mr. tierney. >> thank you very much. this is exactly the type of oversight we need to be doing on programs. if we're going to have programs where we agree we need to reduce hunger and fraud can't be allowed if we're going to have public support behind it, this is a good thing for the community to be doing. in my district in massachusetts we had groups working very, very hard to try to reduce hunger. they have seen a 40% increase in people accessing soup kitchens and pantries. with the economy the way it is, it's been very, very difficult for them. massachusetts is the only state i'm aware of that actually that has line item on this type of issue, mass emergency food assice they have a level budget. all my folks working hard on this, when they see a proposal 20% cut for s.n.a.p. program, it's panic. they want to make sure fraud isn't an issue as well but they want to make sure they have the resources. when i hear the numbers of 4% down to 1% on fraud, 20% cut in the budget, i understand why they are looking that way. we h

mr. tierney, for bringing this legislation of which i am an original co-sponsor before the house. the national guard has provided 370 years of dedicated service to our country. beginning in 1629 when the first militia was organized in the massachusetts bay colony in salem by captain john endicott, the national guard has played a key role in protecting the nation and responding to contingencies around the globe. the national guard is the oldest component of the armed forces of the united states. the pay yots who founded our nation -- patriots who founded our nation followed english tradition and organized their abled body male citizens into militias. all males between the ages of 16 and 60 were expected to maintain arms and participate in the defense of the community. colonial militias proteched their couldn'tlymen from foreign invaders and helped win the revolutionary war. following the war, our founders allowed for congress to quote, organize, arming and disciplining the militia. however, recognizing this emilitias state roles, they left training of the militia to the state. the

mr. tierney, for five minutes. mr. tierney: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to urge my colleagues to support legislation that i along with congressman george miller of california and ruben hinojosa of stks are introducing later today to re-authorize the work force investment act. the work force investment act or w.i.a. is the primary federal law of governing how employment and training services are provided to adults, youth, and dislocated workers. it was enacted in 1998 when unemployment was below 5%. and before many of today's high growth industries existed. it is long past time for w.i.a. to be modernize n $and retooled to address our country's current challenges. the bill i'm introducing today cost that. this bill increases access to training and improves delivery of employment services. it strengthens the ability standards to better evidence program effectiveness and provide assurance that is our taxpayer dollars are being well spent. my bill ensures that the kind of innovative work being done by the work force investment board in my distric

mr. tierney. >> thank you very much. mr. kelly was discussing with you the fact that there were 48 d. two inspections of upper big branch mine. for 62 weeks in the year, 48 of those ended up shutting down at this mine. there must be something you can do. you started to lay out the idea that you could go and seek an injunction, which when you did it in the case of the freedom mine are much ado about three months. if this line continues to operate on a consistent pattern, there would be more violations, and unwarrantable safety violation. that does not look like a good remedy that you are a miner, while they have this track record, you can see if they have enough of a finding to have an injunction. once again, we are left here because of some breach in the law, a failure to get from one point to the other. the miners are left in an unsafe condition -- working in an unsafe condition. >> i am here to tell everyone that we are using all the tools we can. >> you still don't get to the story when an unsafe mine is permanently shut down or something happens to. >> i want an effective tool. yo