mr. levin: i yield 2 1/2 minutes to the gentleman from oregon, mr. blumenauer. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for 2 1/2 minutes. mr. blumenauer: our speaker stood before us a few minutes ago and sounded a somber, serious note. i'm sorry the process we're going through does not reflect that somber, serious attitude. it's sad that it's come to this. a parody of what could have been a week-long, thoughtful, thorough debate about our relationship with iran which republicans instead have turned into an incoherent partisan shouting match. it ignores the realities, the complexity, and the opportunity. there's been no discussion, for example, about how the america -- about how america seriously mismanaged our relationship with iran since we helped the british overthrow their popularly elected government in 1953 and install the shah. how we backed the murderous saddam hussein against iran which cost million os lives weak rooked the other way when he used poison gas, a real weapons

mr. levin: before i yield myself such time as i shall consume, i'd like to yield 30 seconds to the ranking member of the budget committee, mr. van hollen. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from maryland is recognized for 30 second. mr. van hollen: thank you, mr. speaker. and i thank my friend, mr. levin. this agreement represents the best path to achieving our goal of preventing iran from ever obtaining a nuclear weapon, and it advances the national security interests of the united states and our allies, including israel. i ask that the remainder of my remarks be placed in the record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the gentleman from michigan is recognized. mr. levin: thank you, mr. speaker. for far too long we faced the nightmare of iran with nuclear bombs. impacted by heavy sanctions, iran finally agreed to negotiate, led by the united states and five other nations. after agreeing on a framework, which iran complied with, the parties completed the much-detailed joint compreh

mr. levin: before i yield myself such time as i shall consume, i'd like to yield 30 seconds to the ranking member of the budget committee, mr. van hollen. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from maryland is recognized for 30 second. mr. van hollen: thank you, mr. speaker. and i thank my friend, mr. levin. this agreement represents the best path to achieving our goal of preventing iran from ever obtaining a nuclear weapon, and it advances the national security interests of the united states and our allies, including israel. i ask that the remainder of my remarks be placed in the record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the gentleman from michigan is recognized. mr. levin: thank you, mr. speaker. for far too long we faced the nightmare of iran with nuclear bombs. impacted by heavy sanctions, iran finally agreed to negotiate, led by the united states and five other nations. after agreeing on a framework, which iran complied with, the parties completed the much-detailed joint compreh

mr. levin: if you look -- mr. sessions: i appreciate the gentleman having a discussion back and forth. we're going to continue. thank you very much. i want to be respectful to all three of you to get things out that you wanted to respond to a question. my last point that i'd like to make is simply this. the question about that this will lead to war. i think i have a tendency to understand that the american foreign policy i believe since the dropping of the bomb has been the belief that fewer countries should have access to nuclear weapons. and we've spent a great deal of time trying to watch that proliferation that might occur, whether it was breaking up the soviet union or other nations as they go through their ups and downs and that it defies my lodger that we would just automatically say, but you can have it in 15 years. when we've tried to do everything we can do to not to that and it seems like when the negotiation fails, that's when you get war. i believe that to have any country that threaten ours allies or

mr. levin: i yield to another member of our committee, mr. crowley of new york. mr. crowley: i like mike, i admire him but i think he is it a disservice to the house and this debate to bring up the issue of 9/11. i do thank him for his honesty to say this is all about, having this debate today and this vote today to stir the emotions of the american people. my emotions always start on this day. 14 years ago i knew people who died that day. my cousin died. my friends died. i don't need to be reminded of that but it will not cloud my decisionmaking on this important issue. today i stand in support of a joint comprehensive plan of action. this has been a difficult decision for me and i know it's been for many of my colleagues as well. there are those who came out against this deal before you even read it. for those that took the time to read the agreement and came to a given conclusion, you have my deep and profound respect because we both share the same goals. but after carefully studying this ag

mr. levin each control 30 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from california, mr. royce. mr. royce: i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to submit extraneous materials on this measure. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the gentleman is recognized. mr. royce: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. royce: mr. speaker, i rise in support of this legislation which would prohibit the president from waiving iran sanctions and prevent the implementation of this fatally flawed agreement. last night we spent many hours debating this agreement. we heard from members on both sides of the aisle, members who have deep concerns about where we are headed. mr. speaker, let's be very clear, this isn't just a bad deal. it's a disastrous deal. it's a disaster for the united states. it's a disaster for our allies and friends in the region, including

waters, mr. levin and young chairman of the committee, mr. royce, for taking time to be with us today. obviously without objection, anything will be in the record. you know that you are here to provide expert testimony. you recognize that -- and i do too -- that this is a very serious issue and i appreciate each one of you being here today. mr. chairman, you're recognized. mr. royce: thank you, chairman sessions. and thank you very much, mr. levin and ms. waters. mr. sessions: have the microphone on. mr. royce: i say that the premise there that the controlling vote would be the security council vote, which ms. slaughter raised, sort of goes against the very intention of the house and senate in passing legislation in the first place that would give congress a vote on this. and this -- this really raised the question, the timing of going to the security council before we received the briefing on the agreement itself and before the people's representatives in the house and senate even had an opportunity to be recorded on this. the fact that the

mr. levin. mr. levin: thank you for yielding. so mr. doggett and i will say a few words when many, many are in order. nick has been, as our chairman said, more than valuable member of this staff and more than a dedicated member of this staff. he's been invaluable and his dedication has really been endless. he's leaving to pursue family needs and other needs. he knows he's going to leave us in need in terms of his immense talents. his dedication to the subject matter that is by definition so directly involved with people is really beyond even estimation. the subcommittee, its work deals, as i said, with the everyday challenges that so many of the citizens in this country face day in and day out. it was only a few days ago when we heard from pope francis how important it is for this institution to focus on the individual needs of people, including those who are poor, some with handicaps, but everybody who's in need of a hand up, really, as much, if not more than a helping hand. and nick has devoted over a dozen years to this very purpose.

mr. levin with the ways and means committee and miss waters, ranking member of the financial services committee. i'm aware that this is a big deal. this committee is prepared to ask tough questions, this committee is prepared to ask serious and long-range questions about the future of this deal and to understand more about what we're trying to accomplish here today. before we defer to our first panel that will include not only mr. levin, but also miss waters and i would ask they feel free to come join the table at any point they choose to. i would defer to my colleague and dear friend, the gentlewoman from rochester, new york. >> thank you, mr. chairman. i appreciate that time. i want to welcome the witnesses as well, look forward to hearing what they have to say. i do need to correct one thing i believe that you mentioned. that this was an agreement between the president of the united states and iran. this is a agreement between the security council of the united nations and iran. it was negot

mr. levin with the ways and means committee and miss waters, ranking member of the financial services committee. i'm aware that this is a big deal. this committee is prepared to ask tough questions, this committee is prepared to ask serious and long-range questions about the future of this deal and to understand more about what we're trying to accomplish here today. before we defer to our first panel that will include not only mr. levin, but also miss waters and i would ask they feel free to come join the table at any point they choose to. i would defer to my colleague and dear friend, the gentlewoman from rochester, new york. >> thank you, mr. chairman. i appreciate that time. i want to welcome the witnesses as well, look forward to hearing what they have to say. i do need to correct one thing i believe that you mentioned. that this was an agreement between the president of the united states and iran. this is a agreement between the security council of the united nations and iran. it was negot

mr. levine says his cycling club discourages members from riding in that area. >>> a vegetation fire got close to homes. the fire started a little after 4 p.m. near foothill boulevard and city center drive. firefighters got it under control within 30 minutes. no word on how the fire started. >>> a former 49er ceo rushed to southern california today after learning his son was killed in a tragic boating accident. the son's name is michael harris. he was only 26. just a couple hours ago we talked to some of his friends. maria medina is here with new information. >> this is catalina island today as investigators try to piece together the accident that killed michael harris and hurt three others early yesterday morning. they're also looking for one missing person. it happened after 1 a.m. yesterday in the bay. we spoke to his two younger brothers who say they are devastated. >> we're taking it moment by moment and aren't really prepared to understand what we're going through i think. >> reporter: as they mourn the loss of their older brother michael, they say they also find strength in rememb

trina levin explains in his introduction there are billions of mr. ball episodes from which to choose. here he is select he is selected to most of these samples that will offer the most miserable readers excellent company. after the reading there will be time for questions. afterwards the book signing. when that time comes we would like everyone to form a line going up that way. they does and gentlemen, please give a warm welcome for author farquhar. [applause] it is 365 of the more miserable and unpleasant taste in history, one for every day of the year. one of the things important to us as we did not do uber mr. ball. we are not covering atrocities. we are not covering natural disasters. we are trying to focus on the quirky, disturbing and not hideous aspects of human nature. you won't be reading about that. although there is a bad day for not the propaganda when he wrote about his sore feet and he has no friend, boo-hoo to him and that is about as far as we get. but the other thing that this book is we are trying not to focus on the obvious. when

mr. president, i ask unanimous consent to insert in the record two opinion pieces, one written by senators carl levin and john warner, and another by senator sam nunn and richard lugar. the presiding officer: without objection. mrs. boxer: thank you so much, mr. president. two democrats, two republicans, leaders all, respected, effective. these former colleagues understand the risks of military action, and they're right. and they know this deal doesn't rule out the use of military force. the united states can strike if we need to. but we must first try diplomacy. since when are we afraid of that? we can try diplomacy because we're the most powerful nation on earth. we should try diplomacy and if it fails, we always have all options on the table, as our president has said, as i have said, as everyone has said. you know, it's striking to me that we don't have one republican for this. i'm kind of amazed all the focus was on the democrats. really? and a few are opposing and a vast majority are for it. i'm just surprised that a richard lugar couldn't sway anybody, that a colin powell couldn't sway anybody

mr. trump is going to be surrounded by sarah palin and glenn beck and mark levin who has called the president'sas sowing the seeds of world war iii, and so this is a very different type of event as the one that hillary clinton is h d holding right now. >> yes, so many much passion against this deal because of the support of israel, and carol, important to point out many democratic skeptics as well. chuck schumer who is trying to be the top democratic leader of the senate does not support this deal, a sointd is very not specifically drawn down the party lines, but the reality is that it is not the u.s. and iran alone, but a world community, and this deal has been e negotiated so long, and moving forward and the speeches are coming a little bit after the fact now, because there is enough support now on capitol hill to back the president. >> and jeff zeleny, many thanks to you. >> and now to the growing refugee crisis in europe. thousands of refugees are taking this route of freedom for many happening in turkey. whole families cramming on boards trying to make it to greece. ivan watson and the cre