ms. jackson lee, for ive minutes. ms. jackson lee: i ask the speaker to address the house, unanimous consent. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. jackson lee: mr. speaker, i se to reflect again on yesterday's tragic and obviously painful event. i think it's important for our colleagues and certainly for those we represent across america to recognize that our attention on those issues are equal to the pain and the devastation that they represent. it is important to again offer sympathy to those who lost their loved ones, to those who still are under the care of the medical team in boston, to the city of boston, state of massachusetts, mayor and above above. my colleagues from the state of massachusetts and certainly the people there. you have our prayers and again our commitment to never cease until the perpetrator or perpetrators are brought to justice. in saying that, i believe it's important that we proceed in discussion that will also move this country forward. that is to finally get to a point of passing a

ms. jackson lee, is recognized for one minute. ms. jackson lee: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. jackson lee: mr. speaker, we have faced enormous tragedies this week with the horrific tragedy of boston and now today the tragedy of explosions in west, texas. i rise today to salute minister yolanda adams, who has taken her music to a step where she is ministering and given comfort to those who need comfort. as reflected in her prayer and through her music, yolanda adams has taught us to embrace god's grace and mercy and for those who will listen to stand in the sunlight of joy as one looks toward the hopelessness of their future or of their lives. yolanda adams is a native born american, native born houstonian and in fact someone who grew up in the public schools of houston and began her life in music after she began her life as a teacher. she graduated from sterling high school in 1979 in the oldest of -- and the oldest of six siblings. after graduating from the uni

ms. jackson lee, is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader. ms. jackson lee: i thank the speaker very much and i ask unanimous consent that members may have five days to submit statements into the record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. so ordered. ms. jackson lee: thank you so very much for the opportunity to discuss with my colleagues a pending action in the united states congress and a plea for civility and fairness. as i do that, let me acknowledge equal pay day and support as i have done over the years, congresswoman delauro's continued acknowledgement and recognizing of the need to finally put an end in disparities to pay for women. that's what america is all about. and i'm delighted to join my colleagues who have already spoken to the idea of ensuring that we have equal pay. i hope we can pass that legislation. i also, however, want to raise an issue and offer my concern and expression of, if you will, comfort to the students at lone star college. part of lone star is in my congressional district and i share that with one of my c

ms. heila jackson lee. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from texas is recognized for a minute and a half. ms. jackson lee: i ask unanimous consent to address the house. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. jackson lee: often we are christian baptist and african-american tradition, which is paraphrasing the words of the bible, give honor unto those whom honor is due. for that reason i can give tribute to the two members of congress without reservation for recognizing the importance, both congresswoman sewell, congressman bachus, for giving onor to those families who languished for over 50 years and wondered did anybody care. thank congresswoman sewell for her great leadership and congressman bachus for joining and exuding the kind of partnership, the spirit of his family tradition, and against all adversity saying i want to join and to speak of nonviolence. i rise today with great enthusiasm for h.r. 360, and say to the family members, the sisters, the friends of addie mae collins and carole

ms. jackson lee, for five minutes. without objection. ms. jackson lee: mr. speaker, later on today the president will join my fellow texans in west, texas, to mourn the loss of so many who died in a tragic plant explosion last week. many of them were first responders, and many who will come to mourn and to celebrate life and the life of west, texas, will be those who have been harmed and injured. i will join them in spirit as i know my colleagues here today will. that's why as i rise today to commemorate and salute two gospel music titans it becomes even more appropriate to salute my friend, james, "jazzy" jordan, and mr. don jackson for they understand the value and the message of gospel music. gospel music holds a special place in the american experience gospel music was a release for hardship, but it was also a form of praise and protest. i want to thank jazzy jordan for understanding that as we introduced in 2008 the gospel music heritage legislation that establishes september in the united states of america as gospel music heritage month. e hope that am

ms. jackson lee. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from texas is recognized for one minute. ms. jackson lee: i ask unanimous consent to address the house. i know the american people are watching the blame game but the blame game falls clearly on this side of the aisle. my republican friends held this place hostage. we won't pay the debt ceiling, we won't pay our debts. now we're losing two million jobs, 4,800 head start programs. i believe in air traffic controllers but we're holding them hostage. what about the person who cannot afford an airline ticket? and so i'm saying today that it is important that we stand for the millions of dollars that we are losing for homeland security. mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to bring up h.r. 900, a one-sentence bill that will repeal a section of the budget control act of 2011 to get rid of the sequester. go to budget conference, have conferees, have a budget, get rid of the sequester, bring it up now, mr. speaker. i ask unanimous consent to bring up h.r. 900. the speaker pro tempore: does the gentleman from iowa yield for that purpose?

ms. jackson lee, for five minutes. i ask son lee: unanimous consent to address the house for five minutes. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. jackson lee: mr. speaker, most of us came here to this place to serve the american people and to ensure that the most powerful lawmaking body answer the needs of the cries of those who cannot speak for themselves. nd yet as we lange wish -- languish in those values, they may be more on paper than they are in action. i rise today to ask, maybe even plead, that this house puts on the floor h.r. 900, which is to eliminate the sequester from the budget reconciliation act and to go to regular order, because the people of the united states are hurting. and even more so, i would say that they are crying. oh, it's very easy for us to be able to say there is no impact, we see no impact. i hope for those who have been in their districts for the last two weeks that they realize how inaccurate and untrue that is. in fact, it hurts me to see the pain in my constituents' faces and

ms. jackson lee, for one minute. ms. jackson lee: i thank my good friend. i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend. i thank my good friend and i'm so glad my good friend talked about the question of fairness. because i believe in fairness as well. and i ask my colleagues to enthusiastically, with great presence, to vote this legislation down because it is unfair. because i believe in the working man and working woman and working families who desperately need a fair body that is in order, in regular order, the nlrb, that allows companies, corporate america, to come to the table of reconciliation on issues like pay equity, which my good friend rosa delauro, has championed, and i'm joining her. on good issues like the quality of life in the workplace. the idea of income and negotiations on plants being shut down. and what my good friends want to do is design the process to this president that ronald reagan used some 240 times. hundreds of recess appointments in the 1980's to ensure that regular order occurred in this nation on behalf of the working men and

jackson lee two minutes. the chair: the gentlelady from texas is recognized for two minutes. ms. jackson lee: i thank the distinguished ranking member and the chairman as well for working to answer an enormous concern on the question of national and domestic security. since robert morris in 1988 released one of the first computer worms, we realized as the computer and the internet now have grown, the proliferation of computer malware or computer programs specifically to damage computers or their networks or steal data attracted public and media attention that we needed to do something. now more than ever, cybersecurity impacts every aspect of our lives. as a member of the homeland security committee, i can assure you that my concern about the electric grid, utilities, the energy and financial industries, recognizes that it is important to act and to act with speed and understanding. likewise, i am concerned of the rage and epidemic of hackers and the impact that it has on 85% to 87% of the infrastructure in this nation. for that reason, however, i breeb that along with -- believe

ms. jackson lee: i ask unanimous consent to place appropriately in the record that i would have under the cybersecurity bill, voted -- the house is not in order. the speaker pro tempore: please take your conversations off the floor. he house will be in order. the gentlewoman may continue. ms. jackson lee: i ask unanimous consent to place in the record at the appropriate place that i would have voteda on the rogers' amendment,a on the connelly anda nt and -- connolly on the langevin amendment on the underlying legislation and i acknowledge that i was not present and i was unavoidbly detained with meetings in my office. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. s. jackson lee: thank you. the speaker pro tempore: the chair will entertain requests for one-minute speeches. for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania seek recognition? mr. thompson: request unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. thompson: 100 years ago, congress passed the 1914

ms. jackson lee. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from texas is ecognized for two minutes. ms. jackson lee: i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. jackson lee: thank you very much, mr. speaker. and to my colleagues and friends who are managing this legislation. we're in the judiciary committee passing something called the reins act because our friendses on the other side of the aisle don't believe that the president is om nip tent. frankly, as my good friend from colorado said, the president doesn't control the bus drivers nd school, if you will, school aides and nurses aides and doesn't control the secretaries or doesn't control the construction workers who happen to be women. they don't control those -- or the office workers who happen to be women. many of my constituents who get up every morning, i saw one young woman, mr. polis, get up, get on a bus, a city bus, drop her child off at the school, really do a marathon dash to the school in order for the bus to make a u-turn, not a school bus but a city bus, to get on that

ms. jackson lee: unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentlewoman is recognized for one minute. ms. jackson lee: i thank you, mr. speaker. it was my intent to come to the floor and discuss and urge the fast consideration of gun safety legislation and to speak as well to the jurisdictional issue of the homeland security department working on cybersecurity. but i too believe it is most important to offer my deepest sympathy to those who lost their lives in boston, on patriots day in this boston marathon, that all the world comes to, to thank the first responders, those including nurses and doctors, volunteers, marathon runners and those who came from around the world to be in this unifying event. we give to them our deepest concern. i express my deepest sympathy to my colleagues who represent the boston area, to governor deval patrick and to those again, those familiar families who lost loved ones and those who are now lingering in hospital beds, i wish them well and stand with my colleagues a

ms. jackson lee: to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized for one minute. ms. jackson lee: thank you, mr. speaker. a matter of reflecting on last week and to speak about some very important homeland security issues, likely i want to thank the outstanding law enforcement, f.b.i., and others who work opped the tragedy of 9/11 as we proceed as members of congress to further investigate how not to have that happen again. but the one point i want to make very clearly that's been said over and over by members beaters of the administration, this should not stop reform. i offer my deepest sympathy to those in west, texas, but we have to have a nexus between chemical plants and those who have those kinds of hazardous materials to provide a security lan and process to avoid the horrific tragedy that occurred. i will soon be introducing such legislation and i certainly believe that it is our role to intervene and to secure the homeland. i yold back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the

ms. jackson lee, for five minutes. ms. jackson lee: i ask unanimous consent to address the house. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. . jackson lee: today the bodies of this congress have an opportunity to save lives. in fact, they have a historic moment. they actually have the ability to act for once after a tragedy of the proportions of newtown, having not acted over the years. after conlum wine, theater in aurora, horrific tragedy of virginia tech. and many, many others, including that of our colleague in arizona . i am hoping as we stand here today that the right consciouses of those who have the opportunity in the other body to pass sensible gun legislation will do so. and in order to aid them, to listen to the voices of the people, 50 members of the united states house of representatives have asked for those in the other body not to filibuster any gun legislation, but to have an up or down vote. the reason we say that is because the massive numbers of oss of children, 80-some children, who die every year, every month by gunshot. the thousands of teenagers who pick up

ms. jackson lee: thank you very much. i'm so glad the speaker was responding on that $100 billion -- probably got him out of his chair and i think we are allowed to say those things on the floor. thank you, mr. speaker, and i do have a few more points i want to make. but the number of $100 billion is certainly a lot. but i want to spend some time on this issue of gun trafficking and to speak about how gun trafficking can be something that we can find ways to come together. dastardly ing is because in washington, d.c., strong gun laws, new york, strong gun laws, state of connecticut and state of colorado and i send out my condolences to the loss of their head of corrections, a terrible manner of being shot in his doorstep. the district attorney and his wife are so loved and the other district attorney that were so loved here in the state of texas, that comes out of criminals with guns that they should not have. and so forcing a review of our gun laws to stop gun trafficking and to pass legislation that stands in the gap an

jackson lee. i'd like to yield her as much ime as she may consume. jole jackson lee let me thank -- ms. jackson lee: let me thank the gentlelady from california and i particularly thank for your astuteness for bringing us together. if i might reflect on memory lane that was painful, we traveled a lot together, and i think of the moments in history on the iraq war, the rising up the american people was powerful. from san francisco to places in between to the quarter of a million people that walked down 53rd, 57th street in new york on a cold morning, i believe, in january, people all over america recognized that it was not these brave men and women that you see here. and i brought pictures of wonderful families and men and women who were called to serve, who we continue to honor and appreciate. i thought it was important to acknowledge that our soldiers have families. we see it all the time. my district is near ellington field, and it is increasingly becoming a base utilizing the talents of young americans who are willing to volunteer. so i take this 10th anniversary as well to pay tribut