mr. holt: i do, madam chair, i have an amendment at the desk. the chair: the clerk will designate the amendment. the clerk: amendment number 12, printed in house report number 112-173, offered by mr. holt of new jersey. the chair: pursuant to house resolution 359, the gentleman from new jersey, mr. holt, and a member opposed each will control five minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from new jersey. mr. holt: thank you, madam chair. for 23 years congress had the benefit of a really excellent organization, the office of technology assessment. the o.t.a. helped congress look at the policy implications of new technologies. then 16 years ago o.t.a. was defunded. when congress turned out the lights, they argued that other organizations would provide what o.t.a. did. think tanks, academy, universities. we now have 16 years of evidence that we have not gotten from these other source what is we got from o.t.a. we need o.t.a. now more than ever and my amendment would shift a mere $2.5 million i

mr. holt's and mr. bishop's efforts that talk about the need for scientific research, world-class user facilities, teams of scientists and engineers funded by the department of energy office of science at universities and labs around the country. economic experts have asserted as much, crediting past investments in science and technology for up to half the growth in g.d.p. in the 50 years following the end of world war ii. at this time when we're being challenged by other nations for leadership in science and technology, this is not the right time to disinvest from this vital research. the amendment by mr. holt and mr. bishop is supported by countless associations of physics and chemistry, countless universities and institutions of higher learning, my own university of california campus at berkley, davis, riverside, san diego, san francisco, santa barbara, santa cruz and also around the country from university of chicago to u.s.c., to university of tennessee and university of virginia, all over the nati

mr. holt: mr. chairman, my amendment is simple. it reduces the afghan security forces account by about one part in 500, 1/500 in order to decrease the defense program account to save soldiers' lives and will give the pentagon a much needed infusion of funds to address a serious gap in our suicide prevention. i learned about this gap through the tragedy of a young constituent from new jersey who fell through the cracks. he took his own life in september of 2008. but it is not just one soldier. we have a broad problem here. in each of the past two years, more american soldiers have died at their own hands than have been killed in war fighting. coleman bean of east brunswick, new jersey, he inlisted in the army in 2001. attended airborne school in fort beening and his first assignment was in italy and in 2003 he and the rest of the 173rd conducted a combat drop into iraq. he saw the horrors of war firsthand and like some, he sought treatment. from the v.a. for his diagnosed post-traumatic stress disor

mr. holt, and the gentlelady from california, mrs. capps. our amendment would have fully funded this safety agency, by increasing the inspection fees on the oil and gas industry. the top five oil and gas companies made $35 billion in profits just in the first three months of this year. this week they will likely report similar profits for the second quarter. in fact, earlier today b.p. reported quarterly profits of $5.6 billion. that's just for the last three months, b.p. made $5.6 billion. yet the industry as a whole pays just $10 million a year in inspection fees for offshore drilling. and the republicans are putting it offshore today from any consideration by the members of this body. so our amendment would have, if the republicans had allowed us to implement a key recommendation from the independent b.p. spill commission, the b.p. commission recommended increasing the $10 million per year that the oil and gas industry currently pays in inspection fees significantly and that is what our ame

amendment number 12 by mr. holt of new jersey. amendment number 9 by mr. moran of virginia. the chair will reduce to two minutes the time for any electronic vote after the first vote in this series. the unfinished business is the request for recorded vote on amendment number 2 printed in house report 112-173, by the gentleman from north carolina. mr. watt, on which further proceedings were postponed and on which the noes prevailed by voice vote. the clerk will redesignate the amendment. the chair: amendment number 2, printed in house report number 112-173, offered by mr. watt of north carolina. the chair: a recorded vote has been requested. those in support of the request for recorded vote will rise and be counted. a sufficient number having arisen, -- a sufficient number having arisen, a recorded vote is ordered. members will record their votes by electronic device. this is a 15-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the hou

mr. holt: this is a bad idea to repeal. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from texas rise? mr. barton: could i inquire of the time? the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas has nine minutes remaining and the gentleman from california has 6 1/2 minutes remaining. the gentleman from texas. mr. barton: i want to yield three minutes to the gentleman from houston, texas, judge ted poe, three minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas is recognized for three minutes. mr. poe: i thank the gentleman for yielding. energy efficiency is a good idea. mandated by the federal government under this legislation that we are currently serving under is preventing competition. the federal government is creating a monopoly. the model t ford is not outlawed. you can still buy one. the federal government didn't ban it because it's inefficient. iceboxes, some of us knows what an icebox is. it's not banned by the federal government. you can still find one if you want to. because it's competition. e

the chair: the gentleman from new jersey, mr. holt. mr. holt: i move to strike the last word. the chair: the gentleman is recognized. mr. holt: i would like to make a brief comment in support of the gentleman's amendment. as he said and as i would like to reiterate, there's a class of space exploration that cannot be carried out without these r.t.g.'s, our domestic supply is unreliable at best, essentially nonexistent and it takes a while to regenerate that. i strongly support the gentleman's move to restart that program so that we can have a reliable domestic program for deep space exploration that cannot be conducted any way with other energy sources. and i think it is a reasonable amendment. it's not overstated. and i would urge its adoption. i yield back. the chair: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from indiana. >> i move to strike the last word. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. >> i rise in opposition to the gentleman's amendment. i certainly appreciate, again, his seriousness in offering it. mr. visclosky: i appreciate what he wants to acc

mr. holt, the gentlewoman from wisconsin, ms. moore. we are being very moderate here. we are not saying don't give the pentagon any more money. this amendment reduces by 50% the increase for the pentagon. we are accepting $8.5 billion. by the way, this does not affect the wars in iraq and afghanistan. it just occurred to me, maybe this was said earlier, the budget for afghanistan, which we refuse to cut reluctantly, regret plea, was voted out of the committee before the president announced a 10,000 troop reduction. i think the president was kidding he would bring down 10,000 troops, we funded 10,000 troops that won't be there next year. that's a problem. we're saying to the pentagon, you find it. don't cut military personnel, don't cut health but perhaps some of the bases we maintain overseas, some of the subsidies we give to nato, lip services paid here to an alliance in which the budget is based. unfortunately, mr. chairman, i have to say it's trivial. the obama administration and members of

mr. holt: to follow on my good friend from virginia, i must say this is almost incomprehensible. the smithsonian as a collection of museums and the park that my colleague talked about is half the picture. and indeed, if any of those facilities are closed, there will be a lot of unhappy families from georgia and tennessee and montana and all the 50 states. but it's a lot more than that. the smithsonian is a collection of research centers that goes beyond folk art, jewelry and pandas. the smith seasonian observatory, one of the finest collection of our world in understanding the universe, borrowed colorado island in panama in the middle of the panama canal, probably the principal research center for understanding the workings of our biological world, yes, there will be a lot of unhappy families if this amendment were to go through, but moaning those 600 positions that would be lost no doubt would be some of the finest scientists in the united states, in fact, in the world. and there would be a l

i yield one minute to the gentleman from new jersey, mr. holt. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. holt: mr. speaker, this bill has a slogan for a title, unrealistic nonsense inside. under this, millions of students would not get pell grants and education and related programs would be cut by about 25% and further for the third time, third time that the majority is voting today to end medicare and double health care costs for seniors. we shouldn't be surprised that the majority is squeezing medicare. they didn't like it in the first place. they are reducing education grants. we shouldn't be surprised that they want to preserve subsidies to big oil and other fat cats because it has been there for a century. we should be surprised or at least disappointed that they want to sacrifice america's credit rating and good name. we should be disappointed, too, that they won't allow congress to get on with the work, hard work, the important work of actually making jobs. i yield back my time. the speaker pro tempore: the g

in addition, we accepted that amendment by mr. holt to add $20 million for further suicide prevecks for our return combat -- prevention for our returning combat veterans. that's not a bad number $265 million, when you consider reducing the president's budget by $9 billion. so i think we did pretty good, and i think that this motion to -- this motion to recommit is a strong indication that there's nothing really wrong with this bill. we should go ahead and defeat the motion to recommit and pass the bill. i yield back. i yield to the gentleman from california. >> i appreciate the gentleman yielding. the speaker pro tempore: mr. speaker, the house is not in order. the speaker pro tempore: the house will be in order. the gentleman may proceed from california. mr. lewis: i appreciate the gentleman yielding and i say the gentleman from georgia is making a point that we all understand, the guard and reserve are very important to our future clearly. but even more important is for us to get this house back on a pathway to regular order whereby

offered i out of the specified order, amendment number 9 by mo moran and amendment number 10 by mr. holt. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. >> mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on h.r. 2551 and that i may include tabular material on the same. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. pursuant to house resolution 359 and rule 18, the chair declares the house in the committee of the whole house on the state of the union for consideration of h.r. 359. the chair appoints mr. woodall to preside over the committee of the whole. the chair: committee of the whole house on the state of the union for consideration of h.r. 2551 which the clerk will report by title. the clerk: a bill making appropriationers in lennell slailtive branch for the fiscal year ending september 30, 2012, and for other purposes. the chair: pursuant to the rule, the bill is considered read the first time. the gentleman from florida, mr. crenshaw and the gentleman from

mr. holt >> thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony and challenges facing domestic oil and gas development. accompanying me today as is tony ferguson our director of mineral and geology management and maureen hyzer supervisor of the jefferson national forest. to begin, i want to be clear, the u.s. forest service has no policy nor do we have any plans to develop any policy to ban horizontal drilling in the associated hydraulic fracturing. i also want to emphasize that forest plans are plans based on local community concerns which we take very seriously. before service is committed to doing our part to contribute to the nation's energy goals while at the same time protecting the landscapes of watersheds that are precious to so many. before service in the blm more closely on managing and delivering the mineral and energy programs in the united states. the agencies follow congressionally alvarez mandates that allow for the responsible development of domestic energy and mineral resources

one quick example the united states attorney for mr. holtused to work with the under his own militia and starts the program as well, but every week and he has a huge group that comes to teach about civil rights and the united states. the had the opportunity to come, they volunteered to come and it's very powerful, and i think that its efforts such as listening and education that paved the way to success. thank you. >> thank you very much mr. chairman. mr. screen is recognized for five minutes. >> i would like to join those who vindictive to the deep affection for you. [laughter] i love you, too, mr. chairman. if i may, this is a preeminent opportunity to make it abundantly clear this is not to condemn all muslims. is that a fair statement, chief? and we would not want persons who are hearing what we are saying and witnessing what we are doing to conclude that we think all persons who are somalis are radicals and the people to be watched, people who be monitored to read is that a fair statement? >> i think it's a very fair statement, absolute

mr. holt: burma had a rich history, fertile land, abundant resources and a productive population. in the years following the coupe in the early 198 -- the cue -- the coup in the early 1960's, they brutalized their people in a pattern that exists today. for more than 20 year the united states government has sought to use its influence to try to create conditions for restoration of democracy and the rule of law in burma. one tool has been the use of sanctions. the burmese freedom and democracy act was signed into law eight years ago this month. and it requires the president to impose a ban on the import of products from burma. it blocks u.s. support for loans from international financial institutions and freezes the assets of and bans visas for key members of the military junta that's imposed its will on the burmese people for decades. i believe these sanctions should be renewed because there's evidence they are working. last november, burmese elections were clearly illegitimate and not a free expression of the will of the burmese people but the continuing international pressure on

mr. holt: and this bill, this legislation that we're considering here now has no appreciation for america's priceless resources. according to the league of conservation voters, though, going farther than just beautiful vistas or purple mountain imaginiests this bill is -- majesty this bill is the biggest, in their words, biggest assault on the air we breathe, the water we drink and the wildlife and wild places we hold dear ever to come before congress. continuing the clean water network or the american lung association or the american public health association or physicians for social responsibility, they all go on to point out that the budget cuts or policy writers in this legislation undermine the laws that protect public health and reduce health care costs because we will lose the preventions that help reduce adverse health outcomes. it will lead to greater exposure that is cancerous, asthma attacks, strokes, emergency department visits. it is not just for the beauty of this country, althou

mr. dennis. dr. holt? >> i concur. in analyzing the bill that passed and became a law, the actuary concluded that it would raise, not lower, the national health expenditure. if the national health expenditure bill is larger, the coverage for that bill has to be larger. when the ceo put out its long-term budget expectations, it found that things went up, not down. the law contains two spending programs. they estimate it grows by 8% as far as the eye can see. there is no evidence of bending the cost curve anywhere to be found in those kinds of numbers. so if you dial your clock back to the beginning of the debate, there were two criteria in which any health care should be judged, the ability to cover americans with quality insurance and the ability to deliver that insurance with lower cost and quality. it flunks the latter which is openly the fundamental driver of insurance costs in the united states. so things like the mlr are mere fiddles at the edges of tidal wave spending. and unless we get the tidal wave under contr

mr. dennis. dr. holt? >> i concur. analyzing the bill that passed and became a law, the actuary concluded that it would raise, not lower, the national health expenditure. if the national health expenditure bill is larger, the coverage for that bill has to be larger. when the ceo put out its long-term budget expectations, it found that things went up, not down. the law contains two spending programs. they estimate it grows by 8% as far as the eye can see. there is no evidence of bending the cost curve anywhere to be found in those kinds of numbers. so if you dial your clock back to the beginning of the debate, there were two criteria in which any health care should be judged, the ability to cover americans with quality insurance and the ability to deliver that insurance with lower cost and quality. it flunks the latter which is openly the fundamental driver of insurance costs in the united states. so things like the mlr are mere fiddles at the edges of tidal wave spending. and unless we get the tidal wave under control,

mr. thompson, five minutes for his opens statement. >> thank you, ranking members holt and holden, i appreciateyour effort in holding the important hearing. since the inception, the national forest system has intended for mobile use, it includes tourism and, yes, mineral extraction. i don't have to look any further than the allegheny national forest which is the 5th district of pennsylvania. which i'm proud to represent. the oil industry was born there. since it's founding 54 years later, oil and gas production has conned in the nearby allegheny national forest. some will have you believe that natural resource production, whether it's oil, gas, coal, or timber, and environmental stewardship are mutually exclusive. nothing could be farther from the truth. for those that think otherwise, come to pennsylvania and the allegheny forest yourself. we have successfully produced for decades while protecting the environment. we boast of having the linest hardwoods in the world. because of the value, the amf, perhaps one the only national forest that makes money. because we are blessed with abundant natur