mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from arizona is recognized. mr. biggs thank thank you, mr. chairman -- mr. biggs: thank you, mr. chairman, mr. speaker. this bill is truly a bipartisan effort worked on by both -- members of both parties. it is because of its importance. the particular case that both of us have it rated today does focus the attention on the massive hole where there's more than 500 indian nations, indian tribes that do not have access to the amber alert system. it is the only part of this nation and its territories not covered by the amber alert system this will solve that problem. and with that, i urge all of my colleagues to support this bill and i yield. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. both sides having yielded back their time, the question is will the house plules and -- will the house suspend the rules and pass senate 772 as amended? those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed, without objecti

mr. speaker. they're the coalition of cave men. not oes the minister realize -- >> order, order. one member thinks he knows what he's talking is speaking at me. it shouldn't escape somebody of great intelligence. emily thornbury. >> i was talking about cave men, mr.speaker and i what i wanted to say is this. why doesn't the minister realize the lesson that we women taught the predecessors 100 years ago when change is right it cannot be resisted forever. and this is a change whose time has come. mr. speaker, i -- i think the right honorable lady is to wean herself of watching old versions of "the flintstones" on the channel. i just think that we ought to salute the fact that not just the youth parliament but many schools and other youth organizations throughout the country are working hard to get young people used to the idea. but as they grow up, they should take an interest in current affairs and then when they reach the relevant age, exercise the full rights of responsibilities of an adult by pa

mr. speaker, may i inquire if there are other speakers? mr. gosar: mr. speaker, we have no other speakers. the speaker pro tempore: no other. ms. hanabusa: then, mr. speaker, i will close. mr. speaker, i urge my colleagues to support this bill, and i would like to point out something that we do not normally see in the public land subcommittee of natural resources and that is the people of ste. genevieve feel so strongly in what they do that they actually came to support those testifying in time-sensitive address. so as we look at the various photographs what they do to preserve their town, they were there before us in those same costumes. this is how serious the people of ste. genevieve is for the preservation of their site. for those reasons, mr. speaker, i urge my colleagues to please support this bill. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields. the gentleman from arizona is recognized. mr. gosar: mr. speaker, it is obvious that ste. genevieve is an important part of our nation's expansion and agriculture history and merits becoming a

mr. speaker. mr. speaker, the american legion convenes in washington this week for its annual policy conference to meet with federal lawmakers. the american legion was chart ert and incorporated by congress in 1919 as a patriotic veterans' organization devoted to mutual helpfulness. t's the nation's largest wartime veterans' service organization, committed to mentoring youth and sponsorship of wholesome programs in our communities, advocating patriotism and honor, promoting strong national security, and continued devote to service members and veterans. hundreds of local american legion programs and activities strengthen the nation one community at a time. whether it's connecting veterans through sporting programs, honoring fallen heroes through legion riders, advocating for homeless veterans, the american legion plays a priceless role in creating a sense of community among veterans of all ages and service periods. mr. speaker, i am grateful for the american legion. the legionnaires have a tremendou

mr. speaker -- mr. chairman, folks who are in the business of serving our communities have received these demand letters unable to respond. i'd like, if he'd be willing to enter into a colloquy with the gentleman from texas, judge poe, and ask if you're aware, judge poe, of the issues created by this emergence of technology and the litigation, the predatory litigation that credit unions and community banks and other small mom and pop businesses are facing? mr. poe: does the gentleman yield? mr. woodall: i yield to the gentleman from texas. mr. poe: yes, the gentleman from georgia is absolutely correct. i am aware of this matter. also, i am aware that you, the chairman goodlatte, 60 members of this claim ber last year to urge the justice department to finalize -- chamber last year to urge the justice department to finalize certainty. even though it's not clear there is a statutory obligation under the a.d.a. for the department of justice to act which is why h.r. 620 doesn't address that issue specificall

mr. speaker. mr. speaker, new boy scouts make a promise to do their best, to do their duty to god and country and to help other people at all times. mr. lewis wood of stokes county, north carolina, has not only fulfilled that promise, he fullest. it to the mr. wood joined the boy scouts of america in january, 1943. later he served as a volunteer and scoutmaster for troop 440 for 50 years. when mr. wood and his family were recently informed of his pancreatic cancer diagnosis, he was focused on living until this january, the 75th anniversary of his becoming a scout. what an admirable spirit and wonderful man. after a lifetime of service, mr. wood is now preparing for his next journey, mr. speaker. i commend mr. wood for his 75 years of dedication to the boy scouts and stokes county. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields. the chair recognizes the gentleman from new york, mr. espaillat, for five minutes. thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to express my concerns and my deep sha

mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentlelady from texas seek recognition? the gentlelady is recognized for one minute. ms. jackson lee: as schoolchildren arise across america to go to a place of work for them but a place of joy of learning, i rise today to reinforce the importance of education in the state of texas, and i am asking and the texas education administrator, along with the governor of the state of texas, will be receiving letters, a letter from me reaffirming the plea of local officials, both governmental and educational officials, to give texas schoolchildren because of the devastation of hurricane harvey, a waiver for two years for them to be able to improve their scores and to keep the schools open that the parents and communities want to have open. many of my school districts, seven of which i represent, have been faced the tragedy of hurricane harvey. the displacement and relocation of their children. the devastation of their schools, including the houston independent school d

mr. speaker. mr. roe: mr. speaker, i have no further speakers. i am ready to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. takano: mr. speaker, i have no further speakers. i urge my colleagues to join me in passing this meaningful piece of legislation, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: and the gentleman, doctor, chairman from tennessee. mr. roe: once again, i encourage all members to support this legislation, and i wish private sousley and private bowling from this army veteran to rest in peace, semper fi. with that i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. there being no further debate, the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 4533. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 are in the affirmative -- i ask for a recorded vote. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. the gentleman requests the yeas and nays. all th

mr. speaker. mr. speaker, today i rise in recognition of a man whose service to his community has resulted in greater safety, security, and justice in polk county, florida. sheriff grady jud, a dear friend, has been sworn into the role of the president of the major county sheriff's association of america. a position to which he will bring his knowledge, his skill, and his integrity to advocate for safer communities across our great nation. for centuries the angelo american sheriff association has pros two american cleveland and mb teddy roosevelt. he has long been an advocate cl teddy roosevelt. he has long been an advocate for the rule of law and benefit as he rises to his position to fight to uphold the noble tradition of keeping the peace. my deepest congratulations to heriff judd and his family and the major county sheriffs of america who do such important work to keep us safe. with that, mr. speaker, i yield back. the major county the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from m

mr. speaker. i thank my ranking member for his generosity and for his great leadership. members, we are truly here on a historic occasion. it is a rare and crucial moment of bipartisanship. this is the way you can do it. men and women, republicans and democrats, conservatives and liberals coming together to make this place better. you know, i first started this work back in 2014, i dreamed but i did not dare to dream more than to hope that we would end up here today. today, this bipartisan group of legislators is taking a historic step that has plagued this institution for generations. for years members of congress have gotten away with truly egregious behavior by mistreating their staff. a story that will be etched in my memory forever is a young woman who sat in my office earlier this year and told me her story and who said, as she cried, the process was almost worse than the harassment. no more, ladies and gentlemen. no more will that be the case. thanks to the me too movement, the american publ

mr. speaker. >> the prime minister. >> thank you, mr. speaker. this morning i had meeti ngs with ministerial colleagues and others, and in addition to my duties in this house, i shall have further such meetings later today. >> ruth cadbury. >> on monday, children and parents at st. mary's catholic primary school told me ofce the concerns about air pollution affecting children's health. this morning high court ruled that the government air quality plan is. what does it prime minister feel is worse, losing for the third time in the high court, or 40,000 unnecessary deaths and impact on children's health of the uk's unsustainable air-quality? >> the issue the honorable lady has raised about air quality is important and that's why we've been taking action to improve air quality. but can i just say to the honorable lady the way she has described the court's decision this morning i don't think properly reflects the decision that the court has given. if i could just perhaps, mr. speaker, explained to thein houe because we do welcome the fact that the co

mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i want to first congratulate representative gohmert and senator klobuchar for this piece of legislation. i hope that our friends on the republican side will work with us to improve the location accuracy for these multiline systems. i think that's an important piece of unfinished business that we need to do to make this bill even better. we support the bill and with that, mr. speaker, i will yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the gentleman from new jersey. mr. lance: thank you, mr. speaker. this is the way congress should work, in a bicamera, bipartisan capacity. i think those of us who serve on the energy and commerce committee are very proud of our service there. s the committee and the house of representatives that -- in the house of representatives that sends the most bills to the floor. the most bills that pass. the most bills that pass in the senate. the most bills that reach the desk of the president of the united states

mr. speaker. with all that's going on in washington, d.c., these days it's hard to keep up with some things that are amazingly consequential. one item that is flying below the radar screen is the new nuclear posture review from the trump administration. ey are talking about expanding our nuclear arsenal. embark us on a path of spending $1.2 trillion. not only expanding our do we have more t and pay for, and pay for, we're talking about other elements here that are disturbing. developing new destabilizing nuclear weapons. being able to use nuclear weapons in nonnuclear situations. for example, responding we need to cyber attacks. where you might not even know who did it. we still have all these ballistic missiles on hair trigger alert, and we just saw the vulnerability there in hawaii with the recent threatened, mistaken threat. we need to take a hard look how to do this right before it's too late. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from florida seek recognition. >> i ask u

mr. speaker. mr. speaker, during consideration of this resolution, all time is yielded 2018.e purpose of debate only. mr. speaker, this two-year budget agreement begins to repair our military and freeze our armed services from the harmful spending caps, the devastating practice of funding our troops and stop gap funding bills. it raises discretionary funding levels by $80 billion and nondefense by $63 billion while raising fiscal year 2019 levels by $85 billion and $63 billion respectively. i've been told. thank this will move spending levels from 2009 spending levels to 2011 spending levels, consistent with what we had done during those periods of time. mr. speaker, i reserve my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentlelady from new york. ms. slaughter: thank you, mr. speaker. and, mr. speaker, i thank my colleague for yielding me the customary 30 minutes. and yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized.

mr. speaker -- mr. chairman, folks who are in the business of serving our communities have received these demand letters unable to respond. i'd like, if he'd be willing to enter into a colloquy with the gentleman from texas, judge poe, and ask if you're aware, judge poe, of the issues created by this emergence of technology and the litigation, the predatory litigation that credit unions and community banks and other small mom and pop businesses are facing? mr. poe: does the gentleman yield? mr. woodall: i yield to the gentleman from texas. mr. poe: yes, the gentleman from georgia is absolutely correct. i am aware of this matter. also, i am aware that you, the chairman goodlatte, 60 members of this claim ber last year to urge the justice department to finalize -- chamber last year to urge the justice department to finalize certainty. even though it's not clear there is a statutory obligation under the a.d.a. for the department of justice to act which is why h.r. 620 doesn't address that issue specificall

mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. the gentleman is recognized. mr. hensarling: how much time do i have remaining? the speaker pro tempore: one minute remaining. mr. hensarling: once again, i want to hear the voice os half -- of hardworking americans, not just washington, d.c., letterhead groups. we heard from a local banker who said a local union member wanted to refinance his residence, he was laid off dooth winter season. his tax return showed he was generally laid off for about six weeks each yore during the extreme cold but was always called back when weather improve. since he was laid off we could not meet the requirement to validate his current income that would continue for three years. we had to deny the loan. yet again, mr. speaker, more washington red tape, taking away home opportunities from hardworking americans. it is wrong. it is wrong. we must do something about it. and it's why on a bipartisan basis so many of us have gotten together to pass h.r. 3978. yes, we want to make sure that people can buy homes

mr. speaker, later on en mr. escobar sought to get his renewal of the temporary protected status, he discovered that a mistake had been made. it's difficult to know what happened. but it wasn't done with any kind of mall list aforethought. there was a mistake that was made that could have been corrected, i believe. but it wasn't. mr. escobar did not run and hide. he presented himself. mr. escobar went to the authorities. he tried his best to correct this mistake. and in the process of doing this, he maintained a life. and in maintaining his life, he did what ordinary people do. what people do who are young. he married. he married rose escobar. and while they were married, they had two children. beautiful children. he now has a daughter who is 4 of age. he has a son who is years of age. -- 8 years of age. his son and daughter are here in the united states of age. he has a son who is of america . but i regret to inform you, mr. speaker, that mr. escobar is no longer in the united states of america. he se on march 7

mr. speaker, i am you a now pleased to yield four minutes to mr. rothfus, vice chairman of the committee on financial institutions. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from pennsylvania is recognized. mr. rothfus: i thank the chairman for yielding. listening to this debate, it seems like some people want to know on -- vote no on this bill when there are plenty of reasons to vote yes. i rise in support of h.r. 3299, the protecting consumer access to credit act. i also want to commend him for his hard work on this important issue. under the valid when made doctrine, the interest rate on a loan that complies with federal law when it is made will remain valid regardless whether that loan is transferred to a third party. this is an important principle, and it is essential to maintaining a vibrant secondary market and fostering continued growth in the online lending industry. the second circuit's decision in madden v. midland, which challenged the valid when made doctrine threatened both the secondary market and fintech lending partnerships. this ultim

mr. hill: i thank the speaker. mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this bill. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. hill: mr. speaker, i'll yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. hill: mr. speaker, i rise today in favor of my bill, h.r. 5078, the trid improvement act. this important package will cut through the red tape and level the playing field for making sure that regulations are smarter, fairer, clearer and more efficient, while at the same time ensuring that consumers and investors are protected. you know, mr. speaker, when the cfpb, the consumer financial protection bureau, was first initiated as a part of the dodd-frank act, one of then staffer, now senator elizabeth warren's goals was, simpler regulation. that we would streamline regulation. that we would take bulky, complex consumer forms and make them simpler. and

mr. speaker. traveling around the country and meeting people from diverse community, members of the jewish and the muslim community have raised the point for the act to specifically take into account people's faith considerations as in their faith, loved ones should be buried during 24 hours. will you join me to look at this very important matter? >> i say to my honorable friend, i would like to thank him for raising this point because he's doing it on behalf of communities across the country and he does so with a unique position with his own experience and understanding of these issues. it is important that we take into account specific requirements of someone's faith especially when the loved ones are grieving. although i know he will be aware, coroners are an independent judicial office. i understand that the ministry of justice is speaking to the chief corner about this point to see what more can be done. i'm sure that the lord chancellor would be happy to meet and discuss the issue further wi

mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of the special order. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. evans: it is with great honor i rise today to anchor the c.b.c. special order hour. id i would -- i would like to thank c.b.c. chairman cedric richmond for his leadership in this effort. chairman richmond has been leading this effort and raising the question of about when the president said, what do we have to lose? the sharme indicated we have a lot to lose. so for the next 60 minutes, we have an opportunity to speak directly to the american people about issues of great importance to the congressional black caucus and the millions of constituents who represent -- we represent. tonight's special order is about gun violence. i thank my colleagues for joining me here today to speak about the national epidemic of gun violence, an important topic to us all. the bla

mr. speaker. i wasn't quite ready but i thank my friend for yielding me the customary 30 minutes and yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. slaughter: i'm sorry i can't support this continuing resolution today. the great government of the united states of america that's been called the last, best hope of man cannot be funded in traunches of maybe two weeks to three weeks. this is the fifth continuing resolution that we have done since the 30th of september. that's an atrossfi. i don't think of any, any legislative body anywhere, totally unable to do its job. and as sorry as i am to say it, because of my great respect and affection for my fellow members, i don't believe this majority is capable of governing. we are two days before the shutdown of the government of the united states, before it closes for business. late last night, about 2:00 in the morning was it? 10:00 p.m., that's better than i thought, late last night they finally releas

mr. speaker. i wasn't quite ready but i thank my friend for yielding me the customary 30 minutes and yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. slaughter: i'm sorry i can't support this continuing resolution today. the great government of the united states of america that's been called the last, best hope of man cannot be funded in traunches of maybe two weeks to three weeks. this is the fifth continuing resolution that we have done since the 30th of september. that's an atrossfi. i don't think of any, any legislative body anywhere, totally unable to do its job. and as sorry as i am to say it, because of my great respect and affection for my fellow members, i don't believe this majority is capable of governing. we are two days before the shutdown of the government of the united states, before it closes for business. late last night, about 2:00 in the morning was it? 10:00 p.m., that's better than i thought, late last night they finally releas

mr. speaker. thank you for yielding to me. mr. speaker, the speaker of the house is supposed to be the speaker of this entire house. and the entire will of this house and the democratic side and the republican side is to pass a daca bill. but we are running out of time. instead of following the bipartisan consensus of the majority in this house, this speaker is yielding to the will of the majority party's anti-immigration fringe unilaterally. and that fringe, that fringe is led by this president. we continue to bend to this fringe, this body, this shining beacon on a hill, this hopefulness in this country will go dark. the senate was able to pass the bipartisan agreement due to the hard promise of leader mcconnell and the good work of our democratic leadership as well. to allow, simply allow the body to vote on a daca bill. we, however, have no such commitment on this side. 22,000 dreamers in the state of new jersey, they're doctors, they're lawyers, they're connected to their churches, their parents, their -- they're teachers, the

mr. speaker. mr. speaker, this morning i was at the central pennsylvania digital learning foundation in duncansville to speak about my work on the house education and work force committee. the central pennsylvania digital foundation charter school office a customizeable cyber education for students throughout pennsylvania. its learning experience engages and empowers every student to be successful in reaching their academic and personal goals for today and tomorrow. this school was developed from the ground up by the engages an superintendents in collaboration with intermediate unit eight. the iu- was furnished to provide a broad range of services to 35 public schools, two charter schools, and approximately 8 nonpublic schools. mr. speaker, we must understand that there are numerous educational environments and many students strive in a cyber school-style setup. the iu- has enjoyed tremendous work to ensure students who choose the education receive the same quality education as their peer who is attend

mr. speaker. >> i am trying to let the gentlelady be heard. you, mr. speaker. we write to be iterate our sincere desire to enter the government remains open, and that the priorities of the american people are properly addressed. as you know, democrats have been clear that we support a budget agreement that ensures our men and women in uniform have the resources they need to protect our country and themselves. but it will provide the middle class and working families in our country having the tools they need to succeed. as part of this agreement, we have always expect it the house and the senate would address the issue of daca and are dreamers. believe themembers budget agreement is a reasonable compromise to address america's military strength and critical domestic priorities, like fighting the opioid crisis, , moving to resolve the pension crisis, caring for our veterans, making college more affordable, and investing in childcare for working families. indeed, that is what the fight has been about all along. we have had to fight the resistance on the republican

mr. adrian smith from nebraska. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from nebraska is recognized for two minutes. mr. smith: thank you, mr. speaker. and mr. chairman, i rise in support of this continuing resolution package. while i appreciate this legislation will keep government open, fund community health centers for two years and fully fund our military while we continue to work toward a broader budget agreement, i would like to focus on the various ways and means committee provisions included in the bill. this legislation includes numerous medicare provisions important to rural health providers and patients, including permanently repealing therapy caps and extending the floor on geographic payment adjustments for rural providers anded a-ons for rural ambulance providers. just as importantly, these health provisions are paid for without cutting swing bed reimbursements to critical access hospitals, including the 55 critical access hospitals in nebraska's third district, as originally proposed. i'm particularly pleased two

mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent for all members to have five days to revise and extend their remarks on the subject of my special order. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. green: mr. speaker, this is february 14, valentine's day. and this is but one day, of course, in the month of february which is black history month. and i am honored to stand here tonight to present a resolution that will be filed, a black history resolution. but i'm glad to say a good many of my colleagues are in support of black history month and they desire to have their words, their expressions, made known. which is why i've asked for this unanimous consent. my belief is that we will have many, many persons who are not here tonight, for legitimate reasons, who will want to make sure that they are made a part of the record by and through their comments that they will submit in written word. mr. speaker, i'm here to talk about black history because for many years, too many years, to be quite honest, t

mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i offer my deepest condolences to reverend billy graham's children and grandchildren on this very sad occasion. reverend billy graham will be remembered by millions of people for millions of reasons, which is a testament to the people he inspired. when i consider reverend graham's life and all of his many accomplishments, i think of his humble beginnings and his dedication to bringing people to christ. reverend graham, north carolina's favorite son, began as a farmer's son and was not born with the steadfast faith that we later observed. it was a faith he chose and that he dedicated himself to all of his life. later he would be called america's pastor as he counseled presidents and the poor alike. what is remarkable is how reverend graham heard the call and made the choice to follow the lord and take his word farther and more rapidly than it had ever gone before. mark 16: 15 of the good book instructs us to go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. this is a

mr. speaker, i yield back. >> mr. speaker, i'd like to do a colloquy with my colleague there on something that really got my attention when she said about that chain. and i would like to, if you'd just take a couple minutes or so, just talk about that chain and what that means in real life and what it means when it's not functioning. mr. evans: what happens when that chain is not strong? can you speak to that? mrs. lawrence: if i can use the example of mass incarceration. let's give an example. in my state, in this budget in congress, we're constantly cutting programs for education. in america, if you do not educate a child their choices are very limited. and statistics have shown the lower the education, the higher the rate of incarceration. so, i will share with you that if we truly want to reduce costs of mass incarceration, if we truly want a work force that's trained and available to address e economic opportunities and invest in technology and ensure that we're paying taxes and growing our tax base, it would be m

mr. speaker. -- the gentleman is recognized. mr. nadler: thank you, mr. speaker. i appreciate the intent behind this amendment to make this provision slightly less onerous. i acknowledge it eliminates the requirement that an aggrieved person cited that the specific a.d.a. provision being violated. he amendment, however, still leaves in place the basic problem with the bill, the basic problem with the notice and cure provision. and that is the notice and cure provision. therefore does not alleviate any of the real concerns with the underlying bill. again the basic notice and cure provisions of the bill turn on of head the normal practice any civil rights here we put of any civil rights statute in which the burden of compliance is on the actor not on the victim. the burden of compliance on the victim. and we talk here the debate has been as if people have not had 28 years to come into compliance. and only -- to find out they are not in compliance when someone complains about it because some victim is victimized. that's wrong. this goes in the wrong direction. and al

mr. speaker. here we're. again. on thursday, the government runs out of funding because the majority has not yet been able to reach across the aisle and negotiate a long-term budget agreement that reflects the priorities of the american people. one party controls the house, the senate, and the white house. but there is not a functional majority in the hands of one or another party. the majority is comprised of thoughtful members who on both sides of the aisle if we chose to could sit around the negotiating table and work out the differences that we bring in a way that in a way that moves the could be -- country forward, adopts a budget that is reflective of the priorities we were sent here to address. so long as one party takes the approach that all of the votes necessary to pass any measure must only come from one party, we're not going to be able to move forward as a country. being in the minority i understand we don't get to set the agenda, but we ought not be locked out of the conversation. es

mr. speaker. when anna first set foot on the campus of hobart and william smith college in 2014, she immediately fell in love with the school. nestled deep within the finger lakes, the small liberal arts college appeared serene and safe. on that beautiful campus, however, was hiding a much more dangerous reality. unfortunately, anna would discover the terrible truth just two weeks after she arrived. on the second saturday of the semester, anna was eager to go out and meet more of her fellow classmates. as the night went on, anna got separated from her friends. when they received a text from her telling them that she was cared of someone she met and didn't know what to do, they began frantically searching for her. it wasn't until the early morning hours they finally found her, bent over a pool table with a football player appearing to sexually assault her. her friends immediately took her back to the dormitory. na was very ill, pale, and disoriented. worried she had been drugged and raped, her frien

mr. speaker. good afternoon, today this body will make tremendous progress towards ending online sex exploitation. this is a big deal. i'm proud to stand here as an original o co-sponsor of the important legislation we're considering today, h.r. 1865, the allow states and victims to fight online sex trafficking act. i have been so pleased to work closely with my colleague, congresswoman ann wagner on this issue. i know i'm not the only person here who greatly appreciates her leadership on this. it has been sobering to say the least to hear some of the personal accounts of sex trafficking victims and several from my home state of alabama. it is our responsibility to provide justice for these victims and to do everything that we can to protect the most vulnerable members of our society from trafficking. this is modern day slavery. as it stands now the sad truth is that criminals can easily and anonymously purchase women and children on the internet using various websites. thanks to broad interpretati

mr. speaker. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the chair recognizes the gentleman from florida, mr. desantis, for five minutes. mr. desantis: mr. speaker, the shooting in parkland, florida, on 14 february represented a catastrophic failure of local authorities as well as the f.b.i. the students needed a hero that day and while the sheriff's department failed the students, i think it's important to recognize and commemorate the fact that a 15-year-old j rotc cadet named peter hwang answered the call. in the face of deranged gunman descending on his school, he helped his fellow students flea to -- flee to safety, exposing himself to fire in the process. he could have simply saved himself, but like a true hero, peter chose to protect the lives of others. going above and beyond the call of duty. he sacrificed his life on that fateful day. scripture teaches that there is no greater love than that a man should lay down his life for his friends. and his fellow stu

mr. speaker. may i just say to my right honorable friend would stand up to anyone and everyone when it comes to making the best interest of the united kingdom. >> finally. order. too much noise in the chamber did. >> thank you mr. speaker. the good friday agreement was one of the greatest legacies of the last labor government. messing up the border issue could mean that destroying the good friday agreement to be one of this government legacies. >> mr. speaker, i assure the honorable lady that [inaudible] paused and december of this year united kingdom and the european union makes it clear that the debt belfast agreement remains intact and all of it is part of will remain intact. >> order. questions to the prime minister. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i know the whole house will join me in paying tribute to captain dean who died in a traffic accident in iraq on the first of generate. it was not his a result of enemy activity. we want to offer condolences to his family at this difficult time. one hundr

mr. speaker. today i'm introducing a bipartisan bill that seeks to ensure that service members who are leaving the military receive the specific training they need to make a successful transition to civilian life. the battle for service members act will better prepare service members to attend college, to learn a technical trade or start a small business. all n and women in our volunteer military serve and sacrifice for this nation . when they decide to leave the armed forces, it is our nation's moral obligation to take all the steps necessary to help them thrive in the next stage of their lives. i want to thank the three original co-sponsors of this legislation. the first is congressman jack bergman, a retired three-star marine corps general who recently visited my district as part after program organized by center. tisan policy congressman bergman joined me on a visit to the local v.a. hospital and meet of my veterans advisory board. the others are congressman carlos curbelo, and kirs continue s

mr. speaker, i yield back. mr. walden: i thank the gentleman both for your wonderful words about ray and also your terrific public service. we have a couple of other members that have come down tonight and this really speaks volumes of the impact that ray had on all of us so many members oming down at this hour to pay tribute, the vice chair of the oversight committee. mr. garrett: thank you for giving us the opportunity. i met him back in 1988. i did not have the opportunity untill within ray's orbit he became the staff director and i never had the opportunity. i found him to work with, extremely intelligent and passionate about his work, his honesty and forth rightness. and then i was particularly struck when it became clear he was well aware of the severity of his illness and how he handled that with courage and grace. but knowing that the e.n.c. committee would be hand willing and involved with the issues of the day and i had several conversations how he wanted to work and spending time, helping you with these

mr. speaker. after ten years in the country my constituent -- [inaudible] to attend her fathers funeral and broke her leg making are unable to return. she just been told you have to a further ten used to reapply. that nietzsche meet you be unat the child which may be going when she can start a family in this country. will the mr. raise this issue with the prime minister and have meeting when she returns? >> mr. speaker, obvious i don't know more about the detail of the case than the honorable gentleman has just described in the house, but like many members i have immigration casework so untimely with the type of problem he has described it if you'd like to write to me after these exchanges setting out the details, i will discuss that with my right honorable friend the home secretary and the relevant minister will certainly meet him. >> thank you, mr. speaker. last week i visited the armed forces parliamentary, great outreach program the sales were doing to promote s.t.e.m. skills to local command.

mr. speaker. i know the whole house will join me in paying tribute to captain dean who died in a traffic accident in iraq on the first of generate. it was not his a result of enemy activity. we want to offer condolences to his family at this difficult time. one hundred years ago yesterday women won the right to vote and i know house well, some would say indeed some women universal suffrage did come to him and ten years later under a conservative government to back. [cheering and applause] i'm sure the house want to join me in marking the heroic struggle that led to him and having the vote because it never changed our nation's future. this morning i have meetings with ministerial colleagues in addition to my duties i shall have such meetings later today. >> my constituent has captured [inaudible] selective disability living allowance which was removed following assessments. what it was appealed she was told that because she has a degree she does not need as much support. i'm sure the prime minister

mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i rise today to recognize the bucks county opportunity council for their commitment to serving members of our community. the opportunity council will be offered free income tax preparation assistance to low-income residents of bucks county through its volunteer income tax assistance program. trained and certified volunteers will be available in lovetttown, newtown, between february 1 and april 15 to serve as many members of the community as possible. individuals and families with combined income of $54,000 or less are eligible for assistance through the program. volume tour tax preparers receive training and need to pass an exam to be certified. others can assist in support roles such as greeting visitors and scheduling. the program is sponsored by the i.r.s. and supported locally by the bucks county foundation, key bank foundation, and first national bank and trust of newtown. mr. speaker, we offer our thanks to the bucks county -- community council for all they do for the co

mr. speaker. i wish to explain why the house should consider this privileged resolution. mr. speaker, members of congress take an oath to support and defend the constitution of the united states and protect the american people. the house majority and its leadership have abandoned that duty. . it's imperative that the democratic memo be released to set the record straight. it's also important to note they may -- who knows what they have next. the majority's decision to release highly classified and distorted intelligence is profoundly dangerous and gives a bouquet to putin. as the department of justice warned, the public release of the memo is an unprecedented action and extraordinarily reckless. the f.b.i. also expressed grave concerns about the material omissions of fact that fundamentally impact the memo's accuracy. the memo prepared by the house intelligence committee -- house intelligence committee's democrats must be expeditiously released after review and appropriate redax of sources and methods by law enforcement officials, the justice department, the intelligence commu

the speaker pro tempore: mr. hairman. the chair: mr. speaker, the committee of the whole house on the state of the union has had under consideration h.r. 1865 and pursuant to house resolution 748 i report the bill back to the house with an amendment adopted in the committee of the whole. 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 the bill h.r. 1865 and pursuant to house resolution 748 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. is a separate vote demanded on any amendment to the amendment reported from the committee of the whole? if not the question is on adoption of the committee amendment in the nature of a substitute, as amended. 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 hav

mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i rise today to acknowledge the upcoming , the, the anniversary proclamations of estonia. thus in the aftermath of world war i in 1918, lithuania, estonia and latvia declared their independence and marked their beginnings as new republics as modern democratic societies. the people of the balance takes have always -- baltics have always stood for up for their values. they're committed to making the transatlantic community an area of cooperation and partnership and prosperity. the united states is proud to be strong allies in the baltic states and our nations stand together to defend our democracy. the speaker pro tempore: the house will be in order. members, please remove your conversations from the house floor. he house will be in order. for what purpose does the gentleman from new jersey seek recognition? without objection, the gentleman from new jersey is recognized or one minute. mr. payne: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, what will it take? what will it take for this b

mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. huizenga: in the letter it stated the bill would quote, improve access to credit, and quote, enhance competition among title insurance providers. i couldn't agree more with the ranking member. she talks now of kickbacks. i'm confused as to how an affiliated title structure, ricing structure versus an ununaffiliated title is a kickback. i'm confused how an escrow, money that is ours, that's put into a holding account, to be sed later to pay off debt -- i'm curious how the kickback. wish i had time to yield to the gentlelady from hear that answer. but she's talking about megabanks and this is frankly just a red herring in this whole thing. congress has the opportunity to help more americans realize a portion of the american dream. not by some grandiose law or decree but by simply reforming a burdensome regulation. home othership is a pillar of the american life for generations. today we can affirm that pillar and reassert that homeownership. can and should be an attainable goal. i want

thank you mr speaker.nt people's faith considerations, as in their faith, loved ones people's faith considerations, as in theirfaith, loved ones must be buried within 24 hours. will the prime ministerjoin me and the honourable member for maidstone and faith communities to look at this important matter. can i say to my honourable friend, i would like to thank him for raising this point because he's doing so on behalf of communities across the country and he does so from a unique position with his own experience and understanding of these issues. it is important that we take into account specific requirements of someone's faith, especially when they have lost a loved one and are grieving andi lost a loved one and are grieving and i know that although, as he will be aware, coroners are an independent judicial be aware, coroners are an independentjudicial office, i understand the ministry ofjustice is speaking to the chief coroner about this point, to see what more can be done and i am sure my right honourable

mr. speaker. i want to thank my colleagues for reminding us of the enormously important work that reverend billy -- that was done. and tomorrow's session here on the floor, here in the capitol, where he'll be lying in state. i recall very clearly the day at my wife and i met mr. graham. reverend graham. in sacramento. when he was having one of his ministries there in the city. we attended and it was an incredible experience. and we met with him personally after the event. and like the millions and indeed billions of people that heard him speak, we too were moved. earlier when i learned of his passing, i said that, well, he is no longer with us physically. his work remains with us. his speeches, his recordings, his videos. they're all there. for the future generations. and indeed for our generation. so i thank my colleagues for bringing to our attention what is a profoundly important event here in the nation's capitol. when reverend billy graham lies in state. a couple of other things i'd like to b

mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the request comes from the body. ms. pelosi: i thank the speaker. in the spirit of bipartisan, we write to reiterate our desire to ensure that the government remains open and the priorities of the american people are properly addressed. as you know, democrats have been clear that we supported budget agreement that ensures our men and women in uniform have the resources they need to protect and untry and themselves this bill will provide the middle class and working families in our country have the tools they need to succeed. as part of this depreement, we have expected that the house and the senate would address the issue of daca and our dreamers. most of our members believe that the budget agreement is a reasonable compromise to address the military strength and critical domestic priorities like fighting the opioid crisis, boosting n.i.h. and caring for our veterans, making college more affordable and investing for college families. that is what the fight has been all along. fight the resistance on the republican side to invest in the domestic agen