mr. mckeon: mr. chairman, the last time i was in afghanistan a little over a month ago i had a chance to visit with our marines and troopers, and they were so animated about their mission, so filled with the idea that they were able to fight for freedom. they told me the thing that the people are asking them when are you leaving now? they need to have the understanding that we are there to finish the mission, to be successful in the mission. this time i yield two minutes to my friend and colleague, the gentleman from texas, mr. conaway. the chair: the gentleman from texas. mr. conaway: thank you, mr. chairman. for yielding the time. i have just recently got back from afghanistan and it is hard doing what we are trying to get done there. but we are the -- it is better than at any time in time since i have been going to afghanistan, i have been there since 2005. i visited several places and seen with my own eyes the successes that last year's difficult work done by the marine corps and army has done in

mr. mckeon of california. mr. mckeon: i ask unanimous consent that reading of the modification be dispensed with. the chair: without objection, so ordered, and the modification is agreed to. mr. mckeon: i ask that amendment number 72 be modified in the form i have at the desk. the chair: the clerk will report the modification. the clerk: earment number 72 -- mr. mckee: -- mr. mckeon: i ask unanimous consent that reading of the modifications be dispensed with. the chair: without objection. mr. mckeon: i yield to the gentleman from new jersey, two minutes. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for two minutes. >> i want to speak on the rogers-lobiondo amendment that helps repay trait heroes killed in the fight against piracy in lib yasm mr. lobiondo: they were killed by the commander of the intrepid. they have unser moans youly been buried in mass graves without the military tradition we have in foreign countries. this amendment seeks to right a wrong that's been in place more than 200 years and somers point, new je

mr. mckeon: mr. chairman, at this time, i'm happy to yield my friend, the gentleman from virginia, mr. forbes, the balance of our time. the chair: the gentleman from virginia is recognized for the balance of the time which is three minutes. mr. forbes: we stood on this floor when the minority was in the majority and the language they want to change now is the language they approved now. the chairman of the armed services committee at that time said this, we are in a position to accept this motion. i wish to point out there is no difference between the democrats and republicans when it comes to fighting terrorism. i agree with the motion. what a difference the year makes because there is not such a difference, but a huge gap tweb the republicans and democrats and i never heard so many red herrings, all of these people tried here, very few of them were detained under the authorization to use military force. most of them were arrested and detained based upon law enforcement. a huge difference. can we ho

mr. mckeon: mr. chairman, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the chair: the gentleman is recognized. mr. mckeon: i rise in support of h.r. 1540, the national defense authorization act for fiscal year 2012, which overwhelmingly passed the committee on armed services on a vote of 60 to 1. in keeping with the committee's bipartisanship, ranking member smith and i worked collectively to input members opinions and provide the proper care and logistical support for our fighting forces and help us meet the challenges of the 21st century. it authorizes $553 billion for the department of defense base budget consistent with the president's budget request and the allocation provided by the house budget committee. it also authorizes $18 billion for the development of energy's defense programs and $118.9 billion for overseas contingency operations. the legislation we will consider today makes good on my promise when i was selected to lead this committee that this committee would scrutinize the department

mr. mckeon: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that during further consideration of h.r. 1540, pursuant to house resolution 276, amendment number 26 printed in house report 112-88 may be considered out of sequence. the speaker pro tempore: is there objection to the request? without objection, it's so ordered. pursuant to house resolution 276 and rule 18 the chair declares the house in the committee of the whole commel for turt consideration of h.r. 1540. will the gentleman from california, mr. mcclintock, kindly resume the chair? the chair: the house is in the committee of the whole house on the state of the union for further consideration of h.r. 1540 which the clerk will report by title. the clerk: a bill to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2012 for military activities of the department of defense and for military construction, to prescribe military personnel strength for fiscal year 2012 and for other purposes. the chair: when the committee of the whole rose earlier today, a request for

mr. mckeon: mr. chairman, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the chair: the gentleman is recognized. mr. mckeon: i rise in support of h.r. 1540, the national defense authorization act for fiscal year 2012, which overwhelmingly passed the committee on armed services on a vote of 60 to 1. in keeping with the committee's bipartisanship, ranking member smith and i worked collectively to input members opinions and provide the proper care and logistical support for our fighting forces and help us meet the challenges of the 21st century. it authorizes $553 billion for the department of defense base budget consistent with the president's budget request and the allocation provided by the house budget committee. it also authorizes $18 billion for the development of energy's defense programs and $118.9 billion for overseas contingency operations. the legislation we will consider today makes good on my promise when i was selected to lead this committee that this committee would scrutinize the department of defense's budget and identify inefficiencies to in

mr. mckeon: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that when the house adjourns today it adjourn to meet at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. the chair lays before the house the following personal requests. the clerk: leaves of absence requested for mr. frelinghuysen of new england for today -- new jersey for today and mr. jackson of illinois on tuesday, may 24, after 6:00 prime minister and wednesday with, may 25. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the requests are granted. mr. mckeon: mr. speaker, i move that the house do now aju -- adjourn. the speaker pro tempore: the question is on the motion. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. >> and allows funds for an alternative f-35 fighter engine. the house votes to take up the extension of the patriot act. coming up on c-span, president obama held a news conference with british prime minister david cameron. former president bill clinton talks about the budget debate in washington and the ho

mr. mckeon: mr. speaker, i rise -- i seek time in opposition to the motion to recommit. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california is recognized for five minutes. mr. mckeon: mr. speaker, i rise in opposition to the motion to recommit on h.r. 1540, the national defense authorization act for fiscal year 2012. the authorizing language we have before us is the result of extensive bipartisan collaboration and unprecedented transparency . and to offer this motion at this time and on this very important bill is poor form and smacks of pure politics. it pains me that after such an effort on our part to work across the aisle, the democrats have offered this motion. i fail to see where there's been -- not been ample time, opportunity for input, discussion, debate, and resolution prior to this moment. i'm dismayed they would deem it necessary and prudent to play politics with this very important bill. i need not remind all here we are a nation at war with troops in harm's way in combat every day, f

mr. mckeon. the gentleman from ohio, mr. chabot. ms. pelosi. the gentleman from maryland, mr. o'hare. the gentleman from south carolina, mr. clyborn. the gentleman from new york, mr. israel. the gentleman from california, mr. waxman. the gentleman from new york, mr. aman, the gentleman from california, mr. berman. the gentleman from michigan, mr. levin. the gentlewoman from new york, ms. lowey. the gentlewoman from nevada, ms. berkeley. the gentlewoman from illinois, miss tchaikowsky. mr. shift, from california, ms. shatter. ms. wasserman shultz, and the gentleman from florida, mr. deutsche. >> you can see this is going to be a formal introduction. the vice president, joe biden, is now using his capacity as president of the senate to offer a few remarks. hala, suzanne, this is one of those moments that's not that often a foreign leader comes to capitol hill, addresses what's called a joint meeting. it's not technically a joint session, it's a joint meeting of the house and the senate. but benjamin netanyahu, he really wanted to come at this particular time. and the speaker, john boehn

mr. mckeon regarding attack air u.s. launched, amendment by mr. ckeon regarding electro foe tonic type ability, and amendment by mr. run i don't know for airborne reconnaissance systems. >> is there any discussion on the amendment? >> all those in favor say aye? any opposed no. the ayes have it and the amendment is agreed to. the chair now recognizes mr. akin for the purpose of introducing an n block amendment. >> i ask unanimous consent to call up an n block package for policy legislative amendments that have been worked and approved by the minority side compliesing of the following, an amendment by mr. rogers requiring change notification in the kc 46 a -- >> will the clerk hold a second. will the clerk please distribute that amendment? without objection, reading of the amendment will be dispensed it. the gentleman play continue. >> thank you, mr. chairman. i'm going to start beginning there, an amendment by mr mr. rogers requiring change notification in the kc 46 a tanker program, an amendment by mr. courtney requiring a study on machinery monit

mr. mckeon, the gentleman from ohio, mr. chabot, the gentlewoman from california, ms.. hoyer, the gentleman from south carolina, mr. clyburn, the gentleman from new york, mr. israel, the gentleman from california, mr. waxman, the gentleman from new york, mr. ackerman, the gentleman from california, mr. berman, the gentleman from michigan, mr. levin, the gentlewoman from new york, mrs. lowey, the gentlewoman from nevada, ms. berkley, the gentlewoman from illinois, ms. schakowsky, the gentleman from california, mr. schiff, the gentlewoman from pennsylvania, ms. schwartz, the gentlewoman from florida, ms. wasserman schultz, and the gentleman from florida, mr. deutch. vice president biden: the senators as members of the committee to escort his excellency, mr. binyamin netanyahu, into the house chamber. the senator from illinois, mr. durbin, the senator from michigan, mr. levin, the senator from massachusetts, mr. kerry, the senator from wisconsin, mr. cole, the senator from connecticut, mr. lieberman, the senator from california, ms. feinstein, the senator from california,

mr. mckeon, as well as the raking member of the gentleman -- the gentleman from washington, mr. smith, for bringing the bill to the floor under a continuing tradition of bipartisanship and mutual cooperation. mr. speaker, sometimes the congress has a reputation of being contentious and partisan and that reputation is unfortunately occasionally deserved. however, as one who has been a member of the armed services committee and currently on leave from that committee, i have been pleased to note that when it comes for providing for the common defense of our country a core constitutional responsibility, partisanship has usually been checked at the door with regard to the conduct and product of the armed services committee in their annual defense authorization bill system of was this bill, having passed by a vote of 60-1 in committee this rule builds on that bipartisan position when it comes to the defense bill. as it makes more democrat amendments in order than republican amendments. yes, you're welcome. our nation faces some daunting channels. to provide adequate resources if our -

mr. mckeon, that wants to hand over to the president congress' constitutional authority to declare authorized war, substantially altering the delicate balance of power the founding fathers envision the annual re-authorization contains uns predened and dangerous language which gives the president virtually unchecked power to take this country to war and to keep us there, the bill substantially undermines the constitution, the institution that the constitution set up that is congress and sets the american -- the united states on a path to permanent war. congress has to protect the american people from the overreach of any chief executive, democrat, republican, any chief executive who's enamored with unilateralism, preemption, first strike and the power to prosecute war without constitutional authority or statutory prescriptions. permanent global war isn't the answer. it's not going to increase our mall security. far from ridding the world of terrorism. it will become a terrorist recruitment program. the war in iraq based on lies. yet in iraq we'll spend over $1 trillion. in afghanistan we've sp

action, introduced last year and cosponsored by gentleman mckeon, mr. turner, and myself. it would do three things, first freeze funding for new s.t.a.r.t. reductions if programmed nuclear modernization does not proceed, two, prohibits cuts to our hedge stockpile under certain technical milestones are met, and require congress to involved in decisions to cut the forces deployed and nondeployed. in the first place, the amendment would hold this and future administration accountable to the debates last year. in particular, the grand bargain, quote unquote, is that treaty ratification would proceed if the administration agreed to a much needed ten-year nuclear modernization program. in this regard, less than two months ago, every single member, all 16 members of the strategic forces subcommittee of both parties wrote a letter to chairman -- budget chairman paul ryan, urging the corporation of this commitment. with that bipartisan support, the ryan budget, now the house budget, did indeed commit full funding for weapons modernization. the difficulty with the bargain that the s

mr. chairman with that, i yield back. i yield back to the gentleman. >> the gentleman yields back his time. the chairman now recognizes the gentlelady from california, ms. sanchez. >> thank you chairman mckeone to say a couple of things. first of all probably out of anybody on this committee i've been watching this issue of the military commission for a long time. recall if you go back and look historically, i dropped a bill may be five years before we ever got around to military commission. in a lot of ways i have agreed with a lot of the things the republicans have said with respect to the commission. actually you know the supreme court ruled that people have certain rights that we haven't given them before. and, i have been very hesitant to be excited about bringing people into the united states to be tried under article iii. but, what i believe is important is for us to keep both sets of tools available. the reasons why we should try people under the military commission and there may be reasons why we should try somebody here in the united states under article iii. and to just blanket, eliminate that as a possibility, i just don't believe that is a smart way to proceed. and i do have --

mr. chairman with that, i yield back. i yield back to the gentleman. >> the gentleman yields back his time. the chairman now recognizes the gentlelady from california, ms. sanchez. >> thank you chairman mckeone to say a couple of things. first of all probably out of anybody on this committee i've been watching this issue of the military commission for a long time. recall if you go back and look historically, i dropped a bill may be five years before we ever got around to military commission. in a lot of ways i have agreed with a lot of the things the republicans have said with respect to the commissio actually you know the supreme court ruled that people have certain rights that we haven't given them before. and, i have been very hesitant to be excited about bringing people into the united states to be tried under article iii. but, what i believe is important is for us to keep both sets of tools available. the reasons why wehould try people under the military commission and there may be reasons why we should try somebody here in the united states under article iii. and to just blanket, eliminate that as a possibility, i just don't believe that is a smart way to proceed. and i do have -- i d