national parks are neither fully representative of our national natural systems nor are national parkssolated islands able to accomplish their mission of keeping resources unimpaired for future generations up against the modern pressures that abound today. the park service will need to grow in a manner in which they operate and work within a broader context. therefore, the science and natural resources committee recommends, one, that the president of the united states should establish a task force including the national park service and other federal agencies involved in conservation, along with their state, local, and nonprofit partners to, a, map a national strategy for protecting america's natural heritage. and, b, to identify protection of the nation's natural assets as a common goal of all agencies while pursuing their respective agency agendas. two, parks cannot endure alone. the park service has a long history in reaching out and establishing partnerships as well as engaging the visitor, often being the environmental translater. it sets a high standard in the way it manages its

of all our nation's wars.f those brave women and this time in their eyes i saw strength and i saw a determination and i saw hope. this time they lifted me. i found the courage to see how from my wounds and my head trauma, and it is knowing that we did the best that we could and the fallen angels were not lost in vain and america's freedom still reigns. my sisters and brothers who served before me, especially the vietnam veterans, you were my inspiration in the darkest of nights so far from home. you are with me as i cared for when did and you kept me from spiraling into a deepening despair. i know you still suffer invisible wounds and mourn tremendous losses. police know if you do not need to suffer in silence and you are not alone. i cherish you and america embraces you. you are my heroes. but but you should proudly tell your stories, and in your honor, i hope to inspire my generation of veterans to erase the stigma of an amending they cannot do it alone and to find the courage to get the help that they need

to make it a nation. and, madam speaker, i along with congressman jeff miller and congressman doug lamborn, have asked the chairman and the ranking member of the armed services committee to hold classified hearings on what's called rules of engagement. i wish i could read this entire article, but i can't because of time. but i want to read the close of george will's column and george will is a conservative. president obama has counted on his 2011 runup to re-election being smooth by three developments in 2010, the health care legislation becoming popular after enactment, job creation acceleration briskly and afghanistan conditions improving significantly. i further read, the first two are not happening. he can decisively influence

it is a national security issue with implications for all instruments of national power.he department of defense and u.s. southern command will do its part to protect our great nation from elements wishing to do less harm in cyberspace. as i said at the beginning, it is a privilege and honor to be a member of our cyber team. now it is time for me to listen to your questions and concerns, i hope to broaden the dialogue that you at csis have promoted on cyberspace issues. i look forward to interchange and thank you very much for your attention. [applause] >> thank you, general. when you ask your question, please identify yourself and keep the questions. so we can respect the generals schedule. with that, we have one in the front row? [inaudible] >> hold on. >> one of the questions, how the streamlined -- how do you streamline obtaining permission for cyber attacks in times for it to be tactically relevant at home? >> that is a difficult issue. i think that your question, i think everybody heard it, how did you streamlined to counter attacks against attackers if they are sta

the same goes with the national army and national police. 500,000, the total number of national army and natnal police is projected. afghanistan not only now but with our resources, it will be difficult to sustain that sort of military and security force. civic revival and responsibility, the sense of duty and the government should initiate those things. people cannot do those things. afghans are the poorest people on earth. yet, we are running the risk of turningth country, the culture that is coming to have its grips onhat country is a culture of entitlement, a culture of handouts, a culture of drugs and war. we have to change that. >> i agree with you that one of the main points is parliamentary or reelection. one of the key points. you wil need more nato forces or military forces in ablorder o secure the elections? >> definitely. the short answer is yes, definitely. also, if nato does not participate in carrying its own burden in this alliance, nato is running the risk of putting all the burden on the united states and the uted states will suffer from fatigue, if nothing else. pu

second, i think it speaks to the strength and vitality and greatness of our nation and our nation's army that i for myself and child of immigrants from thailand and from china had the honor and privilege of calling myself an officer in the united states army reserve. it is a true testimony to the greatness of our nation and the greatness of our armed forces that the child of an immigrant would be allowed to serve as an officer in the most powerful fighting force the world has ever known. third and finally, of course, i am enormouslyyhumbled to call myself a member of the house of representatives. i think it is also testimony to the greatness of our military, our armed forces and to the united states army that i had the privilege earlier today of sitting in a hearing with general petraeus, discussing current actions and operations going on in afghanistan. i think one of the beauties of our army today is the fact that our army is professional, it is well trained and it also is under the control -- it is under civilian control and that even four star generals have to answer to the elected o

[captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2010] >> the house is coming back in in about 40 minutes from now at 2:00 p.m. eastern for legislative business. as always, live covvrage here on c-span. house majority leader steny hoyer says tax increase also eventually be necessary to address the nation's mounting debt. he told a forum on deficit class tax cuts set to expire at the end of this year will be too costly to be ermanent. his comments are about 45 minutes. >> thank you very much, i appreciative of that introduction. they are setting up more chairs over here if you want to come over here. i'll wait while you transit from my left to your right or your right to your left depending upon what your perspective is. i want to say how pleased i am to be here. i'm particularly pleased to be here with david walker, bob bucks bye, and bob green stein. bob and i have worked together since i started in together. a couple years ago. and bob bixby, extraordinary job. and david wwlker i congratulate david walker on the work that he

we are much more important city and state to the nation. this is a national crisis. we are the major part of the fishing industry of the united states. we are the strategic oil reserves of the northeastern part of the united states. when some of the national broadcasters weeks ago were saying if it goes up the east coast it will be a national crisis -- excuse me, the national crisis is right here. >> i have to tell you, i do think the nation is in mourning. >> i hope so. >> there are protests in new york. there are protests against bp everywhere across the nation. it is a staggering. it is disgusting. for every day this oil center, someone should be sitting in -- for every day this oil sits here, someone should be sitting in jail. some stupid, horrible, small executive should be sitting in jail. >> we will cut corners to save money, and now you see the impact of that. what the rest of the country is hopefully starting to understand, we have been the victims of the two worst man- made disasters in the history of our country. the impact of this is not something that wi

[captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2010] >> coming up next, we will show you a number of commencement addresses. first, leigh ann tuohy, the mother of michael oher. then william lowry at kenyon college. and later, the ceo of jpmorgan chase, jamie dimon, talks at syracuse university. join us tomorrow when "washington journal" welcomes windy sherman. then taught tucker and daniel griswald on the north american free trade agreement. and then sam gerdano of the national banking institute joins us. "washington journal" is live every day starting in 7:00 p.m. eastern on cnn. tomorrow, a look at new orleans in the wake of the gulf oil oil spill. our coverage is under way at 1:00 p.m. eastern on c-span2. his government broken? the brookings institute is hosting a panel tomorrow asking that question. it talks about current challenges to good governance and ways to strengthen democracy. this gets underway at 1:00 p.m. on c-span. all next, our reason number of commencement speeches. leigh ann tuohy, the mother of baltimore

in 1977 boys town national research hospital opened its doors and has become a national treatment center for children with hearing and speech problems and other communication disorders. boys town is also opened its national hotline in 1989. currently boys town is implementing it's integrated continuum of care which allows each child or family to make progress within the same treatment model while still getting individualized care. today i honor father steven bayse. he's dedicated to the children and families throughout our nation representing the true spirit and tradition of boys town. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the chair will entertain up to 15 further requests for one-minute speeches on each side of the aisle. for what purpose does the gentlelady from new york rise? >> to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mrs. maloney: mr. speaker, this past monday the "wall street journal" ran an excellent article on the challenges facing small businesses. it began with a question tha

[captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2010] >> president obama will announce the removal of general mcchrystal as commander in afghanistan. members of the senate armed services committee react to the announcement. then we will have two days "washington journal." then we have live coverage of the house. >> next week, watch the nomination of elena kagan to the supreme court. what replays of each day's hearing every night at 9:00 eastern on c-span 2. >> our public affairs content is available on television, radio, and online and you can also connect with the sun twitter, facebook, and youtube and sign up for our schedule of our e- mails at c-span.org. >> yesterday, president obama announced he was removing generals down the mcchrystal from commander of allied forces in afghanistan. this move came after a "rolling stone" magazine interview with the general criticized the president and members of his administration. david petraeus has been named as his replacement. this is the president's announcement the white house. >>

nations win wars.the skill of our intelligence officers, the vigilance of our first responders, the creativity of our development policy, the force of our universal values, the discipline of our policy makers, the will and consensus of the american people, they are all part of this struggle as well. they're all enter goal to our national security strategy, -- they are all entitled to our national security strategy, and we must use every part of that strategy wisely. thank you very much. [applause] >> thank you very much. i am sure will have a number of questions. i will moderate a discussion. we have about 15 minutes. we have people floating in the room with microphones. if you raise your hand, i will recognize you. introduce yourself. i will open the floor. yes, the gentleman in the first row. >> the distinguished former member of the congress of the united states. a good friend of mine from wisconsin. so this question may not be particularly subjective. >> i will try as hard as i can to be neutral. i

as we speak, our nation faces a multitude of challenges. at home, our top priority is to recover and rebuild from a recession that has touched the lives of nearly every american. abroad, our brave men and women in uniform are taking the fight to al qaeda wherever it exists. and tonight i have returned from a trip to the gulf coast to speak with you about the battle we are waging against an oil spill that is assaulting our shores and our citizens.+ on april 20, an explosion ripped through bp's deepwater horizon drilling rig about 40 miles off the coast of louisiana. eleven workers lost their lives. seventeen others were injured. and soon, nearly a mile beneath the surface of the ocean, will begin spewing into the water. because there has never been a leak of this size at this depth, stopping it has tested the limits of human technology. that is why just after the rig sank, i assembled a team of our nation's best scientists and engineers to tackle this challenge -- a ttam led by dr. steven chu, a nobel prize- winning physicist and our natioo

nationals involved. our top priority at this time is our support of the families who are very worried. we are concerned about the seizure of british nationals and it -- in international waters. this aspect of the israeli operation is forming a key part of the investigation. the prime minister has spoken to the israeli prime minister, i have spoken to the foreign minister, and the undersecretary of state has been in close contact with the is really our ambassador in lebanon. i am grateful to the hon. members who have been in contact with the foreign office in relation to their constituents and families and have provided information. we recognize the concern for those involved and the need to keep members updated. israel has told us they want to vote as quickly as possible to deport those people from the flotilla currently hold in israel. they could be deported very quickly. those who remain on willingly, will be a 72 hours in detention. our understanding is that after that, they will be deported. is our u

economy and nation.but don't just playbook for his name on the sides of building oú overpasses; listen to it in the appreciative wds of his constituentconstituents. to state has ever haduch deep appreciation for the senate appropriatns committee because no ste has ever had such an appropriate fighter. robert c. byrd came to congre with my father in january of 1 1953. they the both arrived in januarf 1959 in the senate. i was page in 1961. i still remember the eloquent speeches of the senator from west virginia. it is incredible to imagine that he was once a freshman senator. even then he had the same gentlemanly manner, kind to &-ges, as i recall, the name knack for triumphant oratory, and the same respect for the rules and traditions of the united states senate. but he soon became a fixture a d a mentor to new senators as well. i suspect that over the next few days many senators will take the floor with a constitution in theirockets, as i am, senator, they received from crob robert . byrd. here is my co

[applause] [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2010] >> the general will continue his testimony on afghanistan before the senate armed services committee this morning. live coverage will be at 9:00 eastern on cspan trade and c- span.org. >> this morning on "washington journal," we will have an update on climate legislation in congress and what kind of impact the bp oil spill web. will have. we will talk about the u.s. military use of agent orange and contaminants during the vietnam war. million vietnamese people and 150,000 children are still feeling the health effects of the contamination. "washinggon journal" is like every morning at 7:00 a.m. eastern on c-span. -- is live every morning at 7:00 a.m. eastern on c-span. bp ceo tony heyward will be in front of congress. >> it is campaign 2010 your way with the cspan video library. you can follow the primary season from the campaign trail and the debates to the candidates of victory and concession speeches. ii is all free online anytime. >> this weekend, and growing

with the humanitarian efforts of the united states, other nations and organizations like the united nations high commission for refugees, the red cross, the international rescue committee, and the refugees international among so many others, refugees are able to flee from persecution, violence, and war in order to seek protection. many have fled to the united states a safe haven with a history of aiding those seeking protext from persecution, violence, and war. america has provided more assistance to refugees seeking protection than any other country. if you ever met a refugee, you have encountered someone who has overcome great obstacles simply to just survive. take the case of a somaly refugee, abdul samatar, a young man with a childhood full of tragedy and life threatening experiences who took refuge in the united states. he was born in 1984 in somalia. then, at that time, a peaceful land of great beauty, promise, and resources. now, however, somalia s overwhelmed by famine, war, and violence. leave nothing person unaffected. in 1992, his father, a religious leader in moe gandhi shoe, a

the director of the national -- director of national oceanic and atmospheric administration. she has come here and shown us photographic evidence of shells, the little calcium carbonate sources of 40% of the base of the food chain. and she's shown us pictures of these little creares actually dissolving in water that will be acidic as it will be at the end of the century if we don't change things. now, there's no mystery about this. it's a scientific fact that the waters are becoming more acidic because of carbon dioxide and it's a scientific fact that large parts of the earth's oceans are dependent on this phenomena of taking calcium to form their life. so what does that mean to us? well, what it means to us and our grandchildren and grandchildren's lifetime is if we don't change what we're doing in an industrial basis we will have significant reduction in mankind's use of the oceans because 4,500 million people in the world depend on their protein from the oceans. two million americans make their livelihoods from the oceans that will be in jeopardy because of ocean acidifica

european nations and asian nations have these trains in place. the public loves and they are safe and affordable. many of these countries, if you are traveling 500 miles or less, you use that. that is a long-term solution. the short term, the state needs to step up and help local communities with these costs partly through this comprehensive tax reform have mentioned earlier. we're talking about an infrastructure bank that would put facilities, i can envision a bank that would help with transportation. we have so many rural areas that have absolutely inadequate transportation. it is not just the grand strategy. it is throughout the state. >> senators rankin and elliot [unintelligible] they fought hard and they got it. we did the same thing in charleston. i will set aside $250 million to be set aside for those types of projects. i have to billion dollars to play with when i become governor. 250 million to county and local government. that is we need to support my plan. >> there are many opportunities to understand why our government does and does

we now havv the choice as a nation. we can return to the failed economic policies of the past or we can keep the building a stronger future. we can go backward or we can move forward. i want to move forward. i think america wants to move forward. the for step in building and a foundation that allows us to move forward is to assess the risks that have made our economy as competitive. out deregulations, crushing health care costs, and a growing debt. we cannot compete as a nation if the irresponsibility of a few people on wwll street can bring our entire economy to its knees. that is why we are on the verge of passing the most sweeping financial reforms since the great depression. it is a reform that will help prevent another aig. it will and taxpayer-funded bailout. it contains the strongest consumer protections in history, protections that will empower americans with the clear and precise and efficient indeed before signing up for a credit card or taking out a mortgage. financial reform will not guard against every inst

virginia, that turned over the laws in this nation in 1967. a set of laws that our precursors to other laws that still are in debate in this nation today. but the fight didn't end there, which brings me to my second point. today we're reminded of the naacp's mission, to ensure quality of rights of all persons, eliminate racial hatred and discrimination. it's as important as relevant as it was decades ago. just this year a hate crimes law was passed, so it's not based on race, gender, sexual orientation, and the naacp was there in great support. the naacp has engaged in battles on multiple fronts on its 101st anniversary. the dedicated team is addressing issues that impact communities of color. it advocates for quality in education, influences the debate on environmental justice, works in disparities in the criminal justice system, racial profiling and other types of injustices and looks for equity and equality regardless of the issue for all americans. in addition, the naacp is working to prevent families from losing their piece of the america

our nation's small business vs. waited long enough -- businesses have waited long enough for much needed capital and we won't make them wait any longer. this credit crunch has taken its toll and now it's time to focus on main street. with that i urge a yes vote on the previous question and on the rule. i yield back the balance of my time and i move the previous question. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the question is on ordering the previous question on the resolution. so many as are in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes have it. the gentlelady from north carolina. ms. foxx: thank you, mr. speaker. on that i request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. those favoring a vote by the yeas and nays will rise. a sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. members will record their votes by electronic device. pursuant to clause 8 and clause 9 of rule 20, this 15-minute vote on ordering the previous question wil

whereas smaller nations, nation's more hostile to was, there may be a forum -- nations more hostile tos. oftentimes, those efforts are thwarted by opponents who have veto power or who have the ability to run an agenda that is contrary to american interests, in particular contrary to the utah interests, an anti-family agenda in many cases. sometimes, we join with muslim nations, where we have a similar agenda. i believe we need to lead a discussion and a high-level debate about what is the proper mechanism -- we need to have a discussion. >> we are running rapidly out of time. we have time for one more question, and it is a good one. we go back to the front row, and, mr. bridgewater, you have the first opportunity. >> bringing it back to utah, as a first-year senator, expected to do nothing more than follow the pauline -- party-line, how do you expect to work for utah with those constraints? >> i believe there is an enormous opportunity right now, because not only is you talk electing a new senator, but others will put a new senator -- not only is you talk -- utah electing a new senator

it is a national security issue+ with implication for all instruments of national power. the department of defense, u.s. cyber command will do its part to protect our great nation from elements wishing to do us harm in cyber space. as i said at the beginning, it is a privilege and honor to be a member of our cyber team. now it's time for me to listen to your questions and concerns, and i hope to broaden the dialogue that you at csis have promoted on cyber space issues. i look forward to the interchange and i thank you very much again for your attention. [applause] >> great. well, thank you, general alexander. congratulations. if i can ask when people raise their questions, could you do me two favors. could you identify yourself when you ask them, and could you keep the questions brief so we can respect the general's schedule. he does have a few other things to do. with that, we had one over right in the front row there. >> you get a free mic out of this. >> how do you streamline obtaining per mig for cyber attack in time for it to be tactically relevant, particularly agai

it should be national. there should be national standards, period. guest: i think that the reason the 48 states can together to develop these common core standards is that they agree with you, thattjust makes sense. clear and consistent standards across the states. host: we have about seven minutes left with our guests. it comes from chicago, john on the republican line. john, are you there? let's move on to abby. caller: i have two questions, or concerns, rather. i feel that there should be nationwide and equal funding from state to state and there should not bb state to state standards. people in the south, mostly, are behind people in new england and california. also, i think there should be greater requirements for preschool teachers and more focused and primary education and study skills so that people are not being labeled as they go into high school and being left behind in that way. host: let's take a second one first. guest: let me talk about the funding. your point is -- your point that should be equitable from state to state. the majority

of our nation's educators. you all make a world of difference in the lives of our students and families. i thank you. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from utah is recognized. mr. chaffetz: madaa speaker, we have no additional speakers. it doesn't appear that the majority has any additional speakers. if that's the case -- ms. watson: i have no additional speakers. mr. chaffetz: we'll yield back the balance of our time. thank you. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from utah yields back the balance of his time. the gentlelady from california. ms. watson: yes, i understand that we do have another speaker, madam speaker. it's mr. minnick from california -- excuse me -- the gentleman from idaho for two minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from idaho is recognized for two minutes. mr. minnick: madam speaker, i thank the gentlewoman from california and extend her an invitation to come to idaho anytime, madam chair. you'd be a good addition. madam sp

8 nation.but we want to partner -- atlantic nation. but we want to partner with all nations in the exchange of goods and ideas. asia is all -- obviously on the move. china is on the move. that should not be a threat to anybody. what we want to be sure of is that true dialogue, through forms like the g-20, through some of the multilateral institutions that we have set up that all countries that are meeting their responsibilities even as their rights barack also being recognized. if we adhere -- their rights are also being recognized. if we adhere to the basic principle, the u.s.-japan alliance is something that can continue to be a cornerstone of a peaceful and prosperous asia that will benefit all people. >> to follow-up on jackie's question, you talk about providing assistance in afghanistan for some time to come, but given the challenges in the -- and the history in afghanistan, what makes you think that after declaring victory in afghanistan that it will not slide back into becoming a haven

it is a national security issue with implications for all instruments of national power. the department of defense, u.s. cyber command, will do its best to protect us from all elements wishing to do was harmed in cyberspace. as i said in the beginning -- to do us harm in cyberspace. now, it is time to listen to your questions and concerns. i look forward to the interchange, and i thank you very much again for your attention. [applause] >> great, well, thank you, general alexander, and congratulations. if i could ask, could you do two favors? could you keep your questions brief so we could respect the generals a schedule? he does have a few other things to do -- so we could respect the general's schedule? you get a free microphone out of this. >> one of the questions i keep getting asked is how to use streamline -- how do you streamline obtaining permission in time for it to be tactically relevance -- relevant? >> that is a difficult issue. the question, i think everybody heard, is how do you streamline your counterattacks? i think i would enlarge it to say how do you do t

[captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2010] >> canadian prime minister stephen harper announced the most industrialized nations agreed today to cut deficits in half by 2013 in an effort to stabilize the global economy. his remarks are 20 minutes. >> good afternoon, everybody. we came to toronto at a time when concerns on government debt were growing. this was the challenge that we had to face, and during this summit, we defined a clear and historical goal for the developed economies in terms of reducing debt and stabilizing and reducing the debt-g.d.p. ratio, by 50% up to 2013 and for the debt ratio, these are to be reduced or stabilized by 2016. having said that, fiscal is not an end to itself. stimulus will have a long-term effect in order to guarantee durable and powerful economic growth, and this is part of what we promised in pittsburgh. we congratulate various countries that have managed to adopt measures to this end in terms of budget and deficit reduction such as what has happened in u.k., reduction of unemp

national system of justice. today, in southwest asia, tse employees are also doing important work under contracts with the department of defense and state for the u.s. agency of international development and other agencies. they guard military bases, andrt -- escort convoys traveling vip's. during my 21 trips to iraq as a member of congress, my life was in the hands of private security guards. i felt very secure because they are high-level it -- because of their high-level training. they are not intended to leave their attacker champion private security companies. this commission has explored cases of excesses, inadequate training or documentation, and unacceptable performance by some tse contractors. we have paid close attention, for example, to the impact of iraqi civilian deaths inflicted by tse employees in 2007 and to the outrageous conduct and the mistreatment of afghan civilians by tse employees guarding the u.s. embassy in kabul in 2008. we also recognize that many tse's are performing vital work at a hi

we have to think of that is a national security imperative. that is why people who are focused on defense issues are looking with interest at the deficit question. it looks as though there will be a drive to reduce the expenditures by as much as $250 billion and maybe more per year. to bring the deficit minimally down below on the growth rate of gdp. eventually, we grow ourselves out of that. $250 billion howuch might be theentagon portion? they spent aut 19 percent of all federal spending including medicare and social security. about 56% of discretionary spending and they are sponsibleor about 65% of the growth in discretionary spending since 2001. ose are all big chunks. some people might say do not touch fense. to not touch it. that weakens us. let us takehe $250 billion out of the other accounts. i think what at comes down to is an approach that saps the fundamentals of our nation's strength. e are in this for t long haul and we better be,, we have to pay attention to the fundamentals of national strength. that means our economy, our peopl

[captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2010] >> next week, president obama will make a two day visit to the gulf coast, where he will tour recovery efforts in mississippi, alabama, and florida. hearings on the spill continue on capitol hill.3 largest oil companies testify on policy before the subcommittee on the environment. the white house has invited bp executives to meet with the president on wednesday. tony hayward makes his first appearance before congress, testifying thursday before the energy oversight subcommittee. both of those hearings are live this week on c-span 3 and c- span radio. with confirmation upcoming for3 span takes you inside the supreme court to see the rarely seen spaces. hear directly from the justices as they provide insight about the court, the building, and its -phistory. the home to america's highest court -- this sunday at 6:00 p.m. on c-span. >> we have three new books. "abraham lincoln," "the supreme court," and "who's buried in grant's tomb?" to order, go to c-span.org /books. this is

agency and the national security agency. people know as much about cyber warfare, and our dependency on the power grid and the computer networks that deliver our oil and gas, pump and purify our water, keep track of our money, and operate our transportation systems. >> mcconnell: if i were an attacker and i wanted to do strategic damage to the united states, i would either take the cold of winter or the heat of summer. i probably would sack electric power on the u.s. east cost-- maybe the west coast-- and attempt to cause a cascading effect. all of those things are in the art of the possible from a sophisticated attacker. >> kroft: do you believe our adversaries have the capability of bringing down a power grid? >> mcconnell: i do. >> kroft: is the u.s. prepared for such an attack? >> mcconnell: no, the united states is not prepared for such an attack. >> president barack obama: it is now clear this cyber threat is one of the most serious economic and national security challenges we face as a nation. >> kroft: four months af

[captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2010] [gavel pounds] >> 57 days ago, in the dead of night, the worst environmental nightmare in u.s. history began. and in homes ere i across the country, we see the live video of tens of thousands of barrels of oil, billowing into the gulf of mexico every for years, the oil industry's war this could never happen. we were told the technology had advance -- for years, the oil industry swore this could never bp said they did not think the rate would sink. it did. they said they could not handle an exxon valdez size spill every day. they could not. they said it was 1,000 barrels per day. it was not, and they knew it. the other companies here today will contend this was an isolated incident. they will say a similar disaster could never happen to them. and yet, it is this kind of blind faith, which is ironically the name of an actual raid in the gulf, that has led to this kind of disaster. in preparation for this hearing, the committee reviewed the oil spill safety response plans for

the comprise the most hardened military in our nation's history. there is no question that they and their families have made enormous sacrifices. many of them have deployed on numerous stores -- numerous tours. we cannot comment in my view, ever think our servicemen enough. what americans have done to support them has been wonderful. nothing has meant more than in the appreciation of those here, at home. as you noted, mr. chairman, my wife is with me today. she is a symbol of the strength and dedication of families around the globe who wait at home. she has hung tough while i have been deployed for over five and a half years, as have other on told spouses, children, and loved ones. clearly, our families are the unsung heroes of the long campaigns that we have been and are done over last decade -- that we have been embarked on over the last decade. teddy roosevelt once observed that the chance to work hard at work worth doing is one of the best opportunities in life. if i am confirmed by the senate, it will be a great privilege to soldier with our t

we reflect the loss of loved ones who died in defense of our nation. let us pledge allegiance to this flag, to declare our patriotism and to raise its colors high to express our pride and respect for the american way of life and the freedom that it represents. i urge my colleagues to support this resolution. madam speaker, i'll reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentlelady from california is recognized. ms. watson: madam speaker, i have no further speakers, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady -- ms. watson: excuse me, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from california reserves the balance of her time. the gentleman from utah is recognized. mr. chaffetz: madam speaker, we have no additional speakers. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from utah yields back the balance of his time. the gentlelady from california is recognized. ms. watson: madam speaker, i yie

the national rate. one of my counties, star county, in south texas has a high of 17.3 unemployment rate. another county has 11.1 unemployment rate. again this is not a partisan matter. areas throughout the country have unemployment rates that exceed the national average. this is a matter of importance to every worker and family and businessperson. and that's why this bill is good for the backbone of american small businesses. in many ways the nation's economic engine. i urge all my colleagues to support this bill and at this time i will yield the gentleman, for a minute and a half. the chair: without objection, the gentleman from north carolina is recognized. mr. etheridge: i thank you, madam chair. i thank mr. cuellar for offering this amendment to make sure that creating jobs where they are needed most is the focus of this piece of legislation. as a former small business man myself, i call on the house to pass this piece of legislation. small businesses form the backbone of our economy, increase the j

so, too, is our national security. this celebrates the anniversary of 17 african nations, recognizing that africa is a significant -- and important to the united states. to promote economic wealth. and to alleviate the burden of poverty that so many in the union continue to face. this is only the first step, mr. speaker, into africa's transition into a normal economy. this step is the right one, it is a long overdue transformation and our approach toward africa and our belief in the african people and in the african cootinent. with that i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentlewoman from california. ms. watson: mr. speaker, i have no further requests for time and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back? does she? does the gentlewoman from california yield back the balance of her time? ms. watson: mr. speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back. the question is,

much more needs to be done to set our nation on a sustainable economic course. we need to start reining in unnecessary spending now so that we can boost the economy and work together to address our nation's long term fiscal challenges. it is our shared responsibility to take on the challenges before us to make sure that our kids and our grandkids have a better life. let's begin this important work today. let's make certain we do not simply retreat to the same failed policies. let's make the tough, forward- looking choices that will restore the promise and prosperity of this exceptional nation - and let's do it together. thanks for listening. >> c-span is now available in more than 400 million homes, all as a public service, created by american cable companies. this week, on "the communicators," the fcc's attempt to reclassify parts of internet broadband. joining us are republican representative john shimkus and democrat mike doyle. >> the past couple weeks on "the communicators," we have looked at the issue of reclassifying broadband services from title one to t

but israel did whatny nation would . it gave notice and said if you would deliver thosto te ourt, we would offload the humanitarian material and make su that it's divero its repien. not to a terrorist organization that would use ifor purposes of teor and attack on cilians but uset for the pposes of releavinthose in se distress i would point out,s the gentleman well knows, international reports arthat in fact tre areufficient food and medicine in gaza today. is my view that that mission in efct accomplhed its obive and its objective was have confrontation and to put at risk the serityf israel and its pele. so that the answer to your question is i have talked to . berman d i want to talk to you, as wl,o that we can determine what is the best course of action for us to take. mr. ntor: again, mr. speaker, i thank the gentleman f his continued commitment and shar with him the commitment to strengthen t allian beeen ourselves, the united states, and israeand thcontinuing struggle that all of us have in the terrorist threat, at

nationals as well. there had been posted to static guard positions that were probably not authorized -- they had been posted to static guard positions that were probably not authorized. this was through a number of records. subsequently, the triple cannot be advised -- i work with those from people in all cases -- that the company -- at 11 guards were posted arms positions -- arm positions, six unarmed, and that they were confused by instructions by dcma, and they believed they had followed required procedures, regardless of whether the people were approved. that was a statement. -- the statement. can you tell me about what happened and what your take away is on that? obviously, posting an iraqi nationals -- charming them and posting them to protect american lives and troops -- arming them and posting them to protect american lives and troops -- this is not a good outcome. >> there is now a new event. we are sorting through the proper process in order to that the individual and country. -- individual in

if lincoln at gettysburg asked whether a new nation -- lincoln at gettysburg asked whether a new nation. the answer is all around us. from the former slave barrier to the children of the civil war, to the immigrants who twice free europe, to our brothers who fought and died in the korea and vietnam these grounds record that not only freedom and liberty have endured, but that they have flourished. those who sleep in arlington is newest section are from every race and every creed. their graves are topped by the cross, the crescent moon and star, the star of david. to walk from les manchin to arlington's first degroat -- freshly -- from lee's manchimano arlington's freshly dug grave, it reflects the more perfect union they died to defend. in arlington like nowhere else, we can see freedom blossom and note its price. it is now privilege to introduce our next speaker. but i fit want to say a note of gratitude to his wife, dr. joe biden, who i doing so much to help our military -- dr. jill biden, who is doing so much to help our military milies. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor

in terms of british nationals, there are 42 british nationals caught up in this. i believe 37 of them have had access, and they will need to come reunite with their families. she also raised the issue of international efforts to get the blockade open. as she knows, we shall do everything we can through the united nations, where it is absolutely clear about the need to end the blockade. >> we will be hearing a statement after these questions. can you give me an answer to another issue about prosecuting rape? we know it is often only after many rapes the defendant is finally brought to court, and it is only at that point that previous victims find the courage to come forward. by making rape defendants anonymous, he is going to make it harder to bring rapists to justice. >> i know she cares deeply about this issue, as do i, and the fact that rape convictions are so low in this country is a scandal, and we need to improve on that. that means working with the police and working to help rape victims. on the issue of anonymity, i said on the committee that examined this

our nation is better than that.applause] third, and finally, in addition to prosecution, we have made a commitment expect keeping lines of communation open and by engaging the community that we serve. in addition to the civil rights efforts, many other justice department components have launched promising initiatives. the fbi often hold conference calls with local community aders and each district office employs a communi outreach specialist to engage through town hall meetings, public speaking, youth initiatives and psittacine acadees. likewise, the fbi specializes in community outreach and is working to strengthen engagement between the fbi field offices and communities of everythnic background. j and componen of d now reaches tohe arab-american community. the response to tension and conflict related to allegations of discriminatory treatment based by arab, muslim and sikh communities across the country. there have been events sponsored that emphasize community engagement. u.s. attorneys across the nation are acti

[captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2010] . >> that is at 10:45 eastern here on c-span. >> our public affairs content is available on television, radio, and on line. you cannot connect to the sun twitter, facebook, and u2. signup for our schedule alert e- mails. >> secretary of state hillary clinton said thursday that a new ratified start treaty could lead to talks on russia on missile but -- missile defense and iran. the chairman of the joint chiefs. this hearing is about two hours and 20 minutes. it is a real pleasure to have all of you with us this morning. this is his first appearance before the committee and i believe it is. he did a special welcome for that. the new strategic arms reduction treaty that is before us today is in a important treaty. it will make our country more secure and advance our core national security interest. this treaty is in keeping with the long tradition of bilateral, verifiable, arms control agreements with russia. the united states senate has previously approved attend bilateral a

we have a lowering national -- national image abroad. we have a military that took a sincere -- let me say -- a military that took a serious reset today. and i pray that it gets turned out for the best. i think that some of our tasks are very difficult, but finding our soul is going to be the most difficult one. america will produce and bring us to a greater level of greatness yet if we find our soul, if we redefine and identify the pillars of american exceptionalism and charter ourselves down that path that goes down the shiny hills of america that ronald reagan spoke of that we can see just beyond our horizons right now, madam speaker. so truthfully, i didn't come down here to talk about the things i just spoke of in the last half-hour. there is a seg way into this. i -- segue into this. i mentioned obamacare issue and here's where we are. whether it was two months or three months ago today that obamacare passed, i think this is a monthly anniversary of the tragic day when this congress refused to use its common sense and refused to li

we will be offering better opportunities to the 4,foreign nationals who are -- 4,000 foreign nationals who are from the communities where we work. we often underutilize the threpts of these individuals, who make up half of our work force and often include doctors, engineers, i met a soil scientist last week, and former government officials. that will change as we change our h.r. policies and enable real rotations and career paths for these professionals. we are also looking for ways to expand or civil service and to ensure that our work force has the best to offer. because we recognize that usaid needs more in-house capable and expertise, we have already hired more than 500 new foreign service officers and are planning to hire at least that many more in the coming years. we are depending on these officers to bring fresh ideas, new energy and practices into our agency. woe will be equiping them with flip caps so they can interview program beneficiaries, record what they are learning and propose real program improvements. in addition to making our work more prince parent really to the en

it's a national security imperative. we have to break away our -- break from our reliance on the saudis and venezuelans and b.p.'s of the world and harness the sun, wind, geothermal, biomass. the state of nevada can become the epicenter of renewable energy. we just need the will to do it. i yield back and ask my colleagues to please join me in a renewable energy future for this great country. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. for what purpose does the gentlelady from ohio rise? >> permission to address the house for one minute. revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. fudge: thank you, madam speaker. madam speaker, wall street reform is critical to creating jobs and growing our economy. as we rebuild america, we must ensure that wall street won't gamble again with our futures. i support the restoring american financial stability act because it includes commonsense reforms to hold wall street and the big banks accountable. this bill will end bailouts by ensuring taxpayers are n

starting with the national rifle association. but also not including the gun owners of america including the humane society but not including other agricultural groups in america. in other words, we're saying that free speech's free for some but not all. and as i looked at this exemption that's been given, you have to have over a million members, you have to have members in all 50 states, you have to existed for more than 10 years. it's obvious we've now gone from too big to fail to too big to file. in other words, if you got enough juice here you're not going to be included. but if you do you're going to be excluded and you're going to be allowed in this election period to fully -- the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. mr. lungren: first amendment rights. that's not what the constitution's all about. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from ohio rise? >> thank you, madam speaker. i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend. the speaker pro t

we have a huge national debt. the national debt is over $13 trillion total.is $7 trillion in th last 10 years. it has more than doubled our national debt. that is almost $100,000 for every arkansas family of four. the federal gernment needs to deal with these problems. there are a big number of differences between us in this race. this is a choice betwe more of the same or change. >> she has also made the argument that she would rather lose than turn back on arkansas. what do you think? >> there are a large number of voters whose most likely lost hers and she has party turned her back onrkansas. >> -- she has already turned her back on arkansas. >> what about that ad? >> that was very political. if you a a 16-year incumbent, you should have had 16 years to hear about people being angry. going out and saying it i heard your anger on may 18, after you failed to clear 45% of the votes, like a plea to keep your job and a real understanding of the real problems of our concerns. >> thank you. >> thank you. we're going to head over to the next location. all right. [