mr. hastings: mr. speaker, would you be so kind as to tell both sides the remaining amount of time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from florida has 17 minutes remaining. the gentleman from texas has nine minutes remaining. mr. hastings: thank you very much, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, if we defeat the previous question, i'll offer an amendment to the rule to provide that immediately after the house adopts this rule, it will bring up h.r. 11, the bill -- build america bonds to create jobs now act. to explain that further and to as she so desires, i'm pleased to yield one minute to the distinguished the gentlewoman from california, the minority leader, ms. pelosi. the speaker pro tempore: the distinguished minority leader is recognized for one minute. ms. pelosi: thank you, mr. speaker. i thank the gentleman for yielding and thank him for his leadership in calling up h.r. 11, the bill build america bonds later. -- bonds, later. mr. speaker, it's very interesting to watch this debate because what yo

mr. hastings: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i yield myself as much time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. hastings: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, gasoline prices are rising and we have near double-digit unemployment. the obama administration should be doing everything with -- within its power to spur economic growth and to create new jobs. unfortunately they have not. this administration has chosen to impose regulation after regulation and policy after policy on american businesses that impede their potential growth and thus impede our economic recovery. many of these regulations delay or flat-out prevent americans from responsibly developing our own natural resources. they block access to american energy. they block access to american minerals. they block access to american water supplies. and they block access to american forest products. via their actions this administration is jeopardizing our economic competitiveness. this jeopardy is making america more reliant

mr. hastings: i thank the gentleman. mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent my full statement be made a part of the record and i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: without objection. and the gentleman yields back his time. all time having been yielded back, the question now is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from florida. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. the amendment is agreed to. for what purpose does the gentleman from nebraska rise? >> mr. chairman, i have an amendment at the desk, amendment number 483. the chair: the clerk will designate the amendment. the clerk: amendment number 483 printed in the congressional record offered by mr. fortenberry of nebraska. >> mr. chairman? the chair: for what purpose does the gentleman from texas rise? >> i reserve a point of order on the gentleman's amendment. the chair: a point of order is reserved. pursuant to the order of the house of today, the gentleman from nebraska, mr. fortenberry, and a member oppose

mr. hastings: mr. speaker, can i inquire again how much time on both sides? the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from washington has 3 1/2 minutes remaining. and the gentleman from massachusetts has 5 1/2 minutes remaining. mr. hastings: mr. speaker, i am very, very pleased to yield two minutes to another new member of the natural resources committee, the gentleman from texas, mr. flores. two minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. flores: thank you, mr. speaker. one of the top concerns i'm hearing from my constituents is the state of our economy and jobs. and that's why i rise today in support of this resolution directing the committees of the house to examine and exercise oversight of federal agency regulations and their impact on the economy. the u.s. department of energy recently announced that we currently have the highest gas prices in this country that we've ever had during the month of february and it makes no sense for the department of energy -- excuse

mr. hastings, of course? >> when is the last time you will recall that we had modified open rule with caps? >> withp caps? >> caps on time limits? >> well, the definition of a modified open rule is twofold. number one a modified open rule has a preprinting requirement, and second, it does have potentially an outside tell. i don't know if this rule will have caps or -- i don't know. >> well, it does have preprinting requirements and if it has requirements, then i would remind you. >> under the five-minute rule. >> yes, and five-minute rule. >> i have been here long enough where it took three weeks to do the defense authorization. >> maybe my friend from florida is offering a closed rule for this consideration of this? >> i don't care what kind of rule. >> you want an open rule. >> and i'm sure that the gentleman would be happy with an open amendment. >> well, what mr. hastings is trying to get is whether or not there is a total time limit on the debate. >> if i could reclaim my time i will say that the rules c

mr. hastings: an additional 30 seconds. mr. andrews: the american people are placing an 9-1-1 call to washington that says this country needs help. it needs a real plan to produce real jobs for the american people. what they are getting from the majority once again is wasted words, wasted time, wasted opportunity. yes, looking at regulations is a good thing to do. we support that. but, mr. speaker, there is a difference between analysis and paralysis. the majority is giving us paralysis. all talk, no jobs. the right vote on this resolution is no. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas. mr. sessions: thank you, mr. speaker. i appreciate, the gentleman, mr. andrews, coming to the floor. i'd like to let him know we are doing 9 1/2 hours of debate and at the end there will be an opportunity for a motion to recommit with or without instructions that has been lacking for the previous four years by my colleagues on the other side that they extended us. so you'll have every single opportunity, if you want, just to use your w

mr. hastings for 45 minutes. mr. hastings: i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. the chair: without objection, so ordered. mr. hastings: i thank the gentleman for yielding and i understand why my good friend from nevada is offering this. he's representing what he thinks is right for his constituents and i commend him for that. but the fact of the matter this is the law of the country. this is the repository, period. yet the department of energy, in my view, has been operating outside the law the last year. ratepayers already spent $10 billion on this. if we terminate this site we'll have other liabilities. in fact there are other contractual lablets of $2 billion that have been let already. plus the expense if we have to find another repository will cost taxpayers further billions of dollars. i understand why the gentleman is doing this. i think he is incorrect but urge members vote against his amendment and yield back. the chair: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from new jersey has one minute remaining. mr. frelinghuysen: i'd like to let mr. sliss

mr. hastings. >> thank you very much, mr. chairman. i thank chairman rogers and ranking member dicks for their work. all the years that i'm here in congress, both of them have been appropriated in different capacities and i recognize, as i'm sure all of us do, the difficulties that exist at this time in our country. every day that i'm here and every day that i have been here, i've thought about what we do from the standpoint of trying to protect the least of us in our society. chairman, when you speak of shared sacrifice, let me share with you -- i apologize to my colleagues for being late getting here. i spent 30 minutes with congresswoman captor with the foreign minister of ukraine who is here in a joint program with the united states and ukraine dealing with security matters. he was put a question by our ways and means colleague sandy levin about what he's -- what is his had government going to do in ukraine to equalize the circumstances of the citizen. a part of his response covers a part of what you and i, i believe, and the rest

mr. hastings. >> thank you very much, mr. chairman. i thank chairman rogers and ranking member dicks for their work. all the years that i'm here in congress, both of them have been appropriated in different capacities and i recognize, as i'm sure all of us do, the difficulties that exist at this time in our country. every day that i'm here and every day that i have been here, i've thought about what we do from the standpoint of trying to protect the least of us in our society. chairman, when you speak of shared sacrifice, let me share with you -- i apologize to my colleagues for being late getting here. i spent 30 minutes with congresswoman captor with the foreign minister of ukraine who is here in a joint program with the united states and ukraine dealing with security matters. he was put a question by our ways and means colleague sandy levin about what he's -- what is his had government going to do in ukraine to equalize the circumstances of the citizen. a part of his response covers a part of what you and i, i believe, and the rest

mr. hastings: mr. speaker, i rise in support of this amendment that will prohibit the use of funds by the department of education for its misguided gainful employment rules. perhaps it would be helpful for the body and the public to know what this gainful employment is that we are talking about. under the higher education act, proprietary colleges and universities and career training programs are required to offer programs that lead to gainful employment in a legally recognized occupation in order to participate in the federal student aid program. the term, gainful employment, has been in the statute for over 40 years. and during the most recent re-authorization of the higher education act, there was absolutely no debate or discussion on a need to further define the term. now when this originated, several of our colleagues on both sides of the aisle and i'm appreciatetive of the chairman and my colleagues in a bipartisan fashion, we went about our business trying to understand just what kind of propose

mr. hastings, kindly resume the chair? the chair: the house is in the committee of the whole on the state of the union for further consideration of h.r. 1, which the clerk will report by title. the clerk: a bill making appropriations for the department of defense and the other departments and agencies of the government for the fiscal year ending september 30, 2011, and for other purposes. the chair: when the committee of the whole rose earlier today amendment number 8 printed in the congressional record offered by the gentleman from florida, mr. stearns, had been disposed of and the bill had been read through page 359, line 22. the committee will be in order. for what purpose does the gentleman from florida rise -- or arizona rise? >> i have an amendment at the desk. the chair: the clerk will designate the amendment. will the gentleman specify the number of the amendment. mr. plake -- mr. flake: this is number 377. the chair: the clerk will designate the amendment. the clerk: amendment number 377 printed in the congression

mr. hastings and mr. bishop on this problem. the true problem is the law, not the funding of the law. in recognition of the problems that mr. burton raises, we will accept this amendment but first i'd like to make some important points about the program. the wild horse population is not native to north america and can double every four years. if horses aren't removed from the range it can cause degradation and reduce foliage for wildlife and livestock. if this program isn't appropriately funded and horse aren't removed from the range, wild horses will continue to reproduce, overgraze and eventually have a population crash which means starving horses. mr. simpson: i would also point out that it is already illegal to slaughter wild horses in the and the b.l.m. spends no funds onslaughtering them but i'd like to -- i appreciate the gentleman from indiana pointing out the problem and i would like to work with him to find a reasonable solution to this that doesn't cost the kind of money that it currently costs. thank you. the chair: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for wh