the i.r.s. that's only shared with the department of education. so as the applicant comes in and releases -- tells us to release the data to the department of education, they don't have access. they don't have the key to de-encrypt that data. it's only the department of education once it gets to their site that they will be able to de-encrypt the data. mr. hurd: ok. ms. garza: that applicant -- mr. hurd: so mr. gray, how are you responsible responsible for fafsa.gov? mr. gray: yes, sir. mr. hurd: how are you able to authenticate it to the end user? mr. gray: we are looking at several proactive measures. mr. hurd: we are looking portends you are doing something in the future. do you have a past tense verb that you can use on what you have done? mr. gray: for the department we follow defense in depth and we have a whole series of actions that we're taking to ensure we protect our systems. mr. hurd: and what are those series of actions? mr. gray: some of them i referenced in my opening statement re

on the i.r.s., as i did say, i have spent now a bunch of time with the i.r.s. looking at things. i will tell you one of my biggest focus and i do have a technology background, upgrading the technology at the i.r.s. we are very, very focused that we've underinvested in technology. and i am pleased to report that within the budget we will protect what our big increases of technology in the i.r.s. and we will offset them in what we hope are savings in other areas. obviously we were looking to cut government spending, and i'm pleased that we protected the i.r.s. there were other people who wanted to cut it more, and we're very comfortable with the spending level and some savings and big technology investments there. senator hatch: senator isakson. senator isakson: i want to make my association with the comments senator crapo made about the job you've done so far has been a breath of fresh air. sherrod brown is the best yes or no question asker and one of his questions was about social security and i want to follow up not by challenging mr. brown but by making a point. we have a $20 t

trump in his remarks went further. >> this executive order directs the i.r.s. not to unfairly target churches and religious organizations for political speech. >> reporter: religious non-profits also wanted exemptions from obamacare provisions mandating insurance coverage for contraceptives, an issue a group of catholic nuns took all the way to the supreme court. >> and we know all too well the attacks against the little sisters of the poor. >> reporter: today's order just instructs government agencies to consider crafting new regulations. a number of prominent religious leaders celebrated alongside the president today, but others were left disappointed. greg baylor is senior council with alliance defending freedom. >> we do hope that the president and his agencies follow through on some of these will end up fixing them. >> reporter: scott, after reviewing the attacks, the aclu has dropped its threat of a lawsuit calling the order "an elaborate photo op with no discernible policy outcome." >> pelley: margaret brennan at the u.s.s. intrepid air and space museum

people on the -- in the i.r.s. nvestigated and stopped conservative groups from getting the same things that other gotten, ad already getting tax breaks or setting up. obody cared about a special prosecutor now. there is no reason why they can't appoint another person to and look in. i don't believe russia could with the fered election when during candidate was a fixed at it election, all these groups were talking about how it is to fix ourfor anyone election. then as soon as trump wins, then election was a fix because their person didn't win. 'm sorry to be speaking so much, but that's -- first time i ever called up, i just was tired of everybody's -- host: peter, you are welcome to again, call any time. it is a forum here to hear from you and all our viewers this morning. here are the headline necessary today's paper from around the country on firing of james comey. bakersfield, california, went with the headline simply "fired," to front page of the daily news in new york. detrump, front page there, dispatch. tru

we require i.r.s. to listen to small businesses before releasing i.r.s. rules. so many hours are spent with small businesses with the -- engaging with the i.r.s. we want to have the i.r.s. say how is this going to affect small businesses. how do we make sure that this is as easy as possible for small business owners. third, increase the transparency in the rule-making process. small businesses tell me when they learn of new regulatory requirements, they are often blindsided. they had no idea the rule was coming. when a small business speaks out to an agency, they are confused when they see the final rule because it doesn't look at all like what was recommended or raised. years ago there was a panel, it is where small businesses were supposed to engage with the government on designing how regulations would come out. the loopholes were so present in the law that the agencies are just going around them. we need to close that. as simple as it sounds, when an agency is creating a rule, don't you think they should call a small business and ask how it will work at thei

but our new president, president trump is ordering hires of 10,000 i.r.s i.r.s. i.c.e.ents it. it will take years. charles: not an overnight cure . thank you all very much. at home thank you for watching, now here is lou dobbs. trish: i am trish regan in for lou dobbs, president trump vowing to prosecute those responsibility for leaking intelligence about manchester terror attack to media, calling for a full investigation after british officials made it clear they were outraged that american media disclosed identity of the manchester suicide bomber before the uk police, president today condemning the leaks as a graif grave threat to our national security. kevin corke is traveling with the president in brussels. poer: ey may have been all smiles at family photo

pedro, i go buy a vehicle for car 00 and pay cash, that seller will have to report it to the i.r.s., but first coming in able to drop down whether it is in new york, doing i think that is where trump's big possible is and if it is, could as well.ct, host: "wall street journal" akes a look at north korea and missile capability. jonathan cheng writing that the north first publicly tested polaris 2 in february and successful launch of the missile submarine launch allistic missile and test launched polaris two in april, the missile g through the streets for the first time. claim todayr. cheng is very accurate and ordered for military.n the declaration of success with polaris 2, km15 comes a week after north korea launched new missile experts say is capable of flying 2800 miles, enough to each u.s. base in guam, and further than fired to date. polaris 2 and 12 are capable of warheads nuclear according to north korea frchlt republican zona, line, you are next. good morning. caller: good morning. just going to ask two questions on the budget bill today; e releasing correct? host: expect to

. >> to the now infamous i.r.s.cam call. >> investigation department of the i.r.s. >> to the newest caller emily who dropped her head set. >> i'm sorry about that. i was having a little problem with my head set. >> worse, they all use fake numbers. >> i get calls from what sounds like from india. it's number from chicago. >> but the good news is there are now apps to block calls. >> top-rated blocking apps for smart phones include privacy star. missed your number. true caller. caller blacklist. two new ones for at&t wireless customers. the most popular is nomo robo that works on the internet based landline and the iphones and android. some charge a small fee but others are free. you might want to start with a free and if you are not happy move to a paid one so you don't waste your money. john matarese, abc7 news. larry: happening now at 5:00, police are searching for a door-to-door sex predator. the newly released video and what put him in a panic. he was once accused in death of chandra levy. where gaundique has be

. >> reporter: in a statement, wounded warrior project said it allows accounting rules and i.r.s. requirements and has "made significant changes to insure that we are focused on running the most efficient, ,ffective organization possible." scott, it also says it updated its travel and expense policies and adjusted its programs and services to focus on mental health and long-term support. >> pelley: chip reid, thanks. well, president trump said during the campaign that nato is obsolete, because it doesn't fight terrorism. but the truth is, the alliance has been in afghanistan for 16 years. 25 nato countries have forces there now, alongside more than 8,000 u.s. troops. elizabeth palmer is among the most experienced war correspondents today, and she brings us up to date on america's longest war. >> reporter: just last month-- ( gunfire ) --u.s. marines fought a pitched battle in southern afghanistan against taliban fighters who have been launching one bold attack after another. the taliban now control roughly one-third of afghanistan. more than at any time since 2001 when the war beg

it was they thought it was a problem that the i.r.s.ting conservative groups, and the media accepted that all the evidence was destroyed, the director could take the foist, but conservatives felt like justice wasn't being served. it's a problem -- >> let jonathan jump in. donnell filibusters you have got evening on three different tangents. >> it's a nice trip -- you understand that democrats should be concerned. >> no, all americans need to be concerned. >> you're right. >> about the russians interfering and possibly undermining our election. >> yeah, but jonathan, you're right. >> the idea that the president of the united states doesn't seem to care about getting to the bottom of that is one of the many things that are alarming right now. this isn't about score settling and say that the democrats didn't investigate. >> right now we're talking about, jonathan. >> this is what happens, carrie. conservatives rather than addressing the -- they're going back to the obama administration. that's a huge distraction. what everyone thinks about

churches, mosques, synagogues, faith-based non-profits, and any organization that has cleared the i.r.s hurdle as tax-exempt. it also exempts some religious organizations from the obamacare requirements that contradict their religious beliefs, such as contraception coverage. announcer: when we return -- talk about a legal education! find out why these kids are telling the president, "see you find out why these kids are telling the president, "see you in court!"the home of "wow" savings. wow means you save 50% or more. there are three stages of wow. denial. is this price right? acceptance. and boooyah. wait for it. boooyah has three o's. ♪ grocery outlet bargain market. ♪ stop in right now and save on top name brand juices. soledad: a group of kids is taking the federal government to court. their claim: it is violating their consitutional right to life, liberty, and property by knowingly contributing to climate change. they argue the government knows the dangers of burning fossil fuels and still supports their use, causing damage to the environment. therefore, they are suing on behalf of

churches, mosques, synagogues, faith-based non-profits, and any organization that has cleared the i.r.s. hurdle as tax-exempt. it also exempts some religious organizations from the obamacare requirements that contradict their religious beliefs, such as contraception coverage. announcer: when we return -- talk about a legal education! find out why these kids are telling the president, "see you in court!" who are these people? the energy conscious people among us say small actions can add up to something... humongous. a little thing here. a little thing there. starts to feel like a badge maybe millions can wear. who are all these caretakers, turns out, it's californians it's me and it's you. don't stop now, it's easy to add to the routine. join energy upgrade california and do your thing. soledad: a group of kids is taking the federal government to court. their claim: it is violating their consitutional right to life, liberty, and property by knowingly contributing to climate change. they argue the government knows the dangers of burning fossil fuels and still supports their use, causing

it's aimed at easing an i.r.s. that forbids churches from directly opposing or endorsing political candidates. >> after days of being on the run an escaped prisoner has been caught. david watson has had the state of maryland on edge but now that manhunt is over. >> fox5's annie yu is live in jessup with more on how police caught him. annie. >> reporter: good morning, maureen and holly ornge line. well, it was a promising tip that that led police to capturing 28-year-old david watson. the person who called 911 reported seeing a man believed to be watson near railroad tracks not too far from where he escaped at the clifton t. perkins psychiatric hospital. he made that escape from that police custody last friday. sure enough watson was found a few hundred yards from where the tipster spotted him earlier in the day near a wooded area off of dorsey run road. this also an area that police k-9 units and fbi had previously checked but just before 10 o'clock last night around 9:40 officers from a howard county police tactic

churches, mosques, synagogues, faith-based non-profits, and any organization that has cleared the i.r.srdle as tax-exempt. it also exempts some religious organizations from the obamacare requirements that contradict their religious beliefs, such as contraception coverage. announcer: when we return -- talk about a legal education! find out why these kids are telling the president, "see you in court!" come on...you can do it! dogs just won't quit. neither does frontline. that's why there's frontline gold. frontline gold delivers powerful protection that doesn't quit for a full 30 days. its triple action formula is relentless at killing fleas and ticks. frontline gold. the latest innovation from the maker of frontline plus. for persistent protection you can trust... good boy! go for the gold. frontline gold. available at your vet. make the most of a few minutes with instant moisture from k-y ultragel. soledad: a group of kids is taking the

it eweakens i.r.s. rule to bar churches and tax e from endorsing political candidates. it came short of abolishing the so-called johnson amendment to take action from congress. religion is certain to be a topic of president trump's first overseas trip that includes stop at the vatican, israel and saudi arabia. the trips will come ahead of a nato meeting in belgium may 25 and g7 meeting in italy the following day. >> well, you better find your umbrella because we will get on a stormwatch7 weather alert as the areas are bracing for rainstorm. not a little rain. a lot of rain. it is coming in a short period of time. our chief meteorologist doug hill has the all-important timing. doug: we think the heaviest rain is 3:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. in the morning. pick up an inch or two of rain. that is the story tonight. quite a soaker coming. potentially high impact in the morning commute. i want to show you, we have the moisture from two separate directions. from the atlantic ocean and the gulf with the southerly winds. this will converge over the area late tonight and overnight. p

minnesota's attorney general said she has turned her findings over to i.r.s. has the power to revoke kars4kids's charity status. in 2015, kars4kids spent $17 million on those ads and never mentioned oorah. >> pelley: tony dokoupil for us tonight. tony, thank you. coming up, a record award in a dsial over baby powder. >> pelley: tony dokoupil for us tonight. tony, thank you. coming up, a record award in a trial over baby powder. baby powder. once-daily breo prevents asthma . breo is for adults with asthma not well controlled on a long-term asthma control medicine, like an inhaled corticosteroid. breo won't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden breathing problems. breo is specifically designed to open up airways to improve breathing for a full 24 hours. breo contains a type of medicine that increases the risk of death from asthma problems and may increase the risk of hospitalization in children and adolescents. breo is not for people whose asthma is well controlled on a long-term asthma control medicine, like an inhaled corticosteroid. once your asthma is well con

protecd pay for contraception coverage under the affordable care act and it's also aimed at easing an i.r.s. provision that forbids churches from endorsing to candidates. >> an escaped prisoner from howard county back in custody. police caught david watson last night in jessup. police received a tip yesterday morning that watson was spotted in a wooded area near the location where he escaped custody from officers last week. watson was in jail for attempted for murder. >>> alcohol smuggling and other security risks as it was making nearly $700 million to protect the u.s. air base and p-16 fighter jets in iraq. >> there were accusations of prostitution, of human trafficking, of sex trafficking, females brought in from other locations in baghdad that came from other countries and were selling their services on base but seal port decided they didn't want us to look into it and shut us down. >> the allegations also include alleged security breaches including allowing iraqi militia members onto the base. former seal port investigators claim the misconduct was not revealed to the united states gov

theological views to engage in the same type of speech political speech when it comes to matters which the i.r.sconstrue as political so it doesn't give the religious right the religious left or anyone else any more power than any other group and secondly it doesn't gut the johnson amendment per se. this, you know, has to -- this order has to be construed in light of statute and it's a first step towards increased religious freedom, the free speech fairness act currently pending in congress is really what's needed to build on this and allow this type of speech as a permanent fix instead of just something temporary. >> all right, travis weber from the family researchers council thanks for coming. in we appreciate your perspective. >> thank you. >>> well, today we learn that president trump will be doing some traveling. he'll head to the vatican israel and saudia arabia at the end of this month. >> the president says his goals for the trip include building a coalition to fight ground among the different faiths. the president in new york for the first time since taking office planned to m meet the

and whereas the i.r.s. used 2014 to make public the i.r.s. tax returns of 51 taxpayers. wrms james comey said a tax return is used as evidence. whereas the american people have the right to know whether or not their president is operating under conflicts of interests relating to international affairs, tax reform, government reforms or otherwise. whereas, the house of representatives shall, one, immediately request the tax from of donald j. trump 2016 to 2015 as provided under 61 -- section 6103 of the internal revenue code and vote to report that information therein to the full house of representatives. two, support transparency in government and the long standing tradition of presidents and presidential candidates disclosing their tax returns. the speaker pro tempore: does the gentlewoman from california wish to present argument on the parliamentary inquiry whether the resolution presents the question of the privilege of the house? ms. sanchez: yes, i do, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized on the question of the order. ms. sanchez: under

regular people that don't want your insurance, and that's exactly what happened, all those through the i.r.sstill, you're being fined because you're a criminal if you don't have this insurance. host: all right, david there in georgia. we'll live the conversation there. one more story for you, as we mentioned at the top today, a special election in montana. this is an at-large seat, and the headlines this morning across the national papers is this, similar to this one in "the washington post," g.o.p. candidate in montana race charged with misdemeanor assault after allegedly body slamming a guardian reporter from the u.k. so we'll talk about more of that, we'll get more details on that, and the predictions for this race coming up here on the "washington journal." but first up next, we're going to talk with representative denny heck, a democrat from washington state. he'll give us the latest on the investigations of possible russian interference in the 2016 elections. and then later, florida republican congressman francis rooney on president trump's meetings this week with european union offici

churches and the other religious group to support or oppose candidates risking their status by telling i.r.s not to actively investigate cases and offers regulatory relief for objectors to the mandate that required birth control as a health plan. something expected is provision for faith organizations to avoid hiring gay people. according to pew two of third of americans said the churches should not endorse candidates. on the campaign trail, mr. trump promised to destroy the johnson amendment, today following through. president trump: two very, very special >> the aclu already announced a challenge to the latest executive order. only one church lost the tax exempt status playing in politics when a new york church warned parishioners against voting for bill clinton. alison: an olive branch of sorts for a variety of religious groups in loudoun county for national prayer day. jeff goldberg will explain it for us in a half an hour. >> we are on storm watch. dramatic images of flooding in st. louis. roads were closed and the traffic on a 14-mile stretch of the mississippi river had to be halted.

previous campaign basically opened up intelligence and turned it into a weapon, the same way he did the i.r.s., same way the doj, the fund.d sludge they basically put a watch with the f.b.i. and the investigation clinton.ry it is just amazing the people keep call nothing and ripping on trump. i guess the media is doing its job. host: rich, you talk about inuendo and smears, do you think the congressional investigation, special counsel investigation is a good thing to find the facts in what may or happened?ve caller: i hope they do. i hope they do. to, i d like trey gowdy loved it when everyone gave trey gowdy his time. he can get to the bottom of this. i think john brennan is a hack who is worked for the obama administration and in the mean, i think i career politicians to the bottom of this. i think john are doing an njustice to our loyal intelligence community who fight for our country everyday. same thing with the military. i don't think we respect the the jobs that nobody wants to do. -- we need to start teaching civics again, i don't they people understand, are calling for impeachment, w

and every year the office of the the socialeneral of security administration issues abouts about the i.r.s. what theywho have call no match. of the, the employees employers don't have legal social security numbers. is no prosecution of those employers. -- oh, plus, got are busy sending remittances home to their families because they're not folks in to the old this country or to the disabled folks that are here. their love and affection goes to their families, which is perfect ly logical. ast: are you saying that's place we could find revenue, by insuring that those policies are enforced? caller: absolutely. and because it is public generale the inspector reports it. you had a reporter on from i .ant to say san antonio people called in and he said -- not pay the employees of theirull amount social security. and many of them become independent contractors, so no scrutiny at all. we are losing staggering amounts of revenue from the people who don'tt -- you know who have social security numbers or who use stolen social security .umbers so there is this huge revenue issue. plus, you have these

so, taxes, i.r.s. -- $33,000? larissa: yes. lemonis: kas mortgage -- $345,000 on the building? -gary: correct. -lemonis: i'm a little confused how a business that got a fresh start after receiving insurance money can be in such debt. they owe their vendors $187,000, taxes -- $67,000, credit cards -- $30,000, utilities and services -- $44,000, and all mortgages at $595,000, totaling $923,000 in debt from a company that got a fresh start just a few years ago. how do you guys pay the bills at home? how are you surviving? gary: i will take money out of the deposits. i will take money, cash out, and give it to her to go to the store. lemonis: and sue was telling me downstairs that one of the things she struggled with is you were pulling from this fund and pulling from that fund. gary: yeah. sometimes that would happen. and a lot of these expenses are just household expenses. lemonis: gary, so you told me that your mortgage is really past due, as well. gary: at home, yeah. lemonis: is your mortgage paid here? gary: yes. we're in good shape. lemonis: what kind of car do you drive? sue

that the house should not concern itself with things outside of its control, but section 6103 of the i.r.s. code is very much within the control of the house, if you've read it, giving specific responsibility to the chairman of the ways and means committee and the american people are demanding the congress request e president's tax returns be exor sized for several reasons. mr. trump has not divested himself from those businesses which was recommended by the office of the government ethics and, mr. speaker, i think it is elevant if we look at what was produced -- remember, it's evidence time, my friends. what was produced on january 21 of 2009, the ethics commitments by executive branch personnel, and what has been committed and produced under this administration, they have who is the . shab ethics commission chairman. they laughed at him because it's almost like cornelius vanderbilt, you have the law, i have the power. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman will suspend. the chair will hear arguments on whether this qualifies under the request. mr. pascrell: on the question of privilege,

i referred to the i.r.s. alleged targeting investigation which was also of intense public interest and then actually had someone prepare for me a chart. the department has done it infrequently but done it a dozen or more times in the last five, tense years. it ought to be reserved for those extraordinary cases. but there are times where the public interest warrants it. >> with respect to the investigation ongoing into the trump associates' ties to the russian meddling, has the whouts white house cooperated? >> with the investigation. >> correct. >> it's not something i'm going to comment on. >> have you had any requests for immunity from anyone potentially a target that have investigation? >> i have to give you the same answer, senator. >> would you tell this committee if there is a lack of cooperation on the part of the white house? >> i won't commit to >> i won't commit to that. >> isn't there, again, another reason for there to be a special prosecutor, because who would you complain to? the deputy attorney

the i.r.s. gives billions in tax credits to the states.then the states award the credits to developers... and this is you guys. >> yes. >> sullivan: who sell them for cash to investors, mostly banks. the developers use the cash to help build apartment buildings. and because taxpayer money pays for most of it, they can charge the lower rents that are required. >> it's like when you buy a house, you have to put a down payment. that's your equity. that's... the tax credits give us the equity to build the apartment complex. >> sullivan: could you build these properties without tax credits? >> no. >> no. and it wouldn't be possible to build the quality of housing without the tax credits. >> dallas mayor laura miller cut the ribbon... >> sullivan: by the early 2000s, the potashniks were making millions off their developments and looking for new opportunities beyond the inner cities. >> you know, we didn't have a very scientific process for how we found land. we'd get in the car and drive around. but we started driving north and, and west instead

ncmic is in the process of disseminate the new tool which an audit of the i.r.s. demonstrated there are roughly 2,000 tax returns each year where adult individuals are actually claiming children as a tax deduction and obviously with their residence and eye departmentity included. again, that just is another example where we need to update and modernize the law. my wife works at the children's edical center in hartford, connecticut. she helps children of sex abuse and trafficking and ncmec, constantly in that -- you know, really important work she does and her colleagues use ncmec as a way to try to assist law enforcement in terms of helping children who, again, are in these situations of human trafficking and have been victims of, again, online use of images which, again, is about as low depraved activity as -- that's out there right now. the work of this center i can atist from a personal level is extremely important. this legislation will, again, update, modernize and give tools to make sure that all of the good guys out there, the folks -- the health care secto

as a representative of fort bragg i'm proud of the legacy of our par troop i.r.s. and families. they put country before self. i will continue to work to sure the critical atmosphere guaranteeing our national security. as we celebrate all-american ek, join me in praying for soldiers currently deployed. we remember our veterans who served in the 82nd airborne division particularly those who made the sacrifice. they stand on the shoulders of these gipets. airborne, all the way. i yield back to the gentleman from arizona. thank you. mr. biggs: thank you, mr. speaker, each memorial day, a newspaper in my state "the arizona republic" reminds its readers of the sacrifices of its soldiers. the letter is written from a soldier to his wife in 1861. sullivan was a major, 32 years old and about to go into bull run. almost 3,000 soldiers perished. major sullivan's letter rides as follows. the indications are very strong we should move in a few days. should i not be able to write again, i will write a few lines. i have no misgivings about or lack of confidence in the cause in which i'm engage

it contains many other conservative wins, too, like freezing funding for the i.r.s., cutting funding for the e.p.a., prohibiting funding for president obama's climate slush fund, and prohibiting a taxpayer bailout of obamacare's risk corridors. it maintains the hyde amendment and will fund full implementation of the law that shifts control of education back to parents, states, and local school districts. additionally, this legislation will provide more of the resources we need to help communities are across our country that continue to suffer from the opioid epidemic. it also permanently extends health care for thousands of retired coal miners from states like kentucky, something i fought for for a long time, and something i was proud to secure in this bill as we put together the final package. each of these measures is included in the funding bill we'll take up later this week. i want to commend president trump and his team, including director mulvaney, secretary mattis, secretary kelly for quickly identifying national security priorities and working with the republican congress to

so the i.r.s. took a definitive step to undermine the affordable care act by telling consumers that they were not going to enforce the individual mandate. now, news flash, republicans think the individual mandate is a good idea. after attacking it for the last six years, the house bill that they passed includes an individual mandate. it does. it's in a slightly different place instead of the penalty applying when you lose health care. in the house all they did was just shift the penalty to when you sign up for health care again. all they did was move the mandate from when you lose health care to when you repurchase health care, but it's still there. the administration is seeking to undermine the existing mandate. and insurance companies have noticed. senator mcconnell came to the floor a week or so ago to take note of the -- you know, pretty serious premium increases that were requested in maryland in part by blue cross blue shield. but the head of blue cross blue shield in maryland was very clear

reports are that the president will tell the i.r.s. that you can't look at churches and what they say and challenge their not-for-profit status just simply because of what that pastor or that rabbi or that iman believes in the message and how they live out their faith. it also tells federal agencies to stop forcing religious agencies to pay fines if they don't want to pay certain health care provisions that don't constrict with their views. we saw that in the third circuit the attorney general's office had said we want 60 more days for all of these pending cases on this very matter and in the letter that senator strange and i sent to our former colleague, the attorney general, we're just pointing tout him that the president repeatedly said as a candidate for president that this sort of continued taking religious organizations to court who simply want the ability to practice their faith is going to stop -- has got to stop, and we hope it stops and we hope it stops now. lastly, i think this order has the potential to either be more speci

we froze i.r.s. funding at current levels and directing money to improve services to taxpayers and to make sure the money is well spent, we have accountability at every level of government. mr. speaker, i'm proud to support this bill as it reflects the needs of the american people and our common values. we are investing in the security and success of our nation, and for that this bill deserves solid bipartisan support. mr. speaker, there are many people to thank for their help in bringing this bill to the floor today. first and foremost, i want to thank my colleagues in the house, each and every member contributed to this effort, and as a result, it's a better bill. i especially want to thank my committee chairman. they are stewards of these bills, and i appreciate all the hard work they've done to get us here today with their committee members. i'd also like to thank my counterpart, ranking member of the appropriations committee, mrs. lowey, for her dedication to bringing this bill to the floor toda

the aisle haven't pointed out that 19 million americans have chosen to pay the tax penalty to the i.r.s. rather than be forced into one of these obamacare plans. they talk about all the people that have gotten coverage, most of them got coverage when the bill that's now called obamacare expanded medicaid to healthy adults and paid 100% of the cost to cover those individuals. at a cost right now of about $70 billion a year. mandates don't work. markets do. i choose less government mandate, more personal freedom. vote for the rule. vote for the bill. let's restore markets and freedom to health care in america. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from georgia reserves. the gentleman from massachusetts is recognized. mr. mcgovern: mr. speaker, i yield one minute to the gentlewoman from california, ms. chu. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from california is recognized for one minute. kate called erday, my office worried for her son who is 1 year old and was born with muscular dystrophy. he will need care for the rest of his life.

we froze i.r.s. funding at current levels and directing money to improve services to taxpayers and to make sure the money is well spent, we have accountability at every level of government. mr. speaker, i'm proud to support this bill as it reflects the needs of the american people and our common values. we are investing in the security and success of our nation, and for that this bill deserves solid bipartisan support. mr. speaker, there are many people to thank for their help in bringing this bill to the floor today. first and foremost, i want to thank my colleagues in the house, each and every member contributed to this effort, and as a result, it's a better bill. i especially want to thank my committee chairman. they are stewards of these bills, and i appreciate all the hard work they've done to get us here today with their committee members. i'd also like to thank my counterpart, ranking member of the appropriations committee, mrs. lowey, for her dedication to bringing this bill to the floor toda

the i.r.s.'s vague interpretation of prohibited forms of speech under this law has led to uncertainty about what speech constitutes a formal violation. furthermore, when the johnson amendment was originally adopted, it was passed without debate, committee hearings or any other procedure we use in congress today. we need to allow america's churches, pastors and other faith leaders to speak freely on all areas of life, including relevant political candidates in elections. mr. banks: we need to return free speech back to our spiritual leaders without fear of government censorship. thank you, mr. president, for acting to ensure that america's churches will begin be a safe place to discuss all important matters in life. while today's actions are a strong start, there is more work to be done to protect religious freedom in the united states of america. mr. speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from maryland seek recognition? sorry. fo

nonpartisanship is not to suggest he hasn't escaped political battle when he came under fire in the i.r.sscandal. >> can you tell me how many investigators you've assigned to the case? >> i would have to get back to you. >> can you tell me who the lead investigator is? >> off the top of my head, no. >> the most important issue in front of the country and you don't know who is heading up the cast and the lead investigator? >> at this juncture no, i don't know. >> he has taken heat for democrats for barack obama's release prison. some are already concerned that as special prosecutor he will have an unlimited budget and unlimited amount of time to investigate. mueller with his vast experience and wisdom does not need to make a name for himself nor to win over converts nor to bolster his resume at this point. >> shannon: thank you, very much, doug. and although there has been praise across the board for his appointment and selection. the only bit of hesitation from a couple of lawmakers who say we don't want him to get in the way of what we're doing in the senate and house. those investigatio

even more, the bill cuts funding to the e.p.a., freezes funding for the i.r.s. and reduces the federal government's role in education. finally, the bill makes progress and priorities important to my folks in southwest alabama. for example, the bill fully funds three combat ships which will built in mobile. these ships are critical to the united states navy and are necessary if we are to reach the 355 ship fleet that president trump wants. we will continue to build these first-class vessels in mobile. it includes a provision important to our red snapper fishermen. nine e able to secure nautical miles for fishermen. this bill is not perfect. no compromise ever is. i commend president trump for beginning the process of implementing the priorities the american people sent him and us to washington to accomplish. president trump has called on congress to pass this funding bill while we work to make even more progress in the upcoming fiscal year 2018 funding negotiations. i intend to do just that, and i call on my colleagues to do the same. i am glad to support preside

federal government none cess, i'm not going to buy your plan even though you penalize money and the i.r.sts money from me. it's a system not working for people. we believe in a system that works for patients, families and doctors so they're the ones making the decision, not the federal government. >> bill: fred upton from michigan. his big hang-up was the pre-existing conditions. he met with president trump and after that he talked about this. >> i talked to the president yesterday afternoon. i told him i could not support the bill as it was then moving through the rules committee without added protections for those who pre-existing illnesses. and based on our discussions and the agreement on this amendment, can now be in a place where i can support the bill with such amendment. >> bill: apparently the amendment includes an $8 billion fund for high-risk pools that would cover those with pre-existing conditions. critics are already saying it's not enough money and you leave people hang out to dry. >> it's not true. i want to commend the president. he has engaged in this in an incredible ma

>> the johnson amendment has to be repealed by congress but he has instructed the i.r.s.go after christians or religious organizations that speak out on religious issues. i hope congress would repeal it. it's crazy to try to shut the mouths of churches that congress is so afraid that churches may speak out. this is also a double edged sword in many ways. a lot of churches that would speak out on another issue maybe different than the issues i would speak out on. we need to free the voice of the church. >> shannon: franklin graham, keep us updated on the events of the weekend and shining a light oh this issue. thank you for joining us. >> bill: we could argue it's not getting enough attention. good for him. >> shannon: the birthplace of christianity is being completely erased from that area. >> bill: 9:30 here in new york. trump team getting tough on crime. new marching orders from the attorney general that reverses more obama-era mandates. we'll tell you what that's all about in a moment. >> shannon: you saw the reports over the mainstream media hinting at a link between

telegraphs his desire to undermine the affordable care act, cuts off all of the advertising, tells the i.r.s to stop enforcing the law, bleeds out payments to insurance companies one month at a time teasing that this will be the last month that you get your money. and finally on this question of a gun to the head of consumers, i guess that's a reference to the provision of the affordable care act that says if you don't buy insurance, then you'll pay a tax penalty. that's absolutely part of the affordable care act. why? because if you want protection for people with preexisting conditions, then you have to have a mandate that people buy insurance or else people just won't buy insurance until they're really sick knowing they can't be charged more. actuarially the protection for people with preexisting conditions only works with the individual mandate. and i remember senator cruz during his marathon filibuster admitting that. republicans know that as well as democrats know that. that's why the american health care act that just came out of the house of representatives includes an individual man

businesses that we just were talking about in this country are taxed under the subchapter s of the i.r.s. code. that's the pass-through, is that correct? mr. mnuchin: that is. senator shelby: so if we're talking about tax relief for the biggest of the biggest, what are some of your proposals or what are you working on? you got a lot of smart people working on this. for the small businesses and so forth. because i for one would not want to support a big reduction just for the biggest of the biggest and do nothing for our basic base and job creation, small and medium-sized businesses, are you working in that area? mr. mnuchin: yes, thank you, senator. we share your concerns. i referred to this in the plan as a business rate as opposed to a corporate rate. we need to figure out and we have a large teamworking on how we would deal with pass-throughs. but i also just want to emphasize that we are committed to make sure that rich people do not use pass-throughs as a loophole to pay lower rates. so we do want small and medium-sized businesses to have the benefits of lower rates but we will make

why would the master file of the public's taxes at the i.r.s. run on a 1950 code? 80% of the $80 billion we spend each year on i.t. is used to maintain legacy systems. to buy expensive parts that nobody uses anymore for a 54-year-old system we shouldn't even have. we'd expect more from the private sector. we'd expect mobile cameras, cloud computing, online banking, heck, we'd even expect to upgrade our phones and apps and technology on a rolling basis every single week. why should we expect less from the federal government? i would say, this is about more than expectations. we all saw what happened over the weekend, with the massive global cyberattack. hospitals shut down. transportation systems. this is a government service issue. it is a government waste issue. it is a national security issue. now, government may never be like silicon valley, but it should not be stuck in the age of "mad men." that's not only costly, it's dangerous. will hurd, an individual that has served his nation in some of the most dangerous parts of the world, an individual who worked in th

it helps tackle terrorism, fight crime, support veterans, protect life, reform the i.r.s., and freeze funding for it. it cuts funding from the e.p.a., prohibits funding for president obama's climate slush fund and advances an all-of-the-above energy policy that prioritizes research on technical advancements in natural gas and coal power generation. this research funding along with the bill's support for troubled coal mining communities and dislocated miners is important for states like mine. as is the provision that i was proud to secure that will permanently protect health care benefits for thousands of retired coal miners and their families. this bill also extends resources for a pilot program i worked out with congressman hal rogers to secure, which will fund the reclamation an of abandoned mine sites. l this also provides resources to tackle the prescription drug opioid and heroin epidemic that continues to ravage communities across kentucky and across our country. the many achievements in this bill resulted from countless hours of committee work and bicameral negotiations. i want

now that democrats no longer have the administration to stifle speech through the s.e.c., i.r.s., or h.h.s., they are trying to intimidate private citizens and companies by telling citizens and companies what is in, quote, their best interest. this is part of a broader pattern we've seen repeated by the left time and again in similar circumstances. suppression of the viewpoints with which they disagree and forcing americans into a choice. tell us your political ideology or be silent. intimidation actics before, i'm warning again today and i'll continue to stay vigilant and defend the first amendment moving forward. but for now, i'd like to highlight a couple of other important provisions in the funding bill that are now law. one is the miners health provision i was proud to secure, a critical lifeline that will perfectly protect health care benefits for thousands of coal miners in states like kentucky. another is the provision of significant new resources that can be used to combat prescription opioid and heroin crisis. it's the latest of significant steps we have taken to tackle thi

they had a had huge tax liability in the millions of dollars they had to pay to the i.r.s. i called for a repeal of the death tax since i first came to washington, dc because i understand how these taxes can cause family farms and family ranches to break up and sold off. the bottom line is this -- you can't feed a nation without farmers and ranchers and you can't have opportunity economies without actual opportunities to meet the needs of not only our state, not only our nation, but the world. as a u.s. -- as the u.s. congress and senate work together, it is important to see ag is an important part. i look forward to working with the trump administrations, i look forward to the upcoming ag summit this month. mr. president, i yield back my time. a senator: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from montana. mr. daines: i note the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: quorum call: a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from new jersey. a senator: mr. president, are we in a quorum call? the pres