>> madam chair, i claim the time in opposition. the chair: the gentlewoman is recognized for five minutes. >> madam chair, i first want to thank the chairman of the subcommittee for his support and i congratulate him on a strong bill that i am proud to support. and i do respect the views of my colleagues, mr. flake from arizona, mr. campbell from california. i think they understand that this is not a partisan game that we're part of and they may have a principled stand for what they believe congress' role is in directing federal spending. however, on this issue we fundamentally disagree. i do believe that it's our responsibility as elected officials to fight for what is best in our district in accordance with the rules guiding federal programs. recipients of save america's treasures funds, including the terrytown music hall, do not expect the federal government to shoulder the full burden of their projects. they're required to provide a dollar for dollar match. and every dollar they receive from the government is matched. during the

madam chair, at some point, we've got to stop it. i would like to hope we can begin that process now. and i will reserve the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from alabama rise? mr. aderholt: i claim opposition to the amendment. the chair: the gentleman from alabama is recognized for five minutes. mr. aderholt: i just want to thank the chair and ranking member for their work on this subcommittee bill. as a ranking member of one of the subcommittees on appropriations, i know that the work that goes into these bills and putting them together and i thank mr. dicks and mr. simpson for their hard work on this appropriation bill. i would like to talk a little bit about this project. it is an amendment that has been brought up tonight by mr. campbell. it's an amendment that would eliminate funding for what i believe is a worthy and historic preservation project. the funding allows the city of fort payne located in the district i represent, a relatively small tow

issa: thank you, madam chair, i yield two minutes to the gentlelady from louisiana, a member of the energy and commerce committee and someone who knows about the challenges people face in the work force today. the chair: the gentleman is recognized. >> madam speaker, some of the greatest joys of my life for the births of my daughter and son, two years ago my daughter madison was able to be there for the birth with my wife, one of the great joys of my life, and then four weeks ago tomorrow, the birth of my baby boy harrison and i was there as well, just wonderful, wonderful times that every family should spend together. those opportunities already exist today in law. there's nothing in this bill that either takes away or gives the ability for parents to do that. they already have that right today. as they all should. why i rise in objection to this bill is it adds an extra $938 million in new entitlements, in new debt, money that we don't have in this country to an already growing deficit, we're at a $1.9 trillion deficit this year alone, projections are that in the next five year, administ

jordan: madam chair, i ask for a recorded vote, please. the chair: the gentleman asks for a recorded vote. pursuant to clause 6 of rule 18, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from ohio will be postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman from florida rise? the clerk will designate the amendment. the clerk: part b, amendment number 6 printed in house report 111-184 offered by mr. stearns of florida. the chair: pursuant to house resolution 578, the gentleman from florida, mr. stearns, and a member opposed each will control five minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from florida. mr. stearns: thank you, madam chair, and i ask unanimous consent my entire statement be part of the record. the chair: without objection. mr. stearns: i'm not going to take all my time. i think my amendment has -- is going to have a very difficult time passing. i've heard the gentleman's arguments on many occasions and i have gone toe to toe on 1% cuts, 2% cuts, the national endowment for the arts, week of been through this. i would

king: madam chair, i'd ask for a recorded vote. the chair: pursuant to clause 6 of rule 18, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from iowa will be postponed. the clerk will read. the clerk: page 7, line 3, automation modernization, $462,445,000. boarder security, fencing, infrastructure and technology, $732 million. air and marine intradiction, operations, maybe the assistance and procurement, $513,826,000. facilities management, $682,133,000. u.s. immigration and customs enforcement, salaries and expenses, $5,311,493,000. federal protective services, revenues and collections of security fees shall be available until expended for necessary expenses related to protection of federally owned buildings. automation modernization, $105 million. construction, $11,818,000. transportation security administration, aviation security, $5,265,740,000 to remain available until september 30, 2011.  surface transportation security, $103,416,000 to remain available until september 30, 2011. transportation threat assessment

ros-lehtinen: thank you, madam chair. i ask unanimous consent to claim time in opposition, even though i do not oppose the substance. amendment. the chair: without objection. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, madam chair. i support this amendment because the western hemisphere travel initiative was fully implemented in june 1 of this year with the goal of strengthening u.s. border security while at the same time enhancing accountability of those entering our country. by calling on the secretary of state to provide a report to congress describing the impact this implementation has had on the flow of people, goods and services across the international borders shared by the relevant countries, congressman peters' amendment will help us understand better how effective this initiative has been in making our country safer and what impact these new measures will have on the business sectors of our countries. the western hemisphere of travel initiative was a significant step toward making america more secure. congressman peters' amendm

issa: thank you, madam chair. i would like to yield three minutes to the the gentleman from indiana, mr. souder. the chair: the gentleman from indiana is recognized. mr. souder: i thank my friend mr. issa for his time and leadership here. in an earlier life of mine when i was with the children and family select committee back in the 1980's, my then boss dan coates was one of the members that supported the family medical leave bill which i didn't degree with. he told me i could sit in on all the meetings, people said it will never be paid, this is just to cover people for unpaid. you are a paranoid conservative because you hear talk about becoming paid. we watched this in the government arena and my daughter just had our second grandchild. she is a school teacher. the struggle was how was she going to deal with the time she was going to take off, was it going to be paid, during the school year, what happens when you have grants and she has two little kids, how do you this. what's fair? my oldest son and his wife bot

flake: i thank the chair. madam chairman this would remove $600,000 for the city of rimville, california, and return the money to fema's predisaster mitigation account. the predisaster mitigation account used to be award solely on the basis of merit. when we developed a department of homeland security, we were told we're not going to earmark any funding in this legislation. this bill will not be earmarked. we were told that for a couple of years. now guess what, it was earmarked a couple of years ago, now more, now more, now even more. there are well over 100 earmarks in the bill. of course, the state of california california is no stranger to floods. in fact, according to fema, since the year 2000, parts of california have been declared major disaster due to flooding five times. but there are many other areas of the country that also suffered from flooding. louisiana, we all know. this is a state that often gets pounded with hurricanes, has also had five major disaster declarations due to flooding in the past 10 ye

the speaker pro tempore: madam chair. the chair: mr. speaker, the committee of the house on the whole union directs me to report it has come to no resolution. the speaker pro tempore: the chairman of the committee of the whole house on state of the union reports that the committee has had under consideration h.r. 2410 and has come to no resolution throne -- thereon. for what purpose does the gentleman from california rise? >> mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that during further consideration of h.r. 2410, pursuant to house resolution 522, it may be in order to consider amendment number 17 after amendment number 27. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. the speaker pro tempore: the chair declares the house in the committee of the whole house on the state of the union for further consideration of h.r. 2410. will the gentlewoman from colorado, ms. degette, please kindly resume the chair. the chair: the house is in the committee of the whole house on the state of the union for further consideration of the bill, h.r. 24

madam chair woman, can you work with us to help make that happen? ms. wasserman schultz: madam speaker, reclaiming my time. i would not only be happy to work with you. i could not agree with either of you more on this very worthwhile endeavor. you are both to be commended for your efforts to recognize that slave labor and their hands constructed the great building that we work in every single day. and subject to the authorization of the house administration committee i look forward to working with you towards this goal. mr. jackson: i thank the gentlelady. i'd like the gentlelady to yield me an additional 30 seconds. mswasserman schultz: i'd yield. mr. jackson: we owe a debt of gratitude to the distinguish chairlady and the ranking member for their extraordinary efforts in wrapping their arms around the capitol visitor center which has since the inauguration of the president and since its opening has served as a beaming moment of pride for every member that brings their constituents through that enormous visitor center. and while it started out, madam sp

fudge: thank you, madam chair. i would again like to thank our chair for her leadership. certainly congresswoman lee has kept the focus of the c.b.c. on those who have the least and that is very, very important. she has kept our focus on job creation and has allowed us to be the voice for the voiceless. with her leadership we know that we represent more of the poor than any other group of people in this house. and it is just refreshing to know that our focus as a caucus is on poverty and jobs and i thank you again for your leadership and with that, madam chair, i would close by saying that -- mr. lee: would the gentleman yield for just a minute -- ms. lee: would the gentlelady yield for just a moment? let me talk about very quickly one of the aspects of job creation and the issue as it relates to pay equity for women. as i remember it, the numbers are really staggering, when you look at women. they make, i think it's maybe 70-some cents on the dollar, african-american women a lot less, maybe 60-some cents on the dollar, latinas even less than that. i think it's very impor

. >> thank you very much, madame chair, and i also want to thank you, professor warren, for joining ushere today. in the work of the congressional oversight panel of the government accountability office, and especially the inspector general, continue to provide congress with critically violations of the financial recovery efforts. in the latest monthly report, it is an impressive assessment of the stress test conducted by the treasury and federal reserve on the 19 largest bank holding companies. the report observes that the basic methodology and economic assumptions underlying in the stress test are reasonable and conservative. the report goes on to identify logical and important criticisms of the test. the panel's finding that concerns me most is that it calls for increased transparency. i have long been an advocate for the highest levels of accountability and visibility in the vault -- in all aspects of the economic recovery. i've often said that in order for the obama administration to come out of this crisis, the public must have a sense of confidence, they must feel that they are

akin: thank you, madam chair. i'm the ranking member on the armed services subcommittee on sea power. we've talked a lot about climate change and global things and taxes, but my concern is very specific with this bill. i have had a chance to tour the huge shipyards where the steel frames go up and the nuclear reactors go into our ships of the mighty navy. and every single step of the way there is energy involved in making the steel and making the aluminum for the aircraft, heavy, heavy uses of energy in welding the steel together. if this bill passes, it is a major threat to heavy industry, because it increases the cost of energy. when we increase the cost of ships and planes, we're going to be able to buy less because we aren't going to have enough money in the defense budget to be able to buy as many and in that regard we become more vulnerable as a nation. this bill, while it has not been talked about in this regard is a serious threat to our industrial base and therefore, a threat to the security of our nation

engineering and i understand madame chair you have just come back where they do a lot more active engineering to protect property dow we would look at as being in a vulnerable song so i think we are reaching the point where we come back and discuss reauthorization of the national flood insurance program and we look at the v-zones we are working under the current rules and regulations. but also looking at as we go forward is it time to recognize there are many places along the coastal communities that are going to face the same challenge in a disaster that we have to recognize if we are going to allow a repair why would a destroyed building not be the same factor and should we not be looking at if we can engineer a solution that keeps the public safe and reduces the future damages doesn't commit to new growth in these areas but allows the historical communities to rebuild as they were but better so they are not damaged i think that is something we have to ask ourselves as a country and this will be again to your leadership and through the process of congress looking at the realization that we

chair: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from north carolina. mr. price: madam speaker, i inquire how much time we have remaining. the chair: the gentleman from north carolina has 8 1/2 minutes remaining. the gentleman from kentucky has 3 1/2 minutesemaining. mr. price: we have no further speakers on the floor at this point. there may be one on the way so i'd like to reserve the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from kentucky. mr. rogers: madam speaker, i have no further speakers. i intend to close our time you down but i'd be happy to do that now or whenever the chairman would like for to us proceed. mr. price: if the gentleman has -- if the gentleman has no further speakers, we'll be happy to move on to the amendments. the chair: the gentleman from kentucky to close. mr. rogers: i yield myself the balance of our time. you know, since 9/11 we've come a long way in securing the country, i think. it's been eight long years, la borious tasks have been undertaken. first the formation of the department of homeland security, attempt

the chair: for what purpose does the gentleman from california rise? mr. berman: madam speaker, i ask unanimous consent to claim the time in opposition to the amendment although i'm not opposed to the amendment. the chair: without objection, the gentleman is recognized. mr. berman: it requires the president to report total cash in kind contributions by the united states to the entire united nations system for the period covered by h.r. 2410, fiscal years 2010 and 2011. that's right. the amendment makes sense. it encourages full transparency in detailing the logistical and other support to the u.s. provides to critical peacekeeping operations, and other u.n. activities in support of u.s. interests, the members of congress have a right to know, the people of america have a right to know and i support the amendment. i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman from texas. mr. poe: i thank the chairman's response in support of this amendment. i yield back the balance of my time. and ask for the adoption thereof. the chair: the gentleman yields back the bala

the chair: the gentleman from kentucky. mr. rogers: madam chairman. the chair: the gentleman from kentucky. mr. rogers: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the chair: the gentleman is recognized. mr. rogers: let me start, madam chairman, by commending the chairman on putting together a thoughtful bill. i also want to sincerely thank him for listening to our concerns on this side and for continuing this subcommittee's traditions of bipartisanship and professionalism. . however, i must express my grave concern ompe an issue that casts a long and sad shadoove over this important bill. the fact that we are not here today debating this bill under an open rule. that breaks with long cherished traditions concerning appropriations bills. and i, for one, am outrage that had today's debate on the critical issue of homeland security has been arbitrarily constrained. such dictatorial tactics are contrary to the purpose of this chamber and our legislative process. and to add insult to injury, the majority also denies the ability of a hard-working member of o

griffith: madam chair, congressman franks, i appreciate this difficult situation. i believe that as the budget was formed and the decisions were made, north korea was not as aggressive, nor was iran. i stand in support of the franks amendment. i share the speaker's concern, madam chair's concern, that accountability needs to be increased but in this time of increasing threat, i would prefer that we err on the side of the franks amendment even if we must attach certain conditions to it in conference, but i would urge our members to support it. i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman from alabama yields back. the gentlewoman from california. mrs. tauscher: i'd like to yield two minutes to mr. langevin. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for two minutes. mr. langevin: i thank the gentlelady for yielding. mr. speaker, i urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment. chairman skeleton and chairwoman tauscher have rafted a bill that protects the united states and our allies from real ballistic missile defense. i think it's the right balance. there

why don't they come here, madam chair -- madam president, and say they want to repeal medica medicare. we'll wait a minute. let's look at another public plan. veterans health care, a government plan. why don't they come here and put forward a proposal to completely do away with veterans health care? i will tell you, the veterans in this country will rise up. the republican veterans, the democratic veterans, the independent veterans, the old vents, the middle-aged veterans, the young veterans -- why don't they do that instead of just come here and say, public plans are bad? how about schip? that's the bill the public plan that allows our children to be covered, our poor kids. why don't they come here and say, our children shouldn't be covered. let's repeal it? how about our military? they get free health care through the public domain. should we now cancel that? and contract out? look, i'm for a robust debate. i'm for a bipartisan bill. i want to work toward that, madam president, but let me tell you this: if we don't get 60 votes for something, we can't quit around here. we cannot all

. >> madam chair, v zone is a velocity zone. it refers to in the flood insurance program in determining risk that these are areas that have the highest risk and that we have had as a policy within the nation to direct new growth away from the most vulnerable, most hazardous areas. that's a good policy. it makes sense. the challenge is we go back and remap and identify these areas, we're oftentimes finding that we have many communities that were built in the v zone. and historically are there. and as we had developed our polls policy of passively directing construction out of there, and again not wanting to put new growth there, but when you had a disaster if something was damaged there, we would relocate. well, there are probably opportunities in a small event where we had only a few homes that relocation would make sense. but when you're dealing with the challenges we find across the gulf coast and other places that when you look at the new data that would suggest is high philosophy or high risk area, merely using the passive a

i think -- thank you, madam chair. so we agree on that. and we think competition is what helps keep prices low. now the president says you need a government-run program for competition, but that's like putting an elephant -- the government -- in a room with a lot of mice and say, all right, fellows compete. after awhile there wouldn't be any mice left and your only choice would be big government because they'd lower prices and subsidize it to make sure they succeeded. after awhile that might be your only choice. what's wrong with that? most medicaid patients can tell you what's wrong with that. 48% of doctors won't see medicaid patients. why? mostly because the reimbursement rates are so low. the government program is cheaper, but it doesn't allow you to get any health care. it's like giving you a bus ticket, but there's no bus to catch. and so what we choose to do in our plans is to expand the medicaid program at an enormous cost to state taxpayers and -- a big increase to the federal debt. we'll be dumping low-income americans into gover

the speaker pro tempore: madam chair. the speaker pro tempore: the chair of the committee of the whole house on the state of the union reports that the committee has had under consideration the bill h.r. 2410 and pursuant to house resolution 522, reports the bill back to the house with an amendment adopted in the committee of the whole. under the rule, the previous question is ordered. is a separate vote ordered to any amendment in the amendment report of the committee of the whole? if not, the question is on adoption of the committee 5e789 in the nature of a substitute as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes have it. the amendment is agreed. to the question is on engrossment and third reading of the bill. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the eavers have it, third reading. the clerk: a bill to authorize appropriations for the department of state and peace corps for fiscal years 2010 and 2011 to modernize the foreign service, and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose

the chair recognizes the gentleman from utah. mr. chaffetz: madam speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. chaffetz: madam speaker, i rise today in support of this important resolution recognizing asian pacific american heritage month. asian pacific american islanders play an important fabric of the life since the first japanese americans arrived on may 7, 1845. asian americans worked as coal miners and laborers. it's estimated that 14 million americans, if not more, can trace their ethnic heritage to asia or the pacific islands. establishing may as asian pacific american heritage month affords them the opportunity to teach the history of asian americans and pacific islanders during the school year. observing asian american and pacific islanders contributions highlights their importance of building our america. for example, chinese immigrants played a significant role in construction of the first transcontinental railroad which was completed on may 10, 1869. asian americans and pac

so i will support this bill, and i thank you very much, madam chair. i yield the floor, and i note the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

the chair: the gentleman from north carolina. mr. price: madam chairman, i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman yields back. the question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from texas. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the noes have it. the amendment is not -- the gentleman from iowa. mr. king: i'd ask for a recorded vote. the chair: pursuant to clause 6 of rule 18, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from texas will be postponed. the clerk will read. the clerk: page 39, line 18, state and local programs, including transfer of funds, $2,829,000,000. firefighter assistant grants, $800 million of which $380,000 to carry out section 33 of that act and $420 million shall be available to carry out section 34 of that act to remain available until september 30, 2011. emergency management performance grants, $330 million. radiological emergency preparedness program, aggregate charges assessed during fiscal year 2010 as authorized in the department of veterans

the speaker pro tempore: madam chair. the chair: mr. speaker, the committee of the whole house on the state of the union having had under consideration h.r. 2892 directs me to report it has come to no resolution thereon. the speaker pro tempore: the chairman of the committee of the whole house on the state of the union reports that the committee has had under consideration h.r. 2892, and has come to no resolution thereon. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from maine rise? ms. pingree: mr. speaker, by direction of the committee on rules i call up house resolution 572 and ask for its immediate consideration. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the resolution. the clerk: house calendar number 79, house resolution 572, resolved that at any time after the adoption of this resolution the speaker may, pursuant to clause 2-b of rule 18, declare the house resolved into the committee of the whole house on the state of the union for further consideration of the bill h.r. 2647, to authorize appropriations for

akin: thank you, madam chair. i rise to address the house for five minutes. revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. akin: thank you. madam speaker, i rise today to congratulate the winner the of the 2009 keystone center leadership award for leadership in industry, mr. hugh grant, chairman, president, and c.e.o. of monsanto corporation. keystone awardees have contributed to society in ways that respect the -- reflect the spirit and mission of the keystone center and demonstrated a history of achievement with a strong sense of vision, of proven ability to motivate others, dedication to teamwork and consensus in the drive and ability to initiate fundamental and long-term positive change. i commend mr. grant's exemplary leadership and the 20,000 strong monsanto team for their extraordinary award efforts and positive influence on american agriculture. technological innovation, and generous contributions to international health, development, and their continued commitment to combating hunger. monsanto under grant's leadership proves that free enterprise is t

madam chair, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york. tonchingtonching i continue to reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from pennsylvania. mr. platts: i'm honored to yield to the distinguished the gentleman from california, mr. lungren, who played an important role in the foundation and formation of the national center for missing and exploited children in 1984, as much time as he may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. lungren: the gentleman from california is recognized. it's hard to believe that 25 years ago that this congress worked to facilitate the establishment of the national center for missing and exploited children. i recall being on the subcommittee of judiciary committee when john walsh and his wife testified before us. it was at a time when they did not know who had murdered their child. it was at a time in this country where we specifically prohibited the use of the f.b.i. in attempting to participate in

so, madam chair, i would urge support for the amendment and yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from arizona. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the noes have it. the amendment is not agreed to. the gentleman from arizona. mr. flake: i would ask for a recorded vote. the chair: pursuant to clause 6 of rule 18, further proceed hings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from arizona will be postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman from arizona rise? mr. flake: i have an amendment at the desk. the chair: the clerk will designate the amendment number 7. the chair: amendment number 7. mr. flake: $1 million predisaster mitigation for harris county flood district. the chair: amendment number 5. is that the amendment the gentleman is offering? amendment number 5? mr. flake: i believe so. i'm prepared for whichever. i'm sorry? number 29. does that -- number 5. number 5. the chair: the clerk will designate amendment number 5. the clerk: part c amendment number 5 printed in ho

requirement is met without unnecessaryly harming cherry growers and with that, madam speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from north carolina. mr. price: madam speaker, i rise for the purpose of entering into a colloquy with -- i'm sorry, i want to yield three minutes for purposes of a colloquy to the gentleman from illinois, mr. hare. the chair: the gentleman is recognized. mr. hare: thank you. i rise to get into a colloquy with the chairman of the subcommittee. mr. chairman, i welcome a colloquy with my distinguished colleague. mr. chairman, as you know, my district is home to many levee districts along the mississippi river. on february 25, 2009, the federal emergency management agency issued a new policy on rehabilitation assistance for levees. under this new policy, levee districts are prohibited from receiving fema assistance for flood cleanups, debris remove a -- removal and dewatering. the burden is being shifted away from fema to the corps of engineers even though as i understand it the corps does not have the authorization or funning to reimburse the le

madam chair, i yield the floor and return the balance of my time. a senator: madam president? the presiding officer: the senator from tennessee. mr. alexander: madam president, i ask consent to speak for up to 12 minutes as if in morning business. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. alexander: thank you, madam president. madam president, i'm looking for a way to offer an amendment to the health care bill that would sentence every united states senator who votes to increase medicaid eligibility to 150% of the federal poverty level to a term of eight years as governor in his or her home state so they can have an opportunity to manage the program and to raise taxes and to find a way to pay for that sort of proposal. if we senators were to increase medicaid in that way and go home, we would find first that medicaid is a terrible base upon which to build an improved health care system, because it is filled with lawsuits. it is filled with federal court consent decrease that sometimes are 20 and 25 years old that take away from the governor and the legislature, the authori

madam chair, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from massachusetts is recognized. mr. lynch: madam speaker, at this time i'd like to yield for five minutes to the gentleman who is the lead sponsor of this legislation, the gentleman from texas, mr. cuellar. mr. cuellar: thank you, mr. speaker. i appreciate the leadership that you did on this committee. mr. bilbray, thank you for your the work that you've done and served in a bipartisan way in the oversight committee. i rise in support of h.r. 2325 to name the post office at 1300 matamoros street in laredo, texas, as the laredo veterans post office. as you see in laredo, you will see in that history virps have played an important role. the veterans of laredo, texas, have served in a very distinguished way in many of the wars that we had. many of them have sacrificed from world war i, world war ii, the vietnam war, korea and in other conflicts that we had up to the most latest war that we had. i thin

madam chairman, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields. the chair recognizes the gentleman from new york, mr. maffei, for five minutes. mr. maffei: thank you, madam speaker. i rise to ask chrysler and general motors to continue to honor their commitments to auto dealers in this contry. chrysler and g.m. should not deprive economic rights to profitable dealerships across this country. yesterday i joined with representative frank cato vill of maryland and introduced the economic rights restoration act of 2009. the act claims to restore the economic rights of g.m. and chrysler dealers as they excited prior to each company's bankruptcies. we want to preserve g.m. and chrysler car dealer's rights to recourse under state law and at the request of an automobile dealer require g.m. and chrysler to reinstate franchise agreements. these are bankruptcies negotiated with federal officials at taxpayer dollars are helping to maintain both companies. therefore these bankruptcies should not be used to change the rules that dealers have been operating under. i first

the chair recognizes the gentleman from california. mr. filner: 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 h.r. 466 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. filner: and i urge all my colleagues to care for veterans, their dependents by unanimously supporting h.r. 466 as amended and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 466 as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, and the bill is passed and without objection a motion to reconsider is laid on the table. without objection, the title is amended. pursuant to clause 12-a of rule 1, the chair declares the house 1, the chair declares the house in recess until approximately . >> 95% of americans are now receiving a tax break. we have incre

the chair recognizes the gentleman from washington. mr. olson: madam speaker, i ask unanimous consent to yield as much time as he may consume my colleague from georgia, dr. broun. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman. mr. broun: i'm a scientist, i'm a medical doctor and i believe whole harded -- wholeheartedly in education. i thinthis bill will probably pass. but the thing that concerns me is educating the american public of not only the money that's spent on this, which we don't have, but the money that is going to be spent and taken out of their pockets for what's called cap and trade here in this house of representatives and in the congress of the united states. this administration, the leadership in the house and senate are forcing upon the american people a policy that is going to increase taxes on every single household in america of over $3,100 per family. that's rich, poor and in between. the poor, the people on limited incomes or retirees are going to be hit hardest because they spend more of their income on energy-relat

blumenauer: thank you, madam chair. as one fifth of the world's population relies on fresh water that is either polluted or significantly overdrawn, the lack of safe water and sanitation is an ongoing threat to global security and remains the world's greatest health problem, accounting for two million deaths a year and half the illness in the developing world. before i finish speaking, 15 more children will die needlessly from water-borne disease. to address this slow-moving disaster, i worked with then chair henry hyde and tom lantos and the senate majority and minority leaders bill frist and harry reid to enact the paul simon water for the poor act of 2005. this landmark bipartisan legislation established investment in safe and affordable water for the world's poorest as a major goal of united states foreign assistance but sadly with the last administration we were slow to implement and until last year slow to fund it. we are more than halfway to the 2015 millennium development goal with mixed results, and we must red

. >> thank you, madam chair. house reform without adjusting and solving disparities is not really reform. insurance alone does not guarantee access either. particularly for the limited english efficiency of patients which is why we need a strong public option to create expanded access to more providers for all. approximately 21% of asian-american and islanders, they are our parents, our children and brothers, our sisters. although all aspects of health reform are important to our community, it is particularly critical for us to topple language and total barriers to affordable quality health care. get back, the congressional agency for asian-american, is the island for the congress. and i'm very proud of them. the long working long hours hours that our task force chaired and i represent quÉbec. congresswoman, who represents the territory of guam, and also a new member, the congress that represents, congressman. were just very glad for him to join us today. we want to make sure that we stand firmly with our partner

madam chair, i think the president will yield the floor. >> some of my colleagues have begun their attacks on president obama's historic and incredibly qualified nominee to the supreme court, judge sonia sotomayor. they clearly decided for ideological reasons that they were going to oppose whoever president obama appointed before the hearings even started. we've heard people try to attach a lot of labels to judge sotomayor over the past few weeks but it is clearer and clearer as we look hard at judge sotomayor's record and vast experience that attacking this nominee is like throwing rocks at a library. it is uncalled for and it doesn't accomplish anything. her points are grasping at straws because it turns out we have before us one of the most qualified, exceptional nominees to come before this senate in recent history. let there be no doubt, sonia sotomayor's nomination is a proud moment for america. it is proof that the american dream is in reach for everyone willing to work hard, play by the rules and give back to their communities regardless of their ethnicity, gender or socio-economic

lewis: madam chair, if i could inquire of my colleague, do you have additional speakers or -- mr. obey: just one, myself, briefly. mr. lewis: i'll then, madam speaker, take a moment to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. obey: i think you have the right to close. mr. lewis: i do have the right to close. i'd love to listen to you and see what i have to say. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california reserves his time. the gentleman from wisconsin is recognized. mr. obey: does the gentleman have only one remaining speaker? ok. thank you. then i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. obey: madam speaker, i had not wanted to take a lot of time here today, but i am moved to take a couple of minutes to respond to a couple of things i heard on the floor today. we heard several lectures about the president's fiscal policy and his economic policy and his international economic policy. i find it kind of difficult to find economic lectures from the same folks who have driven this country's eco

madam speaker. thank you, the gentleman from missouri, for yielding. as chair of the oversight and government reform committee i rise in support of h.r. 2990. i am pleased the legislation we are considering today will assist the men and women of our armed forces by permitting disability mirled retirees to receive -- military retirees to receive their compen take and pay concurrentry. let me pause and thank chairman skelton for working closely with the oversight committee on title 2 of this legislation. title 2 makes several positive changes to the retirement system for federal employees. these changes will enhance the system's efficiencyy and effectiveness as a -- efficiency and effectiveness as a recruiting management tool. when we need to be attracting the best and brightest to the federal work force, most of title 2's provisions were included in h.r. 1804, a bill i sponsored that passed the house by unanimous voice vote on april 1. after passing the house, the retirement provisions were added to the landmark tobacco legislation that president obama signed in

thank you, madam chair. thank you for your patience. the presiding officer: the senator from hawaii. a senator: madam president, i ask unanimous consent that with respect to the conference report to accompany h.r. 2346, a negotiation waive all applicable points of order be consideredded having been made by the majority leader -- considered having been made by the majority leader. the presiding officer: is there objection? without objection, so ordered. mr. inouye: madam president, i ask unanimous consent that the vote on the motion to waive rule 44 occur at 2:50 p.m. and that time until then be equally divided and controlled between the majority leader and senator gregg or their designees. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. gregg: i have a parliamentary inquiry. we are now then on the conference report? the presiding officer: not at this point in time. not yet. a request has to be made to go to the conference. mr. inouye: madam president, i ask that the senate resume the conference report to accompany h.r. 2346. the presiding

>> madam chair, i appreciate the concern over costs and complexity that motivates this amendment, buti think we take enormous risks as a country if we interfere with the institution of trial by jury. trial by you're is provided for in the continues constitution, article iii, section 2, if i remember correctly. it's reinforced in the fifth amendment and seventh amendment. the best observers of our system of government have described it as one of the essential elements of the american democracy. alex alexis toqueville rode on what tempers the tyranny of the majority. in that there was a section of the juror in which she observes the jury is a mode of the sovereignty of the people. says the institution of the jury places the real direction of society in the hands of the governed or in a portion of them. not in those who govern. he describes the system of the jury along with universal suffrage as the two equally powerful means of making the majority reign. he describes the jury as the most energetic means, the most energetic means of making the people reign. he observed that all sovereign

madam speaker. it is my honor to now yield to the distinguished speaker of the house one minute to speak on this bill, speaker nancy pelosi. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the speaker. the speaker: thank you, madam speaker. i thank the gentlelady for yielding. i commend her for her tremendous leadership in putting together this legislation that we have before us. she, representative israel, representative inslee all worked very hard to come to a position that we can all support today. mr. markey as chair of the select committee and, of course, mr. dingell, the chair emeritus of the energy and commerce committee. mr. stupak, all of our colleagues had an important role. mr. kildee. and our colleagues on the republican side of the aisle hopefully will have a good, strong bipartisan vote today on this legislation. because they have given -- you all have given us an opportunity to pass legislation that is a benefit to our economy and a benefit to our environment. we can create and save jobs while addressing the air pollution issue, so important to our children's health. we will do this by allowing americans to trade in their old gas guzzling vehic

herger: madam chair, i thank the gentleman, my good friend from texas, for yielding time. i rise in strong support of this amendment. the district i represent in northern california contains nine national forests currently being overrun by illegal marijuana cultivation. this week two men opened fire on law enforcement officials during a raid on a marijuana garden near a popular fishing and recreation area. additionally in another instance two county sheriffs officers were shot when they came across another marijuana garden. thankfully these officers survived their injuries, but it is simply a matter of time before innocent lives -- lives are claimed. i urge my colleagues to support this amendment to ensure the federal government is doing its part to provide the resources we need to address this serious and growing problem. thank you. the chair: the gentleman is recognized. the gentleman from washington is recognized. mr. dicks: although i support the gentleman's amendment, i ask unanimous consent to claim the time in opposition. the chair: without objection, the gentleman

. >> thank you madame chair. before the end of the $165 million in aig bonuses in march we also learn from new york's comptroller in january that was executives were paid $18.4 billion in bonuses last year. i was troubled by this news especially during a national emergency when the federal government is providing billions of dollars to taxpayer funds to stabilize the financial sector. now under normal circumstances i don't believe and i think most of the american people don't believe that we should congress be involved any way in setting executive compensation or compensations for board of directors and shareholders. i believe the same. i don't think we should be setting those salaries. but we are not in normal circumstances and that's what i felt a stir 857 to limit for tarpon -- t.a.r.p. recipients would have limited compensation to the same level of compensation the president gets paid for and a thousand dollars. starting with mr. sperling i guess i want to ask, to believe the compensation practices can pose a

. >> madame chair, diprete and emergency protective measures are those things i think we have to make sure we know what the outcome is so we can get there quickly and that is to get debris where we can get access and the community and number two we get the debris upsweep prevent the problems it creates and begin the recovery. there were some successful programs, they were pilots i would like to revisit that provide a better incentive financially to the local governments and states who went ahead and developed the plan said they had many of these questions answered and they knew what they were going to but i think it is also incumbent upon us to make sure guidance is providing clear direction without being a process that is a difficult as a local official the only way i can understand is to hire former fema officials to explain the rules i am now having to seek reimbursement from the federal government in my time of need. >> thank you very much. thank you. the panels have been wonderful. i wish we could spend more time but we will follow up. thank you. if the second panel would come fo

. >> madam chair, debris and emergency protective measures are two of those things that i think we have to make sure we know what the outcome is so we can get there quickly and that is to get debris where, one, we can get access in the community and, two, we get the debris up so we prevent the problems it creates and we begin the recovery. there were some successful programs started. there were pilots. i would like to revisit those that provided a better incentive financially to the local governments and states who went ahead debris management programs so they had many of these questions answered and knew what they were going to do but i think it's also incumbent upon us at fema to make sure that our guidance is providing clear direction without being a process that is so difficult that as a local official the only way i can address it is hiring fema officials as a contractor of the rules that i'm having to seek reimbursement from the federal government in my time of need. >> thank you very much. thank you, the panel has been wonderful. i wish we could spend more time. we will follow up