i could tell you my name's frank smith, and until i showed up and you look at me and say, "smith? how did you get to be a smith?" i could, for all practical purposes, if i were invisible, be a frank smith." so that the irony here is the more i fit in, the more i realize there's a dichotomy. i'm not bitter about it, but i realize others -- they reneged on the deal. the deal was i'd fit in, you'd accept me. and yet sometimes i'm still treated as if i'm fresh off the boat. and then here's the most galling thing. this happens to me every now and then. people say to me, "oh," you know -- they take pity on me. they say, "that's such a shame you've lost your culture." i want to say, "i've lost my culture? who do you think took it away from me?" you know? "i can understand my parents are upset because i can't speak chinese, but who are you to admonish me for not speaking chinese," you know? "i don't see you learning how to speak french or german." and it's as if, on the one hand, people expect me to assimilate and be no different, never complain and not talk about these issues, but on the

smith said he had seen much of the persecution first hand. >> frank wolf and i, right before the olympics. went to china to meet with a number of house church leaders. every one of them were arrested, detained, roughed up, and one that we did meet with after the fact, he, too, was persecuted simply for meeting with two congressmen, simply for trying to live out their faith as they see fit. >> several of the lawmakers and witnesses at today's hearing question why the administration isn't doing more to leverage trade policy and foreign aid in order to force change in countries where christians are being purse kited, often with full knowledge and sometimes with the assistance of foreign government. skeptics say they're encouraged by the public mention of two americans held by foreign governments because of their faith. kenneth bae and sayid abediny in iran, and he's speaking out about global religious freedom. >> nations that do not uphold these rights so the bitter seeds of instability and violence. >> he continues to take criticism over a key post, the ambassador at large for international

chris smith who chaired today's hearing seen the problem firsthand in many places including most recently china. >> frank wolf and i went to china to meet with a number of house church leaders. every one were arrested, detained, roughed up and the one we did meet with after the fact he, too, was persecuted, simply for meeting with two congressmen, simply for trying to live out their faith as they see fit. >> reporter: lawmakers say the u.s. needs to be leveraging trade and foreign aid to force other countries to stop persecuting christians. >> what is the administration doing about this, shannon? >> according to a lot of lawmakers and witnesses who were in today's hearing, not enough. here is what the president said just days ago at the national prayer breakfast. >> extremists succumb to amylism that shows they don't understand the faith they claim to profess for the kiing of the innocent is never fulfilling god's will. in fact, as the ultimate betrayal of god's will. >> despite those words the president is taking criticism for leaving a key post in his administration unfilled. the ambassador at large fo

smith would double his teaching load if unc chopped the salary i half. i bet not. [laughter] john: there's a credit crisis, regulate the banks. you testified that dodd-franks the cure. >> dodd-frank was passed in response to the financial crisis to prect consumers, but what we are seeing in practice is that consumers are having less access to credit and savings, and bank fees at record highs, and 3 million people shut out of the banking system. it's a law of unintended consequences. john: as americans, we should buy america. >> buying from foreign, we get goods at lower prices. you want access to the lowest priced goods, but when americans buy from foreigners we send that money abroad, money comes back to amera as demand for american exports or investment in america. it's normally not seen by the people who on't know economics, but it's real, and it helps america. john: more patriic if i buy american stuff. >> no, no. when you buy american stuff for that sake, that means you are not employing resources as they should be employed. there's no reason you shouldn chse the best deal you can find. that's patriotic. john: income inequality. the theme of the day,

smith would double his teaching load if the unc chopped his salary in half. i bet not. >> we have a credit crisis so regulate the banks. you testified before congress on dodd-frank. >> since dodd-frank was passed in response to the financial crisis to protect consumers. what we are seeing in practice consumers are having less access to credit and savings, banks fees are at record highs. over 3 million people have been shut out of the banking system. this is the law of unintended consequence. >> another appealing theme is we should buy. we are americans. we should buy american. >> american buy from farmers we get good lower prices. i want poor people to have access to the lowes price gods. when americans buy from foreigners we send money abroad and that money comes back to america as -- demand for american exports or investment in america. it is normally not seen by the people who don't know my economics. but it is definitely real and it helps america. >> isn't it more patriotic if i buy american stuff? >> no. when you buy -- when you buy american -- that means you are not employing resources as they should be employed. there is month reason you shouldn't choose

or james smith in south tampa owns property, his freem yum will go from $2,000 a year to $9,000 a year. or frank and shirley davis in shore acres have st. petersburg just listed their home for $175,000 but they're going to have an annual, new annual premium of $4,000 that's now negated any chance they have of selling their home. this is happening all across the country. and madam speaker, this republican majority -- people have called it the do inform hog -- to-nothing congress. they are skeptical that the republican-controlled congress can respond to middle class families and provide economic relief where it's needed. here's a chance for the republican majority to step up and address a very severe economic issue for families and businesses all across this country. the longer the republican leadership puts this off, the greater economic harm it will cause to families and bies across america. vote nonthe previous question and the rule the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady's time has expire. the gentleman from texas. mr. sessions: thank you, madam speaker. i have great respect for the gentlewoma