mr. dicks: i move to strike the requisite number of words. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. mr. dicks: you know, frankly, we don't have any problem with this amendment. i would be very surprised if the administration would give any classified information to the russian government. now maybe the gentleman knows something i don't know, and i understand that there was an inadvertent comment that -- suggesting that after the election there may be a better opportunity to work between the two governments. you know, those things are said at times. but i have no personal information that anyone is saying that we're going to give them this information. so i personally think it would be a mistake to give it to him unless it was declassified so the american people would know what the information was, but in this case, just to be sure, i am willing to go along with the gentleman's amendment. we have to be very careful here with classified information. there's no question about that.

mr. dicks for having worked together with each other so well regardless of who was in the majority for 35 years, mr. dicks, and i just want to recognize this will be the last bill, defense appropriations bill, that mr. dicks will preside over on the floor because he is seeking retirement at the end of the term. this committee will miss mr. dicks, the house will miss mr. dicks. the congress will miss mr. dicks. the country will miss his service to the united states of america for so many years. mr. dicks, i extend to you my very, very best and my appreciation and thanks for your friendship and your spirit of cooperation over the many years. the subcommittee had many hearings and many briefings on so many subjects that it took most of the year leading up to this date in order to do that. one of the things -- i would compliment the members of the subcommittee, because they were very attentive. attendance at the subcommittee hearings, meetings, were all very, very well attended. the members were ve

mr. dicks: if the gentleman will yield? mr. young: i do. mr. dicks: this gulf war illness has been something that bothered me a great deal. it's a very difficult diagnosis on what was causing this, but i think an additional investment here is worthy and i think we should accept the amendment. i'm glad the chairman accepts it. mr. young: i thank the gentleman for his comments and thank mr. kucinich for offering the amendment and i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from ohio. as many as are in favor will signify by saying aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. the ayes have it and the amendment's adopted. mr. kucinich: mr. chairman, i have an amendment at the desk. the chair: the clerk will designate the amendment. the clerk: amendment offered by mr. kucinich of ohio. page 9, line 6, after the dollar amount insert reduced by $7,800,000. page 35, line 15, after the dollar amount insert increased b

mr. dicks: i move to strike the last word, tone gauge in a colloquy with chairman -- to engage in a colloquy with chairman young. the chair: the gentleman is recognized. mr. dicks: i rise to seek the chairman's support in addressing an issue which he is deeply and painfully aware. the rapidly increasing number of cases of amputations, post traumatic stress disorder, and traumatic brain injuries suffered by our brave young men and women returning from combat theaters. of course these conditions can have a devastating impact on military dependence. they are also having an increasingly devastating impact on the military health care system that serves our soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen and other families. there's no one who has worked harder than the chairman of our subcommittee to ensure that the very best medical care is available to the nine million americans who have earned the benefits of our military health care system. yet i remain concerned that newer, innovative practices are not being

mr. dicks: would the gentleman yield? mr. flake: i would. mr. dicks: you're saying you've got to have a competitive procedure. mr. flake: that's correct. mr. dicks: this is, i think, what we tried to do a few years ago on defense-related with private companies is to have a competitive procedure. which i think -- which i agree with and think the gentleman is right on this i appreciate his amendment. mr. flake: i thank the gentleman. i yield back. oh, go ahead. the chair: for what purpose does the gentleman from florida rise? mr. young: i rise in support of the amendment. the chair: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. mr. young: mr. chairman, i support the gentleman's amendment, it has been long standing practice put in place by appropriations legislation years ago that the contracts for these pans must be awarded under a competitive process. in fact, the f.y. 2010 d.o.d. appropriations bill required that the contract be competitive. and every year the army holds an open competition where it asks all qualified companies

mr. dicks: mr. chairman, i rise in strong opposition to the amendment. this amendment is being offered for purely political reasons. as the gentleman know, the demens of marriage act is already current law -- defense of marriage act is already current law, despite the successful repeal of don't-ask, don't-tell, under doma same-sex marriage spouses are not entitled to the same benefits as other married couples. this amendment only seeks to divide this house. he knows the current law already prohibits same-sex spouses from independently shopping at military commissaries, using base gyms, or benefiting from subsidized health care. i do believe we should have the debate of the effects of doma on our service members and their families, but introducing this discriminatory amendment to the bill is not the place. i urge my colleagues to oppose this divisive amendment. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. -- the chair: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from florida, for what purpose does the gentleman from florida ris

mr. shaffer, dick cheney on sarah palin? >> i think t might be a little bit overblown. just remember at the time that he picked her there was widespread enthusiasm. she breathed new life into a campaign that was really rather pale in comparison to the sort of excitement that was surrounding president or then governor i'm sorry senator obama's campaign. so i think that we need to remember that she did sort of an unprecedented role in terms of sparking voter turnout in the way that vice presidential candidates don't usually have. >> bill: the terms of the play dictated palin because senator obama was perceived as young and hip and with it and change and hope so they had to get this young person in to counter that. that makes sense. but, as t unfolded, as it unfolded, do you believe that most americans, not idealogues, not conservatives, not die hard republicans felt that governor palin wasn't ready for the job as mr. tee sen believes? >> well, i think on one hand she was a governor. she seemed to have grass on certain issues like energy policy and perhaps most importantly

so you won't believe who they are turning to, mr. 13%, dick cheney. you can't make this stuff up. call of the personal foul. president obama drops the ball on the kiss cam. and hears it from the crowd. >> president obama on the ever popular arena in-house arena kiss cam. >> he blew it. >> he came back strong in the second half. we will show you how this one ended. ♪ ♪ lord, you got no reason ♪ you got no right ♪ ♪ i find myself at the wrong place ♪ [ male announcer ] the ram 1500 express. ♪ it says a lot about you. ♪ in a deep, hemi-rumble sort of way. guts. glory. ram. >>> folks, have you checked us out on facebook? the "politics nation" conversation is going on all day long. today everyone seems to have an opinion on john sununu saying he wished the president would learn how to be an american. devora says that was rude. i would love to hear what they say in a quiet room. deondre says sununu is a comedian. where can i buy a ticket to his show? the other big talker was the president and the first lady's kiss cam moment. jamie says they looked sweet. just like ordinary people. carl

summer because the president said to dick after a meeting, what are you doing this summer, and dick said, "nothing, mr. president", and the president said, i want you to go to asia, and i want you to take pat. that was the first of what became the good will trips all over the world. all four continents, 53 country. and the reason that that first trip was such a success was articulated by the secret service agent who was with my parents. his name was jack sherwood. and there were only two secret service agents on that detail, by the way, who traveled with my parents. they had a staff of five people. my mother had no assistant. they were gone 70 days. they were in 17 countries, including vietnam, korea, iran, pakistan, afghanistan, 12 other countries. but, anyway, jack sherwood wrote in his diary, you know, the nixons are really shaking things up because they're not doing what is expected diplomatically of these usual trips. they're stopping their motorcade. they're getting out. they're shaking hands with people, rich and poor. they're meeting with labor leaders. they're meeting with agitators. they're

the romney team was so nervous that their candidate would be photographed alongside dick cheney, mr.y banned tv cameras from covering the event. the l.a. times reports a pool of reporters was allowed in, but media photos of romney and cheney together were not permitted. not only were they banned from photographing romney and cheney together, they weren't even allowed to eyewitness the two men standing together. quote, when mr. romney arrived at the reception, he greeted mr. cheney with a handshake and his wife lynn with a kiss, but reporters were promptly escorted out by the campaign. later in the evening, quote, once at mr. cheney's private residence, a reporter within earshot of mr. romney's remarks, heard mr. romney invoke mr. bush but was not able to make out the context and was again escorted away by a campaign staffer. the romney campaign went to great length to allow there to be a dick cheney appearance last night while also squel ching evidence they had had anything to do with each other. and in the same news cycle, in that same news cycle, somebody in romney land had the gen

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. >> i might say, mr. dick -- dingell, we did invite members of the treasury department. >> i've been a member of this committee for a long time. i was always able. if the gentleman doesn't know how to do it, i'll be able to assist him. [laughter] >> maybe we can meet when this record's over. >> mr. chairman, just for the record, we did invite members of the treasury department. they couldn't come on the day -- >> well, the fact is we did invite them. >> but we could have scheduled them to come a different day. >> recognize the gentleman from texas, mr. barton, for five minutes. >> well, i just know i'm glad to be here. [laughter] and i was invited, and i did accept. [laughter] this should be a solutions hearing. i don't think anybody on either side of the aisle think that is the solyndra loan program -- regardless of the political debate -- thinks that the solyndra loan program has been run very efficiently, to be as mild as possible. and the draft bill that mr. sterns and mr. upton have put out an attempt to

the former vice president, dick cheney, is hosting mr. romney tonight in wyoming at an event that is closed to tv cameras. as you see here. there will be no video evidence of mitt romney standing next to dick cheney tonight. let me offer one possible reason for that. that right there, you see it? very small. dick cheney's approval rating when he left office in 2009, a very impressive 13%. impressive in the sense you have to try to get an approval rating that low. george bush despite his best efforts almost managed to get an approval rating that low. even he could not -- territory. and at that joint appearance, no cameras. it is awkward. the bush years were bad years for the country. no one wants to remind the country of what it was like the last time a republican was in the white house. in one political way it is awkward. there is some stuff about the bush-cheney years that was pretty good compared to what romney is offering right now. they did some significant outreach to minority voters. you may recall mr. bush's 2004 cam main manager go

mr. hide the salami." and "moby dick" will remain the same.ll not rest until every great piece of literature is turned into an episode of "the l word." i'm sure it will make a lot of money. i have a different idea. i have a company i founded that does the opposite. we take sex out of books. for instance. hand me this copy of "50 shades of grey." let me just pick a random thing. christian came home from a long day at work. i asked him what he wanted to eat for dinner. he said, turkey burgers, so, we made them and then we ate. and then we fell asleep watching "hoarders." [ laughter ] i'll be selling these in the lobby after the show. [ applause ] if you're -- thank you. if you're a fan of rock music and all you can eat shrimp, here's something that might catch your attention. there's a company that runs the big coachella music festival they have here every year, they've announced that in december, they will introduce a coachella cruise. which sounds like tom's next wife, right? [ laughter ] it's a cruise, like any cruise, but they will have perf

dick cheney. there was a fundraiser near mr. cheney's home. he sat near romney as he spoke about america's thirst for new leadership. he then took the microphone and said romney is the candidate who could handle a crisis like 9/11. the event raised a whopping $4 million. >>> battle ground state of virginia has 13 electoral votes up for grabs in november, aiming to put those in his column, president obama starts a two day campaign swing through the state this afternoon. the latest poll of virginia registered voters shows a close rate. he has 47 to 42% edge, but the percentage of undecided voters is bigger than his lead. >>> okay. have you seen the olympic uniforms? some people say they look, well, like i don't know, like you should be playing crow kay or something, look european, not american. what's worse in senator harry reid's mind, where the uniforms were made. yes, they were made in china. and senator reid says we should burn them because of it. >> i am so upset. the olympic committee should be ashamed of themselves, be embarrassed, i thin

mr. romney returns from this trip, it is announced that former vice president dick cheney will not be going to the convention either, mr. cheney telling abc news he plans go fishing instead. so the olympics, not just the trip, but the metaphor, is apt here. this is a passing of the torch. the republican party this week is insuring that the existing torch holders are, in fact, going to hand it over. but the guy they're trying to hand it over to at this point in his campaign seems more apt to light himself metaphorically on fire with that torch than to run it anywhere. joining us now is john harwood, cnbc's chief washington correspondent and a political writer for "the new york times." mr. harwood, thank you for your time. nice to see you. >> hi, ms. leader. >> you can call me anything. after five days of vacation at this point, i'm impervious to insult. john, how are republicans in d.c. reacting to this -- to the romney overseas trip? is it accomplishing the goals the campaign had for it? >> not entirely, but not -- it's not failing entirely either. i talked to one senior republican strategi

dick durbin. he will response to mr. gillespie here. plus the future of the bush era tax cuts. also joining me the assistant republican leader in the senator, jon kyl. durbin and kyl will square off. we'll also get their thoughts on this olympic-style outrage in washington over the uniforms being made in china. a little bit later on, bob costas will be here to talk about the penn state candle scandal and the fallout from this week's freeh report. it's all coming up. [ male announcer ] if you had a dollar for every dollar car insurance companies say they'll save you by switching, you'd have like, a ton of dollars. but how are they saving you those dollars? a lot of companies might answer "um" or, "no comment." then there's esurance. born online, raised by technology, and majors in efficiency. so whatever they save, you save. hassle, time, paperwork, hair-tearing-out, and yes, especially dollars. esurance. insurance for the modern world. >>> coming up here, your taxes depend on your vote in november. so are your rates going to go up or not? joining me this morning for a special d

dick durbin. he will response to mr. gillespie here. plus the future of the bush era tax cuts. also joining me the assistant republican leader in the senator, jon kyl. durbin and kyl will square off. we'll also get their thoughts on this olympic-style outrage in washington over the uniforms being made in china. a little bit later on, bob costas will be here to talk about the penn state candle scandal and the fallout from this week's freeh report. it's all coming up. >>> coming up here, your taxes depend on your vote in november. so are your rates going to go up or not? joining me this morning for a special debate on the future of those bush-era tax cuts democratic senator durbin and >>> back now with senator jon kyl of arizona, and senator dick durbin of illinois. and senator durbin, let me start with you. i want to pick up on this fight in the campaign this week over bain. this is the spokeswoman for the obama campaign, stephanie cutter, bringing the charge against mitt romney over these signatures on these s.e.c. documents, after he said he left bain. listen to this. >> eithe

dick, go through that. russell said i've read that, mr. president. i know what's in the constitution. no, i'm serious. point out how many times it umentions the filibuster. the constitution doesn't mention the filibuster once. one of the great differences

dick durbin. he will response to mr. gillespie here. plus the future of the bush era tax cuts. also joining me the assistant republican leader in the senator, jon kyl. durbin and kyl will square off. we'll also get their thoughts on this olympic-style outrage in washington over the uniforms being made in china. a little bit later on, bob costas will be here to talk about the penn state candle scandal and the fallout from this week's freeh report. it's all coming up. we know why we're here. ♪ to connect our forces to what they need, when they need it. ♪ to help troops see danger, before it sees them. ♪ to answer the call of the brave and bring them safely home. [ female announcer ] around the globe, the people of boeing are working together, to support and protect all who serve. that's why we're here. ♪ >>> coming up here, your taxes depend on your vote in november. so are your rates going to go up or not? joining me this morning for a special debate on the future of those bush-era tax cuts democratic senator durbin and republican senator jon kyl. they're up next. after this bri

dick durbin. he will response to mr. gillespie here. plus the future of the bush era tax cuts. that's a big debate as well important the fall. also joining me the assistant republican leader in the senator, jon kyl. durbin and kyl will square off. we'll also get their thoughts on this olympic-style outrage in washington over the uniforms being made in china. a little bit later on, bob costas will be here to talk about the penn state scandal and the fallout from this week's freeh report. it's all coming up. it's all coming up. [ female announcer ] the power of green coffee extract is now in our new starbucks refreshers™ -- a breakthrough in natural energy. made with real fruit, starbucks refreshers™ are delicious low calorie drinks you can feel good about. ♪ rethink how you re-energize. ♪ get a boost of natural energy with a new starbucks refreshers™, in three ways. natural energy from green coffee extract, only from starbucks. but they haven't experienced extra strength bayer advanced aspirin. in fact, in a recent survey, 95% of people who tried it agreed that it relieved their