mr. speaker. dent obama recently announced some changes to student loan repayment programs. keeping with the pattern of his administration, he has chosen to impose those changes via the regulatory process. for a while now, president obama has been fond of saying that he has a, quote, pen and a phone, end quote, that he'll use to codify his version of hope and change. perhaps the pen is sufficient. but the regulatory process will take 18 months. the house is re-authorizing the higher education act, working together student loan reforms could be considered passed and implemented much sooner if only president obama would pick up the phone, talk with members of congress and find common ground. but that takes effort and the president does not seem inclined to call. mr. speaker, it seems this president has become so addicted to the pen that he no longer knows how to pick up the telephone. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from south carolina seek recognition? mr.

mr. speaker -- mr. bilirakis: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i rise to ask for the collective prayers for -- of this chamber to help bring my constituents back home to tarpon springs, florida. robert maine, james kelly garrett, devon butler, nick cook and steve, and also michael maine are the crew of the ock with aquest, a boat company hired to teach locals in honduras how to safely scuba dive. on a quest to do good, these men have been illegally detained without benefit of due process for 44 days and have spent several, as i said, several weeks in a delap dated hon douran jail, -- honduren jail, living in unacceptable conditions. together with my colleague, congressman mike fitzpatrick, we urged the state department and hon douran officials to work toward a quick resolution, to free these men so that they may return to the loving arms of their families. your prayers are appreciated and i have confidence that we'll bring them home. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of hi

mr. speaker. i urge all members to support h.r. 1671 and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill, h.r. 1671. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended -- mr. meadows: mr. speaker. i ask for the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. all those in favor of taking this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. a sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this otion will be postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman from north carolina seek recognition? mr. meadows: mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 1458. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the cle

mr. speaker. mr. miller, just know that folks on both sides of the aisle are very, very grateful for his leadership. in particular, the research that was done to uncover the tragedy that occurred at the phoenix v.a. in my district. so know that folks on both sides of the aisle here in the house are very, very grateful for the bipartisan nature in which the veterans' committee has conducted its affairs during his tenure and we appreciate his leadership. mr. speaker, i yield two minutes to my colleague who serve on the veterans' affairs committee, mr. takano. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california is recognized for two minutes. mr. takano: i thank the gentlelady from arizona. mr. speaker, i, too, want to give praise to the gentleman from florida, chairman miller, for the way in which he has conducted the hearings and conducted the business of the veterans' affairs committee. in no way do we wish to imply that the house has not done its due diligence. but as my colleagues mentioned, the mo

mr. speaker. >> thank you. i'm sure the whole house will wish to join me in wishing the england football team, the very best of british before their first world cup game this saturday in brazil. mr. speaker, i had meetings this morning. i'll will have further such meetings later today. >> i wish every football team in the world cup, everyone -- they have received decisions. if we continue at the street, it will take more than 40 years to get to the point where everyone gets a say. what is he going to do about that? troduced these new benefits that we make sure it is done in a way that works well. so i would say it's very important not to have an artificial deadline of replacing one benefit with another. the whole point about the personal independence payment is it is more accurate and more targeted than disability living allowance. it will need more help for those with the greatest disabilities and are determined we get it right. >> would've the prime minister join me in congratulating the foreign

mr. speaker, mr. wallenberg's memory lives on and serves as the best kind of reminder for what it means to serve and accomplish the greater good for all of humanity and it is certainly fitting that we gather as a congress in the rotunda of the united states capitol to formerly remember and pay tribute to this man, a man who used the tools he was given to work tirelessly for the lives of others, a man who did so much even as his own peril, awarding mr. wallenberg the congressional gold medal is the very least we can do as a grateful nation and as a grateful member of the world. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. lowenthal: thank you. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. lowenthal: mr. speaker, i rise in support of senate concurrent resolution 36. few people in history have shown the sort of bravery for which we will be honoring raoul wallenber

mr. speaker. mr. speaker, in may the citizens of ridgway, elk county, pennsylvania, experienced a devastating flood. i rise today to express my sincere appreciation to the first responders, the employees and the ridgway citizens that came to the aid of their neighbors. on the friday, may 23, following the flood and upon my return from washington to the fifth congressional district of pennsylvania, i was in ridgway for a briefing by borough manager, colonel kim zimmerman. our mission was to analyze the scope of the damage, determine the best and most efficient path forward to bring relief to those in need. the colonel, his staff and the fire department did an outstanding job. considering that the river rose from the normal three feet level to greater than 21 feet in a few hours, despite record flooding, there was no loss of life and no injuries. this fact is remarkable given that 100 citizens had to be evacuated by boat. a total of 500, including land evacuation. when i returned to ridgway the next day

mr. speaker. autism awareness and research is something people from all walks of life can support. one in 68 children is diagnosed with autism. let me say that again. one in 68. that is a disturbing statistic. this legislation will help direct autism research on a federal level. this research is vital and i'm glad my colleagues and i have come together in a bipartisan manner to continue autism research, early identification, intervention and education. i'm proud to support this legislation and i urge my colleagues to pass this final passage of this legislation. thank you, mr. speaker, and i again thank the chairman and my for sponsoring the bill. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. green: mr. speaker, i yield to my good friend and deskmate on the energy and commerce committee and ranking member of the foreign affairs committee as much time as he can consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. engel: thank you, mr. speaker. i want to thank my g

mr. speaker? this is something that happens, $4 trillion without a single vote in this chamber, without a single vote across the capitol in the senate, without a single signature by the president, without any consent by the american people whatsoever. $4 trillion in balance sheet expansion, not a single bit of consent of the governed. why is that important, mr. speaker? it's because this doesn't happen by accident. this happens in response to a crisis. now this chamber responds to crises. the administration responds to crises. but the federal reserve responded to economic crisis, tried to do what it could do to help the economy grow. well, i happen to have in my hand, mr. speaker, the testimony from then federal reserve chairman ben bernanke, february 9, 2011. mr. speaker, you won't remember february 9, 2011, here in the chamber but that was my first month on the job. i'd just gotten sworn in. they'd just given me the voting card for -- for the seventh district of georgia, i'm sitting in the commi

mr. speaker, it is welcoming the chinese premier mr. lee to this country and in recognizing that china is one of the greatest export -- and asked the prime minister choose his good overtime to unblock the barrier to the -- pigs feet for human consumption which bring thousands of pounds am sure the long-term economic growth? >> i will certainly take up my honorable friend on that issue. i recalled on a previous visit to china we unlocked the export of pig semen to china so we make progress. i can remember the press release said, refer to the pagan society. sorry about that one. so i will look very carefully at the feet and effects which can be allowed and if jobs can be promoted by that of be very happy to help. >> mr. speaker, notwithstanding says problems elsewhere, does the primus to share my concern about the crisis in south sudan where 4 million people are facing famine? what steps are being taken to implement the piece process? >> discussing this issue yesterday with the archbishop of canterbury who very, very lived in suburban wit

mr. speaker. this is about his character, his judgment, and the warnings he ignored including from the deputy prime minister. warning number two ignored. than in september, 2010. the new york times published a front page investigation detailing andy couldon's extensive knowledge of phone hacking, including one forrer editor who said i've been to dozens, if not hundreds of meetings when it came up. what action did he takitious all of these issues, sever warning was dealt with the levison inquiry which is what he called for and agreed to. levison made no criticism of my conduct in this regard whatsoever. now, you cannot call for a judge led inquiry, participate in it and write the terms of reference of it and then ignore what it has to say. i have to say mr. speaker, all of the questions he is raising today are not new. they are the questions dealt with by the levison inquiry. the prime minister is offering an answer and it must be heard. order. it must be heard by the house. both sides must be hear

mr. speaker. mr. shimkus: the military code of conduct says i am an american fighting man and the forces which guard our country and way of life. i am prepared to give my life in their defense. i will not surrender my own free will and surrender my command while they still have the means to assist. if i am captured i will continue to resist by all means possible. i will continue to aid others to escape. i will not receive personal favors from the enemy. if i become a prisoner of war i will keep faith with my fellow prisoners. i will not fake part of any action which may be harmful in my cam rads. if i am a senior i will take command, if not i will back them up in every way. when questioned, should i become a prisoner of war, i'm required to give my name, rank and service number and date of birth. i will evade answering questions to the utmost of my ability. i will make no oral, written statements disloyal to my country and its allies harmful to its cause. i will never forget i am an american fighting f

mr. speaker. these are children, and by working together with law enforcement and victims' groups we will save lives, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. mcnerney: mr. speaker, since the beginning of the industrial revolution, ocean waters have seen a 30% increase in the acidity. according to national oceanic and atmospheric administration, by the end of this century, the waters of this ocean could be 150% more aacidics, resulting in a p.h. that the oceans have not seen in more than 200 million years. this will have a devastating affect on many marine creatures. it hurts species including oysters, clams, planketin, putting the entire food chain at risk. this will damage californians wi

mr. speaker. i want to thank the gentleman from florida, my friend, mr. nugent, for yielding me the customary 30 minutes. i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks and i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for as much time as he may consume. mr. mcgovern: mr. speaker, today we debate the rule to consider two measures. h.r. 4870, the fiscal year 2015 defense appropriations bill, and the motion to go to conference on legislation addressing the problems at the department of veterans affairs. i regret that this is not an open rule. strict time limits have been placed on debate, which make it impossible to adequately discuss important issues. on issues regarding our national security, we should have ample time for discussion. this is hardly a festival of democracy, as my friend from florida described this process. this is muzzling democracy. but less debate in a more closed process has become the signature of the republican majority, i'm sad to say. i'm pleased that legis

mr. speaker, that mr. cantor's staff and my staff have, no matter what the differences might have been, been able to work together in a collegial, effective and productive manner on behalf of this house, i think. and i want to thank the members of mr. cantor's staff for that. they have been always receptive to our discussions, haven't always agreed, as no one would expect. but they have been always cordial and effective and worked closely with my staff and we appreciate that and i appreciate that and now i'll yield to the majority leader for the schedule. mr. cantor: i thank the gentleman. mr. speaker, on monday the house will meet at noon for morning hour and 2:00 p.m. for legislative business. votes will be postponed until 6:30 p.m. on tuesday and wednesday the house will meet at 10:00 a.m. for morning hour and noon for legislative business. on thursday the house will meet at 9:00 a.m. for legislative business. last votes of the week are expected no later than 3:00 p.m. on friday no votes are expected. m

mr. speaker. today many members of congress awoke listening to n.p.r. for yet another story about norfolk, virginia, the area of the united states on the eastern seaboard where we've seen the most rapid increase in the sea level. this matters being home to the largest naval base in the rld, placing in question its long-term survivelt -- surviveability. story in "the washington post" several weeks ago talked about the impact this is happening on the waterfront, including one church that is being forced to relocate. i love the pastor's comment that his parishioners should not have to consult a tide table to determine whether or not they can go to church. the news also included the supreme court's third affirmation of the power of the e.p.a. to regulate greenhouse gases, setting hopefully at rest the long-term battle over whether or not we can deal with this critical area of carbon pollution. we also have seen a media blitz from a coalition of respected senior officials, republicans, democrats and ind

mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from florida. mr. hastings: 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 arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. members will record their votes by electronic device. pursuant to clause 9, rule 20, the chair will reduce to five minutes the minimum time for any electronic vote on the question of adoption of the resolution. this is a 15-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 speaker pro tempore: the nays are 194. the previous question is ordered. the question is on adoption of the resolution. so many as are in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the aye vs. it. the gentleman from florida. mr. hastings: mr. speaker,

mr. speaker. the house is not in order. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is correct. the house will be in order of. -- will be in order. members are advised to take their conversations off the floor. the gentleman is recognized. mr. meadows: army specialist ryan jayne was killed on november 3, 2012, in the after -- in afghanistan when an improvised explosive device, an i.e.d., detonated while he was performing routine clearing duties with his fell he soldiers. he was killed in the samence dent that took the life of fellow upstate new yorker sergeant bret bournowitz we also honored today. specialist jayne was a member of the 479th engineering battalion of the 411th engineeringbury gade and was just 22 years old at the time of his death. ryan jayne was born may 17, 1990, in corning, new york. after graduating from corning east high school in 2008, he attended corning community college and enlisted in service in 2010. his family and loved ones described him as full of life, laughter, and the ability to light up the room with his smile. he was an avid dallas cowboys fan an

mr. speaker. i rise in strong support of the re-authorization of tria, the anti-terrorism risk insurance program. this is a vitally needed program that helps the economy of our country that was put in place after the 9/11 attacks and has helped our country rebuild. after 9/11, you could not get an insurance policy for even a hot dog stand in new york. you had to go to lloyd's of london, tremendously expensive, to get any insurance. but this program did exactly what it was expected to do. it allowed taos rebuild and -- it allowed us to rebuild, it had a government backstop and did not cost the taxpayer one penny, yet it helped us build jobs and rebuild our economy. we have so many government programs that don't work, this is one that did exactly what it was supposed to do. and at no additional cost. we need to have a plan in place, god forbid if we're attacked again, we have a plan of how to respond and thousand rebuild. this is a program that's worked, we need to re-authorize it. thank you. the spe

mr. speaker. >> thank you, mr. speaker.i'm sure the whole house will wish to join me in wishing the england football team the very best, the very best of british before their first world cup game this saturday in brazil. mrmr. speaker, this morning i hd meetings with ministerial colleagues and others, and in addition to my duties in this house, i shall have further such meetings later today. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i wish the football team in the world cup -- [laughter] >> less than a quarter of people who have applied for the new independence payment have received decisions. if we continue at this rate it's going to take more than 40 years to get to the point where everyone gets a say. does the prime minister think that's acceptable, and what is he going to do about it? >> first of all, it's important when we introduced these new benefits that we make sure it is done in a way that works well. so i would say it's very important not to have an artificial deadline of replacing one benefit with another. the whole point abou

mr. speaker. mr. speaker, this is the final amendment to the bill, which will not kill the bill or send it back to committee. if adopted, the bill will be -- will immediately proceed to final passage as amended. mr. speaker, we owe americans a safe transportation system. and drivers need to know that their cars are safe. parents shouldn't have to worry about a faulty accelerator propeling them at speeds of 100 miles per hour as they drive to work or pick up their children from soccer practice. none of us should be concerned about a faulty switch turning off power steering or our brakes or our air bags. tragedyly, as recent news reports and congressional investigations have shown, americans are justifiably worried. and the cost of inadequate safety oversight is real. richard blumenthal shared this story with me. a woman was driving when a recently called car model, on a mainly highway, she wound up under a freight dump truck and her air bags failed to deploy. her head hit the steering wheel and she was

mr. speaker, it is welcoming the chinese premier mr. lee to this country and in recognizing that china is one of the greatest export -- and asked the prime minister choose his good overtime to unblock the barrier to the -- pigs feet for human consumption which bring thousands of pounds am sure the long-term economic growth? >> i will certainly take up my honorable friend on that issue. i recalled on a previous visit to china we unlocked the export of pig semen to china so we make progress. i can remember the press release said, refer to the pagan society. sorry about that one. so i will look very carefully at the feet and effects which can be allowed and if jobs can be promoted by that of be very happy to help. >> mr. speaker, notwithstanding says problems elsewhere, does the primus to share my concern about the crisis in south sudan where 4 million people are facing famine? what steps are being taken to implement the piece process? >> discussing this issue yesterday with the archbishop of canterbury who very, very lived in suburban wit

the speaker pro tempore: mr. hairman. the speaker pro tempore: the chair of the committee of the whole house on the state of the union reports that the committee has had under consideration h.r. 3301 and pursuant to house resolution 636, reports the bill back to the house with an amendment adopted in the committee of the whole. under the rule, the previous question is ordered. the question is on the adoption of the amendment. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes have it. the amendment is agreed to. the question is on engrossment and third reading of the bill. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes have it. third reading. the clerk: a bill to require approval for construction, connection, operation or maintenance of oil or natural gas pipelines or electric transmission facilities at the national boundary of the united states for the import or export of oil, natural gas or electricity to or from canada or mexico, and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: the ouse will be in order. members a

mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: madam secretary. the secretary: i have been directed by the senate to inform the house that the snass has passed, with amendments, h.r. 3230, pay our guard and reserve act in which the concurrence of the house is requested. the speaker pro tempore: the chair is prepared to entertain requests for one-minute speeches. for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania eek recognition? without objection. >> mr. speaker, the house is not in order. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is correct. he house will be in order. take your conversations off the floor. the gentleman from pennsylvania is recognized. >> mr. speaker, u.s. customs and border protection currently possesses a large fleet of unmanned aerial systems or u.a.f.'s. -- u.a.s.'s. this technology can be a valuable asset and we want them to use it to our benefit on the border, to enforce border security. d between 2010 and 2012, the c.b.f. flew nearly 700 missions on behalf of other federal, state an

mr. speaker. this morning i watched as president obama signed the long overdue water resources reform development act into law. this new law is good news. particularly for the ports of los angeles and long beach who stand to gain tens of millions of dollars that they have collected in their harbor maintenance tax. it will help create good-paying jobs, keep our ports globally competitive. as the representative of the nation's busiest port complex, i believe it's about time our nation's ports finally get the critical investments that they need to remain strong. it's been a long haul but after months of meetings and hearings, the idea is to fully spend this harbor maintenance tax and to increase the flexibility of the funds for these ports were included in the final water bill that was signed by the president. president obama and congress recognized the critical importance of our ports to our nation's economic growth and sustainability. today's action is a victory not only for those ports in my commun

mr. speaker. point of order, mr. speaker. ker pro tempore: the gentleman will state his point of order. mr. van hollen: my point of order is this, the gentleman said that i had voted on this measure before. that is not true. and so i'm asking what my recourse would be. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman has not stated a valid point of order. it is a matter for debate. mr. van hollen: parliamentary inquiry, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from washington controls the time. mr. vn: parliamentary inquiry, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: state your inquiry. mr. van hollen: the gentleman from washington, who is a friend, made a statement that is inaccurate. he stated that i had voted for the provision in this bill before. this bill provides for a permanent unpaid for extension of business expensing. i have not done that. my question to you is, what recourse do i have to set the record straight? the speaker pro tempore: previously stated, that is a matter for debate. the gentleman from washington contro

mr. speaker. i rise today to speak on behalf of sonia garro a member of the pro-democracy group ladies in white, who, after being imprisoned for more than two years in one of castro's gulags, will face a kangaroo trial on monday. she faces the likelihood of 10 to 12 years in jail because she is brave enough to speak out, demanding respect for human rights and democratic change. cases like those of sonia, and so many others, show us the true nature and brutality of the castro regime. there have been efforts by castro apologists aimed at changing our policy toward cuba but it is the castro regime that must change its oppressive policies against the people of cuba. while castro's thugs continue to flagrantly violate the fundamental liberties and dignity of the cuban people, the u.s. will stay on the side of the cuban people who call for freedom, like sonia garro. thank you, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from rhode island seek reco

mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: mr. secretary. the secretary: i'm directed by the president of the united states to deliver to the house of representatives a message in writing. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> the e.p.a.'s regulatory process is flawed. the data they use are hidden from the public. the agency use this is secret science to make exaggerated claims about the alleged benefits of burdensome new regulations. every major air quality regulation proposed by this administration has been based on nontransparent data and unverifiable claims. americans impacted by e.p.a. regulations have a right to determine for themselveses if the e.p.a.'s actions are based on sound science or a partisan agenda. that is why tomorrow, the science committee will consider the secret science reform act. it

mr. speaker. mr. speaker, headline today in one of the papers was "oil prices to rise as high as $120 per barrel due to the iraqi crisis." headline a couple days ago, "oil at a three-month high on iraq anxiety." this brings me back to an issue that i have spoken of many times throughout the years as a member of congress that this nation needs to have a national energy policy. and just like you would on a good investment portfolio, a diversified energy portfolio. now, in the energy arena we really -- i really break it into two areas. electricity generation and transportation fuels. in electrician generation, we need to have the full range of competitive fuel and technologies to have enough electricity at low prices to fuel and run our economy. it's hot in washington, d.c., today. a lot of air-conditioners are on, and we want to be able to cool our homes at low prices. that means having a diversified energy portfolio. nuclear power, coal, natural gas, hydro, wind and solar. a debate on a diversified ener

mr. speaker. mr. aker, i'm moved to rise today because this house, starting yesterday and continuing into today, is considering a complicated bill called the transportation -housing and urban development and related agencies appropriations act. mr. speaker, that's a complicated set of words. this is where we fund the nation's transportation infrastructure, and i rise today, mr. speaker, because this bill is not just bad policy but it is a danger to the safety and economic health of my constituents and to all americans. what is it that we're talking about here? we are talking about the money that the congress appropriates to build and improve our highways, our bridges and our railways. i wonder who in this house doesn't have bridges or highways or railways in their district. this is the boom. it's the arteries in which we build our economic growth and which the jobs that we spend so much time talking about are created. without good highways, without the ability to move people and goods and services arou

mr. speaker, mr. ker, he was asked whether he was raised concerns about he or his office with andy coulson. he was not asked that question. there is a very important question which the whole country will want an answer to about whether -- about whether senior civil servants raised concerns about him or his office about andy coulson. the truth about this is the charge against the prime minister is not one of ignorance, it is willful negligence. at the heart of this scandal, thousands of innocent victims of phone hacking, he didn't stand up for. the prime minister will always be remembered as being the first ever occupant of his office who brought a criminal into the heart of downing street. >> he brought up the issue of the warning from the guardian, i totally disproved him using the evidence. he brought up the idea of direct vetting, i have totally disproved him by using the evidence. he cannot bear the fact that an eight-month inquiry that he hoped was going to pin the blame on me found that i had beh

mr. speaker. this morning, i had meetings with colleagues and others. in addition to this house, i will have such further meetings today. >> speaker andy couldon's conviction shows that the parliamentary inquiry was consistently misled by him and others with phone hacking and others. does the prime minister agree with me that the first concern what does he do to address the victims of phone hacking also uphold the democratic press. >> i think my honorable friend is absolutely right. the first thing is that we should remember the victims. we should ensure that that cannot happen again. as we do so, we must as he says cherish a free and vibrant price in our country. i take full responsibility for employing. i did sell the basis of assurances that i received. i also said that if those assurances turned out to be wrong, i with apologize to the house of commons and am doing so today. i am sorry. this was the right decision but i think it is right that we have a public inquiry and have public investigat

mr. speaker. this is about his character, his judgment, and the warnings he ignored including from the deputy prime minister. warning number two ignored. then in september 2010, "the new york times" published a front page investigation detailing andy coulson's extensive knowledge of phone hacking, including one former editor who said i've been to dozens if not hundreds of meetings with andy where the subject came up. what action did he take? >> all of these issues, every single warning was dealt with by the levison inquiry, which he called for and agreed to. i know he can't bear it, but levison made no criticism of my conduct in this regard whatsoever. now, you cannot call for a judge led inquiry, participate in it and write the terms of reference in a judge led inquiry and then ignore what it has to say. i have to say, mr. speaker, all of the questions he is raising today are not new. they are the questions dealt with by the levison inquiry. i know. >> the prime minister is offering an answer and

mr. speaker, mr. speaker, the prime minister said in his previous answer that he was asked what he was raise concerns with him or his office about andy coulson but he was not asked that question and the leveson inquiry. there is now a very important question which the whole country will want an attitude about whether, about whether sir gus o'donnell our senior civil servants raised concern within or his office about andy coulson and the truth about this is the charge against the prime minister or is not one o of the great. it is willful negligence. and at the heart of the scandal are thousands of innocent victims of phone hacking he didn't stand up for. the prime minister will always be remembered as being the first ever occupant of his office who brought a criminal into the heart of downing street. [shouting] >> he brought up the issue of the warning from "the guardian." i totally disproved him using the evidence. he brought up the idea of direct venting but i've totally disproved them by using the ev

mr. speaker, that mr. cantor's staff and my staff have, no matter what the differences might have been, been able to work together in a collegial, effective and productive manner on behalf of this house, i think. and i want to thank the members of mr. cantor's staff for that. they have been always receptive to our discussions, haven't always agreed, as no one would expect. but they have been always cordial and effective and worked closely with my staff and we appreciate that and i appreciate that and now i'll yield to the majority leader for the schedule. mr. cantor: i thank the gentleman. mr. speaker, on monday the house will meet at noon for morning hour and 2:00 p.m. for legislative business. votes will be postponed until 6:30 p.m. on tuesday and wednesday the house will meet at 10:00 a.m. for morning hour and noon for legislative business. on thursday the house will meet at 9:00 a.m. for legislative business. last votes of the week are expected no later than 3:00 p.m. on friday no votes are expected. m

mr. speaker, that mr. cantor's staff and my staff have, no matter what the differences might have been, been able to work together in a collegial, effective and productive manner on behalf of this house, i think. and i want to thank the members of mr. cantor's staff for that. they have been always receptive to our discussions, haven't always agreed, as no one would expect. but they have been always cordial and effective and worked closely with my staff and we appreciate that and i appreciate that and now i'll yield to the majority leader for the schedule. mr. cantor: i thank the gentleman. mr. speaker, on monday the house will meet at noon for morning hour and 2:00 p.m. for legislative business. votes will be postponed until 6:30 p.m. on tuesday and wednesday the house will meet at 10:00 a.m. for morning hour and noon for legislative business. on thursday the house will meet at 9:00 a.m. for legislative business. last votes of the week are expected no later than 3:00 p.m. on friday no votes are expected. m

mr. speaker. you know, mr. eaker, i rise today to commemorate flag day, which will be celebrated on saturday, june 14. this day is important to all americans as june 14, 1777 is the date the continental congress adopted a resolution officially designating a flag of the united states. the same date in 1775 is also recognized as the birthday of our army. those 13 broad stripes and 50 bright stars are an important symbol of america that's recognized across the globe and quite frankly even on the moon. our flag has many meanings. our flag is raised by our athletes during the olympics. our flag is flown with pride and honor during ceremonies. our flag is worn on the right arm of every soldier and our flag is draped over the could haveins of those who made the ultimate -- covens of those who made the ultimate -- coffins of those who made the ultimate sacrifice. this june 14 i encourage all to remember why we fly our flag and to use the opportunity to remember the army's birthday and the many soldiers who have defended

mr. speaker? >> the gentleman from florida. >> i yield five minutes to the diminished -- to the distinguished gentleman from peaceful, the chairman of the committee on human rights. >> i thank the distinguished chairman for yielding to me. i strongly support and am a author of of -- co- this resolution. congress must denounce the actions of the chinese government. what occurred saturday in tiananmen square was an unprovoked and vicious military attack on peaceful demonstrate overs and innocent bystanders. hconres as amended condemns in the strongest possible terms the slaughter that took place. by some estimates the chinese government killed hundreds if not thousands of their own people. i don't think we will ever have a full accounting. what has happened in china is hard to comrend. it's even worse to imagine the extremes the chinese government is capable of going to in order to suppress the pro-democracy movement. this is -- there is no mistaking the resolve with which the government set out to

mr. speaker, that mr.tor's staff and my staff have, no matter what the differences might have been, been able to work together in a collegial, effective and productive manner on behalf of this house, i think. and i want to thank the members of mr. cantor's staff for that. they have been always receptive to our discussions, haven't always agreed, as no one would expect. but they have been always cordial and effective and worked closely with my staff and we appreciate that and i appreciate that and now i'll yield to the majority leader for the schedule. mr. cantor: i thank the gentleman. mr. speaker, on monday the house will meet at noon for morning hour and 2:00 p.m. for legislative business. votes will be postponed until 6:30 p.m. on tuesday and wednesday the house will meet at 10:00 a.m. for morning hour and noon for legislative business. on thursday the house will meet at 9:00 a.m. for legislative business. last votes of the week are expected no later than 3:00 p.m. on friday no votes are expected. mr. s

mr. speaker, mr. james mcnare, a talented comedian died in new jersey because of a tractor trailer collision. apparently the tractor trailer driver was awake for 24 hours in violation of a myriad of hours of service requirements in the federal motor carrier safety regulations and tracy morgan himself, his associate remains in critical condition. to suggest that $750,000 with today's health care costs, is adequate to cover this kind of tragedy is ridiculous. in fact, the truth is that more than 100,000 people since 1980 have died in tractor-trailer-related collisions. we aren't talking about cases where who was at fault for the accident, we are talking about where the tractor trailer was at fault and people died. more than 100,000 over the past 34 years. mr. speaker, a recent study conducted by the trucking alliance found in contradistinction to my comments from my good friend from montana. 42% of the money between 2005 and 2011, exceeded the minimum insurance requirement of $750,000. when you don't ad

mr. speaker. months of vehement anti-iranian rhetoric from the and now sudden change of heart, does the prime minister believed that the enemy is mynemies friend trumps all else? >> i think we should judge every regime and organization on this commitment to human rights, the rule of law, and welding a pluralistic society. we should engage with the iranians as i said with a very clear i am a very hard heart. we shouldn't forget what happened to our embassy. we shouldn't forget the things they are responsible for around the world, but we should start to build a dialogue with him in the way that the foreign secretary set out. on friday, my honorable and myself jumped from a plane 13,000 feet over the yorkshire countryside. .ortunately, we had a parachute and training from the tiger army parachute display team. as we approach armed forces day, will the prime minister pay andute to our armed forces those charities and the generosity of the british people who do so much to support those who give such co

mr. speaker. he secretary: mr. sec -- the speaker pro tempore: mr. secretary. the secretary: i'm instructed by the president to deliver a message in writing. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to clause 4 of rule 18, the chair declare the -- declares the house in the committee of the whole house on the state of the union for further consideration of h.r. 4745. will the gentleman from texas, mr. marchant, please take 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. 4745 which the clerk will report by title. the clerk: a bill making appropriationers in departments of transportation and housing and urban development and related agencies for the fiscal year ending september 30, 2015, and for other purposes. the chair: when the committee of the whole rose earlier today an amendment offered by the gentleman from louisiana, mr. fleming, had been disposed of and the bill had been read through page 156, line 16. for what purpose does the gentleman california rise? >> mr. speaker, i have an a

mr. speaker, with that i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. under the speaker's announced policy of january 3, 2013, the gentleman from arizona, mr. swike earth, is recognized -- schweikert, is recognized for the remainder of the hour. shikeshike thank you. my colleague from -- swikeswike thank you. my colleague from arizona -- mr. swike earth: my colleague from -- mr. schweikert: thank you. my colleague from arizona who is an amazing leader, i appreciate him putting that into the record for all of us in arizona. i wanted to do something a little different tonight. a few months ago we came to the floor here and sort of walked through what was really going on in the math. and one of the things that sort of enrages me is so much of the ebate we have here in congress are the noise. you actually -- we talk about this issue or that issue. when we have the 10,000-pound gorilla in front of us and that's what's happening to us fiscally. right now, and i'm going to be using a lo

mr. speaker. i rise with many of the women of the house, both republican and democrat, the members of the congressional women's softball team, to share with our colleagues that last night at the sixth annual congressional women's softball game the members beat the press nd took back the trophy. now, unbelievably -- unbelievably, the press seems to be absent in -- they want to cover us on everything else but seem to be absent in observing these proceedings. we are so proud to report to you that we didn't just beat them we beat them badly, 10-5, and we were able to raise the most that we've ever raised for the young survivor coalition which in total for the last six years we raised almost -- we raised just over $500,000 for the young survival coalition which helps raise awareness and help young women who are facing breast cancer. i know all of you know by now that i am a breast cancer survivor myself. was diagnosed at 41. so this is so personal for me and i want to thank all of my teammates who have

mr. speaker. >> i yield@gentleman from texas for unanimous consent request. >> thank you, mr. speaker. mr. chairman, thank you very much. i rise in support of the chairman's resolution and ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. >> i yield two minutes to the distinguished gentleman from indiana, mr. mcclosekey. >> the gentleman is recognize. >> i rise in vigorous support of this legislation, h.con.res. 136. would like to commend the chairmen for their leadership, particularly their eloquent statements over the weekend on this great crisis. i met with more than 50 chinese students at indiana university to discuss the tiananmen square massacre. all the students understandably expressed their grief and outrage. it would be necessary to be there and talk with them and meet with each of them one-on-one to understand the depth of their grief and outrage. in their eyes, the slaughter cawed the rule regular jet stream to lose all legitimacy. it's destroyed the trust of the people who will determine that nation's future. every student t

mr. speaker. mr. ker, coordinated medical rehabilitation, provided in an in-patient rehabilitation setting is crucial to medicare beneficiaries with injuries, disease, disabilities or chronic conditions. unfortunately, beginning in 2010, the centers for medicare and medicaid services began placing limitations on what types of therapy a beneficiary could receive, despite the professional judgment of the treating physician. this ties a physician's hands and it limits recreational therapy, for example, from being prescribed despite it being medically necessary in many cases. now, these services are often prescribed to assist an individual in transitioning from their rehabilitation hospital to the home, helping patients recover their functions and decreasing the chances of costly readmissions. c.m.s., the medicare agency, should not have put in place barriers for physicians and their patients when determining the best course of action for recovery. this is why i introduced the bipartisan access to in-patie

mr. speaker. i think it's important to know that the director of national intelligence has confirmed publicly that the government searches vast amounts of data, including the content of emails and telecalls without individualized suspicion or proximate cause when it comes to u.s. persons. last week the director of the f.b.i. testified under oath before the judiciary committee that this information is used for prosecution and without a warrant. this amendment is simple.