closes] slam ♪ [upbeat] [people cheering] "hey, welcome home" to the men and women of the united states armed forcesthe uso is home. the uso depends on the generosity of the american people, people just like you. to find out how you can help, visit us at uso dot org. the uso. until every one comes home. ♪ what did we learn on the show tonight, craig? ♪ [meow] [laughter] craig: wait a minute, craig. that -- what the hell was that? oh, was that the noise of the cigarette burning? i know what you're thinking, craig, wait a minute. i'm the lighting guy. you didn't say you were going to stand here. all right. i'll sit over here then. i know what you're thinking. craig, what's a come and a go. [laughter] all right then. i will. but i'll be back tomorrow so you better get your cable fixed. good night, everybody. . >>> this is 9news now. >>> thousands of people are making their way home tonight after crowding the national mall for the annual fireworks display. but if you weren't able to make it down there to watch all of the explosions of color, we've got a recap. armando trull has been down there following

close] slam ♪ [upbeat] [people cheering] "hey, welcome home" to the men and women of the united states armed forceso is home. the uso depends on the generosity of the american people. to find out how you can help, visit us at uso dot org. >>> it's time for 9 sports with brett haber, the best sports in town. >> all right. allow me to be peter positive for a second. in order for the nationals to blow an 8-run lead, they actually had to score eight runs in a game. and with the lowest batting average in the national league, they haven't done that this year. that said, the nationals blew an 8-run lead tonight and johnson looked like he wanted to throw up in his hat. nats looking to sweep the cubs. great beginning for the game. this one is off the wall in right field. ryan zimmerman scores. 8-5 lead in the 4th. and -- 8-0 lead in the 4th. levo hits the big french fry. makes it 7-6. two-run shot. lead vanished. we're tied in the 8th. tony coming around. that is say stinker that is wofting throughout the whole city tonight. 8-0 up. 10-9 loss. o's at fenway tonight. and they'll be treating poor pedro viola

the clerk: section, it is the policy of the united states to withdraw all united states armed forces and military contractors from iraq by december 31, 2011, and no provision of any agreement between the united states and iraq that amends -- ms. lee: madam chair, i ask for unanimous consent to considerate amendment as read. the chair: is there objection? >> i reserve a point of order on the gentlewoman's amendment. the chair: the point of order is reserved. without objection, the reading is suspended. the gentlewoman from california is recognized for five minutes. ms. lee: thank you, madam chair. i'm pleased that my colleagues and friends, congressman nadler and woolsey, are joining me in offering an amendment that makes it the policy of the united states to withdraw all members of the united states armed forces and military contractors from iraq by the end of this year. more importantly this amendment also clarifies that the timeline cannot be changed unless it is in the form of a treaty requiring the advice and consent of the senate or else otherwise authorized by an act of congress

but there fact that hostilities are taking place, and they are, does not mean the united states armed forces have been introduced into those hostilities of their not being shot at or not at risk of being shot at. if there is no risk of escalation or of the mission is narrowly defined. i know none of us want to get trapped in the legalese here. we want to try to do this in the right way, but it is wrong to suggest that somehow the president went outside the constitutional process here when in fact, congress, us, has done nothing in the 60 days to declare war or not. >> i would just respond that i think the central element of my argument to mr. koh, , i respect his intellect but i don't respect his judgment on this case. the focus of my argument was hostilities. by a nearly defining that are being cute by where you say i support the constitutionality of the war powers act but on the other hand, since we are not really involved in hostilities, we don't really need to deal with congress. that's the part. that just happened on the 15th. i don't think anybody in this body had any idea that the pre

the united states armed forces kicks ass. [ cheers and applause ] thank you, from the bottom of my hearthappy you're here. i'm thankful you're here. we got a lot to talk about, "wwe tough enough." but i want to talk, about -- it's sad. very sad. randy "macho man" savage -- >> man. >> jimmy: -- passed away. >> i was sad to hear about that guy going. >> jimmy: look at this guy. how cool is this guy? >> he was one of the greatest of all time and such an intense individual. >> jimmy: yeah. >> and any time, you know, whether he was working as a good guy or as a bad guy, he was always -- he always had that intensity, that focus, that voice. and he's just -- he just was like a magnet in the ring. i was a huge fan of his. and he was very influential to a lot of guys. >> jimmy: absolutely, right? >> and to myself, as well, so i was sorry -- sorry to hear that guy go. >> jimmy: he was probably in the class before you. >> he was a little bit ahead of me in age. and so, you know, we crossed paths a few times but never really were in the same territory. >> did you ever wrestle? >> i wrestled that guy

and history will record how the united states stood on people who were struggling, both peacefully and where in necessity station -- necessitated, used the force of arms, is where the united states of america was. mr. graham: and if i may, we've got our good colleague, naval intelligence officer, senator kirk from illinois and we'll certainly yield to him but one last thought. we need to get our fiscal house in order, we need to decide among ourselves how important is national security. to me, it's the most important thing in congress. if we don't get that right, there's nothing else that's going to matter there. will never be economic prosperity in america if the world is in the hands of evil people who will make it very difficult for us to travel and trade and do business. and the other thing we need to do after we balance our budget is to have a clear vision of who we are and what we believe. i believe that we're destined to lead the free world. i don't consider it a burden. i consider it the birthright of all americans. not only to maintain our freedom but to help others secure theirs. and a word of warning, the day that america rejects that leade

. >>> the brave men and women of the united states armed forces, they are celebrating the fourth of july holiday all around the world. but what does the u.s. troop drawdown in afghanistan mean for the war on terror? ♪ >> hello, i'm here in afghanistan, i just want to say happy fourth of july especially to my grandpa elmer swenson and, go twins. walls can talk. but it's our job to make them say something interesting. so how about this weekend we lrn some new tricks of the trade... then break out our doing clothes and get rolling. let's use some paint that helps us get the job done in record time and makes a statement when we're finished. we're lowering the cost of a new favorite color. more saving. more doing. th's the power of the home depot. get five dollars off gallon cans ofour top paint brds, now through july 4th only. >> hi, everybody, good afternoon, i'm rick folbaum with the stars and stripes over my shoulder. when you see you at the top of the hour, we're going to talk about the jury that's deliberating in the casey anthony case. is this case so open and shut that the jury could

. >> said greetings from the president of the united states, your friends and neighbors have selected you to represent them in the armed forces the united states. >> reporter: he told recruiters he already had a job and asked what they paid. >> like i had a choice. they told me, you're wasting time. so, here i am. >> reporter: drafted, like thousands of others in 1972. he stayed. now, nearly 40 years later -- >> i need you to think of stuff like that. >> reporter: he is command sergeant major jeffrey mellinger, the last draftee. the only active duty army soldier drafted and still serving. >> if somebody told me i'd be in the army for 40 years on that day, i would h he just laughed. >> reporter: he became an army ranger. the top enlisted man in iraq for 2 1/2 years. some of the toughest days there, where he survived more than two dozen roadside bomb attacks. now, he's retiring. >> i found a home, i found a place that i love. people that i love. it's not just the army. it's the services. >> reporter: he'll spend the fourth of july with friends, after he make as trip to arlington cemetery. >> the fourth is a reminder of the cost

united states court of appeals for the armed forces, $13,861,000. environmental restoration, army, $346,431,000. environmental restoration, navy, $308,668,000. environmental restoration, air force, $525,453,000. environmental restoration, defensewide, $10,716,000. environmental restoration, formerly used defense sites, $276,495,000. overseas humanitarian disaster and civic aid, $107,662,000 to remain available until september 30, 2013. cooperative threat reduction account. $508,219,000 to remain available until september 30, 2014. department of defense acquisition work force development fund, $105,501,000. title 3, procurement, aircraft procurement, army, $6,487,481,000 to remain available until september 30, 2014. missile procurement, army, $1,464,223,000 to remain available until september 30, 2014. procurement of weapons and track combat vehicles, army, $2,178,186,000 to remain available until september 30, 2014. procurement of ammunition, army, $1,952,000. $1,952,625,000 to remain available until september 30, 2014. other procurement, army. $9,3

united states. your friends and neighbors have selected you to represent them in the armed forces of the united states. >> reporter: asked what they paid. >> like i had a choice. they basically told me, you're wasting time. so here i am. >> reporter: drafted, like thousands of others in 1972, he stayed. now nearly 40 years later -- >> i need you to think of stuff like that. >> reporter: -- he is command sergeant major jerry mellenjer. >> if somebody had told me i'd be in the army 40 years, i'd have laughed at them. >> reporter: the top enlisted man in iraq for more than 2 1/2 years. some of the toughest days there where he survived more than two dozen roadside bomb attacks. now at 58, he's preparing to leave. to retire. >> there's that sound of freedom. you've got to love it. i found a home, i found a place that i love, people i love. it's not just army, it's the services. >> reporter: he'll spend the fourth of july with friends. after he makes a trip across the potomac to arlington cemetery. >> the fourth is the reminder of the cost of being able to do what we company in this country. >> some of your

that armed forces will always, always remain the best trained, the best led, the best equipped fighting for us in history. and in an uncertain world that demands our leadership. the united statesand security that the world has ever known. this is the america, strong and confident, to which bob gates has devoted his life. i can think of no better way to express the gratitude of the nation for bob gates than with a very special recognition. bob, this is not in the program but i would ask you to please stand. as president, the highest honor that i can bestow on a civilian is the presidential medal of freedom. it speaks to the values we cherish as a people and the ideals we strive for as a nation. and today it is my great privilege to present the presidential medal of freedom to america's 22nd secretary of defense, robert m. gates. >> i'm deeply honored and moved by your presentation of this award. it is a big surprise. but we should have known a couple of months ago you've gotten pretty good at this covert ops stuff. >> that was kind of funny there, secretary gatsz. the presidential medal of freedom which gates got at that ceremony is the country's highest civilian honor. >>> at

the united states plans to bring home about a third of its armed forces by september next year, starting this month. sarkozy is facing increasing calls at home to withdraw troops from afghanistan. next year's presidential election seems to be a key factor to reduce the french military presence. >>> france is calling for the u.n. security council to dump the resolution condemning syrian president bashar al assad for attacking the french embassy in damascus. the attack left three french workers injured. supporters of assad stormed the french and u.s. embassies on monday. rioters damaged the french ambassador's car and broke embassy windows. the french foreign ministry criticized the security forces for improperly dealing with the attack and ignoring obligations under international law. french prime minister francois fillon said in a radio program on tuesday that president assad had gone way beyond the limit. fillon said france and other european countries are calling for the u.n. security council to adopt a resolution denouncing assad. on tuesday all 15 members of the u.n. security council

replacement for intelligence is indiscriminate shelling by the african union forces known as amazon that are funded and armed by the united states they just indiscriminately shell areas where the shabaab are believed to have strongholds and and they force everyone to flee to shabaab and the civilians that are living there and it really is just a replacement for accurate intelligence and it's angering enraging a lot of people and causing a lot of civilian damage and civilians to be killed as part of that this counterterrorism training program the cia has is in theory aimed at doing more surgical operations but the somali intelligence sources that i spoke with said they've only tried one operation in the shabaab controlled area and it was a disaster in the somali agents ended up getting killed they haven't tried one since and that was way as last year they also told me they don't have a single. credible informant in the areas and remember the u.s. backed government in mogadishu only controls thirty square miles of the capital city much of the rest of the city and in fact the country is in the hands of warlords clans or al-shabaab

determined that our armed forces will always remain the best trained, best lead, best equipped fighting force in history. in an uncertain world that demands our leadership, the united statesd our armed forces will remain the greatest force for freedom and security the world has ever known. this is the america, strong and confident, to which bob gates has devoted his life. this is the america to which we rededicate ourselves. i can think of no better way to express my appreciation to someone i have come to admire and who might consider a friend, i can think of no better way to express the gratitude of the nation for bob gates than with a very special recognition. bob, this is not in the program, but i would ask you to please stand. as president, the highest honor i can bestow on a civilian is the presidential medal of freedom. it speaks to the values we cherish as a people and the ideals we strive for as a nation. today it is my great privilege to present the presidential medal of freedom to america's 22nd secretary of defense, robert m. gates. please read the citation. >> the presidential medal of freedom to robert m. gates, our nation's 22nd secretary of defense. he has

eisenhower stated that the nation had pursued a pass of honor by staging against the use of the force in and egypt. the united states, he said, cannot and will not condone armed aggression no matter who the attackers and no matter who the victim. we cannot in the world any more than in our own nation subscribe to one for the become another law for this long, one law for those opposing us and another for those alive with us. there can be only one law or there will be no peace. the president concluded we believe that the power of modern weapons in the war model literalists but preposterous and the only way to win world war war iii is to prevent it. eisenhower and completely drained by four days of unrelenting crisis. he drank too scotches before dinner on the train and three highballs afterwards a riding of the union station 12:29 november november 2nd. on friday morning, november 2nd, eisenhower learned of 4 o'clock in the morning, the general assembly had passed the american cease-fire resolution by a vote of 64-5 with, surprisingly, the soviet union. the voting in favor. democratic candidate adlai stevenson was harshly critical of the situation. we as aliena

and his actions, and history will record how the united states stood on people who were struggling both peacefully and where necessitated use force of arms is where the united states of america was. >> if i may, we have a good colleague naval intelligence officer, senator kirk from illinois. we'll yield to him now, but last thought, we have to get the fiscal house in order, balance the budget, and decide among ourselves how important is national security. to me, it's the number one thing to do in congress. if we don't get that right, nothing else matters. there's never going to be economic prosperity in america if the world is in the hands of evil people who make it very difficult for us to travel and trade and do business, and the other thing we need to do after we balance our budget is to have a clear vision of who we are and what we believe. i believe that we're destined to lead the free world. i don't consider it a burden. i consider it the birthright of all americans, not only to maintain our freedom, but to help others secure theirs, and a word of warning -- the day that america rejects that leadership role is a day we'll eventuall

united states navy, did he not? >> he did. he already had given up pacifism for a period of time, realizing hitler was unstoppable and had to be met with by force of arms. >> alice, what about his oddogy, he wore no socks a lot, correct? >> this may be due to the fact he had sweaty feet, which is one of the reasons he was excluded from the swiss army. >> but then he would need socks. >> you can argue the exact opposite of that. he may have found they were heat producers. we'll have to live with that mystery. >> i suppose. >> is this true, it is said that husband of his time, he had no time to buy a new suit. he had no time to have his haircut. he was not willing to expand that kind of time? >> i think he didn't think it was important enough. >> he was completely uninterested in material things. that follows also from what you read as part of the things he believed in. materialism, the questions of dress were -- he made fun of it in berlin when he was in high society. he made fun of the need to strut around like a peacock. so that was something that he didn't like. >> what about his assets when he passed away? >> his assets for the most part were with t

number three, a national emergency created on an attack upon the united states, its territories or possessions or its armed forces. none of this criteria was met by the president. he said he went in there because of humanitarian issues. he consulted, as we said before on the floor, with france, england, the united nations, nato and the arab league. he had two or three weeks to do that but he didn't have time to talk to the congress of the united states, and he's gone in there and spent almost $1 billion at a time when we just don't have the money. now, if you're talking about humanitarian problems, in the sudan 2,300 sudanese have been killed this year alone and more than 500 people died in the last two weeks. in darfur, 450,000 to 480,000 have been displaced or killed, and just recently, and one of my colleagues talked about this a while ago, in the nubian mountains in the sudan they're killing people every single day. it's a horrible atrocity that's taking place. human rights violations. and if you're talking about humanitarian issues, why wouldn't you go in there as well? you look, also, at syria right now. in

this motion recognizes a tremendous debt of our gratitude owed by the united states to the men and women of our armed forces. members of the armed forces who are going to the front lines or coming home from a war zone should not be given a bill with nair boreding passes. i urge my colleagues -- boarding passes. i urge my colleagues to join me in ensuring our nation's airlines treat our warriors with the respect they deserve for defending our country. this is a bipartisan -- should be a bipartisan, overwhelmingly yes and i close by saying, vote for our veterans, and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman may not reserve. mr. rahall: i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from west virginia yields back the balance of his time. does the gentleman from wisconsin continue to reserve his point of order? mr. petri: i withdraw my point of order, madam speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the point of order is withdrawn. for what purpose does the gentleman from minnesota rise? >> i rise in opposition to recommit, madam speaker. the speaker pro tempo

united states has been unwilling to take a lead role. but the unwillingness to be more proactive, the use larger forces, to support their rebels militarily with armsn, that has led to this prolonged conflict. that being said, there is no question that the libyan opposition forces have made significant gains over the last four months. this question was debated here in washington when mr. get out the's forces were approach benghazi. now it is fully in the hands of the opposition as is misrata, and we're reading the papers today that the libyan opposition are proposing to move towards tripoli, even. there is no question that the support of gaddafi is weakening and it is just a matter of time. host: there will be some debate on libya on the floor of the senate this week. they are canceling their recess. oakland, california, nick on are in the deadline. the less on our independent line. caller: i have another question about the labor union movement and the possibility for the election. is the muslim brotherhood still looking strong in the election? what are the parties opposing them? guest: and labor unions and elections. first about labor unions, it i

force that owns one helicopter. they are not used to dealing with hostage situations or armed gunmen or terrorist attacks on a daily basis and they are dependent on allies like the united statesvide them with intelligence and insight to see it coming. here was someone from inside of the norwegian society who went on a rampage and as it would be wonderful to say there was some way to stop him, but i don't know if there was, because the reality is even in the country with all of the resources dedicated to fighting terrorism, there are no promises that a lone wolf would get up to do this. don't forget that somebody got into an airplane and fueled it with gasoline and crashed into an irs building in texas, and no one saw that coming, so if someone is capable of that, they are capable of this, and it is a warning sign that we should take as aself-reflection sign that somebody could do this and we have to make sure there is somebody who is not writing a 1,500-page manifesto. >> and we should be careful what we say in political rallies as well. eric kohlman, thank you. >>> these two men created bath in a box which is a business called bath simple. they put the bathtub and the sink a

united states of america and what freedom means to each of us. we must remember that men and women have died in our armed forces and law enforcement to protect theights of others like us who value freedom, independence, and life. for three long years the citizens of orange county have sought justice in the death of 2-year-old caylee marie anthony. on december 11th, 2008, caylee's remains were discovered. the orange county sheriff's office has been involved in the criminal investigation of her disappearance and death since july of 2008. there have been numerous individuals and agencies that have assisted us during that investigation and prosecution case of casey marie anthony. i must acknowledge a few of those individuals and agencies who have assisted us today. there have been numerous volunteers who assisted in the search for caylee. i must thank the orlando police department, and the orange county medical examiner and the orange county corrections department and the florida department of law enforcement and the federal bureau of investigation and the state's attorney office for the ninth judicial circuit here in florida. i must also thank pers

states recognize the right to use arms in self-defense. in 1895 the supreme court case, beard vs. the united states, approved the common law rule that a person may repeal force by force in self-defense and concluded when attacked a person is entitled to stand his ground and meet any attack made upon him with a deadly weapon. in 2008, supreme court ruled in district of columbia vs. heller that the inherent right of self-defense has been central to the second amendment right. and that the amendment protects the individual right to possess and carry weapons in case of confrontation. right to carry laws have proven to be effective. since 1991 through 2009, 23 states have adopted the right to carry and violent crime rates have declined 43%. this all comes on the heels of a five-fold increase in the number of shall conceal carry case since 1986 to 2006. along with this, since the 1980's, when concealed carry issues started, the number of permit holders is estimated to have raise from one million to six million people. of major note, murder has declined 49%. also, the city with the highest gun homicide rate in the nation, washington, d.c., happens to also have the

united states will default on its bills. >>> leon pennetta tells leader to crush militants attacking the troops. he says iran is arming the militants and that needs to stop. u.s. forces are now increasing. the number of american forces in iraq is going down with the plan to with draw by the end of the year. >>> 46 people are confirmed dead and dozens missing after a russian cruise ship sank. the ship, "the bulgaria" was not licensed and had too many passengers onboard. and many have been pulled from the water. the ship was built in 1955. >>> military aid to pakistan is now on hold. the u.s. says pakistan needs to do more to get rid of al qaeda within its borders. >> the pakistani relationship is difficult, but it must be made to work over time. until we get through these difficulties, we will hold back some of the money that the american taxpayers have committed to give to them. >>> a funeral service for firefighter shannon stone. he fell over a rail at at baseball game last week while trying to catch a ball. he died at a hospital a short time later. texas ranger fans paid tribute to stone on sunday. >>> here's a rundown of some of the stories looking ahead. the unit

united states has been unwilling to take a lead role. but the unwillingness to be more proactive, the use larger forces, to support their rebels militarily with armslier on, that has led to this prolonged conflict. that being said, there is no question that the libyan opposition forces have made significant gains over the last four months. this question was debated here in washington when mr. get out the's forces were approach benghazi. now it is fully in the hands of the opposition as is misrata, and we're reading the papers today that the libyan opposition are proposing to move towards tripoli, even. there is no question that the support of gaddafi is weakening and it is just a matter of time. host: there will be some debate on libya on the floor of the senate this week. they are canceling their recess. oakland, california, nick on are in the deadline. the less on our independent line. caller: i have another question about the labor union movement and the possibility for the election. is the muslim brotherhood still looking strong in the election? what are the parties opposing them? guest: and labor unions and elections. first about labor unions

i also come here as, like bruce, a veteran of our armed forces, but unlike bruce, not a combat veteran. bruce sundlun joined the united states army and qualified as a pilot in the air corps in world war ii. he was brave, he was tough, he led with great distinction his crew in numerous bombing raids over occupied europe. in one of those raids, he was shot down, and of course he had the presence of mind to keep the aircraft as steady as he could to let as many of his crewmen escape, and finally at the very last moment, he himself parachuted to earth. he was behind enemy lines. he was without any weapons except his determination, his courage and his determination again not only to survive but to return to the fight. through an amazing series of breathtaking episodes that read like a novel, he would go from village to village. he would seek out the priests in the french village or belgian village. he would say in his fluent french as a graduate of williams college, he was an american flyer and he needed their help, and he always received their help. and then he would be given assistance and be hid for a while. and then he would

armed forces even if the u.s. hits its debt limit. >> under no circumstances should the brave men and women in uniform who are fighting to protect the liberties of this nation while the united states various conflicts, should they have for a moment their military pay be somehow in abeyance or suspended. the families of the military deserve far better than that. >>> gay rights advocates want to call michelle bachmann on the carpet because of this christian counseling center she and her husband own. hidden camera video indicates the clinic uses a bible based psychotherapy to try to convert gays to being straight. here's jim acosta. >> hi, everybody. >> reporter: in her campaign for president, michelle bachmann touts her background as a small business owner. >> as a mom of five, a foster parent, and a former tax lawyer and now a small business job creator -- >> reporter: that business is bachmann and associates, a christian counseling service outside minneapolis, run by her husband marcus. they're both pictured on the clinic's website. in recent years the clinic has faced accusations it encourages gay and lesbian patients to change their sexual orientation, a practice that is frowned

united states will meet the test of our times. fewer americans are in harm's way and we will bring the war. responsible land. we will make difficult choices and do this responsibly. i am certain that the armed forcesl always remain the best equipped fighting force in history. in an uncertain world that demands our leadership, this will remain the greatest force for freedom the world has ever known. this is the america, to which she has devoted his life. this is the america that we dedicate ourselves to. i can think of no better way to express my appreciation to someone i have come to admire, and i can think of no better way to express the gratitude of the nation than with very special recognition. i would ask for you to please stand. as the president, the highest honor i can give you is the medal of freedom. it speaks to the values we cherish as a people, and ideals that we strive for. it is my purpose to present the presidential medal of freedom to the 22nd secretary of defense, robert gates. will you please read the citation? >> the presidential medal of freedom, to robert gates. he has selflessly dedicated his life to making certain of the security of the american people. he has served eight pr

united states will meet the test of our times. fewer americans are in harm's way and we will bring the war. responsible land. we will make difficult choices and do this responsibly. i am certain that the armed forcesalways remain the best equipped fighting force in history. in an uncertain world that demands our leadership, this will remain the greatest force for freedom the world has ever known. this is the america, to which she has devoted his life. this is the america that we dedicate ourselves to. i can think of no better way to express my appreciation to someone i have come to admire, and i can think of no better way to express the gratitude of the nation than with very special recognition. i would ask for you to please stand. as the president, the highest honor i can give you is the medal of freedom. it speaks to the values we cherish as a people, and ideals that we strive for. it is my purpose to present the presidential medal of freedom to the 22nd secretary of defense, robert gates. will you please read the citation? >> the presidential medal of freedom, to robert gates. he has selflessly dedicated his life to making certain of the security of the american people. he has served eight pres

united states commercial air carrier if that contract, memorandum of understanding, cooperative agreement, loan or loan guarantee allows the air carrier to charge baggage fees to any member of the armed forces who is traveling on official military orders and is being deployed overseas or is returning from an overseas deployment. the chair: the gentleman from north carolina is recognized for five minutes. mr. kissell: thank you, mr. chairman. mr. chairman, this is a very simple to-the-point amendment. we heard recently about members of our armed services traveling on official military business being charged excess baggage fees by a commercial airlines here in the united states. this amendment would not make any funds available for entering into any contracts, mem ran dums of understanding, cooperative agreements, loans or loan guarantees with any united states commercial airlines where that -- where those contracts, memorandums of understanding, cooperative agreements, loans or loan guarantees would allow for excessive baggage fees for any member of the armed services traveling on official military business. our folks when they're traveling and protecting our nation shouldn't have to worry a

close] slam ♪ [upbeat] [people cheering] "hey, welcome home" to the men and women of the united states armed forcesnerosity of the american people. to find out how you can help, visit us at uso dot org.