this just focus will be attached so let me start by national caucus x. because that's. who just called me. on one. of the show that passed this is not. worth of raising for the record i'm. more to print more crew with already. one hundred footage you know you think of the six months we're going to put on you this way. there's a bush in the shock to the beach you can run but it's of two kilometers. i need is a conservative on the shortlist me to set them that do the miss new sheets in the. song then my least not these cuts but seemingly. at the wall thought this. would make a pretty girl there was this with all of. the missing because a lot of the really really really important. oh oh. yes oh he's. awesome. yeah i don't want to pick which out of i'm not a stroke i'm built. like a dog that's. the supply of yes and yes yes yes yes yes but that won't show me because in this yet again. with the national scene film was all the time i was feeling nauseous you know what the football field will show you the only one thing is that it's not what i was just yeah. i think my new hom

revealed an early twenty eight team but this is what we know so far it will include all forty one caucus nations including the u.s. as mentioned and mexico it will be arranged into three levels based divisions with the best teams going into the top one there will be promotion and relegation between them like in domestic leagues the league of nations will also see countries compete to qualify for the buy annual gold cup a continental competition similar to the euros and copa america or earlier. of inside football he believes the tournaments has the potential to have a positive impact on football in north and central america. ever since countries all over the world realized they were not friendly matches were not doing the many. dave come up when they tried to come up with. some kind of scenario whereby. those dates in the calendar came a meaningful and a state also although the nation you asians nations has been somewhat criticized for being a bit cold believes it's going to take. fans quite a long time to get their heads around it they did have quite a strong did put out quite strong signal to o

congressman thompson served as a platoon leader in vietnam, a strong advocate or our nation's veterans, he cochaired a veterans caucus and is an advocate of the eisenhower memorial in congress. ladies and gentlemen, please welcome congressman mike thompson. [applause] >> thank you, greta. it is a pleasure to be here. it's great to finally be able to see the finish line. to introduce you to some of the people who melt -- who helped make this happen. my fellow commissioners, sanford bishop from georgia, -- [applause] representative mike simpson of idaho. [applause] representative mac thornberry of texas. [applause] senator thad cochran of mississippi. [applause] senator gary peters of michigan [applause] senator joe manchin of west virginia. [applause] and of course, our great friend and later, chairman pat roberts of kansas. [cheers and applause] with us today we also have two presidential appointed commissioners. susan banes harris and our first hugh dog -- and alfred leg. [applause] when a commission has been in business as long as this one, we have some who are no longer's irving for sadly no longer -- no longer se

grijalva is the senior most democrat on the national committee, the 76-member progressive caucus of theouse of representatives like senator bernie sanders as well. thank you for being our guest this week. lots to talk about with you. > thank you so much. >> congressional reporter and collin wilhelm who covers congress for politico. >> congressman. how are you? >> very good. >> a lot of news the last couple days. most recently the revelations about the allegations against the top democrat john conyers. and that top rule for your party on that key committee. >> tough times right now. but i think a very important shattering of some norms nationwide and particularly in the congress. you know, the exploitation, the mall treatment of women employees by leadership in the offices, i.e. members of congress. i think deserves the airing that it's getting and more importantly, any sexual harassment, just the use of wer to inflict demands and unseamly requests on women are wrong and i really think on this issue that as agonizing as it might be for all of us, the ranking member needs to step down at

way for nations lee we're also launched next year the exact format is set to be revealed in early two thousand and eighteen but this is what we know so far it will include all forty one caucus calf nations including the us as mentioned in mexico it will be arranged into three levels based based divisions with the best teams going into the top one promotion and relegation between them like in domestically the league of nations will also see countries compete to qualify for the bi annual gold cup a continental competition similar to the euros and copa america that really were spoke to a war shot inside world football he believes the tournaments has the potential to have a positive impact on football in north and central america. you know that ever since countries all over the world realized that they were not friendly matches we're not doing them any good. dave come up with a try to come up with some kind of scenario whereby those dates in the calendar came more meaningful and i think although well though the nations you a first nations lee has been somewhat criticized for being how should we say a bit cold believes it's going to take. fans in europe quite a long time to get

grijalva is the senior most democrat on the national committee, the 76-member progressive caucus in the house of representatives, and senator bernie sanders is a member as well. thank you for being our guest this week. lots to talk about with you. >> thank you so much. >> congressional reporter and collin wilhelm who covers congress for politico. billy, you are a first. billy: congressman, how are you? >> very good. billy a lot of news the last : couple days. most recently the revelations about the allegations against the top democrat on judiciary john conyers. ,should he resign because of the sexual harassment claims? or should he step down from the top role for your party on the key committee? >> it is agonizing times right now but i think a very important shattering of some norms nationwide and particularly in congress. . the expectation and not treatment of women employees by leadership in the offices, members of congress, i think deserves the air and it is getting. and more importantly, any sexual harassment -- just the use of power to inflict demands and unseamly requests on women

the ranking member of the house veterans' affairs committee, as the co-chair of the national guard and reserve caucus, as the co-chair of the veterans' jobs caucus, and probably more importantly, as a retired enlisted soldier, to bring to your attention a number of provisions in the g.o.p. tax bill that will negatively impact the men and women currently serving and transitioning in the united states military. i want to be clear, tax reform is a laudable goal. it would have been nice had we actually done it, had we actually had debates, witnesses. zero, zero, zero. what we have is a closed door bill brought forward, foist upon the house with the -- in my opinion, trying to think that the american people would not watch what happens here is pretty risky. these are folks in the military who risked everything to give us the right to debate things here. we should at least probably debate their future in an open manner. i hope you'll strongly consider, mr. speaker, because each of the following provisions in the bill that will put the prosperity of america's heroes at risk. as the legs is written, it -- le

langevin: as co-chair of the bipartisan career and technical education caucus, i rise in recognition of national apprenticeship week. apprenticeship provides job training preparing them for careers. they are a proven work force is crucial to meeting the demands of skill trades, health care and i.t. businesses all which face a significant shortage of qualified workers. this summer, the house passed the strengthening career and technical career education act with strong bipartisan support. and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle and both sides of the capitol tout the value of apprenticeships. now, mr. speaker, it's so important that we back our words with action bypassing the strengthening the c.t.e. act into law and providing apprenticeship programs across the nation. it's the right thing to do for our young people and work force and our nation. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania seek recognition? mr. thompson: permission to address the house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempo

caucus. joining me here, republican national committee chairman michael steele, both nbc political analysts. the president is going up the hill to meet with the republicans. he already has a problem with the deficit hawks, the corkers, the flakes, lankford and others. he needs to hold as many of them together as he can and not lose, you know, any more on that side. there is a possibility of picking up some democrats who like some parts of this tax bill. now, what has he done in blowing up the meeting with chuck schumer and nancy pelosi? >> he obviously has made it much harder to win over democrats on what could otherwise be a bipartisan opportunity for him to get particularly those democrats in the united states senate who are facing tough reelection campaigns in 2018. there are a number of democrats who represent states that the president won by large margins. you would think clair mccaskill, joe donnelly, these would be targets for a common sense mainstream tax reform proposal. that is not what republicans have tried to do. there is not a proposal they've put forward in this senate. they h

professionals adhere to the mission of up holding the law and providing the nation with safety and security. attorneys with the law caucus said the outcome of the suit could possibly impact other immigrant groups, not just the cambodian community. we will have to wait and see what the outcome is. back to you. >> all right. in the newsroom. thank you. >>> san francisco police continue to investigate a deadly accident. police say that just after eight last night a man was struck and killed while walking along the road. he died at the scene. the driver stopped and is cooperating with police. >>> a safeway employee is in the hospital and is expected to survive after he was stabbed. police say that the suspect, a 34-year-old michael pardo attacked the victim. this happened just before one at the safeway on 7th eve. witnesses say that the 39-year- old leo soto was taken to the hospital. a safeway worker said they are concerned because several employees have been fired for trying to stop shoplifters. which is against cop policy. they said the assault is under investigation and their main concern is for the injured employee. >>>

he's dealing with a nation of color whether it is tweeting at some basketball player's father, whether it's attacking members of congress in the congressional black caucuswith haiti, the racial signal. and we're not supposed to care as a nation because it's the haitians that are getting handouts when we played the tape he made a commitment, a humanitarian commitment. where are the voices of dissent here that could sit by silently and watch this happen? >> i mean, we're doing whatever we can. i mean we have to understand it's been a whirlwind year. it's been like ten years. and every day there is something. and the threat, as you said, he has a particular fondness for people of color to pick on. >> that's an interesting way. interesting words. but go ahead. >> and then it's a pattern. in fact, they're spinning this as they're being nice to haitians. it could have given us six months to leave. they've extended it for 18 months or so. so they're saying this is perfect. this is great. we should be grateful for them allowing us to stay here all this long. and to your point about the outrage, i think people are still shocked. they just don't understand what i

the congressional black caucus members are calling for his regulate nation around issues of sexual harassment. harvey weinstein. your thoughts on this? >> this is a moment of reckoning. this is a moment of collective power for women who have felt they individually could not speak up because men hold so many of the cards in workplaces, and industry. they hold so much h of the political power in thihis county and economic power. it women are disturbed -- strength inthere is numbers and they may just be believed. there are so much more accountability happening on the side of media and in private industry than at the very top in the most powerful seat in this country, which is the whihite house. and the idea that roy moore, some and is so clearly a reputed child molester and pedophile could bebe endorsed meaningfully by the white house -- it make sure skin crcrawl. i i think the repupublican parts a reckoning that they have to do about their morality as they take away children's health care , as they bankrupt our future, and endorse a pedophile. amy: you make a link between the tax claim of patri

ernesto is house for the caucus member and national security chair congressman ron desantis.hanks for joining us. >> good morning. >> should all franken step down? >> you know, i don't know the details about a paper would be good is just having a unified standard that applies to everybody. it seems to me in one party in worse treatment than with the standard is and is that applies to to republicans that should apply well. maria: i want to address something right now. we had a conversation about it, but the breaking news last week on friday. two of my guests were talking about all franken and also worry more. we were talking about the moments we were in a golf ranking with his hands like that on the lovely bn treatment. one of my guests try to get it to turn the conversation into a conversation about donald trump. at that moment i said were not tracking about donald trump. that comment was taken wildly out of context, obviously i'm aware there are several women who accuse of misconduct. the here and now news of the day and i was referring to when i said there's no allegations.

and the climate solutions caucus that gives democrats and republic caps the opportunity to sit down and discuss ways not only to protect our environment but our homes and nation's security. yes, this caucus consist of people of separate political parties but all of us are united that we must have this dialogue to defend this future. being from the central coast of alifornia, we understand the vulnerability that comes with rising sea levels, something that can impact our economy, our security and daily lives. they understand and they appreciate that threat. earlier this year, florida was pummeled by hurricane irma. a storm that affected the lives of millions of americans and cleanup efforts. we have seen that at times of crisis, despite the damage and our differences, our government and this congress can put bat ferh back togetherure community. that is our government. and at times where there are storms and damage, we are motivated to come together in government and govern. this year, my district saw this type of governing during the major winter storms. very county in my district saw devastation. one county suffered an extreme amount of damage. big sur, in part

contract to help the bipartisan working group or the problem-solving caucus go together in a line and solve problems for our nation? can you comment on that possibility? host: thank you for the call. i will show you the letter on polarization being reversed -- we were able to pull it up for you. guest: i appreciate the caller. i make a lot of point in my book, specifically in congress, the centrist, in many cases, have been purged from both parties. coreave a remaining small, group of people willing to work with the other side. the vast majority, and certainly the leadership in congress, is not interested in that approach at all. when i was in congress, i was a member of the two of the four centrist groups that like to work with the other side. but we have lost a lot of that. because of the issues i have brought up earlier in this conversation, we now have a congress dominated overwhelmingly by people on the extremes. yes, there are a few groups who still work together in a bipartisan way and talk solutions, but it is not possible to get article mass in these dynamics. as a political candidate, when you go back ho

nation's military and veteran caregivers. chairman collins, iou special thanks for your strong support of key legislation in the hidden heroes caucus which you are cochairing. you are sending a very powerful signal that our nation's leaders must stand with america's military caregivers. thank you so very much. this is not my first time testifying before the senate special committee on aging. recently, i came across testimony i gave on june 29, 1978. that was 39 years ago. i was a member of the federal trade commission. like each of you, i once sat up there as a member of this committee. to be honest, with the many issues before the senate, i did not know the enormous benefit military and veteran caregivers are making to our nation. as well as the huge personal toll it is taking. that all change for me in 2011 when my husband bob was hospitalized at walter reed. i became friends with young spouses, mothers, dads, sitting bedside, selflessly looking after loved one. they were carrying an emotional weight almost too heavy to bear. as they reeled over their injuries were asked to make extremely difficult decisions without any preparati

national security, including things like health care. he's a former congressman, he has ties to the freedom caucus, the tea party, conservatives in the housethe president has come to rely on him and sees him as a likely successor to rex tillerson, head of state. >> an ally and critic of rex tillerson and way too eager to cut the budget, but this is what corker has to say. >> i just had a kind of long conversation, and he's going to europe next week. he was on the phone this morning with the president and another role leader and is conducting business as is the norm. he's not aware of anything changing and plans to be there. it's been evident to me that for some time somebody is, you know, seeking to undermine his presence here. i don't know who that is. >> could be the president himself. and tillerson's self-inflicted wounds. at least, jordan, you were in the national security council, you know how these things work. i have never, never seen a secretary of state so undermined by his own inability to grasp the concept of the position as well as shots fired at him from the national security council staff as well. >> well, and every secretary

caucus scheduled training for nurse tuesday. conyers is the most senior member. >> melissa: here is national committee spokesperson and juan williams fox news political analyst and co-host of the five. juan, i will let go first. there is new detail coming for the it seems like every hour here. what's your take? >> well, the key thing is, was the money hush money, mel lisa? because if, in fact, what happens here is the congressman, john conyers of michigan used public funds, essentially to shut this woman up, avoid going through the ethics process, avoid any kind of public disclosure about her complaint, then i think the detroit free press is right in saying this is a basic violation of the public trust and he should resign. i don't think we've reached quite to that point of asserting that you now conyers office is saying other offices have used the same procedure. i don't know that i'm interested to find out if this is common. even if it is common, it still constitutes what strikes me as hush money. >> melissa: yeah,ally, on top of that, there is the subterfuge. there is as tens ostensibly whas going on elsewhere in congress as we

nation. house republican leaders are set to unveil legislation to overhaul the tax code. congressman jim jordan, member of the house freedom caucus. your thoughts on this individual who we understand may be from uzbekistan, in his 20s, attacking in this fashion. your thoughts? >> just another illustration of how evil this terrorist threat is. in the previous segment the list of these terrorist attacks highlights how evil these guys are. think about our great country. he's in a hospital and american surgeons and american doctors are doing everything to save him. the deserves to die but our system -- it shows you the contrast of what we are as americans and how evil these terrorists are. we have to be ever vigilant and do the best we can. president trump is doing everything he can to deal with this worldwide threat from these folks. lou: he's doing all the military can. the u.s. military at the urging of president trump are killing isis and eradicated them from syria. 3% of the caliphate is all that remains with their leaders on the run in north africa and the middle east. here an incident we don't know yet his nationality or where

member of the congressional native american caucus, i am proud to work with tribal leaders to strengthen the relationship between our country and their sovereign nations. there's a great deal to do to ensure rural tribal communities have access to 21st century infrastructure, education, and health care, but i am confident that the work we are doing will make these critical investments. mr. speaker, one of the founding principles of this great country is the celebration of diversity of its people. when we recognize as a strength we truly are a more perfect union. and i yield. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from texas, mr. flores, for five minutes. mr. speaker, i rise today to honor texas department of public safety trooper damon allen of mexia, texas, who passed away on november 23, 2017. he was born in morgantown, kentucky, on october 4, 1976. his family moved to mexia in 1984. in 1995 damon graduated from mexia high school where he was a member of the varsity high school football team. he went on to marry his sweetheart casey. happily married for nearly 24 years, they had three daughters and a son, chelsea, caitlyn, madis

onto another subject which is that you have been as leader of the freedom caucus, outspoken in your opposition to the nationalainst national debt increases. we have in front of us a proposal that would increase by its own calculations, the national debt, by a trillion and a and a half dollars over the next ten years. how can you support a bill that does that given all your past an situation to debt? >> well, i can tell you that it's not just past opposition. it's certainly ongoing opposition, and you're right with my record on being a deficit hawk. really, there are two issues working against each other. the fiscal restraint that many of my colleagues here on capitol hill are not willing to show in terms of actually looking at reducing spending and so as we look at that going forward, whether it's with defense or nondefense discretionary numbers, those numbers continue to rise and having to address that. there's only two ways that you can do that. either you can cut back on those areas, or you can hopefully grow the economy. this pro growth tax reform is designed to not only grow the economy. the initial numb

priority of mine and as i believe it's the national and economic security challenge of the 21st century. as co-chair of the congressional sirpe security caucus, i fought for years to help reduce security risks while preserving the amazing benefits of an open, interoperable internet. the internet was not designed with security in mind. so i haven't been surprised by the work needed to better protect our networks and data. but the internet was designed to be free and open. that's why, mr. speaker, i have been stunned by the federal communication commission's recent proposal to end net neutrality and allow a small group of large companies to control what we see online. this is absolutely outrageous. i've heard from countless constituents back home in rhode island about this misguided effort and i join them in calling for the f.c.c. to reject it. mr. speaker, we do need to better protect ourselves on the internet. but we better make sure it's still a free and other -- there's still a free and open internet to protect. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman fro

as cofounder and chair of the congressional caucus on drug policy, he has helped to shape the national policy on drug addiction and access to affordable medication. please join me to give a warm welcome to congressman elation cummings. [applause] rep. cummings: good morning everyone. come on, we can do better than that, good morning everyone. morning!] rep. cummings: it is my honor and privilege to be here and also thanks to the dean for your kind words but more important thank you for your time. i have to do do this. on behalf of my family and certainly on behalf of generations yet unborn thanks to you, johns hopkins, for taking good care of me. [applause] having spent two months in hospital just a few blocks from here, after a heart procedure i , must say that i have grown to love john hopkins even more. to the doctors and the cafeteria folks, everybody, associated with this campus, i thank you for changing the trajectory of my destiny. i truly, truly appreciated, thank you. [applause] -- i truly appreciated. i am honored to join former president clinton and dean mckenzie in welcomin

caucus. we host briefings about the importance of this industry to america's economy and national security. states that may not have robust petrachemical sectors nonetheless rely on its products for manufacturing, agriculture and several other key industries. for months, i'd say more than months, years, i've been advancing the development of an appalachia natural gas liquids market to improve our storage and distribution capabilities. new drilling technologies have unlocked access to trillions upon trillions of cubic feet of natural gas and their associated liquids in west virginia, pennsylvania, ohio, and kentucky. some of our most downtrodden economic areas have this valuable asset right there. unpredicted just a decade ago, this asset can create a respect sans in -- renaissance in the region's petra che chemicals but can only happen if they see this once a generation opportunity and to do that we need to create a natural gas liquid storage hub in central appalachia. the concept of this new hub is simple. right now because we don't have a way to store these liquids, we're unable to fully

national committee should severe all fundraising relationships with this campaign. every republican member of the united states senate should signal that should he be elected that he'll refuse to, that they'll refuse to caucus with roy moore. every one of them should call on him to drop out of this race. they should repudiate it. the moral wrought in the republican party, the wrought, the stench, the cancer of bannon-ism is a playing on this country. it is a sad, sad day. ronald reagan, abraham lincoln, dwight eisenhower, teddy roosevelt, they're rolling over in their graves tonight. shame on mitch mcconnell, shame on paul ryan for not speaking out, not doing the right thing here, shame on them. >> you know, there's these two camps the bannonite camp and the alabama republicans rallying around moore and the people around him and on trump tv saying it's fabricated. we make things umm. then the people like mitt romney and barbara comstock and john mccain to their credit saying this in and of itself is disqualifying. today there is this other category, which is the biggest category, the i'm not sure. today you had mike league first asking for his name to be pulled off the fundraising document, the picture of h

national committee does not run elections. states run elections. and those elections were run by the states. we run caucuses and bernie sanders did very well in the caucus warren and keith ellison and myself, where we agree is we have to earn the trust of the voters. and during the process of the democratic primary, we fell short in that, undeniably. i accepted that responsibility. here's what we're doing about it. number one, in the future moving forward to 2020, we're going to be announcing our democratic debate schedule before we know who the candidates are. because the number one goal has to be to be fair and transparent. all of our fund-raising agreements, our partnerships will be available to everyone, as they were actually in 2016. and then what we have to do is make sure we're also working with voters up and down america, rural america, urban america, everywhere in between to earn their trust. >> don't you owe the sanders campaign an investigation? i mean, donna brazile put that charge out. don't you and keith ellison, shouldn't you guys look back and see if her charges are true? >> well, again, i totally agree, chuck, with the notion that the d

national committee should sever all funding relationship with this campaign. every republican member of the united states senate should signal that should he be elected that he'll refuse to -- that they'll refuse to caucus with roy moore. every withone of them should can him to drop out of this race. they should repudiate it. the moral rot in the republican party, the rot, the stench, the cancer of bannonism is a plague on this country. it is a sad, sad day. ronald reagan, abraham lincoln, dwight eisenhower, teddy roosevelt, they're rolling over in their graves tonight. shame on mitch mcconnell, shame on paul ryan for not speaking out, not doing the right thing here, shame on them. >> you know, there's these two camps, the bannonite camp and the alabama republicans rallying around him and folks on trump tv saying it's fabricated, women make things up and then people like mitt romney and barbara comstock saying this in and of itself is disqualifying. and then there's the other category of i'm not sure. today you had mike lee first asking for his name to be pulled off the fund-raising document, the picture of him with roy moore. first he wanted his picture removed. later after the interview, he rescinded

nation has gone as far as deporting veterans. my colleagues and i in the congressional hispanic caucus visited the deported veterans support house in tijuana, mexico, to learn more about this issue. we heard stories about their service, deportation and separation from family members. mr. castro: ivan was born in mexico and came to the united states when he was 7 years old. he enlisted in the army after high school to, quote, to serve the only country he knew to be his home. ivan deployed to iraq, jordan and korea and received an honorable discharge. ultimately he was deported to mexico and had to leave his family behind including his u.s.-born daughter. congress can and should pass legislation that brings these deported veterans home. i yield back, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purposdoes the gentleman from nevada seek recognition? without objection, the gentleman from nevada is recognized for one minute. today en: mr. speaker, i rise to remember the life of stevenburger, a loving son, -- steven burger, a loving son, brother. growing up in wisconsin, steven was active in many sports. a

but our progressive caucus colleagues, we're here tonight to say that really enough is enough. we demand affordable housing for every person in our nation, regardless of who they are and where they live and we are not giving up. earlier this year i introduced a renter's bill of right. it's h.con.res. 74. which affirms that all renters have the right to safe, decent and affordable housing. it calls for greater enforcement of anti-discrimination laws that protect communities of color from burdensome regulations. and it calls on congress to increase funding to protect every american's right to livable and affordable housing. so as a member of the appropriations and budget committees, i'm committed to advancing the american dream for all. and that's affordable housing. people deserve to have a decent and safe place to live and to raise their families. so everyone to across the country who worry about paying rent or whether they can finally at the end of the day buy a home, i say, keep raising your voices, keep bringing what we call street heat to defend your communities. because you've got allies in the congressional progressive caucus. you

we're raising the prospect of a $1.5 trillion addition to the national debt over the next decade at a time, you know, in twailt your caucus support any deaf stit spending to bail us outs now we're at the time when our economy is incredibly hot. we're talking on probably more debt possibly throwing out our spare tire and our bumper in the event that some event hams that we're going to need it how do you justify that switch >> well, what i do know is while our economy has improved recently, economists still predict, you know, 2% and in some cases sub-2% growth for the next decade. i think the way you keep -- you want to keep really high deficits and more debt just keep the economy the way it is stick with the status quo. i guarantee you we'll pile on more debts we're taking a different approach we know tax reform done right can grow the economy in a big way, but that alone won't get us back to just what you said, getting us back to a balanced budget you have to eliminate dozens if not hundreds of provisions out of the code to lower the rates and move us backing to a balanced budget. growth alone, i acknowledge, won't get us

nation of the western hemisphere. indeed, such a decision would be cruel and unusual punishment. for this reason, i've worked with congressman cedric richmond, chair of the congressional black caucus, and my colleagues of the congressional black caucus, in sending a letter to acting d.h.s. secretary erain duke -- elaine duke signed by the entire congressional black caucus requesting a full 18-month extension of haiti's t.p.s. status. i also asked that acting secretary duke take the haitian ambassador up on his invitation to visit haiti and see the conditions for herself. however, haiti is not the only country that clearly merits an extension. early 60,000 hondurans and nicaraguans currently await news of their fate. as will thousands of other immigrants from africa, asia, and the northeast. -- and the middle east. while i hope that acting secretary duke will do the right thing and make an evidence-based decision in light of human cost to her -- of her actions, our experience teaches us that we must also prepare for the worst. when this administration refuses to respect decades of bipartisan agreements, congress must assert its constitutional powers and act to safeguard human life

national adoption month is older youth waiting to be adopted. teenagers unfortunately face more difficulty in being adopted than younger children. as co-founder and cochair of the senate caucus on foster youth, i have had the chance to hear directly from teenagers in foster care. in fact, our senate caucus on foster youth has a couple three seminars every year just listening to older youth in the foster care system. particularly those that are about ready to age out. these young people tell me that more than anything else, they want a loving family. they tell me they need a family, and that nobody is too old to be adopted. the support that parents provide to teens is critical to navigating the transition to adulthood, for -- from making decisions about higher education to finding a job or buying a car. a loving family continually provides a support that teens need to succeed. congress must continue to work towards policies that help make adoption a reality for our foster youth. we must work to ensure that all children no matter their circumstances, have a permanent loving home and consistent, caring adults in their lives. i'm glad that the senate preserved the adoption tax c

caucus. i rise in strong support of this legislation. mr. chairman, mining in the superior national forest where these leases are located as priestly been authorized by congress on several occasions. first in 1950. and again in 1978. with that bill, the boundary water canoe area act, congress established a compromise in which mining was prohibited in the 1.1 million acres boundary waters wilderness area but was specifically authorized in the superior national forest. likewise, u.s. forest service plans for those areas identified mining in these superior forest locations as a, quo quote -- desired condition, unquote. despite this long-standing precedent , in december of 2016, the obama administration abruptly canceled mining leases that had been held and renewed for decades in northern minnesota. then in january, the day before leaving office, president obama signed off on a mineral withdrawal for an area spanning 425,000 acres including 95,000 acres of state school trust fund lands. there's a torrent of misinformation surrounding this bill with some alarmist groups begging that we,

aisle progressive caucus put in a budget to raise taxes by 10 trillion we are trying to cut taxes did not get that message out our leadership needs to do a much better job, nationallyt is going on about health care or primary concern at polls, and the economy i think northbound two, so everybody is getting the checks in the mail premiums going up 40%, we don't don't own that that is a function of obamacare we did a lousy job messaging on key points, that do matter to the folks back home. maria: yeah, messaging but then also reality, i mean tax plan includes tax increases so we got to talk about, that well i want to talk be tax reform package by the way, that -- that horrible ad from northam, with the van following kids around, does that tell us that, you know, bad -- bad acting helps? that was a disgusting ad in fact -- >> yeah, no, i don't think so a lot of us thought that ad was going to produce momentum the other way unfortunately didn't show up but that negative kind of stuff we got to all get by that stuff and just run on policy issues, have a good debate we are friends up here work out in weight room together in the mornings. maria: that is good, good to hear

national democratic party? are you signing on in that role officially? >> no. i think i have always seen myself as someone outside the official party. i'm a member of the democratic caucusd a title here, any title in the democratic caucus. i think my effectiveness is always working to improve the democratic party. >> do you think they need to up debt their way of doing business? are you coming in as the one to upset the apple cart, if you will? >> no. i want to strengthen, i want to strengthen that apple cart. i want to use my ability, as all of you know, i've visited 100 cities in the last ten yoors. i have friends, there are fighters out there. i'm going to engage them in a conversation and what's the best way luis gutierrez can help defeat donald trump in 2020, and i don't want to do it here in congress, but i am going to make sure, look, here is a goal, until we take -- until donald trump is no longer the leader of the united states, we have a woman or man in the white house committed to immigration reform, my goll will never be accomplished. look, joe scarborough left congress. he didn't retire, did he? >> no, he didn't. >> he didn't retire. neither am i. because y