mr. speaker. mr. speaker, repealing the historic health care legislation that we passed last year would pull the rug out from under millions of americans and add billions to the deficit. we can and should talk about c.b.o. scores, tax credits, and unemployment numbers, but what this health care reform is really about is improving the lives of millions of americans. it's about children with pre-existing conditions who can no longer be denied coverage. it's about senior citizens who can now afford to get screened for diabetes or get a mammogram. it's about working families that no longer have to worry that their insurance will be canceled if they get sick. it's about people like jearlyn from maine. she said my son turned 19 in may and promptly lost his coverage. he has high blood pressure and had to go to the doctor a number of times to get his medication right. he works two part-time jobs and it doesn't give him health care. as of december 1 i was able to get him back on my insurance and it is a rel

mr. speaker, i have two more speakers and i'd like to ask my colleague, mr. dreier, if he'd be prepared to close at that time. if he has any more speakers. mr. dreier: mr. speaker, let me say to my good friend that i think under this new arrangement that i will be the final speaker after -- ms. slaughter: absolutely. mr. dreier: after my friend has exhausted all of her speakers and her closing remarks. ms. slaughter: but the question i need to know -- mr. dreier: i am the final speaker, mr. speaker. there are no other speakers. ms. slaughter: thank you. appreciate that. so i am going to yield a minute to the lady from pennsylvania, ms. schwartz. the spear pro tempore: the gentlewoman from pennsylvania is recognized for one minute. ms. schwartz: as i listen to this debate, i want to say that many of my colleagues agree that we must take the deficit seriously but to do so we have to not only exame spending cuts but we have to look at tax expenditures. this new rule that is being presented, literally less than three hours since the republicans took control,ays si

mr. speaker, number one. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i'm sure the whole house will want to join me in sending our deepest condolences to all those affected by the appalling terrorist attack in moscow on monday. our thoughts should be with all of those who were injured. i spoke to president medvedev and offered him our support that the terrorists should be should never be allowed to win. mr. speaker i had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others and in addition to my duties i shall have other such duties. >> on behalf of my colleagues, i would also wish to join in the tribute that the prime minister has made and i would like to talk about the soldier who was injured. there are pines following into the treasury from hard-pressed motorists right across from united can kingdom. each week since he said a stablizer was a sensible balanced policy that protects families from big increases in the oil price. he has talked stabilizer. he's promised it. he's answered questions on it. when is he going to introduce it? >> well, i don't believe

mr. inslee. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered, the gentleman is recognized for two minutes. mr. inslee: mr. speaker, i'm opposed to this effort to repeal a bill, a reform bill, without anything to replace it at hand. it's asking americans to jump without a parachute and without a net. and it's the wrong thing to do because we are a country that's always moved forward. and want to mention two ways this bill moves forward which we should not repeal. one is that we have finally addressed this who are isks geographic disparity -- horrific geographic disparity where physicians in hospitals get treated differently around the country. we are finally fixing that long, long overdue. and, second, this bill really helps us move forward to reduce waste in our medical industry. a dort moth study suggested as much as 30% of all the things we do have been wasted in health care because we haven't had the right incentives. where i come from in washington state, we're doing things that we need to export a

mr. sullivan. the speakerpro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from virginia, the majority leader, rise? mr. cantor: i offer a resolution and ask for its immediate consideration. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 2, resolved that the senate be informed a quorum of the house of representatives has been assembled. that john a. boehner the gentleman from state of ohio, and karen l. haas, from maryland, has been elected clerk of the house of representatives of the 112th congress. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the resolution is agreed to and the mobile is laid upon the table. the majority leader. mr. cantor: mr. speaker, i offer a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 3, resolved, that a committee of two members be appointed by the speaker on the part of the house of representatives to join with a committee on the part o

mr. speaker. mr. speaker, it has been written many centuries ago that if we know the truth, the truth will set us free. the truth is, mr. speaker, that repeal of the current health care law means that we will reinstate conditions that existed prior to the repeal. the truth is that prior to the law that we currently have we were spending $2.5 trillion a year on health care. that's $79,000 a second. that's -- 17.6% of g.d.p. the truth is that if we had continued at that pace we would spend by 2018 $4.4 trillion per year. more than 20% of g.d.p. $139,000 per second. the truth is that health care was going to bankrupt this country. c.b.o. has estimated that this bill that currently passed and is in place now and is law, the health care bill that's law, saves about $1 trillion over a 20-year period. more than $1 trillion, to be more appropriate. this bill, if it becomes law, will reinstate the past that we have tried to overcome. this bill will bring about about -- bring back, reinstate pre-existing conditi

mr. speaker. mr. speaker, in a few moment the united states constitution will be read for the first time in a long time in this chamber, and i for one, mr. speaker, am glad to see this welcomed day come. i know there are those that will kiss miss it as symbolic. i remember the words of daniel webster when he said, hold on, my friends, to the constitution, and for the republic for which it stands, for miracles do not cluster. and what has happens in 1/6 of 1,000 years may never happen again. for will the american constitution will fall, there will be anarchy throughout the world. i hope we hold mr. webster's words in our hearts. thank you. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from connecticut rise? >> to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. >> thank you, mr. speaker. mr. courtney: mr. speaker, despite repeated warning yesterday from groups as diverse as the u.s. chamber of commerce, the laborers, the american trucking association, even

mr. speaker. >> thank you, mr. speaker. this morning i had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. in addition to my duties in this house i shall have other further meetings today. >> mr. speaker, they face massive reorganization while same time seeking the greatest savings in its 62-year history. respected professional medical bodies warn that giving -- warn about the risks to public service of giving -- of giving private companies the easy pickings. before pursuing this gamble, will the prime minister carefully about the coalition program which we agreed last may? >> we will listen very carefully for the responses but making modernization of the nhs a priority, is this, we have in this country european levels of health spending but we don't have european levels of success in our health service. what we want to see other organizations to come into the nhs what we had in labour was success. >> mr. speaker, does the prime minister think it's a sign of success or failure that unemployment is rising and employment is

mr. speaker, i have two more speakers and i'd like to ask my colleague, mr. dreier, if he'd be prepared to close at that time. if he has any more speakers. mr. dreier: mr. speaker, let me say to my good friend that i think under this new arrangement that i will be the final speaker after -- ms. slaughter: absolutely. mr. dreier: after my friend has exhausted all of her speakers and her closing remarks. ms. slaughter: but the question i need to know -- mr. dreier: i am the final speaker, mr. speaker. there are no other speakers. ms. slaughter: thank you. appreciate that. so i am going to yield a minute to the lady from pennsylvania, ms. schwartz. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from pennsylvania is recognized for one minute. ms. schwartz: as i listen to this debate, i want to say that many of my colleagues agree that we must take the deficit seriously but to do so we have to not only examine spending cuts but we have to look at tax expenditures. this new rule that is being presented, literally less than three hours since the republicans took control, s

mr. speaker. mr. speaker, in the last several weeks there have been several articles published by officials from the federal reserve system. and this is a little bit unusual because they're critical of anybody who criticizes them and critical of me in particular. they want to accomplish in these articles -- they're trying to discredit anybody who disagrees with their policies, and they're very defensive of this. they have argued the case they should have total secrecy and in this total secrecy, i claim they have tremendous power to do the things that they want to do. and it's only been recent that the american people in this congress have awakened to this. and although we did not get a full audit of the fed last year, we did get a partial audit of the emergency funding. but still, their argument is the -- the feds --'s argument is they must have total dependency while the american people believe there should be transparency. the fed's argument is they literally are the saviors of the economy, that they

mr. speaker. mr. speaker, tragedy is always accompanied by so many thoughts and emotions and the irrational violence visited upon our nation last saturday in tucson brought a new wave. shock at learning the news of the carnage, incredulity at even the possibility of such a senseless act, sadness for those injured or killed and for their families, confusion by this inexplicable violence, anger at the lunatic responsible for this , inadequacy to combrehend the mind that conceives such an act, respect for those expert hands and minds working to heal the casualties, honor for those who sacrificed and helped in a moment of real crisis, hope for a full recovery for congresswoman gabrielle giffords and all battling their injuries, recognition that life and liberty are precious and fleeting, love of our country and the blessing of liberty that we all enjoy, steadfast in our commitment to preserving our great nation, humbled by our mutual responsibility as citizens charged with that preservation, reverence for

mr. speaker. mr. speaker, it is my privilege to yield to martha roby, a new member who was just elected, and i would like to -- and an outstanding pro-life member of congress. mrs. roby: thank you so much. mr. speaker, two weeks ago i took part in a reading of the u.s. constitution in this chamber. it was a fitting tribute to the great social contract between the american people and our government. the constitution is an exceptional document and we have all taken an oath to defend it. and defend it we must. too often our constitution is under attack by the liberal activist movement that seeks to achieve through the courts that which they cannot achieve at the ballot box. on the frontline are the unelected judges that disregard the words and meaning of the constitution in favor of their own political and social views. they decide cases not on law and the facts but on the outcome that they alone believe to be the best policy. roe v. wade is an example of this sort of judicial activist at its worst. toget

mr. speaker. and i yield back. . mr. smith: mr. speaker, i yield one minute to mr. griffin, maybe of the judiciary committee. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from arkansas is recognized for one minute. mr. griffith: mr. speaker, i thank -- mr. griffin: i believe we need health care reform badly. but the law we got isn't what we need. this is why i rise today in support of h.r. 2, to repeal the current health care law. the health care law provides for an increased government role and will ultimately lead to decisions made by the government instead of doctors and patients. it ignores the issue of cost. it was loaded with gimmicks to make it seem deficit-neutral. but once those are accounted for, we find that it adds over $700 billion to the deficit in the next 10 years. the health care law and especially the unconstitutional mandate handicaps our ability to grow jobs. small businesses will be hit hardest because they operate on the tightest margins and will have the toughest time complying with the onerous regulations. many of the regulations are still not writt

mr. speaker. by direction of the committee on rules, i call up house resolution 54 and ask for its immediate consideration. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the resolution. the clerk: house calendar number 5, house resolution 54, resolved that at any time after the adoption of this resolution the speaker may, pursuant to clause 2-b of rule 18, declare the house resolved into the committee of the whole house on the state of the union for consideration of the bill h.r. 359, to reduce federal spending and the deficit by terminating taxpayer financing of presidential election campaigns and party conventions. the first reading of the bill shall be dispensed with. all points of order against consideration of the bill are waived. general debate shall be confined to the bill and shall not exceed one hour equally divided among and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the committee on ways and means and the chair and ranking minority member of the committee on house administra

mr. speaker. thank you mr. speaker. i'm sure the whole house would wish to join me to paying tribute to corporal dunn from the parachute squadron who died on the 21st of december and charles wood from 23 pioneer regiment logistic corps who died on the 28th of december and to private from the argonne and southern highlanders fifth battalion the royal regiment of scotland who died on the first of january. these were courageous and selfless servicemen who made the ultimate sacrifice in the fight to make our country a safer place. we send our deepest condolences to their families, friends and colleagues. >> here, here. >> this morning i spoke to the australiian prime minister for the appalling floods and damage in queensland and we were thinking of her and the australiian people at this time. i shall have further such meetings later today. >> could i indulge of the to the troops and the australian people. he will also recall in the coalition document his solemn promise to take action on bankers bonuses and he's renegatives

mr. speaker. and i yield back. . mr. smith: mr. speaker, i yield one minute to mr. griffin, maybe of the judiciary committee. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from arkansas is recognized for one minute. mr. griffith: mr. speaker, i thank -- mr. griffin: i believe we need health care reform badly. but the law we got isn't what we need. this is why i rise today in support of h.r. 2, to repeal the current health care law. the health care law provides for an increased government role and will ultimately lead to decisions made by the government instead of doctors and patients. it ignores the issue of cost. it was loaded with gimmicks to make it seem deficit-neutral. but once those are accounted for, we find that it adds over $700 billion to the deficit in the next 10 years. the health care law and especially the unconstitutional mandate handicaps our ability to grow jobs. small businesses will be hit hardest because they operate on the tightest margins and will have the toughest time complying with the onerous regulations. many of the regulations are still not writt

mr. speaker. mr. speaker, perpetual war is expensive. we have been militarily involved in the persian gulf region now for 20 years. experts have predicted that the cost of this continuous and expanding war will reach $6 trillion. the hostilities in our overt involvement in iraq can be dated back to january 16, 1991, when the defensive operation desert shield became the offensive operation desert storm. though the end of the persian gulf war was declared on april 6, 1991, with a u.s. military victory, the 20-year war was just beginning. the u.s. and britain have had an intense interest in controlling the oil of the middle east dating back to the overthrow of the ottoman empire during world war i. this interest expanded during world war ii with f.d.r.'s promise to protect the puppet government in the persian gulf region, especially saudi arabia. though this arrangement never set well with the citizens in the region, a fairly decent relationship remained between the arab people and the american public. bu

mr. speaker. mr. is always accompanied by so many thoughts and emotions and the irrational violence visited upon our nation last saturday in tucson brought a new wave. shock at learning the news of the carnage, incredulity at even the possibility of such a senseless act, sadness for those injured or killed and for their families, confusion by this inexplicable violence, anger at the lunatic responsible for this , inadequacy to combrehend the mind that conceives such an act, respect for those expert hands and minds working to heal the casualties, honor for those who sacrificed and helped in a moment of real crisis, hope for a full recovery for congresswoman gabrielle giffords and all battling their injuries, recognition that life and liberty are precious and fleeting, love of our country and the blessing of liberty that we all enjoy, steadfast in our commitment to preserving our great nation, humbled by our mutual responsibility as citizens charged with that preservation, reverence for our lord, the on

mr. speaker, i'd ask unanimous consent to claim mr. burton's time and address the house for five minutes, revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. pence: thank you, mr. speaker. the largest abortion provider in america should not be the largest recipient of federal funding under title 10. today with the support of more than 120 of my colleagues, i introduced the title 10 abortion provider prohibition act. i'm grateful for the support of my colleagues within this house and the support of millions of americans who have long to see this action take this decisive action on behalf of our values. the title 10 abortion provider prohibition act would deny any family planning funds under title 10 from going to planned parenthood or other organizations that perform abortions. it would ensure that abortion providers are not subsidized with federal tax dollars. now, let me say, to be very clear, mr. speaker, this legislation does not cut one penny from title 10 family planning funding. i applaud much

mr. speaker. d to yield to another member of the committee, the gentleman from south carolina, mr. wilson, one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from south carolina is recognized for one minute. mr. wilson:thank you, mr. chairman, for your leadership. mr. speaker, one of the many threats of this unconstitutional health care takeover is the unfunded state mandates. in my home state of south carolina newly inaugurated governor has correctly warned that the palmetto state cannot afrd the health care mandate. governor haley even went so far as to ask the president to opt out of this unfunded mandate. the reason is because the health care takeover calls for an additional $1 billion in new state spending. the takeover will take over small businesses. a recent study by the national federation of small businesses, america's largest organization of small businesses, has indicated that the men date will lead to the elimination of 1.6 million jobs. this law imposes burdens on all americans. it's

mr. speaker, i yield back. . mr. hoyer: i thank the gentleman for informing us of the schedule for the week to come. i want to thank at the outset not only the gentleman but the speaker as well for the respect and consideration they have given during this current tragic situation that's confronted us in tucson and the critical injury sustained by our colleague, gabby giffords. i want to thank mr. cantor in particular for his very strong statement as well as the speaker's very strong statement that an attack on any individual who serves is an attack on all of us irrespective of party or philosophy. and i think that we all have raised prayers for the victims who lost their lives, the families, prayers who are either in the process of recovering or now out of danger. and of course for our beloved colleague, congresswoman giffords, as well. i want to thank the gentleman for his leadership and the speaker's leadership and join with our leader and myself in leading the house in what i thought was a very appropriate and unit

mr. speaker. mr. braley: thank you, mr. speaker. one of the things we heard today is talk about policy but i want to spend time tonight talking about the face of the efforts to repeal the affordable care act and the face could not be any clearer than this young man to my right. this is tucker wright, a 4-year-old boy who lives in malcolm, iowa. and january 2 of this year was an important day for tucker and his family. because two years ago, this young boy was diagnosed with liver cancer before he reached his second birthday. and some amazing doctors and nurses took care of him after they removed 2/3 of his liver and miraculously he is alive today and his parents had done everything they were supposed to do. they both had full-time jobs. they had the best health care coverage you could get in the state of iowa at that time. and this young boy faces an uncertain future filled with ct scans, tests, medical procedures over his lifetime and just getting started in his life. before january 1 of this year, his father and mother couldn't ch

mrs. blackburn. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized for one minute. mrs. blackburn: thank you, madam speaker. today we do begin a very important process and it is a solid first step. and i stand to support this rule and to support repeal of this law because we have on the law -- on the books a law that doesn't improve the quality of health care. it will not reduce the cost of health care. and it is going to add billions to the exploding national debt. we have listened to the american people. they are smart. and they know that this law is unworkable. it won't deliver on the promises that they made. and the american people voted in overwhelming numbers to repeal it and replace it. that is the action that we are going to take. congress cannot wait any longer to get this irresponsible law out of our doctors' offices, out of our lives, and off the books. we in tennessee have lived through the experiment of government-run health care called tenn-care. tennessee could not afford it and the american people know this nation cannot afford a tenn-care-type program on

mr. speaker, mr. vice president, members of congress, distinguished guests, and fellow americans -- tonight i want to begin by congratulang the men and women of the 112th congress, as well as your new speaker, john boehner. [applause] and as we mark this occasion, we are also mindful of the empty chair in this chamber, and pray for the health of our colleague -- and our friend -- gabby giffords. [applause] it is no secret that those of us here tonight have had our differences over the last two years. the debates have been contentious. we have fought fiercely for our beliefs. and that is a good thing. that is what a robust democracy demands. that is what helps set us apart as a nation. but there's a reason the tragedy in tucson gave us pause. amid all the noise and passions and rancor of our public debate, tucson reminded us that no matter who we are or where we come from, each of us is a part of something greater -- something more consequential thanarty or political preference. we are part of the ameri

mr. speaker. mr. accompanied by so many thoughts and emotions and the irrational violence visited upon our nation last saturday in tucson brought a new wave. shock at learning the news of the carnage, incredulity at even the possibility of such a senseless act, sadness for those injured or killed and for their families, confusion by this inexplicable violence, anger at the lunatic responsible for this , inadequacy to combrehend the mind that conceives such an act, respect for those expert hands and minds working to heal the casualties, honor for those who sacrificed and helped in a moment of real crisis, hope for a full recovery for congresswoman gabrielle giffords and all battling their injuries, recognition that life and liberty are precious and fleeting, love of our country and the blessing of liberty that we all enjoy, steadfast in our commitment to preserving our great nation, humbled by our mutual responsibility as citizens charged with that preservation, reverence for our lord, the only one who

mr. speaker -- >> oh! left hand here, right hand up, look at right there. >> all right. >> you got ahead, mr. speaker. >> all rig, over here. over here. >> right in the middle here. >> one on each side. >> yeah, one on each side. this guy right here. this guy right here. >> my son. >> oh, not the little people in the back. >> this is my mother-in-law. let your mother-in-law come up in front. come here, come here, come here. okay, everybody squeeze. >> squeeze together. together. three, two, one. >> fabulous. thank you. thank you. >> what are you doing? >> this is my mom. >> hi, how are you? >> nice to see you. >> right hand up. this lady right here. it's that simple. >> thank you. thank you, mr. speaker. >> congratulations. >> three, two, one. thank you very much. >> that wasn't real hard. you know where your district is. left hand here. right hand up. and this lady right here is going toake the picture. see? and we're finished. how hard is that? hi, guys. having fun tonight? >> thank you. >> there you go.

mr. speaker. the prime ministerless know of the good progress in the regeneration of my constituency gloster. >> would the prime minister agree with me in line with the localism agenda the best thing now is to transfer those assets as soon as possible to the city council for the development for the benefit of the city and can i hilight how much support this has? >> we're going to pay tribute to my honorable friend to what he does to help drive the regeneration efforts. gloucester and we're having stronger local enterprise partnerships and i think there's much more room for good local developments including in gloucester. >> dave miliband. >> thank you, mr. speaker. can i join it is prime minister in paying tribute to cporal steven dunn from the signal squadron, and charles wood and 23 pioneer wood and the private from the public highlanders fifth battalion the while regiment of scotland. we pay tribute to them for their heroism, their commitment and their dedication and our hearts go out to their

mr. speaker. mr. speaker, tragedy is always accompanied by so many thoughts and emotions and the irrational violence visited upon our nation last saturday in tucson brought a new wave. shock at learning the news of the carnage, incredulity atven the possibility of such a senseless act, sadness for those injured or killed and for their families, confusion by this inexplicable violence, anger at the lunatic responsible for this , inadequacy to combhend the mind that conceives su an act, respect for those expert hands and minds working to heal the casualties, honor for those who sacrificed and helped in a moment of real crisis, hope for a full recovery for congresswoman gabrielle giffords and all battling their injuries, recognition that life and liberty are precious and fleeting, love of our country and the blessing of liberty that we all enjoy, steadfast in our commitment to preserving our great nation, humbled by our mutual responsibility as citizens charged with that preservation, reverence for our lo

mr. speaker. this week the house will consider house resolution 389 which promotes a reduction of current spending to the 2008 levels or less for the remainder of the fiscal year. this legislation seeks to cure the illness in washington known as runaway spending. for the past four years, liberals in washington have been on a spending spree that has not only resulted in a loss of jobs, but also historic deficits. this job destroying agenda is not sound policy for americans today and it burdens future generations of americans with crushing debt. last week, the house took steps to repeal and replace the job-killing government takeover of health care, the nfib, the national federation of independent business, the largest organization in the united states of small businesses, reports that that will put 1.6 million jobs at risk. now we must focus our attention on limiting spending levels. currently our national deficit stands at $14 trillion. sadly, future generations with today's debt is not the soluti

mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. mcgovern: yeah, mr. speaker, i'm glad my friend on the other side of the aisle are happy they voted to repeal the affordable health care bill but i'll tell you that there are real people in this country who are benefiting from the real protections in the bill, who are quite anxious about the fact that there are people who want to remove the protection, for example, to prohibit insurance companies from discriminating against people with pre-existing conditions. there are parents who can keep their kids on their insurance until they're 26 who are not too happy about that repeal. there are senior citizens who are benefiting from the closing of the doughnut hole who are actually feeling some benefits from this health care bill that aren't too happy that the republicans want to repeal all that and on top that have c.b.o. said it adds considerably to our deficit. at this point i'd l

mr. speaker. i am sure the whole house would wish to join me in paying tribute to corporal steven dunn, from 216 parachutes signals squadron, who died on 21 december, to warrant officer class two charles would from 23 pioneer regiment will logistics core, who died on 28 december, and to private joseva vatubua, from the argyll and sutherland highlanders, 5th battalion, they will richmond of scotland, who died on january 1. these were courageous and selfless service men who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the fight to make our country is safer place. we send our deepest condolences to their families, their friends, and their colleagues. this morning, i spoke to the australian prime minister julia gillard to send condolences of everyone in this house and everyone in the country for the appalling floods and damage that has been done in queensland, and to say the we are all thinking of ross and the australian people. >> mr. hanson. >> to take robust action on a banker bonuses. given that he has bro

mr. speaker. mr. pascrell: thank you, mr. speaker. i come to the floor today as someone willing to work toward reforms that will create jobs, strengen our middle class and pay down our debt. i'm in favor of comprehensive tax reform with lower rates, i'm in favor of removing regulations that hurt our competitiveness, i'm ready to make the hard cuts we need to pay down our deficit. i think we can all agree on those principles, we might have to change some of the policies. but we agree on the principles. but what we have here today contains no policies, no ideas and very few principles. this is a budgetless resolution. it calls for a reduction in spending, pre-2008 levels, but provides no specifics. what family in america would sit down at the kitchen table, set up a budget without a bottom line? we cld be here discussing mr. ryan's ideas to replace medicaid with vouchers, we could be here discussing the plan to cut public education, spending 50%, and could eliminate amtrak and public broadcasting. let's discuss those things. or we could

mr. speaker. mr. speaker, in the scope of the american constitutional system of governing, the congress is a body whose power is defined within the context of imnumerated powers and this is more than a matter of structural mechanics because it goes to the heart of the issue of governmental power. or of if one prefers the slip side of the coin, personal freedom and responsibility. if government has the power to require that you buy item a, it means that you are less able to buy item b, c, d or anything else. now economists would call this the opportunity costs or foregone goods or services. but the fundamental question is the question of freedom to choose how we as individuals will spend the fruits of our labor. certainly the commerce clause lax the elassitiesity that would accommodate a requirement that every american buy health insurance which conforms to the dictates of the federal government and the federal government would change it on a yearly basis. such an interpretation would render the nation

mr. sullivan. the speakerpro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman fr virginia, the majority leader rise? mr. cantor: i offer a resolution and ask for its immediate consideration. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 2, resolved that the senate be informed a quorum of the house of representatives has been assembled. that john a. boehner the gentleman from state of ohio, and karen l. haas, from maryland, has been elected clerkf the house of representatives of the 112th congress. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the resolution is agreed to and the mobile i laid upon the table. the marity leade mr. cantor: mr. speaker, i offer a privilegedesolution and ask for its immediate consideration. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 3, resolv, that a committee of two members be appointed byhe speaker on the part of the house of representatives to join with a committee on the part of the senate to

the speaker pro tempore: mr. poe of texas. mr. poe: i ask unanimous consent to address the house for five minutes. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. mr. poe: mr. speaker, on christmas eve, 2010, about a month ago, most of americans were with their families and their friends enjoying the holiday season, the joy and happiness of being together at that special time of the year. but holidays do not come for peace officers. they work all the time. especially on holidays. one such officer was ann o'donnell. she was a university of houston police officer. she liked to call herself unit 429. and she was on patrol december 24, 2010, about 1:00 in the morning. she had responded, the first to respond to a possible kidnapping in the houston area and she sped to the scene but her vehicle went out of control, she crashed, and she was killed. this is a photograph of officer ann o'donnell. 24 years of age. her father, jim o'donnell, who was close to his daughter, normally talked to his daught

mr. speaker. mr. speaker, today i had the honor and privilege of visiting the wounded warriors at bethesda naval hospital. each one of the young men i saw, the oldest being 23, is very special, as are all of our men and women in uniform. the medical staff at both bethesda and walter reed is treely amazing. they've done a wonderful job repairing the broken bodies and spirits of our young service members. the number of wounded warriors returning from war have become more prevalent with increased use of i.u.d.'s by the enemy. more and more of our young men and women are returning without their arms and legs. tonight, mr. speaker, as a constant reminder the pain of war, i show you this picture of a young triple amputee and his wife. this man gave his body for this country and will struggle for the rest of his life. how many more will have to return home in this condition? this young man and his wife have just returned from the hospital. he is in a wheelchair. he lost an arm and two legs and he's looking at

mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. mcgovern: yeah, mr. speaker, i'm glad my friend on the other side of the aisle are happy they voted to repeal the affordable health care bill but i'll tell you that there are real people in this country who are benefiting from the real protections in the bill, who are quite anxious about the fact that there are people who want to remove the protection, for example, to prohibit insurance companies from discriminating against people with pre-existing conditions. there are parents who can keep their kids on their insurance until they're 26 who are not too happy about that repeal. there are senior citizens who are benefiting from the closing of the doughnut hole who are actually feeling some benefits from this health care bill that aren't too happy that e republicans want to repeal all that and on top that have c.b.o. said it adds considerably to our deficit. at this point i'd lik

mr. speaker, i yield back. . mr. hoyer: i thank the gentleman for informing us of the schedule for the week to come. i want to thank at the outset not only the gentleman but the speaker as well for the respect and consideration they have given during this current tragic situation that's confronted us in tucson and the critical injury sustained by our colleague, gabby giffords. i want to thank mr. cantor in particular for his very strong statement as well as the speaker's very strong statement that an attack on any individual who serves is an attack on all of us irrespective of party or philosophy. and i think that we all have raised prayers for the victims who lost their lives, the families, prayers who are either in the process of recovering or now out of danger. and of course for our beloved colleague, congresswoman giffords, as well. i want to thank the gentleman for his leadership and the speaker's leadership and join with our leader and myself in leading the house in what i thought was a very appropriate and unit

mr. speaker, mr. vice president, members of congress, distinguished guests, and fellow americans -- tonight i want to begin by congratulating the men and women of the 112th congress, as well as your new speaker, john boehner. [applause] and as we mark this occasion, we are also mindful of the empty chair in this chamber, and pray for the health of our colleague -- and our friend -- gabby giffords. [applause] it is no secret that those of us here tonight have had our differences over the last two years. the debates have been contentious. we have fought fiercely for our beliefs. and that is a good thing. that is what a robust democracy demands. that is what helps set us apart as a nation. but there's a reason the tragedy in tucson gave us pause. amid all the noise and passions and rancor of our public debate, tucson reminded us that no matter who we are or where we come from, each of us is a part of something greater -- something more consequential than party or political preference. we are part of the a

mr. latham. the speaker: the gentleman is recognized for two minutes. mr. latham: i thank you, madam speaker, i thank the gentleman for yielding. i rise today in joining my colleagues in offering my condolences to the victims of saturday's senseless violence in tucson. to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives and were injured, know that every member of congress and their staff members stand with you today. this legislative body was designed to be a forum for the will of the american people and congresswoman giffords as always met her constituents in accordance with that spirit. she and her staff members who accompanied her on saturday possess a deep understanding that a representative of the people's house must listen and remain as accessible as possible to the people. the citizens who lost their lives saturday morning were exercising their patriotic duty to participate in the democratic process. a widely respected federal judge, a dedicated church servant, a great grandmother who deeply believed in her country, a former secretary and hom

the speaker pro tempore: mr. defazio of oregon. >> madam speaker. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman rise? mr. engel: i ask permission to speak for five minutes out of order. to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. engel: thank you, madam speaker. this coming wednesday the really first order of real business of the house, we are voting on health care reform repeal. the new republican majority has decided that this is the most important issue. even though they know that it's political theater, charade, it may pass the house. but it won't pass the senate and certainly the president would veto it. so this is not becoming law. . at a time when we have so many pressing issues, i am saddened that the majority wants to conduct this political charade. you know, if there are problems with the health care law, we don't have to repeal it, we can change parts of it, we can tweak it, we could put out of the bill what we don't like and keep in the bi

mr. speaker, i yield back. . mr. i thank the gentleman for informing us of the schedule for the week to come. i want to thank at the outset not only the gentleman but the speaker as well for the respect and consideration they have given during this current tragic situation that's confronted us in tucson and the critical injury sustained by our colleague, gabby giffords. i want to thank mr. cantor in particular for his very strong statement as well as the speaker's very strong statement that an attack on any individual who serves is an attack on all of us irrespective of party or philosophy. and i think that we all have raised prayers for the victims who lost their lives, the families, prayers who are either in the process of recovering or now out of danger. and of course for our beloved colleague, congresswoman giffords, as well. i want to thank the gentleman for his leadership and the speaker's leadership and join with our leader and myself in leading the house in what i thought was a very appropriate and united res

mr. speaker. even as i speak the lan slides continue to ravage the country. this national disaster, ongoing for several months now, has taken more than 300 lives and

mr. speaker, mr.tice, president eisenhower, the vice- president nixon, president truman, clergy, solicitous sense. we are here today as a celebration of freedom. signifiant renewal. the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life. the same revolutionary believe for which our forbearers fought are still an issue around the globe. the belief that the rights of man from the hand of god. we dare not forget to date that we are the heirs of that revolution. but the word go forth from this time and place that the torch has been passed to a new generation of americans. we shall not always expect to find them. we shall always hope to find them strongly supporting their own freedom. those who foolishly saw power by riding the back of the tiger. [applause] to those people in the house -- hot and villages across the globe, struggling to break the bonds of, we pledge our best efforts to help them help themselves. not because we seek their votes, but because it is right. if a free societ

mr. speaker, let me emphasize that this bill is in the a criticism of the g.p.o., nor its hardworking employees. the g.p.o. does and does well what congress directs it to do. we're simply looking for ways and opportunities to reduce the cost of government. since its establishment in 1860 the g.p.o. has been the print over record for our congressional record, committee reports, the well-respected constitution annotated, the federal register and many other historic and necessary documents that this institution and our government need to do our collective work. but mr. speaker, in this 112th congress, well into the 21st century, in an age of ipads and kindles and blackberries and iphones, it is simply no longer necessary to require excess printing and the delivery to our office of thousands and

the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. dreier: madam speaker, house resolution 26 provides for a closed rule for consideration of h.r. 2 and self-executes an amendment by the majority leader which is required under the statutory pay-as-you-go act of 2010. this is routinely required and is similar to many provisions that have been self-executed since the enactment of statutory pay-go. the resolution provides for seven hours of debate on h.r. 2, equally and controlled by the chair and ranking member of six committees and the majority leader and minority leader. it also provides the minority a motion to recommit, h.r. 2, with or without instructions. house resolution 26 provides for consideration of h.res. 9, under a structured rule, that provides an hour of debate and makes in order an amendment if offered by representative matheson of utah. it also provides for one motion to recommit h.res. 9 without instructions. lastly, the rule provides for the consideration of a resolution if offered by the majority leader or his designe

mr. scott: thank you, madam speaker. mr.say that it's truly an honor to serve on the rules committee. my first experience at the 12th hour experience all day yesterday. what an opportunity to serve the american people. thank you, sir. this is a great opportunity for ll of us in america, to kill the job-killing health care bill that is taking jobs away from the private sector. soon we want to make six quick points. we all recognize that the cost of insurance is only going up, up and up. there is a misnoemer that this bill somehow reduces the cost of insurance. it is simply categorically not true. shifting who pays for the insurance, the health care cost, does not make the health care cost goes dow it is simply going to continue to rise. second point, when you design a bill that has tax increase after tax increase after tax increase and say that you are reducing the deficit by increasing taxes, it is inconsistent with the reality that the american people want from their congress. third, the individual mandate is simply unconst

mr. speaker. >> thank you, mr. speaker. this morning i had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. in addition to my duties in this house i shall have other further meetings today. >> mr. speaker, they face massive reorganization while same time seeking the greatest savings in its 62-year history. respected professional medical bodies warn that giving -- warn about the risks to public service of giving -- of giving private companies the easy pickings. before pursuing this gamble, will the prime minister carefully about the coalition program which we agreed last may? >> we will listen very carefully for the responses but making modernization of the nhs a priority, is this, we have in this country european levels of health spending but we don't have european levels of success in our health service. what we want to see other organizations to come into the nhs what we had in labour was success. >> mr. speaker, does the prime minister think it's a sign of success or failure that unemployment is rising and employment is