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes have it. the motion is adopted. accordingly the house stands adjourned until 10:00 a.m. tomorrow morning for morning hour debate.