senators getting less than a day to review the material? understand it, usually there is some type of framework for legislation to be and sifted through. caller: good morning, c-span. i want to let you know that i love you guys. cans remarkable how trump stay in this role. i pray people will open up their look -- theyock are reluctant to believe that he has no type of relationship with russia. if they would look at the news, they would see that trump has a lot to do with a lot of things going wrong in america.

down and iupside cannot wait to have it fly straight again and show the world that our country is not in distress. host: the house of representatives is coming in. we go to them now. the speaker: the house will be in order. the prayer will be offered by the guest chaplain, reverend paul meyers, roscoe united methodist church, roscoe, illinois. the chaplain: let us pray. gracious god, as we stand here today on o the shoulders of all the giants who have come before, we ask your blessing on these your current lawmakers who are the giants of our own time. our past was protected by you, and because of this we entrust our presence and future to you as well. these, your servants of this great nation, reflect your will when they create and enforce laws for the betterment and safety of your people. i pray for your wisdom and guidance to be upon them. and that your mighty arms

enfold them in blessing. may good continue to conquer evil. may your truth make us free. we humbly ask you to continue to bless the united states of america. amen. the speaker: the chair has examined the journal of the last day's proceedings and announces to the house his approval thereof. pursuant to clause 1 of rule 1, the journal stands approved. for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania seek recognition? mr. thompson: pursuant to clause 1, rule 1, i demand a vote on agreeing to the speaker's approval of the journal. the speaker: the question is on agreeing to the speaker's approval of the journal. so many as are in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes have it. the journal stands approved. mr. thompson: mr. speaker. the speaker: for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania seek recognition? mr. thompson: i object to the vote on the grounds that a quorum is not present and make a point of order a quorum is not present. the speaker: pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question are postponed. the pledge of allegiance will be led by the gentlewoman from california, ms. barragan. .

ms. barragan: i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. the speaker: without objection, the gentleman from illinois, mr. kinzinger, is recognized for one minute. mr. kinzinger: thank you, mr. speaker. welcome r, i'm proud paul meyers as our guest chaplain and leading us in prayer on this historic thursday. he's from the 16th congressional district of illinois which i proudly represent and serves as the senior chaplain at the united methodist church in roscoe, illinois. he began as a stalwart faithful figure in our community. he serves as chaplain for the fire e.m.s. law enforcement, 19 years and counting, and currently the head chaplain for the harlem roscoe fire department and police department. he also serves as chaplain with the f.b.i. and will be resident

chaplain at the f.b.i. academy this month in quantityy could he. i want to say thank you to for r myers, his family, all they do to serve their community. i thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition? >> unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> mr. speaker, i rise today to recognize the 50th birth at this of peace incorporated, a nonprofit community based organization in my tisstrict. peace incorporated was founded on march 26, 1968, with a nation to empower individuals in our community to thrive. today this organization plays an integral part in the lives of so many central new yorkers. mr. katko: from children of families to teenagers to senior citizens, peace incorporated is dedicated to helping all individuals realize their self-worth and become self-sufficient. under the leadership of the executive director and board of drebtors, -- directors, it has

such programs as head start, eitc free ition, the tax prep programs, and many others. poverty does not just hurt those who live in it, it hurts our entire community. by focusing on stabilizing families and improving living conditions and developing partnerships with our o regional schools, businesses, and other nonprofits, peace has provided thousands of individuals and families in our community with a pathway out of poverty. after 50 years of outstanding work, peace incorporated deserves our recognition and our gratitude. i join many in our community in wishing the many men and women involved in this great program congratulations on 50 years of serving the community. with that, mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair will entertain up to five requests for one-minute speeches on each side. for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition. >> unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one inute.

>> mr. speaker, i rise today in recognition of the work being ton by first five st. louis county for families on the central coast. i stand to endorse their children's bill of rights. this document serves as a guide well beyond the county that every law maker in this nation should work towards. especially the right to visit a doctor to help children stay physically and mentally healthy. mr. carbajal: this week marks the eighth anniversary of the affordable care act. that covers one million children through the state and federal marketplaces. the a.c.a. also made significant investments in our children's health insurance program. i urge my colleagues to continue to work together to strengthen this legislation. by controlling the costs of prescription drugs, ensuring cost sharing reductions subsidies, and adding the public option to bring town the cost of health insurance plans. we can can assure we continue

to raise our healthy children. thank you. i yield back, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania seek recognition? mr. thompson: mr. speaker, request unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman from pennsylvania is recognized for one minute. mr. thompson: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i rise today to recognize boy scout troop 14 of williamsport, pennsylvania, on its centennial celebration. troop 14 is the oldest consecutively chartered troup in the susquehanna council boy scouts of america. st. john's newbury has been the sponsor the whole time. they have providing scouting to boys and the troop has proyed 127 eagle scouts during that time. it has been through the efforts of many that the troop has been and continues to be an active and strong unit. for 100 years troop 14 has helped scores of boy scouts build a more consciencious, responsible, and productive society. the boy scouts of america is

one of the nation's largest and most prominent value spaced youth development organizations. providing programs for young people that build character, trains them in the responsibilities of participating citizenship, and develops personal fitness. mr. speaker, along with my colleague, tom marino, i commend troop 14 on its centennial celebration for building so many future leaders by combining educational activitieses and lifelong values with fun. i wish them the very best on this milestone occasion and look forward to another 100 years of excellence. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from california seek recognition. >> unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman -- without objection, the gentlewoman is recognized for one minute. >> mr. speaker, i rise today in support of colorectal cancer awareness month. this type of cancer is the second leading cause of death in the united states. each march we raise awareness about this terrible disease and spread the word about the importance of getting screened.

if you are 45 years or older, please get yourself screened early. the disease poses an especially high risk to african-american men and women who have the highest rate of death and the lowest survival rate among all americans. ms. barragan: this is why i'm proud to support funding for programs like the colorectal cancer control program, which was established specifically to address disparities in screening rates and to improve access to underserved populations. affordable care act, which requires the coverage of screening tests, we can provide the health care that americans need to stay cancer free. thank you. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from illinois seek affordable c act, which requires the coverage of screening tests, we >> to address the house for one minute. revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. kinzinger: mr. speaker, i rise today in honor of our fallen heroes, the seven u.s. military members killed in the helicopter crash over western iraq on saturday, march 16, 2018. as an airman i had the privilege and honor of flying with captain o'keefe. his air force service includes three tours in iraq, serving in

afghanistan and the horn of africa, and most recently in texas to it help out during hurricane harvey. still he wanted to do more. he was a fell air guardsman, a long island guy, and serves at the 106 rescue wing at the national guard. he volunteered volunteerly eager to serve his country. without question he lived by the 10 th credo that others may live. as a nation we mourn for the families and loved ones of these fallen heroes. we send them our prayers, deepest condolences and gratitude to the service of this country. while we grieve this tragic andy died doing what he loved what he was called to do it and serve this country. we stand in this chamber because of the sacrifices of men and women like this. we have the freedom to debate and vote and use their voices because of their sacrifice. i it's with a heavy heart ang

say godspeed to my friend, captain o'keefe, may god bless our troops every day. yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from minnesota seek recognition? without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one inute. >> mr. speaker, i rise today to recognize and outstanding person and a friend. mr. emmer: don started playing hockey on the outdoor rinks in northern minnesota as a boy. after playing the game through high school and college, he came one of the most successful college hockey coaches in the country. recently the coach announced he will retire from coaching the minnesota golden gophers men's hockey team after 19 seasons. during his tenure at minnesota, don's teams regularly finished at the top of the wbcha and more recreptly won the big ten conference four out of the past five years. his teams also made the ncaa playoffs 13 times and won two

national titles. as a player growing up in grand rapids, minnesota, don was a leader. he was disciplined and made everyone around him better. as a coach he not only built winning teams, he developed young men. don is retiring as a true ambassador for the game. while he'll no longer be oaching our minnesota gophers, i hope don continues to be a leader for the game of hockey and for our state for years to come. don, than you for leading our gophers to victory time and time again. good luck to you, your i hope don continues to be a leader for the game of hockey and for wonderful wife, joyce, and the rest of the lucia family as you start the next chapter. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from north carolina seek recognition. >> unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. pittenger: mr. speaker, i rise today in honor of north carolina state university's senior, michael machiavello, won division i national

wrestling championship at the 197 pounds. he is a graduate of sun valley high school in indian trail, north carolina. where he was a 4-a state champion wrestler in 2013 when he posted a 61-1 record. his college coach says michael is constantly improving and his work ethic is discipline, attitude, and commitment put him in position to compete for the national title. he's not just a champion inside the ring. he's already completed a mast -- bachelor's degree in finance, is working on a master of arts. congratulations to michael on winning the ncaa division i national wrestleling championship. indian trail, union county, and the entire ninth congressional district are mighty proud of you. we wish you the best of what we know will be a great success for you in the fuhr. thank you, i yield back. -- future. thank you, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair lays before the house an enrolled bill. the clerk: senate 2440, an act

to designate the facility of the united states postal service located at 621 kansas avenue in acheson, kansas, as the amelia erhardt post office uilding. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? >> good morning, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, by direction of the committee on rules i call up house resolution 796 and ask for its immediate consideration. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the resolution. the clerk: house calendar number 143. house resolution 796. resolved, that upon adoption of this resolution it shall be in order to take from the speaker's table the bill, h.r. 1625, to amend the state department basic authorities act of 1956 to include severe forms of trafficking in persons within the definition of transnational organized crime for purposes of the rewards program of the department of state, and for other purposes, with the senate amendment thereto, and to consider in the

house, without intervention of any point of order, a motion offered by the chair of the committee on appropriations or his designee that the house concur in the senate amendment with an amendment consisting of the text of rules committee print 115-66. the senate amendment and the motion shall be considered as read. the motion shall be debatable for one hour equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the committee on appropriations. the previous question shall be considered as ordered on the motion to its adoption without intervening motion. section 2. on any legislative day during the period from march 23, 2018, through april 9, 2018 (a) the journal of the proceedings of the previous day shall be considered as approved; and (b) the chair may at any time declare the house adjourned to meet at a date and time, within the limits of clause 4, section 5, article i of the constitution, to be announced by the chair in declaring the adjournment. section 3.

the speaker may appoint members to perform the duties of the chair for the duration of the period addressed by section 2 of this resolution as though under clause 8(a) of rule i. section 4. each day during the period addressed by section 2 of this resolution shall not constitute a calendar day for purposes of section 7 of the war powers resolution (50 u.s.c. 1546). section 5. ach day during the period addressed by section 2 of this resolution shall not constitute a legislative day for purposes f clause 7 of rule xiii. section 6. the chair of the committee on appropriations may insert in the congressional record not later than march 23, 201, such material as he may deem explanatory of the senate amendment and the motion specified in the first section f this resolution. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas is recognized for

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas is recognized for one hour. mr. sessions: thank you, mr. speaker. i would certainly yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from massachusetts, my dear friend, congressman jim mcgovern, pending which i yield myself such time as i may consume. mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to evise and extend their remarks . the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. sessions: mr. speaker, last night at a late hour the rules committee met where we had expert testimony that was offered on behalf of the chairman and the ranking member of the committee on appropriations, the gentleman from new jersey and the gentlewoman from new york. i would like to, if i could, express to my friend, mr. mcgovern, the professional nature, not only that he but judge hastings and other members of the committee represented the democratic side at a time that is very difficult for them with the pass and loss of a tremendous

leader in the house of representatives, the gentlewoman from new york, chairwoman louise slaughter. mr. mcgovern not only -- and mr. hastings, conducted themselves in my opinion in a professional and straightforward manner but represented their party quite well in a time of distress and a time of need and i want to express my complete confidence not only in mr. mcgovern but also thank judge hastings for his professional lastism last night as we worked through difficult -- professionalism last night as we worked through difficult -- late last night into the morning and compliment the chair of the committee and the ranking member for their professional conversations that were had that were in the best interest not only of the house of representatives but the american people and i want to thank mr. mcgovern publicly at is time for his professional

cause and substance. mr. speaker, today we rise in support of this rule and, of course, the underlying legislation. the rule provides for conversation of the senate amendment to h.r. 1625, the consolidated appropriations act of 2018. mr. speaker, this is funding the government for the rest of the year, through september 30. this is an important measure. this is an important measure not only for the american people but it's important for members of congress. there are a lot of ways that we can stand and say what we're for, what we're against, but the bottom line is this is a piece of legislation that has been worked on by -- on a bipartisan basis, republicans and democrats, give and take, and has been worked on the other side of the capitol with the united states senate. it is no way a perfect bill.

that i think learned a long time is hard to get through to be signed by the president. but that being said, it yielded amazing results and a process that needed to come to a conclusion. those 12 appropriations package provides funding for fiscal year 2018 at levels consistent with a bipartisan budget agreement and the national defense authorization act. after years of neglect, this body is taking the important step of reshaping and rebuilding the united states military by providing them $659.6 billion worth of funding for our national defense, but it's far more than just national defense. it is also trying to give better protection to the men and women who protect us, the men and women who today are in cold, lonely, hot, dangerous places around the globe. mr. speaker, a much-needed $65 billion increase over 2017

fiscal year spending was essential. mr. speaker, the numbers speak for themselves. more members of our armed services gave their life in defense of this country in training exercises than they did in combat last year. this is a reminder for members of congress and the american people to understand that our men and women not only fight hard but they train hard, and in that defense, we need to do a better job to make sure the equipment, the training, and the needs that they have are top flight year round, not just in combat areas, but in training missions where they are preparing to protect this country. mr. speaker, we've done -- we've come a long way to that, and i am proud of the work that we've done. the agreement ends the, i think, irresponsible practice of pairing dollar for dollar

increases in defense spending with nondefense. this is a hard fight. it's a hard fight not only republican and democrat but across this country. we've tried to make some balanced decisions. we've tried to err on the side of using money for the best interest of research and development and to move this country forward. the bill strengthens missile defense. it strengthens and funds new weapon systems for the military, and it heavily increases designated counterthreats around the globe. as you know, mr. speaker, we are facing down one of the greatest threats in the world right now, north korea. now is not a time to shy away. mr. speaker, we will not shy away. these colors don't run. it funds additional national security priorities, including nuclear modernization. new nuclear submarines and other shipbuilding and aircraft

procurement for our united states military. quite honestly, mr. speaker, the gentlewoman from texas, kay granger, and her counterpart from the appropriations committee looked at the necessary that is necessary and came up to streamline and make sure the money that would be given is necessary and only in defense of this nation. this legislation also includes a long overdue 2.4% pay increase for our troops. the men and women who care for our veterans know that they need the help and their service to this country will not be without a thank you and thus providing a record level of v.a. funding while increasing oversight to make sure that the benefits and taking care of our veterans is properly taken care of. the new secretary shulkin of the v.a. is very concerned about the duty that they have

to our veterans and he's assured us this amount of funding will allow he and the department that opportunity to fix, correct and long term know the long-term safety for our veterans and their facilities will be accomplished. it provides robust funding to fight terrorism. it enhances criminal law enforcement and secures our borders by increasing funding for border security and the enforcement of immigration law. this legislation also includes new infrastructure funding for highways, waterways, airways, railways, and other infrastructure priorities to ensure public safety is taken care of and to promote economic growth. so, mr. speaker, it provides $4 billion, the largest investment to date to combat the opioid crisis. we have spent a great deal of time not only working on this member to member, state organizations, working with

their members, federal law enforcement, national institutes of health, through the direction of their chief medical officer who spent a great deal of time working with members of congress, opioid task forces, substance abuse task forces, and perhaps most of all the problems that we have that face this great nation where we have addiction problems. these are addressed within this spending bill. increase in funding by $3 billion. certainly the head of the n.i.h., dr. collins, believes this investment in the national institute of health, including the national eye institute and other parts of n.i.h. will receive the funding that is necessary to ensure that the men and women of this country who suffer long-term effects of aging and other medical problems that we can address them and live up to our

responsibility. to s to dr. collins and -- and for vens for dr. cole. $2.4 billion for mental health training and school safety efforts, help our children to make sure our schools are safe. this is a brief rundown, mr. speaker, of the kind of work not only that we have dug in and done on a bipartisan basis but the kind of work that i believe the american people want, need, and expect. mr. speaker, i reserve my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the chair recognizes the gentleman from massachusetts, mr. mcgovern. mr. mcgovern: thank you, mr. speaker. i want to thank the gentleman from texas, the chairman of the rules committee, my friend, mr. sessions, for the customary 30 minutes. and i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks, and i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore:

without objection. mr. mcgovern: mr. speaker, i want to first thank the distinguished chairman of the rules committee for his thoughtfulness in the aftermath of the passing of our dear friend, former chairwoman of the rules committee, louise slaughter. we appreciate his support. we appreciate the support of all the republican members on the rules committee, especially for the democratic staff, but we are -- we are truly grateful for all of your consideration and for all of your remembrances of our friend and we want you to know it means a great deal to all of us so thank you. i also want to take this opportunity to once again wish the chairman of the rules committee happy birthday. i was -- mr. sessions: thank you very much. mr. mcgovern: i had the honor to be with him at 1:30 yesterday and wished him happy birthday then so we will wish you happy birthy at 9:30 in the

morning -- birthday at 9:30 in e morning and wish you many, many more. mr. speaker, here we are. i am kind of at a loss for words. there's really not a lot to say. we are here yet again facing another manufactured and totally affordable crisis and, you know, what on earth will it take for the republican leadership of this congress to actually step up to the plate and start governing, because this process that is bringing us this bill today i don't think represents good governing. we've seen five continuing resolutions. we've seen two government shutdowns in less than six months. it's mind-boggling. takes my breath away. republicans control the house. they control the senate. they control the white house. but the truth is, mr. speaker,

it turns out that they can't govern. governing is hard work. it takes skill. it takes compromise. and, you know, it's not all press conferences and it's not all tweets. it takes leadership. so i would encourage our republican colleagues to cut the nonsense and get down to business. we can't keep on embracing processes like the one we are seeing unfold today. give the american people the certainty they deserve. fund this government the right way. you know, this process that brings us this omnibus today, you know, i think is disappointing, not just to democrats, but to a lot of republicans as well. as lousy as this process was to get here, there are some things in this agreement that we can be enthusiastic about. we are encouraged of increases

in spending like infrastructure, education, medical research, and support for our veterans, among other things. of are things that are great importance to members of the democratic side. we're pleased the negotiators on the other side of the aisle worked diligently worked to remove poison pill riders and fought to limit the construction of the president's stupid border wall. but our enthusiasm is tempered because of what else might be in the bill, what we might not know. there's over -- it's over 2,200 pages long and posted at 8:00 p.m. last night. i'm not sure anyone in this chamber had the chance to actually read the entire text omnibus.m -- i am not sure how many inadvertent errors might be contained. i wonder what we'll find in the

days and weeks to come. this is no way to govern, mr. speaker. our republican colleague from louisiana over in the senate, senator john kennedy said yesterday he thinks this whole process is an embarrassment and he said, quote, as bad as it looks as those on the outside it's worse on the inside. now, i don't blame the appropriations committee. i have nothing but the highest respect for chairman frelinghuysen and ranking member lowey. i mean, they did an incredible job, and they and their staffs deserve our gratitude. many sleepless nights to be able to prodepuse a product so produce a product so we won't shut the government down. they did what they were expected to do and i thank them for their work. to be honest, i don't really blame the rules committee. we were given this last night and we had to come up with a process and a rule to bring it

to the floor. . but i do blame the speaker and i do blame the senate majority leader and i do blame the president because they are in charge. we shouldn't be at the brink of a government shutdown before we consider spending bills. we have plenty -- this should have been done months and months ago. again, the american people, mr. speaker, deserve much better. they deserve a congress that works for them. a congress that is spobesive -- responsive to their calls for action. a congress that listens to all voice, both democrats and republicans alike. mr. speaker, i'm hopeful that this omnibus legislation will ultimately work its way through congress and to the president's desk to avert another republican manufactured shutdown. but i would ask our republican leadership of this congress, let's reform the way we do business around here.

i don't believe that those of us in the minority expect to it win all the time. but we expect to have our voices heard. and we want and we demand a fair process. we want enough time to read bills before you bring them up for a vote. that's not too much to ask. let's work together to bring a little bit more transparency, a little bit more sunshine, and, yes, a little bit more democracy into the people's house. this is supposed to be the greatest deliberative body in the world. i don't know why it's such a radical idea that we deliberate every once in a while. instead, we're presented with a can,200-page bill -- 2,200-page bill and we have been given summaries, but in all honesty none of us know what is actually in this bill

and whether or not there are some things here that, quite frankly, might be very, very troubling once we begin to read this bill over the days and weeks ahead. let's have an honest and open debate. let's resolve that we're not going to ever go back to this process again where we fund government hour to hour. we need to get back to important issues facing our country and the american people. again i want to express my grathtude to, again, the -- gratitude to, again, the appropriators in these negotiations to get us a bill here today. but this is a lousy process. i urge my colleagues to vote no on the rule. he we can't sanction this process -- we can't sacks this process. no matter what you think about the bill, this process is something we have to stand up and say this is unacceptable. with that i reserve.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from texas. mr. sessions: mr. speaker, thank you very much. and to the gentleman from massachusetts, i not only accept his advice about process and procedure, but i certainly would join in with him to thank our appropriators, the men and women who on a bipartisan basis, mr. speaker, took time to wander to the other side of the capitol to it engage their colleagues. can tell the gentleman, he knows this, probably on a firsthand basis, much was discussed. this was a big knows this, process. this was the end of the year that i do agree with, should have taken place on october 1, not march the 22nd, that we decided where we're headed. ut the discussion, the

decisionmaking, the ability for both sides, both parties to deal on the same issues has gotten tougher and tougher. i support our speaker and what he is attempt iting to do. he's opened up the process. he's tried to make it to where the discussions take place on a bipartisan basis. and the speaker, i believe, has tried to place before us as members of congress the opportunity to be heard. o represent our thoughts and ideas. i didn't win some of the issues that i was for. i held some ideas out about a number of issues that we had been working on that were contained in the bills that came out of the house. only to come back months later from the senate in a different priority, in a different way.

and perhaps not exactly what i would have wanted. it would be easy for me to say, however, that the greater good of what we're attempting to accomplish is why we're here. ultimately we have a duty, mr. speaker, we have a duty and a responsibility to ensure that which we finalize is in the american est of the people. the overriding concern here is to make sure that the efforts we as rnment, albeit americans i don't think want to get all that we pay for from government, we still recognize that there are people in our midst that need a government and i do, too, a government that works well and funded properly. mr. speaker, last night we had an opportunity from a number of my colleagues on the republican side, number of democrats of

congress who spent hours waiting their time up before the rules committee. not an unusual intuitive process from a number of our members who had questions, comments, and concerns. and i promised to address one of them, the gentleman from kentucky, mr. massie, brought for the what was a discussion about what was moan -- known as nics fix, or as we refer to it fixing nics. a nics fix. this is the database that is responsible for holding names and giving approvals for those people who purchase weapons across the united states. and i agreed to provide some bit of an answer today. and i hope some clarity on the issue that relates back to ecember of 2017.

i told the gentleman last night that i believed that while his arguments were important and i supported exactly the underlying ideas, and that is that we do not believe that agencies by themselves should have their ability to deny an american citizen the right, the constitutional right, for them to properly, legally own a eapon. as we do know and remember, back during a previous administration, at least two agencies, the social security administration and the veterans administration, developed procedures by which they believed were appropriate but that i think it proven incorrectly to deny people a weapon based upon a criteria that they established. this fix nics provision was corrected. and still in law. and i to the best of my ability

in double checking i would now like to notify the gentleman from kentucky that i believe it is properly done. i would not be a part of making a change in the law, as i told him, that would deny an american citizen under these two agencies without lawful consideration of a hearing. and with due process. based upon the law and constitutional requirements of our constitution to deny someone their right to keep and bear arms. mr. speaker, please consider that i appreciate the gentleman that showed up last night until late in the morning. and that they were doing a duty which i respect and admire. i'm trying to respond back it them. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time is reserved. gentleman from massachusetts. mr. mcgovern: mr. speaker, the gentleman from texas, the

distinguished chairman of the rules committee, said that he appreciated the speaker's listening to the different opinions of the -- all members here in the house. i think the frustration here is ot that we can't raise our voices, the frustration here is that we cannot bring things that we care about to the house floor for debate. the gentleman just talked about he -- about the issue of guns. we're living in a country where we have massacres on a regular basis. the american people overwhelmingly want us to bring gun safety legislation to the floor. things like universal background checks, for example. and the leadership of this house will not let us bring those bills to the floor for debate or for a vote. they have shut us out. so this is -- this process that

has been endorsed by the republican leadership, is not open. it is very, very closed. in fact, we're on record to becoming the most closed congress in the history of the united states of america. that's not something that i think the united states congress should aspire to. the that's something that russians might want to aspire to, but it's certainly not something we here in this country want to aspire to it. everybody in this chamber has ideas. everybody represents the same number of people. everybody should be heard. and important legislation and ideas ought to be brought to the floor for debate and a vote. if you do not want to vote for universal background checks, or if you do not want to vote to ban bump stalks, or assault weapons ban, then don't vote for it. but it is wrong and it you do

undermines this institution when on issues like that we're told you cannot deliberate on the house floor. another issue is daca. the president of the united states single-handedly ended the daca program, and he threw the lives of hundreds of thousands of people into chaos. it was a cruel and rotten thing to do. the president's arbitrary march 5 deadline ending this program has come and gone, and instead of leadership and compassion, all we have seen is partisan tweeting. it is maddening and it betrays our values. . earlier this month president trump tweeted, and i quote, total inaction of daca by democrats, where are you? a deal can be made, end quote. well, to answer president trump's question, the democrats are right here.

offering bipartisan solutions to protect these young americans. this is the 26th time that we have attempt ited to bring a -- a bipartisan bill, the dream act, for a vote on the floor. i'm going to ask people to vote against the previous question so we can bring a solution to the floor and protect these incredible young people who have given so much to our country. this is the 26th time that we have attempted to for this. and what is this is the 26th ti we have attempted to do this. and by the way, this is not just a democratic bill, it is -- there's bipartisan support p frustrating is that the republican leadership of this house will not let us have that vote. why? because they know it will pass. they know it will pass. they don't want the majority to work its will. in this chamber. they have deliberately said no, we're not going to allow you to

bring that to the floor. if you want to help these people, you got to bring a bill to the floor. and if you don't want to help them, bring the bill to the floor and vote no. ut this is ridiculous. there's bipartisan support to fix this problem. to help these people. to live up to our values in this country. so, again, if we defeat the previous question i will offer an amendment to the rule to bring up h.r. 3440, the dream act, and this bipartisan, bicameral legislation would help hundreds of thousands of young people who are american in every way except on paper. mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to insert the text of my amendment in the record along with extraneous material immediately prior to the vote on the previous question. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. mcgovern: i would just say to my colleagues, you know, give us the vote. give us this vote.

if you don't like it, then vote no. but if we were to bring this bill to the floor, i guarantee you it would pass. i think every democrat would vote for it and a big chunk of republicans, maybe even a majority might vote for this. i don't know what you are afraid of. i don't know why this is so hard, this is the congress of the united states. this is the place where these issues are supposed to be resolved. all we get from the leaders of this house is obstruction. they block everything, it's closed. it's my way or the highway. these people deserve better than this institution is providing. they deserve a vote. and to discuss our proposal, mr. speaker, i yield three minutes to the gentleman from florida, mr. soto. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from florida is recognized for three minutes. mr. soto: thank you, mr. speaker. and i thank my colleague from massachusetts. yesterday, the university of

central florida in orlando had a unique student body president election. the candidates were karen, my constituent, and josh. both dreamers. beneficiaries of the deferred action for childhood arrivals act. they ran on a platform of justice and equality, and so did i. today we celebrate josh's victory on becoming u.c.f.'s first dreamer student body president. so what a sad backdrop we have here today. president trump declared victory for getting $1.6 billion to start his wall in a tweet late last night. $1.6 billion to start trump's wall. so his wall gets funding but our dreamers get left behind. how can i in good conscience go home to my constituents and explain this?

i wonder allowed, when will our dreamers -- wonder aloud, when will our dreamers have their opportunity, a reprieve from worrying, from looking over their shoulders every day? mr. speaker, when will the waiting finally stop for them and the living begin? when will the dreamers finally et to dream? every week for 198 days we've come here to ask our colleagues for their consideration of the bipartisan dream act. i remind you of that because it's been 198 days since the president put hundreds of thousands of dreamers at risk of losing their jobs, careers, their families, and everything they've worked for their entire lives. make take sol ace and accord and injunction. as a lawyer i can tell you these dreamers are hanging by a

thread. they are one adverse ruling away from oblivion. and what about the over one million dreamers that are not part of the case, those young people that would be entering the program, the young sisters, the young brothers of dreamers who are in the daca program? and those dreamers that did not apply out of concern, out of a mistrust they had for giving their information to a federal government that's turned their back to them? they would have no rest under these injunctions, no peace. why can't we once and for all come together to give these deserving young patriots who embody our deepest values the opportunity to earn their citizenship? hardworking patriots like josh and karen and hundreds of thousands of others who will contribute an estimated $460 billion to the u.s. economy over the next decade. these young people are making

positive and significant contributions to the economic growth of our country which benefits all of us. i know that my colleagues -- mr. mcgovern: i yield the gentleman an additional minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for an additional two minutes. mr. soto: i know my colleagues across the aisle don't want dreamers' deportation on their hands. why not pass a law that would permanently allow these young people to build a life here, to graduate from college, to start a new business and show their immense gratitude to the country that gave them a chance? today we have the opportunity to uphold our values and pass the dream act so that these dreamers and the millions of people who swore to represent them aren't worrying and wondering any longer. we're asking for one vote. just one vote that will keep whole our principles and ideals and allow these young people to pursue the american dream. so for the 26th time in 198 days i ask my colleagues to

vote against the previous question so that we can immediately bring the dream act to the floor and provide certainty for dreamers like karen and josh who want to continue to work, live, and contribute to the only country they love, the only country they've ever known. i cannot afford to wait another day nor can they, and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas. mr. sessions: mr. speaker, thank you very much. don't want to digress too much, but the gentleman from massachusetts referred to a process that just was embarrassing, did not work. i recall last night testimony from the ranking member, the gentlewoman from new york, ms. lowey and i quote, this is one of the best processes that i can recall. we have products that we can be proud of. we worked together. mr. speaker, it is hard doing business in this town. it's hard doing business

because we're -- we have disagreements. but let us not also misunderstand that it was president trump who challenged congress when our previous administration simply went about writing their own rules and regulations that made the circumstances at our border, not only more dangerous, but very costly for every single american by encouraging tens of thousands of people to travel through central america to come to the united states for us to take them into the united states with illegality that has een ruled on federal courts in this country. a legal, lawful process is what president trump is attempting to have this congress do. he understands that power under

article 1 and the power under article 2, and i believe that president trump personally invoked hours of his time to make sure that he properly worked with congress, key people from the house, keep people from the senate, televised day after day to get closer on the issue that he felt like could gain resolution. it's a hard issue, but to suggest in any way that president trump is a culprit of anything except leading to the best i believe would be an unfair statement against his intended desire to resolve the issue. mr. speaker, last night rules committee, under the strong leadership of the gentleman from georgia, rob woodall, and the strong leadership of tom cole provided evidence-based information, not just to

sustain the document that we're here for, but actually to continue the explanation of what we're doing and why, including the balances of budgeting and those necessary items but also the content and our vice chairman of the rules committee, the gentleman from oklahoma, tom cole, doubles in his duty to congress and he serves as the lead appropriator, the chairman of the committee that's responsible for health and n.i.h. and research and development. mr. cole's professional attributes really shined last night as he, with great pride, discussed major, hard issues facing this nation, facing the n.i.h., facing the medical community in this country. and i was very proud of not only his content with the

substance but also with the delivery of the product. and i'm pleased to give the gentleman from oklahoma, distinguished gentleman, five minutes to discuss this seemingly impossible work that he made possible, five minutes to the gentleman. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from oklahoma is recognized for five minutes. mr. cole: thank you, mr. speaker. thank you, mr. chairman. that was very gracious, indeed. i appreciate the time. i appreciate the praise. i do just want to talk a little bit about process, because i think if you're not on the appropriations committee, you probably haven't been able to follow a lot of this. and frankly, this process can be made better, no doubt about it. i suspect process-wise my friend and i from massachusetts are not far apart where we think it ought to end up. but i do want the full body to understand what we went through to get to this point. first, it's important to remember that all 12 subcommittees of the

appropriations committee produced legislation last year. there were full hearings, fullsome debate, each subcommittee reported out their product. committee dealt with the subcommittees' reports. amendments were open from all parties. and all those 12 were put into a single bill. there were hundreds of amendments from both sides of the aisle that were made in order. that bill was brought to the house floor in mid september. it was passed. so the house effectively did all of its work. it did the hearings. it did the markups. it reported it to the floor. it moved across the floor. and we've been waiting for about 180 days for the senate to respond. the senate -- i can point some fingers. i'm not going to. let me just say they didn't get a single appropriations bill

across the floor, and only a few out of the full committee. we finally, about four weeks ago, had a bipartisan negotiation at the leadership level that reset the numbers. big increase from the budget control act for defense spending. that's something republicans very much wanted. and many democrats did as well. and, frankly, also an increase from nondefense discretionary spending as well. so new numbers. at that point we began what's a pretty normal appropriations process at the committee level. that is the so-called four-corner prospect, when the ranking member of each subcommittee and the chairman of that committee sit down with their senate counterparts and negotiate the differences between what were effectively sent at committee bills but bills that the house had moved fully across the bill. and there is a great deal of give and take in that. you kick them upstairs to the chairman at the next level.

and they negotiate. and they saw those. i can just give you an example. in labor-h, we had 12 issues unresolved and $170 billion, that's actually awfully good. they were moved up to full committee. nine of those issues were resolved there. eventually three more were kicked up to the leadership level and they were all resolved there. that happens to each subcommittee. there is give and take. frankly, we begin this process knowing there needs to be a bipartisan product in the end. you need to have 60 votes in the united states senate. there's 51 republicans. frankly over here, obviously they'll take both democratic and republican votes. there is a great deal of give and take in this particular process. at the end of the day we got a bipartisan bill that both the chairman and the ranking member brought before us last night. again, as i mentioned earlier, from the republican standpoint, you're probably most pleased with the defense number. that's something we wanted and the administration wanted.

in the nondefense area, there's many, many things that both sides agree on that is important for the national well-being. a $3 billion increase at the national institute of health. largest increase in a generation. substantially more money on opioids, a crisis we know affects all of our districts. $3 billion this year. $3 billion next year. over a number of subcommittee jurisdictions. substantial increase in early childhood education and childcare. something, again, that people on both sides of the aisle feel strongly about. lots of money for mental health, to follow-up on some of the initiatives that were laid out in the 21st century century cures act. again, a bipartisan -- 21st century cures act. again, a bipartisan product. trying to match the money with the legislation that was created by energy and commerce. money for school safety. probably the largest single increase we had. last year under title 4 we did about $400 million. this bill has $1.1 billion.

pretty substantial increase in something i think we all care about. so, again, it's been pretty extraordinary. also want to point out, and we're all proud of our respective committees, that chairman frelinghuysen and ranking member lowey produced an omnibus last year in april or may. they've done three supplements for sdast -- supplementals for disaster relief. now they have this omnibus and they are hard at work on the next one so they've been extraordinarily productive. my friend is right. i wish more of this work got piecemeal to the floor so we can look at each bill. and hopefully we can do that going forward since we now have a top line agreement between the two sides for fiscal year 2019 as to what the bill will -- may i have another minute, mr. chairman? mr. sessions: i yield an additional two minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentleman is recognized for two minutes. mr. cole: i thank you very much. thank you, mr. speaker. we have the possibility of having a more regular measure. whether that can be achieved or not, i don't know. we at least laid the groundwork for it in passing this bill. but i particularly want to single out chairman frelinghuysen and ranking member lowey because they've shown how congress can work together. they managed all 12 of these bills, multiple bills in multiple areas, gotten them through the floor and gotten them across the floor in a bipartisan manner. if we can do the same thing in the body as a whole i think there would be much more appreciation and understanding and more input. that would be a good thing. my friend is right about that. if we do that i would add we must think through how much floor time you want to give us because if you will come down here with 200 or 300 amendments on each side of the aisle, i can tell you all you will be doing is appropriations the whole year. as appropriators we might like that. as legislators in other areas

you might not, so i think there needs to be leadership, give and take on the appropriate structure going forward. none of that should take away, number one, the rule itself is bringing to the floor an extraordinarily important product. we don't get that product passed here on a bipartisan basis and in the senate on a bipartisan basis by midnight tomorrow night, both parties will have participated in shutting down the government of the united states. i don't think that's something either of us want to do. as a matter of fact, each of us have tried it once or twice and we now know it's not a very productive way to proceed, so i think we have an opportunity by passing the rule and i urge the passage of the rule and then the underlying legislation to do some really good things for the american people, to fulfill our obligations, and to show we can govern. with that, mr. speaker, i, again, want to thank the chairman for his generosity in terms of time. want to thank you and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from massachusetts.

mr. mcgovern: i guess i would say to my colleague from oklahoma. i have moo problem with the appropriators. i think that's what ranking member lowey was talking about yesterday when she talked about the process. the appropriators do -- have done their work. they work in a bipartisan way. it's not their fault we're at this moment. as i said it's not even the fault of the rules committee. it's the fault of the leadership, the republican leadership. this bill we're doing now could have been done last december. but the republican leadership couldn't figure out a budget agreement until last month. without top it numbers, no one could move forward. in the house or in the senate. and it turned out what was more important was a tax cut for billionaires. that was the priority. so they passed a tax cut for billionaires and we got five c.r.'s and two government shutdowns as a result.

e last -- this process, this process cannot be explained away or cannot be justified and cannot continue. i probably should have had the bill in front of me here for dramatic effect, but it's 2,200 pages long. and again, it's not what i know is in the bill that i have a problem with. it's what i don't know is in the bill that concerns me. i know it concerns democrats and republicans alike. and i just want to go back to something the chairman of the referenced with regard to daca and president trump, somehow his support for incredible people.th let's not forget, there was no reason at all, none, for this president to end daca. there was no deadline, there

was no court case, there was no required that the people. program come to an end. it was just plain, old-fashioned cruelty and stupidity. that's what was at play here. red meat for the extreme right wing base. that can never get to yes on anything regarding immigration. this is unbelievably cruel. the way we are treating these young people. and the frustration level throughout the country is at an all time high. every poll i have seen, democrats, republicans, independents, all overwhelmingly support us helping the daca recipients. it's like unbelievable high approval ratings moving forward on passing a bill like the dream act. we can't even get it to the house floor for a vote. so we talk about a lousy process? that's what we're also talking

about. we talked earlier about guns. we have record high levels of gun violence in this country. and we have massacres on a regular basis. i am so grateful that millions of people, millions of young people are going to be out on the streets protesting on saturday, demanding that their government do something. because they are frustrated that this chamber, supposedly the greatest deliberative body in the world, can't even find the time to bring something to the floor for debate. all we do is we have moments of silence in the aftermath of massacres. i have -- it gives me hope for the future these young people because they are not going take it anymore. they are sick of the indifference, they are sick of the lack of action. they are sick of members in this chamber not listening to their voices.

i am -- i feel hopeful that ultimately we will take action and do the right thing because i will tell you right now for those who continue to turn their backs on the demands of these young people, i don't think coming back here after november. the frustration that you are hearing on our side here today, and i know that a lot of my republican friends feel the same way, this place is broken. this process stinks. there has to be a better way to do this. none of us want it shut the government down. people are going to vote how they want to on the omnibus, but i would say don't endorse this lousy, broken process by voting for the rule. people should vote against this rule. i reserve my time. the speaker pro tempore: members are reminded to refrain from engaging in personalities toward the president. the gentleman from texas. mr. sessions: mr. speaker, i'd like to inquire upon the time

remaining on both sides. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas has 3 1/2 minutes remaining. the gentleman from massachusetts has seven minutes remaining. mr. session: i choose to reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. gentleman from massachusetts with seven. mr. mcgovern: does the gentleman have any other speakers? mr. sessions: i have one additional speaker and 3 1/2 minutes remaining. i would recognize that the gentleman has a larger time. mr. mcgovern: i think i'm the last speaker. mr. sessions: i will take the time. mr. speaker, at this time i'd like to yield two minutes to the rules committee designee to the budget committee, a gentleman who has served this nation well and will serve -- continue to serve the budget committee well. the gentleman from georgia, two minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from georgia is recognized for two minutes. >> thank you, mr. speaker, thank you, mr. chairman for your leadership on the committee. it seems like i saw awe couple house ago, only because i saw you a couple hours ago.

mr. woodall: you know as well as anyone it's hard to get things done around here and it's never made any easier by the recriminations that circulate. i appreciate the speaker's add mow nation about engaging in conflicts of personality, this is hard. this isn't the bill i would have voted for. in fact it's not the bill i voted for the first time around. when the house did its job ninth months ago, we voted on a completely different bill. as my friend from massachusetts knows full well f. republicans senate, he in the wouldn't be going through these machinations, we go through them for one reason and one reason only. that is after a republican-led house gets its work done it, the senate can't. and the senate can't because they work in a much more bipartisan way. as bipartisan as this interconstitution is, that institution is even more so by the senate rules. we talk about this as if it's a spending bill, mr. speaker. i want to be clear, this

includes brownfields act re-authorization. that's the bill that lets us go in to environmentally damaged areas and restore them. we haven't been able to get that done just in the normal course of doing business. to get it across the senate floor it's added into this bill. the child protection improvement act, mr. speaker. that's the bill that provide the database so that caregivers and parents can go and see who it is taking care of their children. make sure folks are properly vetted. couldn't get that through in the normal process. so we had to add it into this bill. the cloud act, mr. speaker. that's the bill that allows law enforcement to go and access information stored on clouds and other con-- in other countries so you don't have to wait nine months so you can identify those terrorists earlier and more often. couldn't get that through the regular process. e-verify, that provision that allows any employtory dial in online to make sure they are

hiring american citizens, it's buried in this bill, mr. speaker. we're getting things done together. this bill is an example of that. source of progress not a source of impediment. i thank the speaker for his indulgence, yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. mcgovern: mr. speaker, i want to apologize, i thought i was the last speaker. our distinguished whip came here. mr. session: yes, sir. the distinguished whip would be honored. we would be honored. mr. mcgovern: happy to yield two minutes to the distinguished minority whip from the great state of maryland, mr. hoyer. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from maryland is recognized for two minutes. mr. hoyer: i thank the gentleman. i thank the gentleman from massachusetts. i have been here for long enough to see my republican colleagues bring to the floor these bills and plop them down heavily on the table. i have been here long enough to

have citizens assault me in a town meeting and said have you read the bill? i have been here long enough to hear the demagoguery about what's in the bill, do you know what's in the bill? have you read the bill? how can you do this? i have heard demagoguery about the three-day rule. i call it the 24-hour and two second rule. that is the last second of the first day, 24 hours of the second day, and first second of the third day. we're not even going to make that. 8:00 last night. i ask any member, any member in this house, join me in the well f you have read this bill. join me.

f you have read this bill. o one is joining me. these are earmarks. now, they call them authorizing legislation. but they are earmarks. they are piecings of legislation -- there are pieces of legislation in this rule that are against the rules, but we'll waive those rules. and they are things that are going through in the dark of . ght, 8:00 last night this is the appropriation bills. the only piece of this legislation done properly. one additional minute? the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one additional minute.

mr. hoyer: the speaker said when he became the speaker, i quote, we will advance major legislation one issue at a ime. how can any self-respecting member of this house, how can any self-respecting republican who made that representation to y tea party friends vote for this rule? i have no idea. this is an abomination of the legislative process. and you have had six months to get it right. and six weeks ago the speaker promised that an issue of great importance to us, daca, would be solved. hasn't been addressed much less solved. but the real problem is nobody knows what's in this legislation.

with all due respect to the chairman of the rules committee, he hadn't read this bill. mr. mcgovern: and additional one minute. mr. hoyer: ladies and gentlemen of america, i have not read the bill. :00 last night. 8:00 last night. the only person that could read this bill are the supercomputers. none 8:00 lastof us even claim supercomputers. his rule ought to go down. very frankly, there are a lot of things in here i know that i like. and i know that everybody else likes. but if we defeat the rule, we ought to go back to a process that we can expects, you argued you but if were going to follow. you pledged to the american people you were going to follow and that mr. cantor and mr. mccarthy and mr. ryan wrote a book about. and said they were going to change this institution.

and do it right. this is wrong. ote no. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. mcgovern: how much time do i have remaining? the speaker pro tempore: three minutes. mr. mcgovern: mr. speaker, let me close by echoing the words of our distinguished minority whip by saying that we need a better process and i hope my colleagues will vote against the rule. i just want to say to my friends on the other side of the aisle, you know, one of the reasons why i think there is so much polarization in this chamber, why it's hard to kind of get things done is because of the process. i think process matters. when people don't have the opportunity to read the bills, when people are routinely

denied the opportunity to bring to the floor their ideas for debate and vote, i mean, it results in increased tensions and increased polarization and quite frankly it undermines the integrity of this institution. this is supposed to be the people's house. we all represent the same number of constituents. and yet routinely the voices of the people are denied to be heard on this house floor. so i would urge my colleagues to vote no on the rule, vote no on the previous question so we can bring the dream act to the floor, we can help the dreamers, we can help those daca recipients who everybody says publicly they want to help but yet when it quoms to actually helping -- comes to ctually helping them, we get nothing. this is the 26th time.

let's do something that will make a real difference, that will help these people. they deserve our help. they deserve our support. they are valued members of our community. they are american in every way except they weren't born here. democrats and republicans and independents overwhelmingly believe we ought to help them, so let's stop playing politics with the dreamers. i know the president is holding them hostage and wants a ransom that gets bigger and bigger and bigger. enough. let's do what's right for these people. vote no on the rule. make it clear that this process is something that we cannot endorse orem brace. we want to -- endorse or embrace. vote against the previous question so we can bring up relief for the dreamers. and finally, i just, again, plead with the republican leadership of this house, we need to have a better process here. if you want to end the polarization, if you want to end the partisanship, you have to open this place up.

it's not too much to ask. with that i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from texas with 1 1/2 minutes remaining. mr. sessions: mr. speaker, thank you very much. my thanks to not only the gentleman, mr. mcgovern, but also thanks to the minority whip for coming and engaging in this issue. mr. speaker, let us not forget that this last summer, last summer we engaged in all 12 spending bills on the floor of the house of representatives. the appropriations committee received over 700 thoughts, ideas, so to speak, amendments for them to consider. it was an open process. mr. speaker, on the floor, 232 amendments were a part of the process of the 12 bills. nita lowey, last night, the ranking member, sat before the rules committee at about midnight and said, it's late but the process worked. the process worked for

democrats. the process worked for appropriators to work on a bipartisan basis, and the process worked in the united states senate. mr. speaker, two members of the appropriations staff, shannon o'keefe, and nancy fox, are two sterling members of the professional staff of the house of representatives who did one heck of a job to make sure our rules committee, staff and members, got the information we needed. i agree, the process should be better. i urge my colleagues to support this rule, the underlying bill, and i yield back the balance of my time and i move the previous question on the resolution. the speaker pro tempore: the question is on ordering the previous question on the resolution. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. mcgovern: mr. speaker, i ask for the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. those favoring a vote by the yeas and nays will rise. a sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. members will record their votes by electronic device.

pursuant to clause 8 and clause 9 of rule 20, this 15-minute vote on ordering the previous question will be followed by five-minute votes on adopting the resolution, if ordered, suspend the rules and passing h.r. 5247. 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 233. the nays are 186. the question is on adoption of the resolution. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes have it. the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. mcgovern: on that 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. his is a five-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote the yeas are 211. the nays are 207. the motion is adopted. without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. the unfinished business is the vote on the motion by the gentleman from kansas, mr. estes, to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 4227, as amended, which the yeas and nays were ordered. the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 4227, a bill to require the secretary of homeland security to examine what actions the department of homeland security is undertaking to combat the threat of vehicular terrorism, nd for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: the question is 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.]