mr. thompson and mr. mccaul and anyone else who has concerns to ke sure that this program is effectively administered. at this time, i oppose owes the amendment. the chair: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. mr. price: i rise in reluctant opposition to the amendment as well. great s because i have respect for the gentleman from from mississippi and good work he does on the authorizing committee and also on the concerns he expressed here tonight are legitimate ones. but striking this funding in an appropriations bill is not the preferred way to deal with it. the behavior detection office program utilize eggs specially-trained individuals to identify high-risk individuals with behaviors that may be a threat to our security. these behaviors are not randomly chose yep. these individuals are trained in sikecoling call-gronded -- sikecolingal grounded behaviors. it's one element of a layered approach to ensure the security of our airlines and airport

mr. thompson. mr. thompson: i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under god, indivisible, with liberty and ustice for all. the speaker: without objection, the gentleman from texas, mr. thornberry, is recognized for one minute. mr. thornberry: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, our guest chaplain today has been the pastor of bible baptist church in wichita falls, texas, for the past 20 years, but his ministry and passion for spreading the word of god has never been confined to the walls of any church building. mike rucker, known to many as the flying preacher, has been combining his love of auto racing and the ministry since 1985 when he and his wife of 40 years, thatry, began rucker racing ministry. they spread the good word while he races and thatry often sings the national anthem. pastor rucker serves as the chaplain for the wichita falls county sheriff's office and is a regular on the joe tom white rise and shine radio s

mr. thompson of california for today. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the request is granted. under the speaker's announced policy of january 3, 2013, the gentleman from new jersey, mr. smith, is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader. mr. smith: thank you very much. mr. speaker, there are kermit gosnells all over america today inflicting not only violence, cruelty, and death on young children, but excruciating pain as well. many americans, including some who self-identify as pro-choice, were shocked and dismayed by the gosnell expose and trial. perhaps the decades long culture of denial and deceptive marketing has made it difficult to see and understand a disturbing reality. even after 40 years of abortion on demand, over 5050 million dead babies and millions of wounded mothers, many until gosnell somehow construed abortion as victimless. that has changed. there are two victims, mr. speaker, in every abortion. the mother and her unborn child. three if twins are involved. the brutality

mr. thompson, right?any time that after you fired a warning shot, in order to scare this intruder off, even though you may have arguably had a right to actually shoot at the intruder, did you think somehow you would become the perp, the criminal in medford, oregon, not acting in a an aggressive way and in fear of your life? >> i didn't think i would have charges in this way. this is a multiple felon charged with breaking in and burglary before and a slew of other crimes. he's on the street -- or he will be on the streets eventually and they will put me in jail, i imagine. >> mr. thompson, we wish justice for you. please keep us apprised what's going on here. this seems absolutely crazy. thank you for your service. >> thank you, sir, for having me. >> governor, thanks for being part of this and for being here this morning. will we watch you tonight? >> i hope so. ron fornier will be there to talk about criminalizing journalists and the secretary of israel will be there. >> i love your show. every saturday

mr. thompson. thank you mr. chairman, thank you all for being here, for your testimony and for your service to our country. mr. lipp, before going to hearing, does or has the fisa court ever rejected a case that's been brought before it? >> i believe the hans to that is yes, but i would defer that to the deputy attorney general. >> it has happened. it's not often. >>> okay. er watching this hearing on capitol hill with security officials discussing the surveillance program, discussing some cases, some specific cases that have been broken up terrorist plots, they say, using this surveillance. we just learned new details about two plots. we will discuss these details with our analysts right after the break. r what you need. and that means growth, lots of cargo going all around the globe. cars and parts, fuel and steel, peas and rice, hey that's nice! ♪ norfolk southern what's your function? ♪ ♪ helping this big country move ahead as one ♪ ♪ norfolk southern how's that function? ♪ we've been bringing people togethe

mr. thompson, for five minutes. thank you, mr. speaker. six months ago our nation witnessed a horrible massacre of innocence in newtown, connecticut. in the six months since, there are two important facts that we should note. first, nearly 5,000 more americans have been killed by people using guns. second, congress' done absolutely nothing to reduce and prevent these deaths. the senate took one vote to expand background checks. sadly, it failed when a minority of senators voted against the wishes of 90% of americans. the only thing more disappointing than the senate voting down this pro-gun owner, anti-criminal legislation is that the house has refused to vote at all. my republican colleague, peter king, and i have introduced h.r. 1565, legislation that's identical to the senate background check effort. we have three republicans, we have 179 democrats, a total of 182 co-authors. surely we need more support from the republican side of the aisle, but the truth is this shouldn't be a controversial bill and it shouldn't be partisan. background

mr. thompson: mr. chairman, i would just note, my good friend from new york, i appreciate his passion on this, but the organization's -- organizations you named have opportunities under the community forest program. we have two rather unique programs, one that already, as of the last farm bill done in 2008, provides opportunity for nongovernmental groups to be able to participate in. and with that, i continue to reserve. the chair: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from california. mr. garamendi: thank you, mr. chairman. my colleague from pennsylvania i thought was making a wonderful argument in support of this legislation. in that you talked about the success of the forest legacy program. and it has been imminently successful. and you also talked about the demands on the program and that's true. many, many states want to implement this program. we also -- but you didn't mention the fact that many states don't have the resources to manage additional properties. to manage additional trusts. this wou

mr. thompson. thank you all very much for being here for your testimony, service to our country. before going to hearing, does or has the fisa court after rejected a case that's been brought before. >> i believe the answer to that is yes, but i would defer that to deputy attorney general. >> it has happened. it is not often, but it has happened. >> thank you. mr. cole, what kind of record comprised the data collected under the business records provision. >> there's a couple of different kinds. the short hand required under the statute is the kind you get with the grand jury subpoena. these are grand jury records that already exist. it could be a contract. could be something like that. in this instance that we're talking about, for this program, these are telephone records and it is just like your telephone bill. it will show a number called, the date the number was called, how long the call occurred, a number that called back to you. those all it is. not even identifying who the people are that involved. >> have you previously collected -- >> again, we have been listening in to s

mr. thompson's recognized. >> thank you, mr. chairman. i want to thank all the witnesses for taking your time to be here. it's important that we figure all of this out. ms. kenny, i want to particularly thank you for your work with veterans, being one myself, i appreciate that very, very much. i want to just state for the record what i said the last time we had a hearing on this. i believe that it's outrageous, inappropriate, it's wrong, and we must do everything we can do to fix it to make sure it never happens again. ms. belsom, i probably went get it correct, but you said something along the lines of this needs to be investigated. those responsible need to be held accountable for any targeting of conservative groups. i agree, but i believe any targeting of any group, anybody that does that, needs to be held accountable. >> you're absolutely right. >> it's important that we hear about these abuses; however, we know it's bad, it's wrong, and we all know it must never happen again. we know we need to fix it. mr. chairman, it's time we sti

mr. thompson: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, america's blessed with abundant, clean and and affordable natural gas. as the amount of known natural gas reserves continually increases, we're also blessed with the technology to be environmentally responsible when accessing this resources. in my home state of pennsylvania, the discovery and extraction of the most -- of the schaal has been transforming. during the difficult years of an economy in recession, the unemployment numbers in the keystone state have remained well below the national rates. we can attribute a substantial portion of this to development related to this plentiful natural resource. a study by the algainey institute for public policy is a testament to this fact. their report shows that rents and royalties reported on pennsylvania income tax returns from 2006 to 2010 have increased 61% statewide. and 119% in counties with schaal activity. mr. speaker, -- shale activity. mr. speaker, we must continue to develop this resource so we ensure it offers future gen

mr. thompson: thank you, madam speaker. madam speaker, friday's job report reminds us that the number one issue remains jobs and the economy. every day the house majority fights for solutions to grow the economy. by advancing an all-of-the-above energy plan, promoting a fair and simpler tax code, and making it easier for families and students to afford college. on may 23 the house passed h.r. 1911, the smarter solutions for students act, a bill based on the president's 2014 budget request that would provide a market-based interest rate for student loans -- excuse me -- and prevent the scheduled rate hike on july 1. rather than encouraging the senate to join the house in this good faith effort, the president chose politics over students and threatened to veto for a solution that's based on his own proposal. from student loans to reliable jobs, americans want a strong economy and a more secure future. we can deliver on this, madam speaker, but only if the president starts leading and the senate stops campaigning and both star

mr. thompson? >> thank you all for being here, for your testimony and your service to our country. the foregoing to hearing, has the fisa court ever rejected a case that has been brought before it? >> i believe the answer to that is yes, but i would defer that to the deputy attorney general. >> not often, but it does happen. >> mr. cole, what kinds of records and data collected under the business records provision? >> there are a couple of different kinds. the shorthand required under the statute is the kind of records you could get with a grand jury subpoena. these are business records that already exist. it could be a contract. it could be something like that. in this instance, for this program, these are telephone records. it is just like your telephone bill. it will show a date the number was called, how long the call occurred, a number that called back to you. that is all it is, not even identifying who the people are. >> have you previously collected anything else under that authority? >> under the 215 authority? i am not sure, the long the -- beyond the 215 and the 702 that

mr. thompson is recognized. >> thank you, mr. chairman. want to thank the witnesses for taking time to be here. it's important to figure all this out. ms. kenney come i want to thank you for your work with veterans, being one myself i appreciate that very, very much and i also want to stay for the record what i said the last time we had a hearing on this. i believe it is outrageous, inappropriate, wrong we must do everything we can do to fix it to make sure it never happens again. ms. belsom, you said something along the lines that this needs to be investigated. those responsible need to be held accountable for any targeting of conservative groups. i agree, but i also believe any targeting of any group, anybody that does that needs to be held accountable. it's important we hear about these abuses. however, we know it's bad, wrong and we all know this never happen again. we know we need to fix it. mr. chairman, it's time we stipulate that it's wrong, and he says, that it never should have happened and we need to know what we need to do to g

mr. thompson? >> thank you all for being here, for your testimony and your service to our country.the foregoing to hearing, has the fisa court ever rejected a case that has been brought before it? >> i believe the answer to that is yes, but i would defer that to the deputy attorney general. >> not often, but it does happen. >> mr. cole, what kinds of records and data collected under the business records provision? >> there are a couple of different kinds. the shorthand required under the statute is the kind of records you could get with a grand jury subpoena. that are business records already exist. it could be a contract. it could be something like that. in this instance, for this program, these are telephone records. it is just like your telephone bill. it will show a date the number was called, how long the call occurred, a number that called back to you. that is all it is, not even identifying who the people are. >> have you previously collected anything else under that authority? >> under the 215 authority? i am not sure, the long the -- beyond the 215 and the 702 that answers

mr. thompson, for five minutes. mr. thompson: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i rise to voice my serious concern with medicare's implementation of the durable medical equipment, prosthetics and supplies competitive bidding program. despite strong congressional concern about the need for further transparency, the lack of binding bids during the contract process and the improper vetting of the financials of many firms that have been awarded contracts. medicare still plans to move forward in implementing round two of the program on july 1. we have learned that medicare awarded contracts under the program to dozens of firms that do not have the proper credentials to serve these contracts, and in other words leaving medicare beneficiaries without the needed access to the durable medical equipment that allows them to live with dignity during times of disease and disability. now, unfortunately, c.m.s. has created a situation where serving these contracts will violate state licensing requirements or leave contracts unfulfilled. again, leaving beneficiaries, co

mr. thompson: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. thompson: mr. speaker, today the house will be voting on the national defense authorization act known as the ndaa. the ndaa's purpose is to ensure our brave sons and daughters who serve their country will have what they need to be trained and resourced to do their work effectively. this is one of the few matters in washington that is not view through a lens. as a father of a son serving in afghanistan i am proud to say that is the case. today's ndaa includes an amendment i added that would mandate the department of defense implement a preliminary mental health assessment before individuals join the military. the goal is to ensure mental health resiliencey for those who will be facing the combat realities of war. the suicide rate among our military is unacceptable and this amendment will help reduce it

mr. thompson: thank you, mr. speaker. as a member of the agriculture committee i strongly support the farm bill we are considering today and the reforms that it brings. the e.p.a. has been implementing what is known as a total maximum daily load on the six-day chesapeake bay water shed. it's often described as a pollution diet because it mandates water quality standards and nutrient discharges into the water shed. aside from the great cost, one of the concerns i have had is the science behind the tmdl. e.p.a.'s model is substantially different than usda's. and as such i have been a strong advocate for e.p.a. utilizing the usda's data and agricultural expr tees while implementing this mandate. that's why i'm offering an amendment to the farm bill which will require the usda to provide such data in consultation with the e.p.a. while ensuring the privacy of farmers. the chesapeake bay is a national treasure. it needs and deserves our attention. however these restoration activities which require taxpayer dollars should includ

mr. thompson, for five minutes. mr. thompson: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, today i rise to address a situation that is evolving within this nation where older adults on medicare who have the misfortune of experiencing disease or disability and require durable medical equipment, equipment that is designed to allow people to live with dignity and independence in their own homes are -- we're seeing through the actions of c.m.s., through medicare, preventing their access with medicare is awarding contracts to companies who are not evenland -- not even licensed in states to do business. in the end it's going to cause a terrible disconnect with people being able to access the equipment that they need. nd not just the equipment. i have worked as an administrator. i saw what the tech nick -- technical assistance means using other types of medical equipment. in the evening i was a volunteer e.m.t. and firefighter. frequently i'd found myself in the middle of the night, pager going off, out in the community at a neighbor's home and be able to witness firsthan

mr. thompson, for five minutes. mr. thompson: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, at a time when bipartisanship is rare in washington, this past week a bipartisan majority of members of the united states houches -- house of representatives together called upon the centers for medicare and medicaid services, c.m.s. to delay further implementation of the competitive bidding program with the durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orr thodics and supplies. flaws have been identified in the bidding program which is being used to procure these goods and services for those facing life changing disease and disability. we do not oppose competitive bidding. in fact, we want to ensure that true competition takes place. medicare plays by the rules that they set for the program. today i stand beside 226 of my colleagues here in the people's house and urge the administrator of c.m.s. to do the right thing and use her authority under the current law to delay implementation in order to fix these abuses before moving forward in 100 areas nationwide on july 1. mr. speaker,

mr. thompson: mr. speaker, today the white house held a conference on mental health and the importance of removing the stigma associated with seeking mental health treatment. the conference dove tailed with an announcement by the department of veterans afares that it had met its goal to hire 1,600 new mental health professionals. despite the positive knews from the v.a., as the president stated, it's not enough to make sure they seek treatment but we have to make sure the treatment is there when they seek it. a major barrier to seeking care is not just access but the stigma oftentimes associated with seeking help, especial plly with the veteran population. thankfully, there's more we can to. i urge my colleagues to learn more about the veterans health and medical support act. this expands the number of qualified providers servicing the veteran population and helps remove the stigma associated with seeking treatment through the expansion of telemedicine at the v.a. thank you, mr. speaker, and i yield ba

mr. thompson who is very underrated and nearly gave bloomberg a run for his money, it is very possible thaweave single mocratic nominee and aingle republicanominee. its possible that the republicans go bk in d ar able to take city hall or keep contl of it, depending on what bloomber cause political affiliion is. , deputy editor of the daily caller, dailallecom. mingp, rreseativjose crowy, docrafr new yk, represting broon ques herend his ao pa othe democrat learshiin the hous we will ta aboome t suesf thday. and 're gng ttalkith tt leef thassoated ess,oong at e sue of diplomatic immuny as xylem and tie into the edward snowden case. asylum and tie it to thedward snowden case. first fullobama's day in africa. he met wi the president of senegal. prident obama's weighed on the supreme court's decision on same-sex marriage, saying it was a victory not just for gays and lesbians but f american democry. the presidentaid different customs andeligus biefs muste respectein diffent countries am a but --, but states that law should treat everyone equally. senegal is not ready to decrimalizhomosexualy. al

mr. thompson is recognized. >> thank you, mr. chairman. i want to thank all the witnesses for taking your time to be here. it is important we figure this out. ms. kenney, i want to particularly thank you with your work -- for your work with veterans. being one myself, i appreciate that very much. i want to stay for the record what i said last time we had a hearing on this. i believe it is outrageous and inappropriate and wrong, and we must do everything we can do to fix it, to make sure it never happens again. ms. belsom, i probably will not get it exactly correct, you said something along the lines of that this needs to be investigated. those responsible need to be held accountable for any targeting of conservative groups. i agree. but i also believe that any targeting of any group, anybody that does that needs to be held accountable. it is important that we hear about these abuses. however, we all know that it is bad, it is wrong, and we all know it must never happen again. we know we need to fix it. mr. chairman, it is time that we stip

mr. thompson: mr. speaker, i rise today to extend my congratulations as the dubois elementary school earns the status of a pennsylvania school to catch. -- to watch. i commend the administrators, teachers and students for their air efforts. dubois is one of three schools designated a second time after earning the designate in 2007 and then 2010. this exemplifies their outstanding responsiveness to the needs and interests of their students, helping them achieve their greatest potential. furthermore by working together to foster academic greth, the school has begun the extra mile to ensure success. the example of your success has set for other schools is an excellent one and i hope it will be shared widely. i encourage all people, students and adults, to continue to learn as it's probably the most successful ingredient in leading a successful and fulfilling life. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition? without objec

mr. thompson: the obama administration's regulatory actions have been taking their toll on the economy for some time now. his new regulations abrothers even more costly and contentious than his proovesly proposals which were reject by his colleagues in the senate. abaun needs a low cost daunt source of energy and cole is by far the cheapest, most abundant source. the obama administration continues to grossly underestimate the cumulative impact of the regulatory actions and this new plan to union latry -- to unilaterally impose regulations will further harm workers and american families who have to pay higher prices. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from virginia 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. >> ladies and gentlemen of the house, i, too, am here to discuss the president's war on coal. the president would have you believe we must choose between the environment and affordable, reli

mr. thompson? >> thank you, mr. chairman.ere and for your testimony and for your service to our country. mr. litt, before going to hearing, does or has the fisa court ever rejected a case that's been brought before it? >> revelations of a bomb plot aimed at the nyse -- revelations of a potential attack. we don't know much more about the details. the dow is up 99 points as we speak. we'll have much, much more on the markets rallying for the third day in four, plus more breaking news on that nsa hearing. more "squawk on the street" after the break. [ male announcer ] i've seen incredible things. otherworldly things. but there are some things i've never seen before. this ge jet engine can understand 5,000 data samples per second. which is good for business. because planes use less fuel, spend less time on the ground and more time in the air. suddenly, faraway places don't seem so...far away. ♪ >>> blaeki >>> breaking news this hour. they're going to publish a dossier which will detail in excess of 50 terrorist attacks that have

mr. hoyer: i rise to join the eader t i rise to join congresswoman esty and congressman thompson in recognizing this sad anniversary. mr. speaker, it is with sadness that we mark the six-month anniversary, tomorrow, of the tragic shooting at sandy hook elementary school in newtown. on that day as has been repeated and must be remembered, americans were united in shock and grief at the senseless murder by a crazed gunman of 26 innocent people. 20 innocent first graders and six courageous school staff members who took -- tried to protect them and help save the lives of others. since that day approximately 4,500, the leader mentioned 5,000, but a figure in excess of 4,500 americans have died as a result of gun violence, according to the newtown action alliance. mr. speaker, this is not just a tragedy. it is a epidemic. one that congress has a moral responsibility to address. when nine out of 10 americans support stricter background checks to keep dangerous guns out of the hands of criminals, and those with mental illness, there is no reason why congress shouldn't be able to take swift and decisive

mrs. thompson, i have some news about your husband. she thought, i've lost him forever. little did i know that i really had lost him forever. she keeps hoping that things are going to get better and that she'll be able to see more of him come back. but she said this may be as good as it gets. >> brian: that's horrendous. what you're saying, senator, is the wife has to give up whatever job she has, they have to get closer to the husband to get medical care. how do you finance it? >> here is the situation with her. she gave up her high school job. she was a teacher of spanish in california, gave up that job to be home full time taking care of anthony. and we hear as many as 1.1 million care givers ran corporations have told us who are look after wounded warriors who have maybe not as serious as anthony's, but some form of difficulty, multiple wounds and injuries. >> brian: senator, what you're saying is go to elizabeth dole foundation.org. >> right. >> brian: rand corporation is doing a comprehensive study. >> the first ever comprehensiv

mr. thompson? >> thank you all for being here, for your testimony and your service to our country.the foregoing to hearing, has the fisa court ever rejected a case that has been brought before it? >> i believe the answer to that is yes, but i would defer that to the deputy attorney general. >> not often, but it does happen. >> mr. cole, what kinds of records and data collected under the business records provision? >> there are a couple of different kinds. the shorthand required under the statute is the kind of records you could get with a grand jury subpoena. these are business records that already exist. it could be a contract. it could be something like that. in this instance, for this program, these are telephone records. it is just like your telephone bill. it will show a date the number was called, how long the call occurred, a number that called back to you. that is all it is, not even identifying who the people are. >> have you previously collected anything else under that authority? >> under the 215 authority? i am not sure, the long the -- beyond the 215 and the 702 that a

mr. thompson: thank you very much, mr. chairman.hile i am not in opposition to the proposed amendment, i do have an amendment that i had planned to offer and, however, the process was going so fast and i was not here in the time, but it speaks to the wetteland reserve program at usda. commonly referred to as the w.r.p. program. to date, w.r.p. has restored over 2.5 million acres with over 12,000 private landowners. w.r.p. benefits private landowners by restoring land that should have never been cleared for agriculture. the public benefits from the reduced financial demand for disaster assistance and/or crop insurance fund from lands that experience repeated losses. significant long-term conservation benefits obtained from the protection of wildlife habitat, the improvement of water quality, the increased of flood storage and the soil erosion. the house farm bill we're considering today consolidates into a new agriculture conservation easement program. this new program will consist of agriculture easement and wetteland easements. the

mr. thompson: thank you, madam chair. i rise in support of house agriculture committee's 2013 farm bill. this legislation is a product of three years of extensive hearings, research and fact-finding. the bill eliminates outdated farm programs, direct payments, countercyclical payments, the average crop revenue election program, and the supplemental revenue assistance payments, for example. these programs are part of an old system and need to be eliminated. regarding snap and food stamps, we have made significant reforms. specifically we've closed a number of loopholes and have eliminated categorical eligibility. where we have eliminated these loopholes such as automatic enrollments, the bill still allows for eligibility based on income to ensure that those who truly need the assistance continue to have access. for the second consecutive congress, i've had the privilege to chair the subcommittee on conservation, energy and forestry. and at the subcommittee level we were success envelope consolidating and cleaning up a numb

mr. chairman. i'm offering this on behalf of myself and mike thompson of california. it is pretty straightforward. there are already requirements for having dod from perth -- from purchasing certain items not produced in the united states, so you might think that this would not be necessary when it comes to flag by the dod. you would be wrong. you might think somebody over at dod would have a thought that american flag got to be made in america. well, you would be wrong. this ise when i think pretty straightforward, it is unacceptable for our tax dollars to pay for u.s. flags made overseas. of myry hopeful that all colleagues on both sides of the aisle will see that this is a commonsense approach. i ask for support of the minutes, and i yield back. >> is there any discussion on the amendments? the question is on adoption of the amendment offered by him, number 015. as many cars are in favor will say aye, those opposed no. ayes have it. vm and is agreed to. mr.l have the amended by smith, mr. -- number 244. will the clerk please distribute the amended? without objectio

mr. thompson: to address the house for one minute. revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: so ordered. mr. speaker, politics trumped good government today in the u.s. house of representatives. members of this body demonstrate add failure to lead by voting down the farm bill. the federal government currently operates a costly maze of duplicative and outdated agriculture spending programs. the farm bill crafted by the house reflected a fiscally responsible plan that would have ended the abuses of food stamps. ended wasteful agricultural spending programs. achieved a level of efficiency for existing programs that should be replicated in all areas of government. the farm bill would have eliminated automatic enrollment in food stamps, and prevent fraudulent payments by requiring states to verify eligibility for the program. it would have ended the economically disruptive policies that worked to further destabilize our dairy markets. the bill transitioned to a more free market approach that's better for farmers and taxpayers alike. in the absence of this c

mr. thompson: she wants to be a veterinarian when she grows up. she loves riding and her dog lieu se. she was diagnosed with leukemia, she was treated but unfortunately relapsed. she received chemotherapy for month and was scheduled for a bone marrow transplant but relapsed two weeks before the transplant date. unable to get back in remission, doctors told her parents there were no options left. the family decided to take a chance, they traveled across the state and enrolled her in a clinical trial at children's hospital. she would be the first child in he world to receive modified t-cells to fight her cancer. by may of 2012, she was in remission. i want to thank emily and her family for making toyota capitol hill last week. this body needed to hear her story and about the medical research and innovation that saved emily's life. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from ohio rise? ithout objection. >> thank you, mr. speaker. on tuesday the supreme court struck down a critical part of the voting rights act. mrs. beatty: som

thompson, for their leadership and efforts in this regard. after the backlash, many senators received for opposing expanded background checks, i suspect that a number may be ready to reconsider. mr. speaker, i urge my colleagues to come together as representative thompson and king have done to advance this bipartisan solution to this pressing challenge facing our nation, not just for congress, but every american. it should not take, it must not take another tragedy such as newtown for us to t. we have a responsibility to keep our neighborhoods and our schools safe, and i urge speaker boehner and majority leader cantor to allow this bill to come to the floor for a vote. the speaker often says he wants to allow the house to work its will. that's why the people of newtown sent congresswoman esty to congress. that's why the people of my district and every district represented in this house, people sent from -- them here to vote on policies. policies to make their country better. policies to make their country more safe. the memories of those two, the memories of those teachers, the memories of those 26, yes, the memories of those 4,500 plus who since the newtown tragedy ha lost thei

mr. hoyer: i rise to join the eader t i rise to join congresswoman esty and congressman thompson in recognizing this sad anniversary. mr. speaker, it is with sadness that we mark the six-month anniversary, tomorrow, of the tragic shooting at sandy hook elementary school in newtown. on that day as has been repeated and must be remembered, americans were united in shock and grief at the senseless murder by a crazed gunman of 26 innocent people. 20 innocent first graders and six courageous school staff members who took -- tried to protect them and help save the lives of others. since that day approximately 4,500, the leader mentioned 5,000, but a figure in excess of 4,500 americans have died as a result of gun violence, according to the newtown action alliance. mr. speaker, this is not just a tragedy. it is a epidemic. one that congress has a moral responsibility to address. when nine out of 10 americans support stricter background checks to keep dangerous guns out of the hands of criminals, and those with mental illness, there is no reason why congress shouldn't be able to take swift and decisive

mr. rain and a very big fire. smoke stretching looks like miles into the air. this is the thompsonis still growing, adding burned for more than fightifor 500 a. north of jemez springs. the because of the fire, officials of shut off assets to visit lake state park not because of a small or danger. but because fire fighters it is to get it to low water dropping helicopters. firefighters had trouble dealing with the thompson ridge first, since it is burning in steep, rugged terrain. at last night, it was only 5 percent contained. >> meanwhile, the tornado that levied much of el reno oklahoma last week is a record breaker. the national weather service said that 2.6 mi. wide, the tornado in the midwest u.s. twister widest twister ever. fides storm tore open brick homes, ripped off roofs, down trees, according power lies flat entire . ateast 19 people died and low of the storm. >> we're mainly wedding of the fifties. we admit fifties for the inland spots. lower fifties closer to daly city. you can see at livermore 55 degrees. 53 in santa rosa taking a look at your head lines, a cooler th

authorizers in chairman mccaul and ranking member thompson, and to work with the ranking member and chairperson of the subcommittee on transportation security, mr. hudson and mr. richmond. having just flown in from a memorial, and as members often do, and as we interact with our constituents, we know a lot about flying. and so it is very important that this amendment be taken as it has been offered. and i congratulate my co-sponsors, mr. grimm, mr. markey, mr. reid, mr. swalwell -- mr. reed, mr. swalwell and mr. cook, all of whom we have worked together with, for it is interesting that this has come to a point where today we can thank administrator pistol for his thoughtfulness in this process and the deliberations that took place, that the announcement comes that he too understands that allowing knives on planes is not the right decision. but in addition to the important statement of knives, we now know that other accessories such as baseball bats and ski poles and hockey sticks and la crosse sticks, among others, and golf clubs, are likewise -- likewise have been included in his statement. this amendment deals with knives. and the reason why

thompson. my boss recently wrote letters to the states. they asked for state flexibility on the problem mr.es pointed out, the home equity exemption. should states have flexibility to lower the exemption to ease the budget pressures on medicaid? thanks. >> okay. looks like we can just discuss whatever we want right now. >> well, we have one minute. i will do that. [laughter] >> i want to thank the panel for their discussion. i will say perhaps in some candor, i was disappointed. some of what was discussed struck me as not exactly relevant to the -- to my questions. we have some evidence here. we really need to understand it. some of what was mentioned didn't seem exactly relevant. but nonetheless, i do ask -- i would have two specific questions. maybe we can get a little stuff from matt. how do you states enforce, from the estate of the decedent, the recovery of the value of real estate and housing? could you explain that? and then my other question -- in 15 seconds. my other question to steve is you have indicated that ira's are exempt. that could be a lot of money. i'm wondering if that's