ratcliffe. rep. ratcliffe. : i would like to yield my time to the gentleman's from south carolina. chairman gowdy: he's got warrants outstanding. he's from georgia now. >> i would like to clarify again. we did this last time. it is groundhog day. here we go again. the letter spoken of was dealing with legal permanent residents. it was not dealing in this discretion of illegal. so basically, to take a letter and list -- it must at least be fair with the letter. to come here and use a letter and take people who are no longer in this body, and some who happen to be here, to say that is just wrong. i believe the gentleman from illinois has a good heart. i just believe he's dead wrong on many things. let's at least have an honest discussion about this. let's not throw in names so you can stake yourself in arguments that are not there. this is the wrong argument. this is what is wrong that the american people don't get. i appreciate the gentleman yielding. i yield. >> i thank the gentleman. i'm not sure if my faux pas offended south carolinians or georgians, but my apologies to both. cha

bill ratcliffe. he is going to be fine. [applause] you got this. you do not have a wireless. you see? >> good afternoon, everybody. i cannot speak in the third person. my makeup does not allow me to do that. i am one of those funny people who has to think about what they are going to say and before they forget it, write it down, so with sister nicole's wonderful dissertation that i enjoyed, i am going to do my best to follow-up with maybe something you all can take away from this experience. i have to tell you, this experience for me, i will be honest with you. yes, i was a sailor, a firefighter, and a reenactor about 26 years, and i am extremely nervous. but having said that, i am going to take my time and my little notes and pass along what i have to tell you. i want to thank you all for being here. i want to thank all of the honored guests that were in attendance, my associates on the sesquicentennial -- the commission. [laughter] my brothers and sisters from the 13th united states colored troops, mr. and mrs. hill, mr. and mrs. overton, and the lovely mrs. radcliffe. we h

ratcliff of texas, mrs. roby of alabama. the speaker pro tempore: the chair lays before the house a communication. the clerk: the honorable the speaker, house of representatives, sir, pursuant to clause 5-a 4-a rule 10 of the rules of the house of representatives, i designate the following members to be available to serve on an investigative subcommittee of the committee on ethics during the 114th congress, the honorable john c. carney of delaware, the honorable gerald e. connelly of virginia the honorable janice hahn of california, the honorable brian higgins of new york, the honorable hakeem s. jeffries of new york, the honorable william r. keating of massachusetts the honorable ed perlmutter of colorado, the honorable terri a. sewell of alabama, the honorable jackie speier of california the honorable dina titus of nevada. signed, best regards, nancy pelosi, democratic leader. the speaker pro tempore: the chair lays before the house a communication. the clerk: the honorable the speaker, house of representatives sir, pursua