ms. ros-lehtinen: yes. madam speaker, at this time i'd like to yield two minutes, our remaining time, to the gentleman from california, mr. lungren, the ranking member on the committee on house administration and a member of the homeland security and judiciary committee. i can think of no better person to close our debate on our side. thank you. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california is recognized for two minutes. mr. lungren: i thank the gentlelady. madam speaker, i join the chairman and ranking member of the committee in opposing this resolution. sometimes in public debate we ask the wrong question. are we placing ourselves in the wrong context? i'm reminded of a headline that i saw not too long ago on a domestic issue and the headlines said this simply, prison population increases despite drop in crime. for those of us involved in the criminal justice system, we thought maybe it never dawned on that writer that the crime rate was dropping precisely we were putting the bad guys in prison.

ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, madam speaker. i yield three minutes to the the gentleman from illinois, mr. kirk, a member of the committee on appropriations. the speaker pro tempore: mr. kirk is recognized for three minutes. mr. kirk: i feel compiled to rise today as the only member of this body who was deployed twice to afghanistan, both times as a navy reserve intelligence officer in kad

ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, madam speaker. i yield three minutes to the the gentleman from georgia, mr. rings ton, -- kingston. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. kingston: i rise in opposition to this resolution, but i do appreciate mr. kucinich bringing it up and i think it's proper to debate this. i'm a member of the appropriations committee and many years ago in committee, we voted to support the scags amendment to an appropriation rule that would have put the war powers in effect, during the clinton administration, but i don't remember what the squirmish is. it is appropriate for us to debate, however, i think the timing not exactly optimal particularly with troops in the field. it does appear to me that if the democrat leadership was serious about this, they would have allowed hearings in the committee and have a committee vote rather than put it on the house floor, but i'm glad you brought it up. and i also want to point out to you as someone who voted no on the litany i'm about to give on spendin

ms. ros-lehtinen: mr. speaker, we have no further requests for time and we yield back the balance of our time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back the balance of her time. the gentleman from virginia. mr. connelly: mr. speaker, i want to congratulate our colleague from california, ms. chu. i was in mexico just about a year ago and clearly the unfolding lie lens is something that ought to be of -- violence is something that ought to be of great concern to every american. it's just to the south of our border and it's something that's very alarming in its scope and its unparalleled violence and i thank our colleague from california for bringing this once again to the attention of the united states congress. with that i have no further requests for time and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from virginia yields back the balance of his time and the question is will the house suspend the rules and agree to house resolution 1032 as amended. those in favor

ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. ms. ros-lehtinen: i rise in strong opposition to this resolution. as we are all aware, u.s. forces at this very moment are engaged in battle against heavily armed enemy forces in a strategically important region of afghanistan. our brave men and women are making steady progress against the deadly foe and are doing so at great risk to their lives. this offensive is part of a new strategy in afghanistan focused on the immediate goals of disrupting, dismantling and defeating al qaeda, denying al qaeda a safe haven, and reversing the momentum of the taliban. this offensive is already producing dramatic success, including the capture of senior taliban leaders, the rounding of their forces and the stabilization of key areas. it should be supported, not undermined. we must not give taliban leaders and fighters a shield against u.s. forces that they would otherwise -- that they otherwise cannot stop. no enemy was ever vanquished, no victo

ms. ros-lehtinen: i have no further requests for time and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. ms. watson: i have no further speakers, so i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the question is, will the house suspend the rules and agree to house resolution 311. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the resolution is agreed to. and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from california seek recognition. ms. watson: on that, i demand the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested and all those in favor of taking this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. a sufficient number having arisen, yeas and nays are ordered pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20 and the chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be postponed. the gentlewoman from california. ms. watson: i move to suspen

ms. ros-lehtinen. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. ros-lehtinen: i thank my good friend for the time. thank you very much to my colleagues on the other side. i obviously rise in strong support of my resolution. i introduced it to recognize the florida keys scenic highway and its designation as an all-american road by the u.s. department of transportation. i have wonderful pleasure of representing this historic highway, long known as the overseas highway, which is part of u.s. 1 and runs along 100 miles through a series of tropical islands from key largo to key west. it is paradise. this resolution also recognizes the many dedicated grassroots activists who have long worked hard on this major endeavor since 1996. they formed the florida keys scenic corridor in 2007 and finally made this dream a reality. the florida keys scenic highway is one of only five all-american roads named on october 16, 2009, by the u.s. department of transportation under the national scenic byways program. since 1991, the install scenic byways program has recogn

ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, mr. speaker. at this time i would like to yield five minutes to the gentleman from texas, judge poe, an esteemed member of our house foreign affairs committee, as well as the judiciary committee. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. mr. poe: thank you, mr. speaker. this is about our troops. this is about americans who have been willing to protect the rest of us when duty calls and in time of war. army specialist juriet grimmle was one of those noble americans. he was a patriot and joined the united states army right out of high school. he had completed basic training before he graduated from high school, his junior year, at a high school in texas. in 2008 he married his high school sweetheart in a small ceremony before the justice of the peace. she joined him in alaska where he was deployed by the army to begin their young married lives together. he was a patrol supply specialists assigned to the 428th brigade special troops battalion, fourth brigade combat team,

ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, madam speaker. i'm completion pleased to yield two minutes to the gentlelady from florida, congresswoman ginny brown-waite, a member of the house committee on ways and means. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from florida is recognized for two minutes. ms. brown-waite: thank you, madam speaker, and i thank the gentlewoman for yielding. you know, earlier today, this afternoon, our democratic colleague, mr. skelton, a decorated war hero himself, came down to the floor and he said he opposed the question, have we forgotten -- he posed the question, have we forgotten 9/11? i think this resolution perhaps sends the wrong message that this congress has forgotten 9/11 and also the wrong message to americans. just as our young men and women are always ready and always there for us in the military, we must show equally steadfast loyalty to them. over 1.4 million men and women are bravely serving our nation in active duty military duty today. i've attended sendoff ceremonies for the troops from my dist

ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, madam speaker. i'm pleased to yield three minutes to the gentleman from tennessee, mr. roe, the ranking member of the veterans' affairs subcommittee on oversight and investigation. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from tennessee is recognized for three minutes. mr. roe: thank you, madam speaker. i thank the gentleman for yielding and i -- the gentlelady for yielding and i rise in opposition to this resolution. if passed this would send a terrible message to our troops in arm's way and only serve to boost morale among our enemies who now face the reality that they're being trapped night and day. i served in the army in 1973 and 1974 in the infantry in korea and i felt abandoned at that time by my country and never want a soldier to feel like i felt at that time. what i saw happen in vietnam and washington bureaucrats and lawmakers micromanage the war and prevent commanders from having the resources available, which they thought would win, i will never support a plan for this or any or war in wh

ms. ros-lehtinen. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. ros-lehtinen: as the house author of the legislation awarding the congressional gold medal to the women's air force service pilots, wasps, i rise in strong support of today's resolution. i'd like to thank my wonderful friend from california, my colleague, my collaborator, congresswoman susan davis of california, for her dedicated work in support of the wasps and today's bill authorizes the use of emancipation hall, a historic place, for a historic group of ladies, for an event that will honor the most unique sisterhood of women pioneers. next wednesday, march 10, mr. speaker, the united states congress will present the congressional gold medal to the surviving members of the women air force service pilots, wasps. this award serves as a small token of our tremendous appreciation of the remarkable courage and sacrifice made by these women during the perilous times of world war ii. the wasps were the first women in history to fly america's military aircraft between the years of 1942 to 19

ms. ros-lehtinen: to address the house for one minute. speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. ms. ros-lehtinen: today i rise to honor phyllis odres, orange bowl committee. phyllis has offered outstanding public service to miami-dade for the past 25 years. she served on numerous community boards and has been active in several community arts organizations. she's also been recognized for her you a truistic work many times, receiving an award from the greater miami chamber of congress, the united way of miami-dade. phyllis' strong professional background and her commitment to serving others made her the ideal candidate to chair the prestigious orange bowl committee. she became the second woman in 100 years to chair a college bowl game. phyllis, on behalf of all of south florida and the united states congress, congratulations on this achievement. thank you for what you have done to make our community a much better place. thank you, phyllis. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from new york rise? >> mr. spea

ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you very much, madam speaker. i'd like to yield two minutes to the gentleman from nebraska, mr. fortenberry, a member of our committee on foreign affairs and the ranking member of the agriculture subcommittee on department operations and oversight. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for two minutes. mr. fortenberry: i thank the gentlelady from florida for her leadership on foreign affairs and for the time. madam speaker, the situation in afghanistan is complex and it has been difficult and it has serious ramifications for regional and global stability. congress understood this in the aftermath of 9/11 and authorized the use of force in afghanistan. the situation is no less serious today. we would all like to see our troops come home as quickly as possible leaving afghanistan in a stronger and better place, and we all deeply care about our troops, particularly those who are now wounded, who have fought so valiantly. but madam speaker, decisions regarding the disposition of our forces in afghanista

ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, mr. speaker. at this time i would like to yield five minutes to the gentleman from texas, judge poe, an esteemed member of our house foreign affairs committee, as well as the judiciary committee. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. mr. poe: thank you, mr. speaker. this is about our troops. this is about americans who have been willing to protect the rest of us when duty calls and in time of war. army specialist juriet grimmle was one of those noble americans. he was a patriot and joined the united states army right out of high school. he had completed basic training before he graduated from high school, his junior year, at a high school in texas. in 2008 he married his high school sweetheart in a small ceremony before the justice of the peace. she joined him in alaska where he was deployed by the army to begin their young married lives together. he was a patrol supply specialists assigned to the 428th brigade special troops battalion, fourth brigade combat team,

ms. ros-lehtinen from florida for five minutes. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, madam speaker. 15, was florida's day of action to raise awareness about the sham elections in sudan which are scheduled for next month. when the comprehensive peace agreement was signed in the year 2005, the dream of a united sudan where everyone, regardless of genter, ethnicity or religion, lived in freedom. it seemed possible. elections were intended to usher that change. unfortunately, the sudanese government has since proven that it will do anything to maintain in power, including slaughtering civilians and stealing elections. southern parties -- some parties have committed abuses, but it is sudan's tyrant who remains the greatest obstacle to peace. the time for wishful thinking is over. these elections are a sham, hijacked to legitimize the rule of the reprehensible regime. he needs to answer for his crime before this process moves forward. so congratulations to the many floridians who spearheaded the day of action yesterday, and speaking of floridians, our state is hurting. our economy is in s

ms. ros-lehtinen, for five minutes. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, madam speaker. thank you, madam speaker. i rise today to recognize a wonderful organization, the women of tomorrow mentor and scholarship program. as a former educator and florida certified teacher with a doctorate in education from the university of miami, i know firsthand the importance of providing our children every opportunity to succeed. the women of tomorrow program is a local life line for at-risk young women. this pioneering program pairs extremely accomplished, professional women with small groups of at-risk teenage girls in public high schools for a four-year mentoring program. these mentoring women who could be judges, doctors, lawyers, indeed from all walks of life, they are all volunteers who are dedicated to showing teenage girls the possibilities that exist if they stay on the right track. the women of tomorrow program gives students the hope and inspiration needed to be successful, productive, active adults. the volunteers build self-confidence. they assist the girls in achieving ac

ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. e speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. ms. ros-lehtinen: i rise in strong opposition to this resolution. as we are all aware, u.s. forces at this very moment are engaged in battle against heavily armed enemy forces in a strategically important region of afghanistan. our brave men and women are making steady progress against the deadly foe and are doing so at great risk to their lives. this offensive is part of a new strategy in afghanistan focused on the immediate goals of disrupting, dismantling and defeating al qaeda, denying al qaeda a safe haven, and reversing the momentum of the taliban. this offensive is already producing dramatic success, including the capture of senior taliban leaders, the rounding of their forces and the stabilization of key areas. it should be supported, not undermined. we must not give taliban leaders and fighters a shield against u.s. forces that they would otherwise -- that they otherwise cannot stop. no enemy was ever vanquished, no victory

ms. ros-lehtinen. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you.i would ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks in opposition to this flawed health care bill. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. dreier: the distinguished gentleman from texas, mr. neugebauer. mr. neugebauer: i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend in opposition to this flawed health care bill. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. dreier: the gentlewoman from texas, ms. granger. ms. granger: i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend in opposition to this flawed health care bill. . the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. dreier: mr. which willson. mr. wilson:, mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to rise in opposition to this flawed health care bill. mr. dreier: mr. fleming. mr. fleming: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks in opposition to this flawed health care bill. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. dreier: our soft-spoken colleague from texas, mr. culberson. mr. culberson: mr. speak

ms. ros-lehtinen: i ask permission to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, madam speaker. i would like to recognize an outstanding individual from my south florida community, alejandra. she is part of south florida's first spanish language daily newspaper. "diarios los americas" was founded by her father. it helps informs my constituents on current events and matters that impact our local state and federal government. alejandra's professionalism and dedication are influenced by the each publication of "diario." she has been president of the american press association. this organization champions freedom of the press and freedom of expressions throughout the western hemisphere. the iapa has shown the light of truth on the dark corners of oppression throughout our hemisphere. the group has spoken out of independent journalists in cuba. the members have also spoken out against the growing decray of freedom in venezuela. i want to thank alejandro for his courage, his service and most of all

ms. ros-lehtinen for march 3 and 4. mr. moran for march 9 and mr.ton for today, march 3 and march 4. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from california rise? wool wools i ask unanimous consent that todd -- ms. woolsey: i ask unanimous consent that any special orders heretofore entered into, the following members may be addressed to house for five minutes to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material, ms. woolsey, mr. defazio and ms. kaptur. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the speaker pro tempore: under the speaker's announced policy of january 6, 2009 and under a previous order of the house, the following members are recognized for five minutes each, mr. poe of texas. mr. poe: this is a unique day in the state of texas. today is texas independence day. and on this day, 174 years ago, texas declared its incheds from mexico and its dictator santa anna. in 1836 in washington, 54 text ans gathered to do something bold and courageous. they signed the declaration of independen

ms. ros-lehtinen. mr. burton: i ask unanimous consent to take her time. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman from indiana is recognized for five minutes. mr. burton: you know, mr. speaker, i have great respect for my colleague who just spoke and while listening to him a lot of people in their offices probably would think, well, we're against the changes in the health care procedures in this country. that couldn't be further from the truth. obviously the health care system in this country needs to be adjusted, needs to be changed. but do we want a bill that's 2,700 pages long, that's going to cost about $3 trillion a year that we don't have and is going to put the government between people and their doctors, that's going to end up being a socialistic kind of approach to medicine and which i believe will destroy one of the greatest health care systems in the world, the best health care until world? i think it's a mistake to approach this from the standpoint that there's only one way to solve the problem and that is the way that the pres

ms. ros-lehtinen of florida. mr. carter of texas. mr. wolf of virginia. under the speaker's announced policy of january 6, 2009, the gentleman from california, mr. garamendi, is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader. fwaregare -- mr. garamendi: mr. speaker, thank you very much. i doubt we'll be here for the full 60 minutes but there are things we need to discuss, especially following the previous speaker as he talked about the american recovery act and the things that have actually been done to really move the american economy forward. one of those things was the stimulus bill, the american recovery act, that is now just about 13 months old. in that american recovery act there was a major element dealing with green technology, green jobs which i think most americans and most economists feel is where the future lies. we know we have an energy security issue. we know we import far more in an we possibly could afford in foreign oil. we have to become energy independent, and in the american recovery act there was an enormous advance

ms. ros-lehtinen: i thank the speaker for the time. madam speaker, last week the cuban tyranny sunk to an all-new low as the communist thugs brutally attacked a procession of mothers, daughters and wives of cuban political prisoners collectively known as the ladies in white. their crime, walking, walking to commemorate the seve pt anniversary of the dictatorship's march, 2003, crackdown against human rights and pro-democracy activists, a grim event known as the black spring. many of those imprisoned at the time continue to languish in jail cells and endure unspeakable suffering. the profession -- one of the processions of the ladies in white was led by a woman whose son died only a few weeks ago at the hands of the castor regime. carrying flowers and wearing their white clothing as symbols of peace, they were suddenly and viciously confronted, beaten and some temporarily detained by agents of the dictatorial regime. she described the confrontation explaining, and i quote, they dragged me, i am all bruised, they beat me, they cannot be

ms. ros-lehtinen and now i'm happy to introduce mr. raj shah, the international development.nfirmation as administrator he served for about six months as undersecretary of agriculture for research, education and economics and chief scientist. a medical dr. and health economist by training, dr. shah previously spent seven years with the gates foundation, holding leadership positions in its agricultural development and global health programs. dr. shah, your entire statement will remain part of the record and we look forward to hearing your testimony. >> thank you. chairman berman, ranking member ros-lehtinen, members of the committee, i am honored to join me today in support of the president's fiscal year 2011 foreign operations budget request. in the interest of time please allow me to summarize the key points of my testimony and submit the full text for the record. as you know just days after my swearing in the people of haiti were struck by tragedy of almost unimaginable proportions. this past week week in chile suffered a devastating earthquake as well. our thoughts and pra