mr. pallone: mr. chairman, i yield four minutes to the ranking member of our full commrge and -- energy and commerce committee, the gentleman from california, mr. waxman. the chair: the gentleman is recognized. mr. waxman: we're not focusing on the big issues the american people care about with this bill. instead, what we have before us is not a bill to increase jobs or to help those lives torn apart in the recrevent natural disasters from the storms or to address the country's high energy costs. unfortunately, what the republican leadership offers up once again is a debate on the affordable care act. this is another piece of legislation that is going nowhere. the senate will never pass it and the president will never sign it. this bill, h.r. 1213, was analyzed by the congressional budget office, and the budgetary estimate shows this bill diminishes coverage and raises costs. it punishes the states and hurts especially working americans and their families. first the bill will leave people uninsured. t

mr. pallone: i would like to move the amendment, mr. chairman. the chair: the question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from new jersey. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. mr. pallone: i ask a roll call. the chair: the gentleman requests a roll call. pursuant to clause 6 of rule 18, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from new jersey will be postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas rise? mr. burgess: mr. chairman, i move the committee do now rise. the chair: the motion is -- the question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from texas. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes have it. the committee rises. the chair: mr. speaker, the committee on the whole house, having had under consideration h.r. 1214, directs me to report that it has come to no resolution thereon. the speaker pro tempore: the chairman of the committee of the whole house of the state of the union reports that the committee has had under consideration h.r.

mr. pallone: strike the last word, mr. speaker. the chair: the gentleman is recognized. mr. pallone: i want to continue this debate on the medicare issue because i do believe from looking at the republican budget that they do intend to end medicare. it's quite clear. and, you know, the irony of this is when the democrats were in the majority, we were trying to expand health care options, provide everybody with health insurance and now what we see is the republicans when they take the majority, are trying to get rid of really the best health insurance program that the nation has ever seen and that's medicare. no one would argue that medicare has not been successful. the fact of the matter is before we had medicare, which as my colleague from new york mentioned was a democratic initiative, what would seniors do? seniors couldn't get health insurance, because when you get to be over 65 or you are disabled, people don't want to give you health insurance because it costs too much, you are in the hospital too much. and seniors couldn't find health insurance. they were really at the

mr. pallone of new jersey. the chair will reduce to five minutes the time for any electronic vote after the first vote in this series. the unfinished business is the request for a recorded vote on amendment number 1 printed in the congressional record by the gentlewoman from texas, ms. jackson lee, on which further proceedings were postponed and on which the ayes prevailed by voice vote. the clerk will redesignate the amendment. the clerk: amendment number 1 printed in the congressional record offered by ms. jackson lee of texas. the chair: a recorded vote has been requested. those in support of the request for a recorded vote will rise and be counted. a sufficient number having arisen, a recorded vote is the committee will come to order. the chair would ask all presence to rise for the purpose of a moment of silence. the chair asks that the committee now observe a moment of silence in remembrance of our brave men and women in uniform who've given their lives in the service of our nation in iraq and afghanistan

mr. pallone: thank you, mr. speaker. you know the republicans act as if they are trying to help the consumer with this legislation, but all they are really doing is helping big oil. bigger profits. bigger tax breaks. i mean the first quarter earnings for the oil companies were bigger than ever. billions of dollars in profits. even b.p., even after the disaster a year ago, was still making huge profits. of course we've got about $4 billion in tax breaks that the republicans continue to give to the oil companies. no more oil is going to be brought to market because of this legislation. as my colleague from massachusetts said, we are talking years before any oil could be brought to market. and at the same time we have the huge environmental risks. the fact of the matter is the b.p. oil spill a year ago showed us the environmental risks that are involved with deepwater drilling. and there was a bipartisan commission that was put forward, democrat and republican, testified before the natural resources committee that i serve o

mr. pallone, have introduced h.r. 1852, a bill to re-authorize the children's hospitals graduate medical education program for an additional five years at the current funding levels. while the administration couldn't find money in its budget for training at children's hospitals, hipacca had an additional $230 million for other health centers without any input or approval required by congress. if it did this with a number of funds, appropriations. the bill before us today, h.r. 1216, simply converts the mandatory appropriations to an authorization subject to annual appropriations process. just like the children's hospital g.m.e. program, making it discretionary. passage of the bill would also save $215 million over five years. i urge support of the bill and i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman from pennsylvania yields back his time. the gentleman from kentucky reserves. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. green: mr. speaker, i yield two minutes to my colleague from the energy and commerce committee, congresswoman capps. the chair: the gentlewoman from is r

mr. pallone, you mentioned in the opening of your testimony a number of measures, a number of goals. i think one of those was to inspire the world. you might again elaborate again on an sector but also i would like for you to comment in regard to those things, how we're doing as a nation, you know, right now in regard to those things which i think we all agree are very, very important. >> thank you, senator. three key words in our mission statement are inspired, enable. and inspiration part is a lot easier to do when you have a visible vibrant program as opposed to when you really don't know what's coming next. if you have that program, that enables a lot of things do happen. it enables technology to evolve. it enables people to create programs to engage students and teachers. it enables all americans to see what's going on to take some pride in and be supportive of whatever amount of money we're putting into the program. and as my colleagues have noted, it is consistently americans are putting an awful lot more into this endeavour than we have. and the third thing is to propel. you