ms. kaptur: mr. chairman, i rise to support the gentleman's amendment and to say that he has worked so hard in the interests of maintaining both public health and restoration of the environment, related to the saltan sea. unless you've actually seen the saltan sea and you see what the changing nature of the ecosystem in southern california -- you can't manage how enormous -- imagine how enormous that challenge is. and the gentleman, from the very first day he was elected, was talking to us about that particular part of the country. i know that polluted agriculture runoff had something to do with what's happened to the saltan city. the changing nature of rainfall has transformed. i think about the sea in russia and how dangerous that has become to the surrounding environment. we face the same challenge here in our country and i know it's difficult to resolve this issue , it'll take many years because it didn't take just one year for the sea to become a wasteland really, and the surrounding communities

ms. kaptur: would the gentleman yield? mr. simpson: i'd be happy to yield to the gentlelady. ms. kaptur: i wanted to make a point on this particular facility. and the department of energy's seeming inability to help communities transition. whether it's coal-fired utilities, in the issues that coal country faces in general, or here you have a facility that's important in the nation's defense looking back and looking forward. and so many times it just seems that when technologies change, when situations change, the local people who invested their lives just get spit out. and i just wanted to put that statement on the record because i know the department of energy's listening today. and we have the ability in this country to transition communities, maybe in places like portsmith, we should be doing more in renewable, because america's going to need renewables and maybe there's a way the department of energy could be more creative, whether it's natural gas, whether it's storage of certain materials and so forth. but to put all those people out of work without a plan, without a transit

ms. kaptur. ms. kaptur: i would say that mrs. blackburn's amendment is well intentioned, we have met the goal in our subcommittee. we are $50 million below last year and it's important to keep your eye on the context. the context is in the last 10 years, well, little more than that, since 2003, our country has spent $2.3 trillion on paying for imported petroleum. when you look at the budget deficit, ask yourself why this country has lost economic muscle inside our borders and our meager $34 billion tries to compensate for that $2.3 frillion of loss and with oil at $100 a barrel, we could probably lose in the next 20 years, close to $10 trillion in economic activity. so what we try to do is to fund critical projects in this bill to help us crawl our way back to energy independence in this country all the while cutting our accounts. and i think you can't cut the future off. you have to recognize the context in which you are operating. i think you are well intentioned and misfocused and missing the bigger elephant in the room here w

ms. kaptur: mr. chairman and members, i'm pleased to offer this amendment regarding additional resources for environmental justice on behalf of our esteemed colleague congresswoman sheila jackson lee, who had to return to texas this evening on very important official business. the amendment is on page 26 of the 60-page bill and it reprograms funding for the department of energy's departmental administration to increase support for environmental justice program act tiffities by $1 million offset by a reduction of like amount in funding for departmental corporate information technology program. the amendment increases funding for the department and the program is an essential tool in the department's effort to improve the lives of low income and minority communities as well as the environment at large. 20 years ago, when president clinton issued executive order 12898 that directed federal agencies to identify and address disproportionately high impacts on human health on low income and minority populat

ms. kaptur: i rise to engage in a colloquy. the chair: without objection. ms. kaptur: madam chair. madam chair, i'd now like to yield myself such time as i may consume for the purposes of engaging in a colloquy with our colleague from california, mr. lowenthal. the chair: the gentlelady is recognized. mr. lowenthal: thank you. first, i'd like to thank the ranking member and also chairman simpson for bringing to the floor a bill that has incorporated interest from both parties within the limits of the bipartisan budget act. thank you, both. in particular, i want to thank the committee for increasing funding for specific activity within the department of energy's fossil energy research and development. that is the risk-based data management system. this activity supports the funding of a tool which is used by many states for public disclosure, of hydraulic fracturing operations. it is called frac focus. while this tool is intended to be easily useable by the public, it has been pointed out by a special department of energy task force that some improvements must be made to this govern

ms. kaptur: mr. chairman, on that i would like to ask for a recorded vote. the chair: pursuant to clause 6 of rule 18, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from ohio will be postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman from -- the gentlewoman from california seek recognition? ms. speier: i have an amendment at the desk. the chair: the clerk will report the amendment. the clerk: amendment offered by ms. speier of california. at the end of the bill, before the short title, insert the following. section, none of the funds made available by this act may be used in contra invention of section 471 of title 41, united states code. the chair: the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from california. ms. speier: thank you, mr. chairman. i think we can all agree that we want the workers at our nuclear facilities to be proactive in reporting health and safety violations. seems pretty obvious. in california whistle employeers were key in pointing out crit -- whistle blowers were key in p

ms. kaptur: today in toledo, ohio, to which he dedicated his selfless life, the roman catholic bishop, robert w. donnelly, was laid to rest. this priest of priests, gentle soul, humble leader and compassionate shepherd passed from this life on july 21, 2014. with loving gratitude, our entire community extends its deepest appreciation for his life and deepest sympathy to his family and friends at his passing. his religious life spanned 57 parish d he served as priest for seven congregations and taught in catholic high schools. everywhere he was for the people and revered. what a priest, what a bishop, what a shepherd was he, a gentle and holy man and a powerful religious leader. the thousands upon thousands of religious messages he shared were not bombastic but wise. the thousands upon thousands of people across generations that he touched with baptisms, graduations, communions, marriages, funerals and confirmations, bishop donnelly was a man of peace, he was hard working and always present when it mattered. with his extraordinary brother priest, father martin donnelly, with whom he retired, t

ms. kaptur: i thank the gentleman for his -- the chair: gentleman's time has expired. ms. kaptur: i appreciate what you have proposed on nonproliferation, very underfunded in the accounts, in my opinion, and we look forward to working with you. the chair: the time has expired. without objection, the amendment is withdrawn. the clerk will read. the clerk: page 29, line 15, billion.ctors $1 fice of the administrator, $386,863,000 to remain available until september 30, 2016. environmental and other defense ,000,000. , $4,108 power marketing administration, power administration fund, expenditures from the power administration fund are approved for the black canyon trout hatcherry and for other expenses not to exceed $5,000. operation and maintenance, southeastern power $7,222,000.on operation and maintainance, $46,240,000. construction rehabilitation, operation and maintainance, western area power $304,202,000. perating and maintenance fund, $4,727,000. federal energy regulatory commission, salaries and xpenses, $304,389,000. general provisions, department of energy, section 3

ms. kaptur: our nation can't employ the nearly 20 million unemployee and underemployed citizens without addressing what's happening to growing imports and lessening exports. here's a bumper sticker. out of a job yet? keep buying foreign. that was on a car in michigan as we came back here today. in 2013, america imported, get this, 369 -- $379 billion in petroleum products aloan. $309 billion in automotive, and $329 billion in consumer goods, which are not offset by exports. we are exporting jobs and importing items from other places. think of the jobs we could create here if we could live the slogan, made in america. for every billion dollars of goods exported our economy creates 5,000 jobs. for every billion dollars imported we lose 9,000 jobs. that's why we've been in the hole for the last 25 years. our middle class is shrinking, people are struggling out there they can't make ends meet. we have a budget deficit because weave trade deficit. america doesn't need any more job killing trade deals. yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady's time has expired. for what purpose does the gent

ms. kaptur: the perpetrator of that horrendous act was a schizophrenic, not on his medicine and drove 3/4 across this country to commit those heinous crimes. before this house today is two bills, one authored by tim murphy and another authored by a democrat, ron barber. all these years have passed and we have never yet brought to this floor a measure that would make a difference in this country for those who suffer with mental illness and some of whom unfortunately obtain weapons. i believe we have a moment in this house to do something exceptional, and i hope it can happen in this congress. mr. speaker, i yield back my remaining time. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, five-minute voting will continue. the unfinished business is the vote on the motion of the gentleman from michigan, mr. walberg, to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 5111 as amended on which the yeas and nays are ordered. the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 5111, a bill to improve the response to victims of child sex trafficking. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspen

ms. kaptur: first of all, i want to compliment congressman john garamendi for his exceptional leadership in the make it in america agenda and allowing members like myself and congressman tonko from new york and others to participate in focusing the spotlight on what counts. and i wanted to follow on what the gentleman had said about what we import versus what we export. people say well, america has a budget deficit. well, we have a jobs deficit. that grows from importing more than we export. and you mentioned the energy sector, one that i have particular responsibility for here. last year we imported $369 billion more of petroleum than we exported energy products. that translates into lost jobs in our country of over 1.8 million. nearly two million jobs just in the energy sector that we could bring back home. if we focused on an all-of-the-above energy strategy that would help us recapture that wealth. those jobs here at home. automotive, a sector that our region of the country, toledo cleveland, parma, brook park, we know the auto industry very well. but last year we imported into our c

ms. kaptur: i thank the speaker. i rise to congratulate the toledo zoo recently voted the best zoo in america on its dedication of a new 2.1 megawatt solar array. the project is a win for everyone involved. it embraces the future. it will supply 30% of the zoo's electricity needs, and it makes use of a vacant brownfield site in the city that would otherwise be a financial and environmental burden. it serves as a wonderful educational tool for the zoo's more than 800,000 annual visitors. unfortunately, this is a success story that will be difficult to replicate in ohio due to the backward energy policy recently enacted by ohio's governor and state legislature. as america strives to regain energy security, we must embrace all energy options, especially innovative renewable energy sources that will power our future into and beyond the 21st century. hats off to the toledo zoo for serving as a national leader in advancing this goal. madam speaker, i'd like to include for the record a recent article from the toledo blade d