mr. chairman? >> okay. >> i have an amendment and it states a principle negotiating objective of future trade agreements would be the mutual elimination of state-sponsored financing institutions. when the state sponsored finance institution was reauthorized in 2012, congress requires the treasury secretary and i quote initiate and pursue negotiations to reduce with the goal of eliminating subsidize programs. the treasury has failed to meaning meaning meaningfully comply. there are no explanations of what concrete steps were taken pursuant to the law to reduce the subsidies. here is the simple reality. taxpayers are required to subsidize certain companies through the bank. that is what happened fe what happens. that is not good economics, it is not fair to the taxpayers, and the argument for why it is necessary is simple one i hear everyone else does it. that is not persuasive to me but i happen it is to many of my colleagues. this amendment does not commit what some have suggested would be unilater

mr. chairman. >> mr. chairman. >> thank you mr. chairman. i urge colleagues to support the nelson amendment. tariff levels are important. the policies were put in place is part of our free trade agreement. i think the nelson amendment interest and ought to be included. i yield back. >> textiles. the nature of congress for the past 30 years has been allow people to get in the textile business because it's easy and cheap. just like senator nelson lobbies for the jobs it creates, 300 jobs in florida, it probably used to be three million in north carolina. we've got a textile industry that hangs on the ledge. not places that have a history of textiles. i would encourage my colleagues trade is about making it fair. the precedent you set don't make an investment, just mover overseas. go somewhere where it's cheaper. go somewhere where labor is cheaper and you can buy cotton cheaper. it basics the ag business in the united states and unskilled workers that have a lifetime in these mills. we've gotten to be

mr. chairman. the chairman votes no. mr. chairman, the final tally is nine ayes, 17 nays. >> the amendment is defeated. are we getting close to the end here? senator burr, you're next. >> mr. chairman, i'd like to call up portman number 2, and that's committee number 88. and i'll say to the chairman, he will not love me like he loves senator bennett because i will have to have a recorded vote on this. but i will be very brief. and i have great affection for the chairman and for the tax he's got in front of him. i thank my colleagues for their support. on the customs bill of the tpb issue. but i've got to add it on the tpa bill as well because that's the only way i can assure that once and for all we address this because this is of great need. let me just explain very briefly what this mtb bill does. this bill would allow companies to apply for duty suspensions directly on a predictable schedule. this carefully crafted bipartisan compromise would allow for the mtb process to move forward in a post-earmarked era while still mai

mr. chairman. mr. chairman i would like to call my amendment's number one and i understand i hope my understanding is correct about the chair support for some language in the report to try to accomplish what i want to do here. >> the senator is correct. >> i appreciate that mr. chairman. i'm a strong supporter of protecting intellectual property of u.s. companies and individuals. i've heard from many disappointed families and businesses in my state that foreign companies are selling counterfeit goods and particularly prom and wedding dresses that are manufactured here in the united states to unwitting american consumers who believe they are getting a high-quality dress like a vera wang dress and then they end up with a third rate dress at an important moment in their life and they spend a fortune trying to fix fix it or change it or were going to buy a new dress was the one they got imported from abroad as quote unquote packaged as a gift and thereby skirting u.s.. law. so the consumer is getting duped

mr. chairman? >> of course. the clerk will call the roll. >> the chairman votes no.>> the clerk will report.>> mr. chairman the final tally is 10 ayes, 16 nays.>> is understand that senator cardin has an amendment and that should be our last amendment. am i correct? >> mr. chairman i have one amendment i'm offering and withdrawing.>> that is fine. it will be the last one.>> the amendment that i'm offering is amendment 109 which is cardin amendment 3.>> please proceed.>> is amendment would make the good governance sections that i've been talking about in the original bill would make it a principle negotiating objective rather than an overall negotiating objective. this amendment is straightforward. improvement of the act makes no changes in the language that was negotiated on a bipartisan basis by the committee. the only changes to move it from section to a11 to section 2b. the reason for this amendment relates to effective enforcement of good government -- governance in negotiating objectives. the dispute princip

mr. chairman. mr. roberts. will announce the vote. mr. chairman. 18 ideas. 8 nays. yeah. mr. chairman. i would like to change my vote to no. want to change the outcome? no. it will not. my understanding is that it was a final passage. yeah. when you asked if there was further amendments. talking about. enjoying this so much. didn't want to forego the possibility here. all right. we will move along here. and considering the chairman. and a bill to extent african growth opportunity. and the generalized preferences and the duty treatment program for haiti. and for other purposes. considering legislation extenting and first let me say that during months of hard work and toughing inations ranking numbers were able to reach agreement on the bill with the ways and means committee chairman ryan. and ranking member 11 the result of the legislation to be considered in the house. and i hope that we can pass that into law for a short order. and i hope that the member left side support it. so, um. we will call up that particular bill. let me just say senator. do you have any comments? senator. do y

mr. chairman. mr. chairman i move to adopt the report of the subcommittee -- [inaudible] the opinion of the chair the ayes have it in the motion is adopted. >> the committee will receive the report of the subcommittee on pursuant to committee rule 17 in consultation with the ranking member we will postpone on record of those on the amendment in this particular subcommittee mark until the end. the chair recognizes the chairman of the subcommittee the gentleman from virginia, mr. forbes. >> working with members on both sides of the aisle the subcommittee assert diligently to prepare a mark that provides resources and oversight that navy, marine corps air marine corps air force deserve and require. the programs including construction of uss john f. kennedy, cbn 79 in the first year of appropriations for the uss enterprise also includes funding for two virginia class submarines. and three littoral combat ships. it also accelerates procurement of the next class of amphibian ships and funds to refueling and c

mr. chairman? mr. chairman? >> yes? >> if i could submit an opening statement for the record also. >> that would be fine. >> thank you. >> without objection. >> same. >> anybody else? >> could i move that we all have the opportunity to submit our opening statements for the record? >> a wonderful thing. you have such a wonderful way of doing thing. >> thank you, mr. chairman. >> without objection, we'll certainly do that. today's first order of business is a technical document on the trade adjustment assistance enhancement act of 2015. now before we begin, i would like to put this trade adjustment assistance mark in context. what is before the committee today is a carefully negotiated compromise between ranking member wyden and house ways and means committee ryan. the chairman of the house ways and means. i do not support trade adjustment assistance but agreed to ensure that taa and trade promotion authority move in parallel form and to allow taa to come before the committee for a fair vote. i've always been willing to d

mr. chairman. >> mr. hairman i've been working this issue for some time although i'm a late comer to the house armed services committee. i've worked across the aisle with many. it may be assumed because i'm a combat infantryman i may take an unrealistic view on this. i'm the only person in this chamber that has fought as a combat infantryman taken human life buried two female members of my task force and decorated a third for valor. i don't pretend to know anything about flying jets or flying helicopters but i do know something about infantry combat and watching human beings do horrible things. as you know we had secretary panetta that opened the door for these things to be studied in a methodical manner so the armed forces could then conduct training and do the types of things necessary to make sure that we are able to meet those measures and there are many, like myself that have come to a broad view as we look at the role of women that participate in close quarters combat. i wear the names of two of thes

mr. chairman. i would just make a couple quick comments, mainly because my first, this is going to be a long day, so brevity is going to be appreciative by the chairman and everybody else. huge committee, lots of amendments. it's going to be tough to get through it also will have to work together to get that done. second, by and large i agree with each other. i think we've done some great work as always with staff and members. i'm committed to trying to put together a national defense authorizing act that best serves the men and women are protecting us. i think we do a very very good job of the. i continue to be concerned first of all by the existence of the budget caps. we found a little dodge here with the oco but that is not the best way to fund the defense department. number one. number two it leaves open the question that there are many others myself included, feel that the budget gaps have a negative impact on things other than defense. yes, defense is incredibly important but so is infrastruc

mr. chairman -- >> mr. chairman -- >> may i ask your friend from michigan am a are you prepared to vote for the tpa? >> i am prepared to think a little better of the process. i have to say that as a compromise to my friend from texas this in my judgment is a compromise. if i had my way and could wave a magic wand, i would say you do not get fast-track authority and less you have a strong currency enforcement provision. this is strong and good, but it is in fact i believe a reasonable middle ground. it is not enough for me. >> mr. chairman i would like to say we flee that i appreciate the candor of our friend from michigan but this at some point will be a matter of counting the votes. so if adopting this amendment does not gain us votes but loses them in the final passage that it strikes me as the poison pill. >> we will have senator portman summit up. >> let me just say to my friend from texas, pass this and you have my vote. it only takes two things. two things that there is unbelievable support for. the se

mr. chairman. mr. chairman, as someone involved in this issue for many years, i'm not surprised by the overwhelming support that h.r. 1731 has garnered. today the house has the opportunity to join with the president and stakeholders from across our critical infrastructure sectors to make our nation more security. by casting a vote in favor of h.r. 1731, you will be putting the department of homeland security, the federal civilian league for cyberinformation sharing, on a path to fully partnering with the private sector to protect the u.s. networks. with that, mr. chairman, let me yield back. the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman from mississippi yields back. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. mccaul: mr. chairman, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the chair: the gentleman is recognized. mr. mccaul: mr. chairman, we are at a pivotal moment today and face a stark reality. the cyberthreats to america have gone from bad to severe. and in many ways we are flying blind. the curren

mr. chairman chairman and i also yield back i withdraw my amendment >> now we recognize mr. rogers. >> ask unanimous consent to call up the package of amendments we have worked on with the minority. >> please distribute the amendments. without objection and they're considered red the gentleman is recognized to explain the package. >> i call upon the following of the army version of the weapon and amendment number 11 regarding a briefing on electromagnetic interference requirement add a 15 year sunset of the prohibition of sharing missile defense information with russia. concerning the feasibility and benefit and cost of the standard missile for any warfare. and amendment number 60 with 15 years and set in number 62 regarding correction. number 63 with briefing and planning with capability number 65 regarding technical correction. and concerning notification of the committee concerning capabilities. amendment number 81 regarding the requirements for tactical communications for i yield back. >> is there further discussion on these amendments? if not the chairman those in favor

mr. chairman. i will have to oppose this amendment. this amendment amends an existing tenure report to require dod to give the cost estimate over 25 years. at a hearing just over two weeks io i asked the general would be responsible for creating this report if it will be good idea. after groaning he said not another report. i witnessed and explained to him as you would expect, looking that far out the credibility of numbers would be suspect. i would not recommend a new report that would recommend we do what we are doing now sharing the baseline plan which goes out 25 years and share that information as we have been doing. by the way the cbo has said much the same thing. they are just not reliable. through existing reports we have detailed cost estimates and get regular long-term program plan updates. the right balance between transparency and reliability numbers. this would not result in good and effective oversight i urge my colleagues to vote no and yield back. >> ignorance is not good. let's con

mr. chairman, might i comment, senator cornyn? nator, you indicated that we would have to have 535 different agreements without fast track. mr. trumka: that again -- there's a whole lot in between there. and i suggest that the following things to improve trade promotion authority. ensure that congress approves trade agreement partners before the negotiation begins. create negotiating objectives that are -- -- that are specific because they are different. ensure that congress not the executive branch determines whether the congressional trade objectives have been met. enshire congress has effective opportunities to strip expedited consideration provisions from trade deals that fail to meet congressional objectives or will incorporate congressional and public participation. we also think that the rest of the things necessary to make trade work, infrastructure, training, and tax policy. it's not we're saying you can't have it or shouldn't have it, it's this one, the one you're considering, abrogates power. you give too much power away

mr. chairman. the clerk: shall remain available until september 30 2017. >> mr. chairman. the chair: for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania seek recognition? mr. dent: i move to strike the last word. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. department dent exactly two weeks ago -- mr. dent: exactly two weeks ago the v.a. office of the inspector general released its report on the gross mismanagement and claims manipulation that has long corrupted the philadelphia v.a. office. the issues revealed through that report republican -- these issues are unacceptable for our nation's veterans and i've specialy -- personally seen the consequences firsthand. this bill takes a number of steps to address the issues raised by the inspector general and help to ensure that they will not be repeated at any v.a. facility. i remain steadfast in my work to bring accountability and reform to the v.a. at this time i yield two minutes to my colleague from pennsylvania, mr. meehan. the chair:

mr. chairman. yield back. >> you have done, mr. clancy, a very good job of building trust and confidence. it's flushed dourns's flushed down the toilet when he read and hear these things. you said to us multiple times the white house did, homeland security did secretary johnson did, that you were implementing fundamental changes. >> yes, sir. >> and this guy's still on the payroll. you sent out a press release touting that he was going to another department and agency and he does no work for the secret service and yet he's on your payroll. don't ever come back here to congress and tell me that you have a financial problem when you've got a.c. smith on your payroll and you say you don't have enough money. you shouldn't have to pay for that out of your budget. he is a very, very senior person. you personally promised that he would be moved and transferred out of the department. and he hasn't. i'm not buying this "unlimited detail" thing. this is just classic homeland security shuffling around and ever

mr. chairman, might i comment, senator cornyn? senator, you indicated that we would have to have 535 different agreements without fast track. mr. trumka: that again -- there's a whole lot in between there. and i suggest that the following things to improve trade promotion authority. ensure that congress approves trade agreement partners before the negotiation begins. create negotiating objectives that are specific because they are different. ensure that congress, not the executive branch, determines whether the congressional trade objectives have been met. ensure congress has effective opportunities to strip expedited consideration provisions from trade deals that fail to meet congressional objectives or will incorporate congressional and public participation. we also think that we ought to integrate this with the rest of the things necessary to make trade work: infrastructure training, and tax policy. it's not we're saying you can't have it or shouldn't have it, it's this one, the one you're considering, abrogates too much power.

mr. chairman. >> thank you, senator wyden. let's have an understanding, we're not going to have any outbursts in this room. let's treat everybody with respect on both sides of these it issues. we're going to have to vote. we'll let senator grassley give his opening remarks, about three minutes. >> while i'm not sure i thought we would get to this point a month or two ago, it sure has worked out well that senator hatch and senator wyden can work together and get us to this point. trade is very important to our country and our economic future. trade promotion authority with it, we are marking it up today as an important tool in the advancement of the u.s. trade agenda. this legislation is proof congress and the administration can work together to increase economic opportunity for americans all across our 50 states. we already know and common sense dictates that 80% of the purchasing power is located outside of the united states, along with 95% of the world's consumers. as the middle class expands in

mr. chairman. let me thank you and chairman price for holding this very, very important meeting. on a personal note let me thank my friend, chairman enzi, while he and i have huge philosophical differences, he has run this committee in a very civil way and cordial way. i appreciate that very, very much. i think i speak for all the members on our side saying that. mr. chairman the budget resolutions that we are debating today are nothing less than a disaster for the working families of this country. on every important issue that we face both of the republican budgets, the house budget and the senate budget, do exactly the opposite of what needs to be done and in fact what the american people want us to do. let me just give you a few examples. america is the only major country on earth that doesn't guaranty health care to all of its people. despite the modest gains of care affordable care act 35 million americans have no health insurance and we spend almost twice as per capita on health care as do peo

mr. chairman. mr. chairman, today the house considers h.r. 1195, the bureau of consumer financial protection advisory boards act. this bill is essential to provide small businesses a voice in the regulatory process and to help ensure community banks and credit unions continue to have a voice in the cfpb going forward. small businesses are the backbone of our economy, yet our regulatory system silences these hardworking americans. regulations mean -- meant for large corporations trickle down and have disproportion impacts on main street businesses. we must remember that businesses are by and large owned and operated by our neighbors and friends. they represent a life's work and a vision of the american dream. the cfpb was created to protect consumers in the financial marketplace and it would seem impossible to responsibly undertake this endeavor of protecting the american consumer without consulting the institutions that are more closely associated with the american consumer, small businesses and communi

mr. chairman. the time allotted between the introduction of the bill hearings, committee consideration and floor action is really short. and it's a sign that i believe that if it had more time and more people knew about it, more people, not less people, would oppose it. a new and effective trade negotiating authority must do the following -- it must ensure that congress approves trade agreement partners before negotiations begin. create negotiating objectives that are specific to the individual trading partners that we're dealing with, because they're all different. ensure that congress, not the executive branch, determines whether the congressional trade objectives have been met. ensure congress has effective opportunities to strip expedited consideration provisions from trade deals that fail to meet congressional objectives or to incorporate congressional and public participation. increase access to u.s. trade policymaking, trade proposals and negotiating text for congress, congressional staff an

mr. chairman, mr. chairman kirk, i would like to really congratulate you on the work you've been doing in the va. you've been proceeding with due diligence, you had that usual sense of bipartisanship that's been characteristic of this committee and both of you have been fighting like hell for our veterans. just as the vice chair of the floor committee, i want to thank you for the job and do what i can to get you a juicy allocation. i would like to first off say hello to secretary mcdonald and to his team here. i'm going to engage though in a bit of a maryland question. first of all mr. mcdonald thank you for the job you've been doing but you've got a big job. and i think you're finding that under every rock is another rock. and we found the same thing in maryland. i asked the inspector general of the va to investigate claims that have come to my attention in my constituent area program. allegations that somebody had mouth cancer and was not properly tubed or fed. somebody who didn't get mental health ap

mr. chairman and i yield back my time. >> gentleman from virginia, mr. forbes. >> thank you, mr. chairman. i'd like to yield my time to the chairman. >> i thank the gentleman from virginia. i certainly appreciate the comments made, and we all have the same goal which is to try to come up with a program that will allow us to recruit and retain the best and brightest. the commission spent over two years trying to come up with that program and presented it in their commission's report. we had multiple hearings in the military personnel subcommittee. we had a full hearing from the commissioners here for the entire group. understanding it's going to cause confusion alongst those that are currently serving. those who are currently serving are not affected by the change. it's prospective. if they want to come in they can, but they are not obligated. it's not going to affect anybody currently serving. we talk about the loss and what the potential changes to retirement may do on recruitment for retention. the numbers don't lie. in the enlisted ranks about 70% of those who enlist leave the

mr. chairman. i like being with the chairman who knows how to comb his hair. >> i appreciate that so much. >> just let it go, okay? >> i can't do as well as you do on the tones on your phone, but i commend you for holding this. all seriousness. this is an important hearing. here's cuba 90 miles from our shores. we have the ability to help them gain control of their own lives but we can also expand american farmers. selling their product. there'll be some winners as part of normalizing trade with cuba. we have to temper our hopes and remember cuba's economy is in shambles as people are suffering. but i i would note what senator stabinaw said she wouldn't spend time with agriculture community there on our last trip. i've been going to cuba numerous times in the last 20-something odd years. this last trip, you saw a huge difference. seeing american flags in the stores. american flags on the taxis, a lot of the taxis are mid-50s automobiles. and they have flags of different countries. never seen the am

mr. chairman. mr. secretary, good to see you again. last year i introduced legislation to expand the caregiver support services that va offers and to finally make the full program available to veterans of all eras. i'm going to be reintroducing that legislation tomorrow. senator collins is my co-sponsor on that. i want to work with you to make sure we strengthen the program and make sure it has the resources it needs to take on an additional work load. i really was happy to see the department requested a significant increase in funding for that program and i've also asked for additional resources for the department to hire more caregiver support coordinators. i want to ask you today, do you know how many more caregiver support coordinators you think you'll need over the next two years to support the current needs, and to take care of new veterans while eras coming into this program.>> i don't know exactly but i do know we are very supportive of the legislation you've written. we think that pre-9/11 caregiver caregivers should get the s

mr. chairman. >> thank you. mr. walsh, you're now recognized for five minutes. >> thank you, and i'm going to venture out on a limb. i bet you get a call from the secretary now. miss flanz might back me on that, i would bet. it goes to something bigger for me. i would argue and go back to the issues with sk tear shinseki and others, and i think many times they're let down by others around them. it takes us back to the core issue of delegation and authority. and in an organization that big, this has to happen. so how are we going to change it? how are we going to make it better? i would bet everybody in this room at one time another has gone gone through some form of professional training. whether it's on a friday afternoon or a retreat or something like that. i bet in our professional careers, you can count and tell the ones that were highly effective and those that were forgettable. this is an important issue. have any of the three of you, dr. head, dr. hooker and dr. tremaine, have any of you received osc whistleb

mr. chairman i yield back. >> i thank the member. chair now recognizes chairwoman from new york. >> thank you. mr. mayorkas, you have made reference in your testimony and in your written statement that you support and embrace secretary johnson's protocols that were developed to more ably ensure that employees understand the involvement of their supervisors in specific cases. can you -- forgive me if i missed this, but did you tell us what the protocol changes were? >> no i haven't, and i believe they were issued formally this past monday. and the office of general council set forth protocols that speak to a clearance process before certain leaders become involved in particular cases. they define very generally the circumstances in which that involvement is warranted or i should say optimal. they speak to the congressman walker's issue in question. they speak to the recording of the involvement. so there's clarity and understanding by all employees with respect to the reasons for the fact of that involvement. and i clearly would have b

mr. chairman. i'll be brief. i wanted to thank both mr. hairman yourself and ranking member for including two of my amendments in the modified chairman's mark, one that creates a chief manufacturing negotiator for uspr. we have a chiefing a khurl negotiator but not manufacturing negotiator and not have an economy and middle class if we don't make things and grow things and the other thing would existing agricultural trade technical assistance programs and thank roberts for working with me. even though we come down from different places on this and i will not be supporting tpa, for me bottom line we want to export our products and not our jobs. when we look at a global economy we have a choice of creating a system where there is a race to the top to strengthen the middle class but those around the world or race to the bottom in terms of environmental standards and shipping jobs overseas. i don't see a toughness and we'll talk more about currency later. i appreciate there is some currency language but not strong enough to be enforceable and i

mr. chairman. i first want to congratulate ms.. >> your for her work in sexual assault that has been in the active member of the caucus that we cochair. very active in the bipartisan and bicameral work that many of us have done with loretta sanchez susan davis joe wilson and myself and i appreciate the work of the chairman and the ranking member and ensuring that many are provisions that apply apply.n.. i do believe on the bicameral basis that they will be supported. this is one in which we do disagree and the amendment that she has offered stands alone. and i think we need to backtrack a bit because the descriptions of ms. speier are in support of the amendment are all actually issues where there is clarity under current law. let's talk about what the current law is. it is a crime to assault anyone so orders given by a superior like all those still fall within the area of sexual assault. lack and was a sexual assault. whether people reported it or not or later came and reported it it is sexual ass

mr. chairman. >> senator? >> mr. chairman, thank you. admiral locklear i want to start with a little bit on missile defense. and obviously the asia pacific is of critical importance to the u.s. both economically and strategically, yet the current security environment in your command is increasingly complex. countries in the region continue to invest in greater quantities of ballistic missiles with extended range and new capabilities. while i think we should continue to invest in missile defense programs that are proven and effective, i also think we should be investing in left of launch and other nonkinetic means of defense. given the vast member of incoming missiles that an adversary could use to potentially overwhelm u.s. missile defense systems, i want to get your thoughts on what steps are being taken in the realm of left of launch such as electronic warfare cyber, that could blind, deceive or destroy enemy sensors before they actually launch. >> well senator, i agree very much with your assessment that the ballistic missile defense

mr. chairman. mr. perkins, the report talks about fbi providing employees with extensive predeployment training regarding conduct abroad and has done the most to prepare its employees to make day-to-day decisions unlike apparently dea or even the secret service. can you comment on that? does your training program in terms of deployment overseas explicitly deal wish shoes like prostitution -- with issues like prostitution and dishonor it brings on the united states if employees engage in that activity? >> yes congressman, it covers issues of personal security of individuals going overseas to standards of conduct we would expect them to exhibit while they're overseas. a good bit of this began under former director louis freeh as we began to expand our overseas presence with the wars in iraq and afghanistan. we had a significant significant presence overseas at that time, which required that, yet, again additional training added to that as our overseas presence remains high we see great benefit in maintain

mr. chairman. let me thank you for your gracious remarks and i've are g8 having worked with you on the legislation and your consultations with me on changes to the ledges laysha and which i support. i think this continuation of the bipartisanship that i have tried to set up whenever privilege of chairing the committee rises to the high calling of what the united states senate is all about. and particularly the significance of the senate foreign relations committee the senate foreign relations committee as a relates to foreign-policy and national security so i want to thank you and congratulate you in that respect that i want to thank senator cardin a ranking member for his incredibly hard work work and perfecting the legislation that brings us to what i hope will be a broad bipartisan vote and i couldn't think of anyone better to take my place. i want to thank senator kaine whose thoughtful input on the genesis of the legislation was incredibly helpful. in my view the way to send a message to iran

mr. chairman, and mr. secretary, thank you for your leadership and putting forth the budget that supports investments in the learning continuum from early childhood to career. i want to start by focusing in on one stage in that continuum and that's high school, while acknowledging that every stage of that education continuum is vitally important. your fiscal 16 budget calls for a $125 million investment in our high schools. to ensure that these schools can redesign to meet students needs. i'm concerned that too many high schools are failing to help their students make it even to graduation. and even those who do graduate may not be armed with the skills they need to enter a post secondary education. training or the workforce. >> in my state of wisconsin there are 13 high schools that fail to graduate a third of their students. earlier this year i introduced the next generation of high schools act to allow high schools to redesign and innovate to better meet student needs. and increase rigor in course work

mr. chairman, mr. chairman. >> time is controlled by the gentleman from georgia, mr. scott. >> i no when i am in trouble. i think i will yield. >> i think i think that is a good call. recognized for five minutes. >> i am in support of the amendment in the nature of the substitute. as cochairman of the air force carcass i stand behind the statements made by the air force leadership on the a-10 program and agree on two key points. the air force and other services continually remind us that in an era of tight budget we must make our choices, and the choice to divest the a-10 fleet is an incredibly difficult one but when combatant commanders are asked about priorities and where we could take additional risks the capabilities of the a-10 are continually at the bottom of the list. we have the opportunity to reinvest dollars that would have supported the a-10 fleet in the critical capabilities. second, it is a great aircraft, no doubt about it, within oppressive capabilities and a proven combat record. in an ideal world we would be able to afford and retain the a-10's. howev

mr. chairman. and welcome fugate. as chairman hovan says as a former governor, i also recognize how important fema's activityies are when states have emergencies and, even more personally, i having been in a tornado unone point in my past. i very personally benefitted from the efforts that fema has made to help people who are victims of disaster. so i appreciate that your work is critical and understand that currently all 50 states, including new hampshire and some tribal areas have an active disaster with fema and understand that the cost to rebuild are growing. in the 1990s fema was appropriated an average of $3 billion a year for disaster costs and yet one decade later, average costs have tripled to over $9.5 billion a year. disaster types are also more varied and complex and the last five years, along with the anticipated floods tornadoes wildfires, hurricanes the nation has had an earthquake on the east coast, a super storm, sandy in the northeast. landslides in the west. a bombing at the boston marathon, active s

mr. chairman, very much. may i ask you mr. fcc follow the processes used by both democrat and republican commissions when crafting these latest net neutrality rules? >> yes, sir. >> these are tough decisions. it's a process and out of the process came a decision that i agree with. i think it's an historically correct decision but i don't think there should be a question about whether or not you use the process that allowed all voices to be heard and the final vote 3-2, 3-2, is based upon the totality of everything that all five of you had the opportunity to hear. 3-2. it was a process. it gave everyone the ability to hear what they needed to hear. and i think you made just the right decision and i think you made the right decision looking at the whole history of the fcc and what you've done for our country. back in the 1970s, the ceo of sprint and mci came into my office and they had less than one half of one half of one half of one percent of the market. and they wanted the fcc to change the rules so you didn't have to dial 2

mr. chairman. >> thank you mr. chair. thank you, admiral locklear and general scaparrotti for being here today, and for your men and women that serve as well. i appreciate it very much. as you know, the dod is planning to transfer operational control of south korea forces to the south korean government, in the event of another conflict on the peninsula. this transfer has been discussed for many, many years. it was originally supposed to take place in 2007. it's been delayed many many times in the past number of years. and it does appear to be currently indefinitely postponed. so can you describe some of those challenges that we're being faced with, and those that the south koreans are facing, and their efforts to create conditions which would allow us to successfully do the up con transfer? >> yes, ma'am, thank you. as you know, this past october the secretary of defense agreed upon the conditional approach to up con transition. in the past it had been focused on a date with capabilities. so in short, i agreed with the ch

mr. chairman., mr. chairman. >> thank you. i want to thank the secretary and others for being here today. i would like to thank you for the flexibility and willingness to work in the 40-mile. we talked about it. as you know, in a state like mine, 40 miles as the crow flies can be ours in the car this helps veterans across the country, certainly in my state. i no you are aware of this issue and greenbrier county. close three times from old. some unhealthy conditions in the facility because of there quality. and i think that i read that the bluefield mobile unit will be serving the 2400 veterans in that area. i no i no that this is specific, but if you had any other alternatives. >> i would like carolyn to comment about the specifics. i would like to reiterate what i said. facilities are too facilities are too old hvac systems need to be replaced about every 25 years our facility is too old. i talked you about facilities that are over 100 years old 90 years old. we have to decide which to close. i talked about that, and which to

mr. chairman. let me thank you for your gracious remarks. and i appreciate having worked with you on the legislation and your consultations with me on changes to the legislation, which i support. and i think this continuation of the bipartisanship when i had the pleasure of chairing the committee rises to the high calling of what the united states senate is all about. and particularly upholds the significance of the senate foreign relations committee as it relates to foreign policy and national security. i want to thank you and congratulate you in that respect. i want to thank the ranking member for his incredibly hard work in perfecting the legislation that brings us to what i hope will be a broad, strong bipartisan vote. and i couldn't think of anyone better to take my place during this period. and i want to thank senator kaine who was in credibly helpful. >> in my view, the way to send a message to tehran about our expectations is for congress to put politics aside and pass the corker review act

mr. chairman. thanks for calling this hearing. i have a statement i would like to submit. i want to thank the commissioners for being here. chairman, thank you for attending. today what i would like to focus on is how rules are adopted. commissioner o'reilly, your opening statements and comments were near and dear to some of the comments i want to make before today. i would like to make an observation. it was my opinion that the purpose for the affordable care act was to guarantee all americans have the same bad healthcare. i believe that this title ii decision made by this commission is to guarantee all americans the same bad internet service. i also believe two things. i don't believe i'm wrong. one is the purpose of this open internet order is, one, to regulate and restrict content. number two to open the door to taxation. what i would like is commissioner owe'reilly and pai to tell me why i'm wrong. >> i will tackle part of the question with respect to taxation. you are right. it opens the door

mr. chairman. mr. lynch really hit on something with respect to the good ole boy culture and this is my concern i'm seeing more of the good ole boy culture. we've seen it with the dea. sex parties. we've seen it with some of the things going on in the secret service admittedly, not subject to this. we see, we see it in a lot of government agencies. in your investigation, do you get a sense there is a good ole boy mentality? is it as bad as i think it is? >> it's interesting, congressman, you use those words because this our first review was of the good ole boy round up events in the early '90s. we did a report in 996 about the culture and need to make a it clear about what is and isn't permissible on off duty and yet we're 20 years later and there are still no department wise policies or training. >> you run the dea. do you think it's appropriate in your off time, even in a country where prostitution is illegal, to engage prostitutes? >> absolutely not. and it's against dea policy. >> and how -- >> ille

mr. chairman. and, again your people were very helpful and did a good job in arkansas. >> thank you sir. >> mr. udall. >> thank you very much, mr. chairman. and let me along with the rest of the members echo your new aggressive leadership in what you're doing in terms of, in terms of veterans. i really respect the team that you brought in and this more business like approach to what is an incredibly important issue for veterans in my state and across the country. and let me thank you, too for the constructive dialogue we've been able to have moving the v.a. forward as you near the b end of your first year as secretary. as we discussed during last week's visit, new mexico's key issues can be narrowed down to ensuring the veterans have access to care. too often they're prevented from receiving the care they deserve. many veterans are not able to have their claim adjudicated in a timely manner. in new mexico, progress to reduce the backlog is stagnated. and that's this chart i have behind me here. i th

mr. chairman. -- thank you, mr. chairman. >> mr. van hollen: thank you chairman. rep. van hollen: thank you chairman. i want to start where senator sanders began, thank you for bringing us together. i want to thank chairman price for their professional way he has conducted the budget committee in a bipartisan tradition. that means we obviously have very sharp differences when it comes to the budgets, and we now have a house republican budget and the senate republican budget, and neither budget reflects the priorities and values of this country. both budgets, i believe, are fundamentally wrong for our country, and both budgets send a big message to the american people, you're going to be working even harder, but you're going to be getting even less. so any point between two budgets, both of which are wrong for america, are going to be wrong for america. i don't know how we can salvage this, but here's what i would say. why do i say both budgets say work harder and get less? the good news in the country has been, we've seen more and more people getting back to work. we'v

mr. chairman, we can close public comment. >> public comment is now closed. >> colleagues, thank you for hearing this item today. it's one piece of the broader issue and challenge we face around our aging lgbt population. yesterday, colleagues, and i want to thank you for this, we unanimously passed our legislation to address discrimination and other needs of lgbt seniors living in long-term care facilities. we have other legislation in the works to begin moving forward with implementation of the lgbt aging task force's recommendations, we will have several budget proposals around aspects of that report. and this issue is certainly an issue we need to grapple with. the good part about it, in addition to the fact that people are living longer and living healthier lives, the positive here is that this is not one of those issues that is perpetual and has no boundaries around it. this is a very discrete, defined population of long-term survivors who we need to address so we don't have large numbers of people with hiv losing their housing and either becoming homeless or housing to leave the c

mr. chairman, i look forward to working with you. i hope this final document will recognize the work that was done on a bipartisan basis. it was my great pleasure to work with chairman lucas and all of our members at the time to achieve what i think we want to do in every part of the budget. making smart cuts consolidating, cutting duplication, and putting in place a path for economic development. we did that in agriculture. and i hope that that will be recognized in the final document. thank you, mr. chairman. senator enzi: thank you. next will be congressman molely nar -- moll moo -- moolenaar. congressman moolenaar: while we come across the nation and backgrounds vary, we are here today as an important step toward governing in way the american people expect. today's meet something a poss stiff step in the right direction. for the first time in a long time there is a real possibility that both chambers of congress will adopt a budget resolution for a balanced budget. this budget will set the guardrails for federal spending in the up