ms. edwards. ms. dwards: thank you, madam speaker, and thank you to my colleague from ohio for keeping our focus on working people and on the struggles of working people, particularly this environment, this recession, coming out of this recession. people have lost their jobs. people who need unemployment. last week, madam speaker, i had the privilege of meeting a woman who represents workers all across this country, she's a constituent in my congressional district in maryland. she was unjustly suffering from the loss of her unemployment benefits. she told me that after 28 years she lost her full-time job with a cooperation in october -- corporation in october, 2008. she was then offered a temporary position but it only lasted four months. for the first time in almost 30 years, i think since she was a teenager, she was unemployed and began receiving unemployment insurance. since then she has fought tirelessly to get a job, sending out hundreds of resumes, filling out countless job applications. and over

ms. edwards: thank you, mr. speaker.ise today to join all of america in celebrating 75 years of a bedrock promise to our seniors, to our retirees of social security. that's right, 75 years of social security, a promise from one generation to the next generation. in this country, six in 10 seniors rely on social security for more than half of their income. over six million children, nearly one in 10, receive part of their family income from social security. i was one of those young people when my father was disabled. i and my siblings received social security to help us continue to support our family in a real time of need. it really is one promise from one generation to the next. now, there are some on the other side of the aisle who want to privatize social security. they put social security into the stock market and maybe we'd face a year like we faced in the last couple of years and retirees would lose a third or more of their income. but that's not the promise that we make from one generation to another. and so this

ms. edwards. ms. edwards: i thank the gentlelady and, madam speaker, i have to tell you, it really troubles me to be here this evening because once again we have to point to action by house democrats to bring jobs to the american people and inaction by our republican colleagues, particularly those who sit in the united states senate, who have failed to deliver on the promise of jobs to the american people. now, when president obama came into office, i think that month, madam speaker, we lost something like 750,000 jobs just that one month. after having hemorrhaged for over a year thousands and thousands of jobs, not creating a single job in this country, sooned then the president comes in and we have to deal with the financial crisis also inherited by -- from the previous administration. still americans are without jobs. but this congress didn't stand still, the democratic leadership in this congress didn't stand still. we passed significant job legislation. first the stimulus package that created jobs

ms. edwards: to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. edwards: mr. speaker, i rise today to commemorate the upcoming 75th anniversary of social security and express my support for the financial security of millions of retired americans. representing maryland's fourth congressional district, i serve many who oversee and administer the social security administration. one of my constituents i have the honor of meeting in a retirement community in mitchellville, maryland. robert was one of the chief architects of social security, the program we know today. mr. ball was social security's chief administrator from 1962 to 1973. he was described once as, quote, the undisputed spiritual leader and chief advocate. he served three presidents, republicans and democrats, to make sure it remained strong for all of us. he passed away in january of 2008, but he left a legacy barely known outside washington, but a program that's the backbone of america's social safety net. at time when republicans are threatening the prifings of social security -- privati

ms. lee: i would like to yield one minute to the congresswoman from maryland, donna edwards. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. edwards: i rise in support as a co-sponsor of this amendment and i thank congresswoman lee. this amendment requires that we act on evidence and we know that based on the evidence our afghanistan policy is a failure. numerous strategies and restated mission statements from president bush to prime minister gordon brown to prime minister blair to president obama, we -- restated mission statements continue to fall short. u.s. military reported that 102 coalition forces were killed in june alone along with the people of afghanistan heightening the iraq war. we need to use our resources to bring our troops, our treasure home. i want to be clear. my opposition to the war is opposition to the policy and not to the brave men and women about we do an an injustice if we do not have a debate. i have seen the conditions on the ground just recently and this war will never end quickly, if at all. i urge my colleagues to support this amendmen

ms. edwards: thank you, mr. speaker. look, at 3:00 this afternoon, 2,742,660 americans were denied an extension of their unemployment benefits. it's just that simple. i've heard the arguments on the other side but when a liberal goes in to buy bread, nobody says that's liberal bread. when a conservative goes in to buy cereal, nobody says that's conservative cereal. when republicans go in to pay their rent, nobody says that's republican rent. when democrats go to pay they the electric bill, nobody says it's a democratic electric bill. yet here on this floor we have heard time and time again about liberals and conservatives and republicans and democrats and when americans are unemployed, it doesn't matter what any of those labels are buzz they're -- because they're trying to feed their families and take care of their responsibilities. and they have paid in, in many cases, for years and years and year, into an unemployment compensation insurance fund and now that it's time to draw on it, our colleagues want to deny them the

ms. edwards: here we go again. today and every day in this chamber my republican colleagues stand here and blame gems for failing to create jobs. blame democrats for failing to create jobs. right now senate republicans just like their house colleagues are blocking the passage of five critical bills that would create at least 1.5 million jobs for the american people. house republicans have the audacity to accuse democrats of not doing enough to create jobs? shame on them. i urge republican senators to vote for america competes, the small business job and credit act, the jobs for main street act, and the small business and infrastructure act to provide desperately needed jobs. if republicans are really serious about job creation, then they urge their colleagues in the senate to take immediate action and pass these bills. madam speaker, it's about 186 days since we passed our first jobs bill and still they haven't acted. it's time for senate republicans to act, write a paycheck to the american people, and finish the j

ms. lee: i wou like to yield one minute to the congresswoman from maryland, donna edwards. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. edwards: i rise in support as a co-sponsor of this amendment and i thank congresswoman lee. this amendment requires that we act on evidee and we know that based on the evidence our afghanistan policy is a failure. numerous strategies and restated mission statements from president bush to prime minister gordon brown to prime minister blair to president obama, we -- restated mission statements continue to fall srt. u.s. military reported that 102 coalition forces were killed in june alone along with the people of afghanistan heightening the iraq war. we need to use our resources to bring our troops, our treasure home. i want to be clear. my opposition to the war is opposition to the policy and not to the brave men and women about we do an an injustice if we do not have a debate. i have seen the conditions on the ground just recently and this war will never end quickly, if at all. i urge my colleagues to support this andment. and

ms. edwards, to preside over the committee of the whole. the chair: the house is in the committee of the whole on the state of the union for the consideration of h.r. 5822 which the clerk will report by title. the clerk: a bill making appropriations for military construction, the department of veterans affairs and related agencies for the fiscal year ending september 30, 2011, and for other purposes. the chair: pursuant to the rule, the bill is considered read the first time. the gentleman from texas, mr. edwards, and the gentleman from florida, mr. crenshaw, each will control 30 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from texas. mr. edwards: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the chair: without objection. mr. edwards: madam speaker, could i ask for order in the house, please. the chair: the committee will be in order. members will please remove their conversations from the floor. the committee will be in order. members and staff will please remove their conversations from the floor. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr.

ms. edwards: mr. speaker, day after day my republican colleagues stand in the well of this chamber blaming democrats for failing to create jobs. as a democrat who has voted time and time again in this house of representatives to create jobs for working family, i'm shocked. right now and today senate republicans are blocking the passage of five critical bills that would create at least 1.5 million jobs for the american people. and house republicans after not having cast votes for these bills have the audacity to accuse democrats of not doing enough to create jobs? shame on them. i urge republican senators to vote for the america competes act, the small business credit act, the jobs for main street act, the business and infrastructure act to provide desperately needed jobs. if they're serious about creating jobs they'll urge their senate republicans to take immediate action and pass these bills. senate republicans, it's payday for the american workers, it's time to write a check to the american people a

ms. halvorson: i yield myself such time as i may consume. i like to chairman praise chairman obey and chairman edwards for their commitment. their committee made a commitment and renewed the promise to care for those who have served in our armed services. they have kept that promise and dramatically increased funding for our veterans by 70% since 2007. as the only member of congress from illinois that sits on the veterans committee, i really can speak to the critical need that these funds have addressed for illinois veterans. my amendment is simple. it adds $10 million to the v.a. major construction projects and subtracts $10 million from the general operating expenses. much of the v.a. medical structure is outdated and in many cases obsolete. according to the budget which is written by some of the largest veteran service organizations, a great number of current medical facilities were built after world war ii and were constructed with a structurally obsolete design that, quote, do not typically meet the needs of modern health care delivery. the result of these outdated buildings has left them with a long list of major con