mr. pitts: mr. chairman, i at this time yield three minutes to the distinguished vice chairman of the subcommittee, the gentleman from texas, dr. burgess. the chair: the gentleman from texas is recognized for three minutes. mr. burgess: i thank the chairman for yielding. mr. speaker, i do rise today in support of h.r. 1217, the bill that as we already heard repeals the public slush fund that was included in the patient affordable health care act passed a little over a year ago. this fund called the public health fund is almost $18 billion that accounts for the next eight fiscal years, and the secretary of health and human services gets to spend this money on any program that he or she deems worthy. the money -- what the money will be used for and how it will be used essentially is an unknown. neither this congress nor subsequent congresses have any earthy idea, and yet it is once again an advocation of our authority here in the united states congress of power indeference to the executive branch. if

mr. pitts: madam speaker, i withdraw the reservation and claim the time in opposition to the motion. the speaker pro tempore: the reservation is withdrawn and the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. mr. pitts: thank you, madam speaker. yesterday, we heard the house minority leader say that elections shouldn't matter as much as they do. i strongly disagree. members were brought here to get runaway spending under control, but rather than help us avoid a fiscal crisis -- the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman will suspend. will the gentleman suspend? the house is not in order. will members take conversations off the house floor, please? the gentleman may resume. mr. pitts: but rather than help us avoid a fiscal crisis, house democrats have the brought forward an n.p.r. that guts the bill and continues the runaway spending that the american people rejected. as we have pointed out, section 4002 gives the secretary of h.h.s. complete discretion to spend the slush fund with little limitation. an

. >> in your report, i nastiness as one person would be mr. pitt is the case study under helmand province. i learned a little and i'm curious one of the organizations get that worth either i can just talk to you about that. shiitake about it mr. bowers? >> sure. >> i was impressed. the press understates out. how many provinces -- helmand province is a turbo place in the world, not just because the police there. it is a capital of the world. it is not just in our war interest. happens to be an assemblages dispose precious time i ran, all nations of the hellemond played that there be agricultural development. and i've read this, i didn't think it was possible. how was it possible to have agricultural development? how do you answer this paradox. taliban number one source of income is poppies growing and heroin. how could anyone do agriculture development in helmand province? >> you do it by the blended approach earlier in terms of where you have an afghan led approach at the community level and you're espousing the idea is that the more you can demons

mr. pitts: madam speaker, this week the house and senate will consider a bill to fund the government for the rest of the fiscal year, that reduces spending by $38.5 billion. considering the position of harry reid at the beginning of the year was that we shouldn't cut a single dime, we have moved the conversation in the right direction. senator schumer called republican cuts extreme, but even the full $61 billion that the house pushed for would have only made a small dent in our huge deficit. the real extreme position is to do nothing. if we do nothing, interest ramentes and entitlement spending will consume the entire budget. if we do nothing we will lose the capability to defend our nation. if we do nothings our roads and rails will crumble. this week republicans will present an alternative to the do-nothing strategy. for that we will certainly be labeled extreme. we have a great nation, but as long as we're beholden to our creditors, foreign and domestic, we risk losing prosperity and freedom