earlier this year, the house passed h.r. 6621 in a vote of 3088-89. the senate passed the legislation with an amendment by unanimous concept. now that the america invents act is law, our focus should be on how it can be improoveed. this is why i support h.r. 6621 because it accomplishes that very goal in several respects. to begin with h.r. 66 1 clarifies and improves provisions to help implement the america invents act, it clarifies provisions dealing with patent term adjustments, derivation proceedings and terms of the patent public advisory committee. the senate amendment to this bill makes one change to the house-passed bill by removing the provision requiring the patent office to prepare a report on patent applications pending before the office for over 18 years. although this provision has been removed, we must continue to study ways to improve the patent system and make sure there are not delatos receiving patent protection. the bill clarifies the act, the advice of counsel section as it applies to civil actions commenced on or after the date o

farenthold: i ask for consideration of h.r. 6672. the clerk: h.r. 467 2. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas, mr. farenthold, and the gentleman from missouri, mr. clay, each will control 20 minutes. mr. farenthold: i ask that all members have five legislative days to revise and extendnary remarks and includics trains you materials on h.r. 4062. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. farenthold: h.r. 4062 would designate the facility of the united states postal service located at 1444 main street in in california as the nelson "mac" macwilliams post office building. it was introduced on february 16. mr. mcwilliams served in the u.s. navy for 22 1999. upon returning to civilian life he was a small business owners. -- owner. he served his community in san diego in many ways including with the ramona chamber of commerce. he's responsible for assisting local fire victims and military personnel in mr. hunter's district office. sadly nearly a year ago, on december 20, 2011, mr. mcwilliams pass aid way. he's remembered fondly by his wife, br

i encourage my colleagues to support h.r. 6443. before yielding back my time i'd like to thank chairman miller and your entire staff for working with the minority staff to bring these two bills before the house. but also want to thank you for your friendship and guidance over the years, as we both served on the veterans' affairs committee. i look forward to my new role as the ranking member of the veterans' affairs committee and look forward to working with you and your staff as well. i want to thank you for your strong advocacy for our veteran. and that's one of the reasons why i think we work very well together is we have a common goal, a common purpose to help our veterans and their families out. so i want to thank you, look forward to working with you in the upcoming congress as well as the remainder of this congress. so with that, mr. speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from florida. mr. miller: mr. speaker, i also ask unanimous consent that all all members may have five legisla

h.r. 6605, the bill before the house today, does for the states what h.r. 6189 did for the federal government. it eliminates the statutory requirement for states to report to the attorney general about grants from the d.n.a. identification act of 1994. because congress has not funded this grant program in nearly a decade, this statutory reporting requirement is unnecessary. i thank mr. conyers and members of the judiciary committee for his initiative on this issue. i urge my colleagues to support this bill and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from michigan. mr. conyers: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. conyers: to our colleagues, this measure before us now, 6605, is a noncontroversial bill that makes a single technical correction to the u.s. code. under the government performance and results modernization act of 2010, the department of justice conducts an annual review of statutory reporting requirements that are outdated, duplicative, or otherwise no longer usef

i urge the house move and concur in the senate amendment to h.r. 443. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 443, an act to provide for the conveyance of certain property from the united states to the manilaq association located in kotzebue, alaska. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from alaska, mr. young, and the gentleman from arizona, mr. grijalva, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from alaska. mr. young: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. young: madam speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. young: madam speaker, my bill, h.r. 443, directs the indian health service to transfer 15 acres of federal land in alaska to the manilaq association by warranty deed. the i.h.s. has already conveyed these land

reid: i now ask unanimous consent that we proceed to h.r. 6014. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: h.r. 6014, an act to authorize the attorney general to award grants for states to implement d.n.a. arrestee collection processes. the presiding officer: without objection, the senate will proceed to the measure. mr. reid: i ask unanimous consent the bill be read three times, passed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid on the table with no intervening action or debate and any statements related to this matter be placed in the record at the appropriate place as if read. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. reid: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent the judiciary committee be discharged from further activity regarding h.r. 6620 and now the senate proceed to this matter. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: h.r. 6620, an act to amend title 18 united states code, and so forth. the presiding officer: without objection, the committee is discharged. the senate will proceed to the measure.

reid: i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to h.r. 1845. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: h.r. 1845, an act to provide a demonstration project providing medicare coverage and so forth. the presiding officer: is there any objection to proceeding to the measure? without objection. mr. reid: i ask unanimous consent that the bill be read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid on the table, that any statements related reeling t relating to tr be placed in the record at the appropriate place as if read. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. reid: i now ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding the upcoming recess or adjournment of the senate, the president of the senate, the president pro tempore of the senate, and the majority and minority leaders be authorized to make appointments to commissions, committees, boards, conferences or interparliamentary conferences authorized by law, by concurrent action of the two houses or by order of the senate. the presiding officer: withou

officer: under the previous order, the senate will resume legislative session for the consideration of h.r. 6156, which the clerk will report. the clerk: calendar number 552, h.r. 6156, an act to authorize the extension of nondiscriminatory treatment, normal trade relations treatment to products of the russian federation and moldova and so forth and for other purposes. the presiding officer: under the previous order, there will be ten minutes of debate equally divide and controlled between the two leaders or their designees. mr. baucus: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from montana. mr. baucus: mr. president, we will soon be voting on whether to establish permanent normal trade relations, otherwise known as pntr, with russia and moldova and to update russian human rights legislation. we have to take many difficult votes in this chamber, but this is not one of them. in fact, this is a rare opportunity to pass a good bill that we all can agree on. pntr is good for united states

h.r. 6328 directs t.s.a. administrator to make every reasonable effort to donate this unclaimed clothing to local organizations that serve homeless or needy veterans. i commend the house sponsor, mr. hochul, the gentlelady from new york, for this fine piece of legislation. i once again urge members to support this legislation and in turn support homeless veltrans. i reserve the balance of my time -- veterans. i reserve the balance of my time, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentlewoman from new york, ms. hochul, is recognized. mr. hoekstra: mr. speaker, i rise -- ms. hochul: mr. speaker, i rise in support of the clothe the homeless hero act and i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. hochul: thank you, mr. speaker. yesterday my hometown paper ran an editorial that says homeless vets need our help. the reward for serving our country shouldn't be a life on the streets. mr. speaker, i couldn't

h.r. 6364 protects the d.c. memorial because it complies with the provision of the commemorative works act that prohibits a new memorial from, and i'm quoting the act, interfering or encroaching on an existing commemorative work, end quote. and the bill goes further by saying the site of the national world war i memorial on federal land may not, quote, infringe upon or adversely impact the district of columbia war memorial. this preservation is critical to d.c. residents who deserve to have a memorial dedicated to their veterans as, i might mention, every single state has as to world war i veterans. because at that time, most americans thought it preferable to have memorials in their own states so each and every state, each and every state has a world war i memorial. today no one thinks that you have had a memorial to your veterans unless it's on federal land. it has always been our position that a national memorial dedicated to all americans who serve world war i should be located in the nation's capital, and i

h.r. 6621 corrects many of these issues. this package consists of several technical corrections to the a.i.a. that are essential to the effective implementation of the bill. other technical corrections and improvements may arise in the future, for example, the issues surrounding the correction of the post grant review provision in the leahy-smith a.i.a. this was the result of an inadvertent scrinlers error, and err are made by legislative counsel. that technical error has resulted in a provision with a higher threshold than intended by either house of congress. additionally, we must remain watchful as we examine ways to deal with the abusive and frivolous litigation that american innovators face from patent assertion entities or patent trolls. as the provisions of the leahy-smith a.i.a. continue to take effect, our nation's innovation infrastructure becomes much stronger, unleashing the full potential of american innovators and job creators. mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to place the balance of my remarks in the recor

h.r. 3477, h.r. 3870, h.r. 3912, h.r. 5738, h.r. 5837, h.r. 5954, s. 3630 and s. 3662.the presiding officer: without objection, the committee is discharged and the senate will proceed to the measures en bloc. mr. merkley: i ask unanimous consent the bills be read a third time and passed en bloc, the motions to reconsider be laid on the table en bloc with no intervening action or debate, and any related statements be printed in the record as if read. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. merkley: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to the immediate consideration of calendar number 537, s. 2318. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: calendar number 537, s. 2318, a bill to authorize the secretary of state to pay a reward to combat transnational organized crime and so forth and for other purposes. the presiding officer: the senate will proceed to the measure. mr. merkley: i further ask the committee-reported substitute amendment be agreed to, the bill as amended be read a third time and the senate proceedly proceed to a voice

>> i move to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 6504. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: a bill to to amend the small business investment act of 1958 to provide for increased limitations on leverage for multiple licenses under common control, and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from ohio, mr. chabot, and the gentlewoman from new york, ms. velazquez, will each control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from ohio. mr. chabot: thank you, mr. speaker. i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. chabot: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. chabot: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today in support of h.r. 6504, the small business investment company modernization act of

and finally, h.r. 6692 improves f.d.a.'s emergency response capabilities, it will enable f.d.a. to authorize the distribution and use of medical counter measures in preparation for an emergency, and to take actions during an emergency that will allow for the most effective use of medical counter measures. i'd like to thank congressman mike rogers, congressman gene green and their staff who authorized the original health legislation, h.r. 2405. i would like to recognize the contributions of chairman upton, chairman pitts, ranking member waxman, congresswoman eshoo, and congressman markey and their staff in strengthening the legislation as it moves through the committee process and in discussions with the senate. they have all worked in a bipartisan fashion over the past year and a half to accomplish the goals of our members and should be commended for their work. i also urge members to join me in supporting passage of h.r. 6672 and i'm hopeful our senate colleagues will similarly support this bill's passage to get the bill to the president's desk. madam speaker, i reserve the bal

the clerk: calendar number 56, h.r. 443, an act to provide for the conveyance of certain property. the presiding officer: without objection, the senate will proceed to the measure. mr. durbin: i further ask that the murkowski substitute amendment which is at the desk be agreed to, the bill as amended be read a third time and passed, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate, and that any related statements be printed at the appropriate place in the record as if read. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. durbin: i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to consideration of h.r. 4053, which was just received from the house and is at the desk. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: h.r. 4053, an act to intensify efforts to identify, prevent, and recover payment error, waste, fraud and abuse within federal spending. the presiding officer: without objection, the senate will proceed to the measure. mr. durbin: i ask unanimous consent the bill be read three times and passed with no intervening acti

ginsburg, the h.r. replied in letters, we received no response to date from mr. ginsburg, we regret that but that's why we're here. when the department doesn't want to work with the union and its members, we know what we have to do. what i would like to submit to the commission, what i would like to submit to the commission are documents and then walk right through them, they're important documents, we think they're self-explanatory, they don't need to be characterized by the union but we think those who are familiar with the labor liabilities, these are -- we are having grievances that have quite a bit of financial claims against this department and the city, so if we go through the package, the first item is a grievance sent by the union, it is a settlement by the rec and park back in the summer, i believe, this was due to problems to settle an eeoc lawsuit emanating from the rangers trailer of overtime, the document behind that is the overtime report, we ask you to take a close look, especially the labor representatives, we're informing you that our contract p

speaker, the provisions of h.r. 6582 related to small duct high systems are taken from h.r. 1499, that russ and i have been working on. the language was codified, these waivers in place, and set up a regulatory process so sellers of these systems can have relief from this regulatory burden. furthermore, consumers will have peace of mind that these products are truly energy efficient while meeting their needs and not just operating under a waiver. and i urge my colleagues to support the entire bill, 658 , and to my friend, mr. waxman, who is very passionate on climate, he also knows that there are those of us who are just as passionate about jobs and the economy and the fossil fuel economy and i hope we can work together in the next congress. with that, mr. chairman, i yield back my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from illinois yields back. the gentleman from kentucky reserves. the gentleman from california. mr. waxman: i'm pleased at this time to yield to the gentleman from vermont, who is going to be joining again the energy and commerce committee to my great delight, thr

under the previous order, the question is on h.r. 4310, as amended. the clerk will read the title of the bill for the third time. the clerk: h.r. 4310, an act to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2013 for military activities of the department of defense and so forth and for other purposes. the presiding officer: under the previous order, it is bill, as amended -- the bill, as amended, is agreed to. [inaudible] under the previous order, the clerk will appoint the following conferees. the clerk: senators levin, lieberman, reed of rhode island, akaka, nelson of nebraska, webb, mccaskill, udall of colorado, hagan, begich, manchin, shaheen, blumenthal, mccain, inhofe, sessions, chambliss, wicker, brown of massachusetts, portman, ayotte, collins, graham, cornyn and vitter. mr. whitehouse: madam president? the presiding officer: the senator from rhode island is recognized. mr. whitehouse: may i ask unanimous consent that we continue in morning business until 7:00 p.m. the presiding officer: is there an objection? no objection, so ordered. mr. whitehou

h.r. 3159, h.r. 4057, s. 3202. de novo. the first electronic vote will be conducteds a 15-minute vote. remaining electronic votes will be conducted as five-minute votes this eunfinished business is the question on suspending the rules and passing h r. 3159 as amended. the clerk: h.r. 3159, a bill to direct the president in consultation with the department of state, united states agency on development, millennium challengeing orny sigs and the department of defense to establish guidelines for the challenge program and for other purposes -- programs. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill as amended. those in favor say aye. posees -- those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair -- ms. ros-lehtinen: mr. speaker, on that 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 risen, the yeas and nays are ordered. members will record their votes by electronic devic

that the senate passed without amendment h.r. 3477, h.r. 3870, h.r. 3912, h.r. 5738, h.r. 5837, h.r. 585954, that the senate passed with an amendment, h.r. 4057, that the senate passed with an amendment h.r. 6029, that the senate passed senate 3630, senate 3662, senate 2318, senate 3202, senate 3698, appointment, u.s. united states-china economic review commission. signed sincerely, karen l. haas. the speaker pro tempore: the chair will he want taint up to 15 requests for one-minute speeches on each side of the aisle. for what purpose does the gentlelady from kansas seek recognition? ms. jenkins: to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. ms. jenkins: growing up on a kansas dairy farm, i know the estate tax is a threat to family farms. this tax makes bailing hay and shoveling manure sound like a get rich quick scheme when most family farms make an average of $45,000 a year. raising the estate tax to 55% and dropping the exemption to $1 million, might sound feasible to a hedge fund manager but it wil

h.r. 2990 can accomplish this. it's our choice.ncrease taxes, cut spending, put the economy in a stall or put millions back to work? the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentlelady from ohio seek recognition? mrs. schmidt: to address the house for one minute and to rrks my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mrs. schmidt: mr. speaker, i rise today to congratulate the ohio high school athletic association's 2012 division i state football champion, the muller crusaders. last saturday the crusaders, led by head coach, defeated toledo 20-12 to capture their eighth straight stape championship title. a catholic institution has currently a student enrollment of 925 outstanding young men. since its inception in 1960, muller has enjoyed itself a well-deserved reputation for promoting both academic excellence and athletic prowness. under their first coach who went on to coach notre dame, the crusaders compiled a record of 178 wins, 23 losses and two ties while winning four nati

h.r. 6504, de novo, h.r. 3783 by the yeas and nays, h.r. 6621 by the yeas and nays and s. 3642 by the yeas and nays. first electronic vote will be conducted as a 15-minute vote. remaining electronic votes will be conducted as five-minute votes. the unfinished business is the question on suspending the rules and passing h.r. 6054 on which the clerk will report by title. the clerk: h.r. 6504, a bill to amend the small business investment act of 1958, to provide for increased limitations on leverage for multiple licenses under common control and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and without objection the -- yes, sir. the gentleman from virginia. >> i ask for the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. all those in favor of taking this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing

>> i move to suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 5817. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. caller: h.r. 5817, to provide an exception to the annual privacy notice requirement. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from west virginia, mrs. capito, and the gentleman from california, mr. sherman, each will control 20 minutes. the chair rebling nices the gentlewoman from west virginia. mrs. capito: thank you. i ask that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and add extraneous material on this bill. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mrs. capito: madam speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. mrs. capito: i would like to first thank mr. luetkemeyer and mr. sherman for offering the bill before the house today. i would like to thank -- the house has already passed one bill for duplicative requirement on the a.t.m. machine. common sense reform. i've ask that they provide this re

the unfinished business is passing h.r. 6443. the clerk: a bill to designate the facility of the department of veterans affairs located at 9800 west commercial boulevard in florida as the william kling v.a. clinic. the speaker pro tempore: those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes have it. 2/3 being in the affirmative -- the gentleman from michigan. >> i ask for the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. a sufficient number having arisen having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. members will record their votes by electronic device. by electronic device. this will be a five-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.] the speaker pro tempore: the yeas are 422, the nays are zero. 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules ar

bills en bloc which were received from the house are at the desk: h.r. 3869 4389, 6260, 6379 and h.r. 6587. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: i ask unanimous consent the bills be read a third time passed en bloc, the motions to reconsider be laid on the table en bloc with no intervening action or debate and any related statements be printed in the record as if read. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: i ask unanimous consent the homeland security -- i ask unanimous consent that the committee on finance be discharged from further consideration of s. 3667 the senate proceed to its immediate consideration. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: s. 3667 a bill to rename section 219-c of the internal revenue code of 1986 as the kay bailey hutchison -- mr. schumer: i ask unanimous consent the bill be considered as read. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: i ask unanimous consent the bill be read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider motion to reconsider be laid on the table and any statements relating

reid: i ask unanimous consent we proceed to h.r. 6223. the clerk: h.r. 6223, an act to amend section 1059-e of the national defense authorization act for fiscal year 2006 to clarify that a period of employment abroad by the chief admission of united states forces as a translator, and so forth and for other purposes. the presiding officer: without objection, the senate will proceed to the measure. mr. reid: i now ask unanimous consent that the bill be read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider be laid on the table, many statements relating to this matter appear in the record at the appropriate place. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. reid: i now ask consent we proceed to s. res. 3687. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: s. 3687, a bill to amend the federal water pollution control act, and so forth and for other purposes. the presiding officer: without objection, the senate will proceed to the measure. mr. reid: i now ask that the bill be read a third time, passed, the motion to reconsider be

reid: i move to proceed to h.r. 6516, which is the russia moll did a have a trade agreement. the presiding officer: the clerk will report the motion. the clerk: motion to proceed to calendar number 552, h.r. 6156, an act to authorize the extension of nondiscriminatory treatment, normal trade relations treatment, to products of the russian federation and moldova and to require reports on the compliance of the russian federation with its obligations as a member of the world trade organization and for other purposes. a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from -- mr. mccain: i thank the -- the presiding officer: the senator from arizona. mr. mccain: i would like to thank the majority leader for his patience in allowing this legislation to be completed. i would note that there was 145 amendments, and many recorded votes and good debate and discussion over very important issues, and i thank the majority leader for allowing this process to go forward. i also would like to say "thank you" to the majority leader. i would not -- i would like to note the good work

that the senate passed without amendment h.r. 4014, h.r. 4367, h.r. 2467, h.r. 3319, that the senate passed with an amendment, h.r. 6328. that the senate passed senate 3564. with best wishes i am, signed sincerely, karen l. haas. the speaker pro tempore: the chair lays before the house the following enrolled bill. the clerk: h.r. 3187, an act to require the secretary of the treasury to mint coins in recognition and celebration of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the march of dimes foundation. the speaker pro tempore: the chair lays before the house the following enrolled bill. the clerk: h.r. 6582, an act to allow for innovation and alternative technologies that meet or exceed desired energy efficiency goals and to make he can nickal corrections to existing federal energy efficiency laws to allow american manufacturers to remain competitive. the speaker pro tempore: the chair will entertain 15 further requests for one-minute speeches on each side of the aisle. for what purpose does the gentleman from south carolina seek recognition? mr. wilson: i ask unanimous consent to

the clerk: h.r. h.r. 2467, an act to take serl federal lands in mono county, california, into trust for the benefit of the bridgeport indian colony. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, the chair will postpone further proceedings today on motions to suspend the rules on which a recorded vote or the yeas and nays are ordered or on which the vote incurs objection under clause 6 of rule 20. record votes on postponed questions will be taken later. for what purpose does the gentleman from utah seek recognition? mr. chaffetz: mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 4053 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar number 509, h.r. 4053, a bill to intensify efforts to identify, prevent, and recover payment error, waste, fraud, and abuse within federal spending. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from utah, mr. chaffetz, and the gentleman from new york, mr. towns, each will

i believe that we're prepared now to go to h.r. 6156. i know that the senator from connecticut would like to speak for five minutes. and i was hoping that we could get some time where we could go back and forth and talk about the magnitsky aspects of that legislation now. am i correct, mr. president, the bill has not yet been -- going to be reported now? perhaps we could enter into a consent as to the next 30 or 40 minutes. the presiding officer: morning business is closed. under the previous order the senate will proceed to consideration of h.r. 6156, which the clerk will report. the clerk: calendar number -- mr. mccain: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent further reading be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mccain: mr. president, i also note note the presence of our friend, senator lieberman on the floor, who also has had a major role in this legislation. and i would hope that perhaps he could be -- i ask unanimous consent he be included in the colloquy. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mccai

speaker, in support of the conference report for h.r. 4310. this defense bill conference report works to ensure there are men and women in uniform are well trained and equipped through the authorization of 176 billion dollars in operation and maintenance funding, plus $6 billion for overseas operations, including afghanistan. the conferees have restored 77 aircraft and 3,313 people to the air force's force structure, mostly in the air national guard and the air force reserve, to ensure adequate resources are available to the states and the territories to respond to mobilization, homeland defense and disaster assistance missions. i am personally pleased that the conferees did not allow the retirement of block 30 global hawks, which provide critical i.s.r. capability. i am particularly pleased that the conference report authorizes the secretary of defense to establish a program to provide space available transportation to active service members. while i am disappointed that the conferees authorized percentage reduction in the d.o.d. civilian wor

the presiding officer: under the previous order, the senate will resume consideration of h.r. 5949. under the previous order, there will now be two minutes of debate equally divided prior to a vote in relation to amendment number 3437 offered by the senator from vermont, mr. leahy. mr. leahy: mr. president -- the presiding officer: the senator from vermont. mr. leahy: mr. president, this is a matter i care a great deal about. we're rushing to rub irstamp a house bill that will extend the fisa amendments act for another five years. my amendment would allow the authorities to continue but it would give a lot better and more timely oversight. we passed this, it was not a last-minute thing. we passed this out in july of the senate judiciary committee. we did it quickly so that we would not be in this last-minute matter. this has no operational impact on the intelligence community, but it does ensure the strongest of oversight. i hope that -- i hope senators will support it and i yield the floor. mrs. feinstein: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from california. mrs. fein

reid: i ask that the senate proceed to the following bills: calendar number 344, that's h.r. 4014, h.r. 4367, which was received from the house and is at the desk. the presiding officer: without objection, the senate will proceed to the bills e block. -- en bloc. mr. reid: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the bill be read three times, passed en bloc, the motion to reconsider be laid on the table on the two bills be laid upon the table enblock, with no intervening action or debate, any related statements to these matters be placed in the record at the appropriate place as if given. the presiding officer: without objection, so ordered. mr. reid: i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to calendar number 534. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: calendar numbered 534, h.r. 2467, an act to take certain federal lands in monroe county, california, to the trust for the benefit of the bridge port indian colony. the presiding officer: is there okay? without objection. mr. reid: mr. president, i ask the bill be read a third time, passed, the motion to reconsider

the question is on suspending the rules and passing this ebill h.r. 4389. the clerk: h.r. 4389, a bill to designate the postal service in fowler, california, as the cecil e. bolt post office. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill? those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair 2/3 being in the affirmative the rules are suspended this ebill is passed and without objection though the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. the unfinished business is the question on suspending the rules and passing h.r. 6260. the clerk: h.r. 6260, a bill to designate the post office as the kenneth m. ballard memorial post office. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill? those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair 2/3 being in the affirmative the rules are suspended, the bill is pass and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. the unfinished business is the question on suspending the rules and pa

votes will be taken in the following order -- senate 3454, de novo, h.r. 6612, de novo. votes will be conducted as five-minute votes. the unfinished business is the question on suspending the rules and passing senate 3454 which the clerk will report by title. the clerk: senate 3454, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2013 for intelligence and intelligence-related activities of the united states government and the office of the director of national intelligence, the central intelligence agency retirement and disability system and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill. so many as are in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 having responded in the affirmative -- the gentleman from arizona. >> mr. speaker, i request 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. t

and h.r. 8 is the one-year extension of all the tax rates. you know, we keep hearing about the president wants to extend the tax cut for those making $250,000 a year and less. now, what that would do is catch a lot of our small businesses, about 20% of our small businesses have already said that this would adversely impact them to the point that they would be cutting jobs. just -- not growing, but actually cutting jobs. so, i would point out 256 members of this chamber on a bipartisan basis voted to extend the tax cuts for everybody. now, when people say, well, why can't the house and the senate get together? mr. speaker, our bill, as i've just mentioned, these bills are sitting on the senate leader's desk. dealing with the sequester, dealing with taxes, dealing with the reform issues that we have in front of us. these four bills are sitting there waiting for action. the house has done its job. we've agreed, let's not raise taxes on anybody. that's only one part of this issue. and certainly the way the president is wanting to approach tax ref

merkley: i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to the consideration of h.r. of 6643, which was received from the house and it is at the desk. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: h.r. 6634, an act to change the effective date for the internet publication of certain financial disclosure forms. the presiding officer: without objection, the senate will proceed to the measure. mr. merkley: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the bill be read three times and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid on the table, with no intervening action or debate, and any statements related to the bill be placed in the record at the appropriate place as if read. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. merkley: mr. president, i yield the floor. mr. barrasso: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from wyoming. mr. barrasso: thank you, mr. president. i rise today to talk about the fiscal cliff that this country faces on january 1. we're now beyond the point four weeks after the election and now four weeks before the date of the fiscal c

i was thinking about h.r. mcmaster because somebody had written to me and said, tom, you either have a counterinsurgency or a conventional army, you can't have both. and i thought, wait a second, h.r. mcmaster is one of the most conventional heros, a tank battle in the desert -- >> right. >> yet years later in iraq he's one of the few, one of the first commanders to successfully adopt counterinsurgency tactics. that shows a real flexibility and adaptability of mind. it shows the ability to think critically, to think strategically, to be educated about your profession not just trained for your job. training prepares you for the known, education prepares you for the unknown. h.r. mcmaster went into iraq prepared for the unknown. most of our commanders did not. most notably i would say lieutenant general ricardo sanchez who strikingly, basically, had iraq blow up in his face and went home 'em bittered because he wasn't promoted to four stars as if somehow i did my one year, i'm entitle today a promotion. that sen

h.r. 872 does not alter pesticide regulation. pesticide applications are subject to the terms that are printed on a product label, as approved by the environmental protection agency. it is against the law to apply pesticides in a manner that does not comply with the e.p.a.'s approval. last december 25 of our colleagues wrote to our majority leader and our republican leader requesting an open debate on h.r. 872, a bipartisan bill, and i would like to submit a copy of this letter in the record at this time. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. roberts: despite bipartisan requests for consideration, the bill failed to be considered before regulatory requirements went into effect last year. now, we're already seeing costs to states, to communities, and to businesses that total up millions of dollars. regulations now in effect are tomduplicative -- hard word to y -- 35-cent word; that means we don't need it. we already have a bill in plashingplace.these regulationse businesses to a paperwork exercise. the centers for disease

speaker, i rise today in support of h.r. 6582. this legislation would establish a uniform energy efficient descripter for all water heaters, walk-in freezers and walk-in coolers. the legislation also improves the testing methods that determine whether or not these products are energy efficient which will provide certainty for manufacturers and their products. in my hometown is one of the largest manufacturers who make up to 8,000 water heaters a day. and this is a real jobs issue in my hometown. these jobs have good retirement plans, health insurance and their competitors are both in canada and mexico and we need to do anything we can to help support these local manufacturers. this bill will make it easier for consumers to compare the energy efficiency of products and eliminate confusion that stems from having more than one type of label. the decision to invest in a large-scale appliance of this nature is a big one. and during these tough economic times, consumers deserve information that's easily understood so they can make well-

senate will gavel in at 11 to recent consideration of h.r. one, the legislative vehicle for the supplemental spending bill by the areas affected by superstorm sandy. we will have live coverage of the senate here on c-span2. the pension benefit guarantee corporation director says without congressional changes the agency will end up with little resources failed improved pension plans or those plans until. he testified before the house education and the workforce subcommittee on pensions yesterday. we will show as much of this as possible into the senate else in at 11. >> -- senate gavels in at 11. >> [inaudible conversations] >> [inaudible conversations] >> [inaudible conversations] >> the subcommittee on health employment labor and pensions peions will come to order. good morning, director, and it'd good to see you again. we appreciate you taking the time to be with us this morningo before we begin i'd like to take a moment to extend my ban condolences to the people of coolences to newtown, connecticut. last week an unspeakable act off people

about her, is she's the kind of girl you could just stroke and stroke all day long, and not end up in h.r. - how many millions of women, and a few men, fantasized about magnum p.i.'s mustache? it might just be the manliest moustache of all time. - tom selleck doesn't have a mustache. he's got a push broom stuck to his lip. - if you had a cool car like magnum, and a moustache, you were, like, definitely gonna get the ladies. - and remember when bad perms were, um, good? - oh, my word-- it's fantastic! - when jaime sommers got a perm, and she liked it, i thought, "wow. "they must be a sponsor of the show." it was ludicrous-- she looked like the sasquatch person that she was gonna go toe-to-toe with in another scene. [growling] - number nine-- silly stunts. when a devastating car accident leaves jaime sommers at death's door, her only hope of survival is top secret technology that transformed her into the bnic woman. and, apparently, the first female cyborg sometimes had a soft approach to violence. - so, the bionic woman, uh, throws a teddy bear at a guy, a sniper in a helicopter, and knock

about her, is she's the kind of girl you could just stroke and stroke all day long, and not end up in h.r. - how many millions of women, and a few men, fantasized about magnum p.i.'s mustache? it might just be the manliest moustache of all time. - tom selleck doesn't have a mustache. he's got a push broom stuck to his lip. - if you had a cool car like magnum, and a moustache, you were, like, definitely gonna get the ladies. - and remember when bad perms were, um, good? - oh, my word-- it's fantastic! - when jaime sommers got a perm, and she liked it, i thought, "wow. "they must be a sponsor of the show." it was ludicrous-- she looked like the sasquatch person that she was gonna go toe-to-toe with in another scene. [growling] - number nine-- silly stunts. when a devastating car accident leaves jaime sommers at death's door, her only hope of survival is top secret technology that transformed her into the bionic woman. and, apparently, the first female cyborg sometimes had a soft approach to violence. - so, the bionic woman, uh, throws a teddy bear at a guy, a sniper in a helicopter, and kno