mr. mcgovern: mr. speaker, i urge all my colleagues to vote no and defeat the previous question so we can help our veterans, and i urge a no vote on the rule, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from massachusetts yields back. the gentleman from utah. mr. bishop: mr. speaker, i offer an amendment to the resolution. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the amendment. the clerk: amendment to house resolution 276 offered by mr. bishop of utah. at the end of the resolution, add the following new section. section 5. notwithstanding any other provision as this resolution, the amendment specified in section 6 shall be in order in lieu of amendment number 5 in house report number 112-88. section 6, the text referred to in section 5 is as follows -- page 113 after line 17 insert the following -- section 317, health assessment reports required when waste is disposed of in open air burn pits. section 317 of the national defense authorization act for fiscal yea

mr. mcgovern: mr. speaker. on that i ask for a recorded vote the speaker pro tempore: does the gentleman from massachusetts ask for the yeas and nays? mr. mcgovern: i ask for the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. those favoring a vote on the yeas and nays will rise. a sufficient number having alabama, arkansas, and oklahoma that jobs are coming back to the gulf. let's fuel our plans for american energy and american oil. no more shall we beg those who hate us for their oil. america is on her way back and it starts in the gulf of mexico. let's put the gulf back to work so we can put america back to work. madam speaker, i withdraw my point of order. the speaker pro tempore: the motion is withdrawn. the gentleman yields back. without objection, the previous question is ordered on the motion to recommit. the question is on the motion to recommit. those in favor will signify by saying aye. those opposed say no. in the opinion of the chair, the noes have it. mr. connolly: madam s

mr. mcgovern: mr. speaker, this rule allows for the consideration of h.r. 1216, the graduate medical education direct spending repeal act, and general debate for h.r. 1540, the national defense authorization act for fiscal year 2012. and this rule also allows for a martial law reconsideration of the patriot act sometime this week. frankly, mr. speaker, this is a disappointing rule. while i have no problem with the rule providing for general debate for the defense authorization bill, it is disappointing that this rule also includes these two other provisions, especially the martial law rule. let me begin with h.r. 1216. this bill is simple. it's another chance for the republicans to dismantle the affordable care act. it's one more part of their repeal agenda. the funny thing is, mr. speaker, republicans continue to push their repeal agenda but they have not put any plan forward to replace these new health care protections that we passed. the truth is that the rpts are not only trying to -- republicans a

mr. mcgovern: mr. chairman, i yield myself two minutes. the chair: the gentleman is recognized. mr. mcgovern: mr. chairman, too many people have died in afghanistan. since january, i have attended three funerals in my district alone. of young men who sacrificed their lives there. tens of thousands more have been wounded. and the suicide rate among our veterans from afghanistan and iraq is soaring. there is no clear mission. the karzai government is corrupt. we continue to borrow money to pay for this war. we need to rethink what we are doing in afghanistan. it's time to define the plan to bring our uniformed men and women home to their families and to their communities where they belong. mr. chairman, this is the longest war in our nation's history. it's no longer about al qaeda. i have met with our troops in afghanistan. i have met with them after they have come home. they are incredible. politicians put them into harm's way. and we now have an obligation to get them safely home. president obama has p

mr. mcgovern: thank you. mr. speaker, i rise today in strong opposition to this rule and a very strong opposition to the underlying legislation. mr. speaker, here we go again. another week, another day, another bill that helps record profit making big oil but does absolutely nothing to help american families paying $4 at the pump for gasoline. although republicans continue to frame these efforts as a cure for rising gas prices and a way to decrease our dependence on foreign oil, the truth is that oil prices are set on a world market. it's simply not possible for us to drill our way out of these problems. yesterday in the rules committee i offered an amendment as a stand-alone bill again that would eliminate subsidies for big oil. while i do not agree with h.r. 1231, my amendment would have done nothing to prevent this bill from moving forward. instead, my amendment would have allowed for a separate bill to come up under this rule that would end subsidies for big oil corporations that are making money hand over fi

mr. mcgovern: thank you, mr. speaker. i thank the gentleman for his comments. although i do continue to believe that on these great issues that we need more than five minutes to be able to present our case. our entire policy in afghanistan we give them five minutes to debate the issue. i don't think that's right. at this time i'd like to yield two minutes to the gentleman from rhode island, mr. cicilline. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for two minutes. mr. cicilline: i thank the gentleman for yielding. for more than nine years now our american troops have been executing the mission in afghanistan with extraordinary dedication and competence. they have done all we have asked of them. but what started out as a quick war on october 7, 2001, to wipe out al qaeda leader osama bin laden and other terrorists has turned into a campaign that seemingly has no end in sight. our brave men and women from oiler families and communities, and costing us more than $8 billion a month. the cost of this war, again, $8 billion a month, approximately $2 billion

mr. mcgovern of massachusetts. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. polis: yesterday in the rules committee, mr. mcgovern brought forth a bill that would have ended the giveaway of tax revenue to big oil. unfortunately, the republican majority chose not to allow that amendment in this rule. had that been allowed under the open rule that mr. mcgovern proposed, i would have brought an amendment to the floor to use those $50 billion to reduce the corporate tax break to help create jobs in america. instead, the republicans are seeking to keep american taxes high, to keep corporate taxes high and this another example of a job-destroying bill that keeps taxes high while picking winners and losers in the economy and using government subsidies to an industry that is one of our most profitable industry. we should allow all american businesses of all sizes to compete. the american corporate tax rate is higher than most of the rest of the world which is why they continue to engage in operations overseas. if we can reduce it from 35% to 28 or% -- 28% or 26%, and

individually and want to talk to me expressing their support and telling me that they agree with mcgovern and myself. mrspeaker, i would like to thank the 26 republicans who voted in favor of the mcgovern-jones amendment last week. i believe we came within 11 votes of passage. mr. mcgovern and i will continue to fight until there is a definite plan to bring our troops home before 2015. bin laden is gone and there is zero taliban presence, al qaeda presence in afghanistan. we have done our job. in closing i would like to quote lesley guild from his may 9 article in the "wall street journal" and i quote, afghanistan is no longer a war about vital american security interests. it is about the failure of america's political elite to face two plain facts. the al qaeda terrorist threat is no longer centered in that ancient battleground, and the battle against the taliban is mainly for afghans themselves. mr. speaker, i have with me as i do many times the true costs of war is those who die and those who lose their arms and legs and those who are paralyzed and blind for the rest of their life. beside me is a ver

mr. mcgovern of massachusetts. the chair: recorded vote has been requested. those in favor of taking this vote by recorded vote will rise and be counted. a sufficient number having arisen, a recorded vote is ordered. members will record their votes by electronic device. this will be a two-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 house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.] the chair: on this question the yeas are 204. the nays are 215. the amendment is not agreed to. the question is on the committee amendment in the nature 6 a substitute as amended. so many as are in favor say aye those opposed, no. the ayes have t the amendment is adopted. accordingly under the rule the committee rises. the speaker pro tempore: the house will be in order. the chair: mr. speaker, the committee of the whole house on the state of the union has had under c

mr. speaker. this morning i had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others and in addition to my duties in this house today, i shall have further such meetings later today. >> jim mcgovern. >> thank you, mr. speaker. the tax describing of students debts the 2,000 pounds endowment for prime time home buyers and, of course, a refuse rendem on separatism. it's made on the s&p prior to the last elections that could never be kept could the prime minister for me and the house and the country, whether certain plenty commentary is correct if he would return to have the separatists to return for one reason and one reason only? >> i'm happy to confirm what i can see the possible showing for anabelle goldie who led with such distinction and i don't think i want to intrude in the private grief between labour and the s&p. i will say whatever that outcome of that election i for one will always stand foursquare behind the united kingdom. >> thank you, mr. speaker. is the prime minister aware of the significant fires raging in my constituency. i'm sure he would like to join me in congratulating the sterling work that has been done by these services and hope to fainter that the governme

mr. mcgovern: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, health care is a right not a privilege.hey will have health care when they retire so they do not have to wither away as they ainge. but republicans have broken that promise. republicans by passing the ryan budget believe that seniors should fend for themselves. america should not honor the bargain made with the seniors. it's simple, mr. speaker. republicans don't like medicare. i'm glad this new majority is showing its true colors and it's no surprise americans don't like this position. they didn't like it when they tried to privatize social security, and they don't like the republican plan to voucherize medicare. in contrast, democrats stand with america's seniors. we believe america should keep its promise to america's seniors. we believe america's seniors deserve better. support medicare. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from new hampshire rise? without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute.

mcgovern. >> thank you, mr. speaker. many of my constituents worry about the quality of care older people especially those with dementia receive in hospitals how does the prime minister think his topdown reorganization at the nhs will help make sure older people are looked after with real dignity? >> well, one of the whole aims of the changes we're making to the nhs must be to better link up the national health service and social service provision and local authorities in how we look after the elderly and all of us have seen too many cases in hospital where people who should be in either residential or nursing care all being looked after at home are stuck in either large district general hospitals or indeed in community hospitals when they should be getting alternative pathways of care. that's what the whole change should be about. as i'm finding when i go around the country listening to doctors, nurses and clinicians we must make sure we take this opportunity to get this absolutely right. that's what the reforms should