the united states congress has now passed a wall street reform bill that will bring greater economic security to families and businesses across the country. we can't afford another financial crisis just as we're digging out from the last one. >> obama is expected to sign the bill into law next week. the bill, however, has incorporated some of the financial industry's demands. banks are still limited in investments in hedge funds despite calls for a total ban. it also allows banks to handle lower risk derivatives. >>> french prime minister now visiting japan says his country will call for longer regulation of international finance. during his speech in tokyo on friday, he referred to aspects of the recent financial turmoil in europe including the greek debt crisis. he stressed a need for international cooperation to tackle such crises saying it is difficult to achieve economic stability and prosperity by relying exclusively on cooperation within the european union. he said that the fronts as the chair of the g-8 and g-20 meetings next year will promote discussions for regulation. he a

i'm pleased to sign into law the toughest sanctions against iran ever passed by the united states congress there should be no doubt the united states and the international community are determined to prevent iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. what this does russia think about the recent mediating efforts by brazil and especially to turkey is getting very active i recently had a meeting with some techs and they told me that they country was getting very actively involved in the mediating mission. what is russia's position here do we support is efforts. to put across as i'm sure you know very well here and in brazil and turkey in talk to these so-called declaration in may. and we said that we viewed it as a positive development. means that a new u.n. security council to direct solution in all foreign ministers issue to the joint statement of the commanding brazil and turkey for their contribution and saying that they to run declaration was a positive development. one of the reasons these efforts were helpful was because their objective was to resolve an important side issue related to rens

developed a team that can move up to theprey >> what do you make of the women occupy seats in the united states congress? compared to the rest of the pretty much near the bottom. something like number 6 around the world in terms of that women are not terribly for office when that changes, we'l >> you written a fascinating book here and it's hard to >> thank you >> i managed to put it down. because i wanted to take some notes. your central proposition o the book is that a lot of americans, perhaps most americans, by far most, regard first ladies as kind of glitzy devoted to charitable undertakings. involved in soft power issues like literacy. that they really are cunning. they are really cunning cats, so to speak. and they are knowledgeable about their husband's they are tactically proficient. executive -- defacto executive power. is that trueal power >> i think the stereotype of out to debunk, the idea that house hostess. she sets fashion trends, she arrangements at stat she decides how to decorat the white house, what china to choose. stereotype that in looking at the historical research doesn't hold u

i did not grow up thinking i would be on the united states -- in the united states congress. i found myself in a few different spots where simply raising my hand helped and throwing my hat in the record i had no paid staff and i refused to go into debt. i was outspent by hundreds of thousands of dollars. i refuse to buy any people any free meals. we have too many in washington, d.c. i was running into 12-year incumbent. i said if you want different solutions, you have to come up with different people. if you want the status quo, do that. i thought he was wrong about a different -- i host of different issues including immigration. i was operated on policy. it had been big dollars equals big victory. we argued that policy and principle matters. combine that with old-fashioned hard work and you can achieve anything. we were very blessed and fortunate. along the way, those principles were based on the constitution. please, go back and read the constitution. his amazing how it is a small stock to an end it is inspired, but just read it. it is there. when i campaigned, i argued the

. >> with today's vote in the senate the united states congress now passed a wall street reform bill that will bring greater economic security to families and businesses across the country. the wall street reform bill aims to strengthen consumer protection with a newburgho under the federal reserve. shine a light on financial products and create a new process that dealing with troubled financial firms. >> this legislationing is about the people on pain street not wall street. >> however, republicans say some of the new regulations go too far and will stiffel economic growth. before the official vote the house minority leader says the bill will need to be repealed. >> i believe it is ill- concieved. it will make credit harder for the american people to get. clearly harder for businesses to get. and, the fact that it is going to punish ever banker in america for the sins of a few on wall street. i think it is unwise. >> president barack obama could sign the bill as early as tomorrow. and, has indicated he will quickly appoint the first chief to the new consumer protection bureau. in wa

. >> the united states congress has now passed a wall street reform bill that will bring greater economic security to families and businesses across the country. we can't afford another financial crisis just as we are digging out from the last one. >> the bill, however, has incorporated some of the financial industry's demands. banks are still permitted limited investments in hedge funds despite calls for a total ban. it also allows banks to handle lower-risk derivatives. >>> two explosions in southeastern iran left at least 20 people dead and more than 100 others injured on thursday. both incidents are believed to be suicide bombings. the blasts occurred in the city of zahedan, the sistan-baluchistan province. iran's state-run news agency irna says the first detonation happened near a crowded mosque. several people were injured. as others gathered to help the wounded, there was a second explosion. a group of armed rebels following sunni muslim, a minority in iran, said via website said it was behind the attacks. the group released a statement saying it carried out the bombings in retalia

we ask for your support as well in the area of passing a strong parity bill through the united states congress that will end the discrimination in insurance coverage towards those with mental illness so that we no longer have insurance practices in this country charge higher deductibles, co-pays, and premiums for mental illnesses as opposed to other physical illnesses. i am living proof, grateful living proof, that treatment works and recovery is possible. but too many people don't have access to treatment. too many people don't have the access to treatment that patrick kennedy and i had. that's why congress must-must-break down the barriers to addiction treatment. well, policymakers have a tremendous opportunity to talk about the fact that people can and do recover from addiction. they can be an important player in terms of building alliances with the business community, with the judicial branch, with people in communities around the country, to demonstrate that it makes sense to stop discriminating against people who are in recovery and to make it possible for even more americans to enjoy th

in addition, last week i signed our own set of sanctions coming out of the united states congress, as robust as any we have ever say. other countries are following suit. we intend to continue to put pressure on iran to meet its international obligations and to seize the kinds of provocative behavior that has made it a threat to its neighbors and the international community. we have been extensive discussion about the prospects for middle east peace. i believe that the prime minister wants peace. i think he is willing to take risks for peace. during our conversation, hh once again reaffirmed his willingness to engage in serious negotiations with the palestinians are around what i think should be the goal not just of the two principals involved but the entire world which is two states living side by side in peace and security. both countries security needs met and both have a sovereign country they can call their own. these are goals that have escaped our grasp for decades now. now more than ever, i think is the time for us to seize on that vision. i think the prime minister is prepared

so they will set about reconciling any tiny differences in the back rooms of the united states congress and they will come out with something that compliments the president's request and now you've got the approach that comes from the house, matching up with that of the president of the united states and then they spin it over to the senate where harry reid sits over there and decides, well, let's see, i don't want to cross the president, i don't want to cross the speaker of the house and i don't want to cross the democrat majority of the united states congress, so i want to compliment all the things that they do and add the bells and whistles on that his people want, so they stack that on and now here we go it's an upward spiral. think of this in the terms of policy, a liberty-stealing policy which is obamacare, that's easy for me to see today because i've talked about this for some time. this massive, $1.5 trillion deficit created by this president, this congress, the house and the senate. it also is an upward spiral of spending. even though the president -- the president did present

they're waiting to say, thank you, united states congress. they want to say, thank you, barack obama. because the action that you just took this day means to us that you are working for us. you have reinforced our confidence in our government. you have said to us that we do matter and i know that the people of illinois will be saying, thank you, our government. i urge passage and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from louisiana. mr. boustany: thank you, mr. speaker. i have to respond to my friend from the state of washington. and i would say that i would not have the audacity to speak for the people of washington because i haven't had the chance to actually get to know them. and i can tell the gentleman that i do know the fishermen and oystermen and shrimpers and those who run boats down in my state of louisiana. and if they were here on the house floor today they would say, please do not kick us when we're down. lift this ban on drilling because it's going to kill our economy

isn't it a fact that the policy was not the military policy, but a law passed by the congress of the united states, those soldiers may have come back from iraq or afghanistan, they were appearing to recruit on your campus were simply following the policy of the united states congress effectuated by law, not their idea, and that you were taking steps to treat them in a second class way, not give them the same equal access because you deeply opposed that policy. why wouldn't you complain to congress and not to the dutiful men and women who put their lives on line for america every day? >> senator sessions, you're, of course, right that the solomon amendment is law, passed by congress. and we never suggested that any members of the military, you know, should be criticized in any way for this. quite to the contrary. we, you know, i tried to make clear in everything i did how much i honored everybody who was associated with the military on the harvard law school campus. all that i was trying to do was to ensure that harvard law school could also comply with its anti-discrimination policy, a policy that

it would also make it illegal for illegal immigrants to work in the united states. congressade it illegal in 1986 for the employers to employ illegal immigrants but it did not make it illegal for them to seek work, and the judge said, here, the federal -- you know, congress chose to stop short of this, the state has gone and done it, that's preemptive, that's unconstitutional. >> charlie: so it's a federal-state issue? >> yes. what the judge did not get into directly is the whole question of racial profiling, since the law hasn't been in effect, it's all speculative how much racial profiling would go on but what the judge emphasized was two things in terms of why the law would interfere with federal enforcement. one is that it would subject legal immigrants and even citizens who may look mexican, say, to mistaken arrest, harassment, even if not deliberate harassment. and two, it would divert federal reinforcement resources by requiring the federal government to be answering all sorts of petitions from arizona police. police tell us whether, whether that guy or the other guy

with that mind-set that no immigration reform will pass as long as i'm a republican in the united states congress? which i am not. >> well, i think congressman lee, my home -- you represent my hometown of houston, and -- >> good to see you. >> the texas pastors council just -- it had a press conference last week -- issued a statement on comprehensive immigration reform signed by a lot of conservative baptist pastors and was a multiethnic statement dealing with the texas legislature and their attempt to implement some form of the arizona law. and i know some of those churches. those churches are filled with people who vote republican. i think frankly the country is ahead of you on this issue. i think with all due respect the country is significantly ahead of you on this issue. >> excellent. >> and they're waiting for leaderip, they're waiting for statesmanship. i believe that there is -- there is -- the foundation and the building materials and the blueprint for a sen triggs comprehensive immigration reform package is there. it's out there in the country waiting to be constructed by people who are

you'll be there with him as a partnership in the united states congress. go do it, buddy, go do it. elect him. [applause] now, some things are a given, but we are not assuming anything. we are about the business of reelecting dean heller. [applause] send him back to congress. we need some help. we need some help. make sure he gets back there, because the first vote i need him to cast is for the next reblican of the speaker of the house. -- for the next republican speaker of the house. you see a lot of candidates are running for office, for attorney general, for comptroller, for local offices. these are serious individuals ready for serious times, and i am glad they are running. we need republicans and patris who will not only live up to the badge of honor you give them with your vote. they carry a little bit with them. wherever they are conducting the people's business. we need republicans and patriots who will not drink the political kool-aid any longer and forget th core values that have defined the leadership of this party for a generation. there is going to be a lot of bloo swea

. >> today's votes in the senate the united states congress has now passed a wall street reform billg greater economic security to families and businesses across the country. >> wall street reform bill to strengthen consumer protection with the new bureau under the federal reserve. shine a light on complex the initial products and create a new process for dealing with troubled financial firms. >> this legislation is about the people on main street not the folks on wall street. republic >> and say some of the new regulations go too far i would stifle economic growth appeared before the official votes house minority leader john painter says the bill will need to be repealed. >> think defended to reform bill is ill-conceived i think it's going to make credit harder for the american people to get to clearly harder for businesses to get. and the fact that it's going to punish every banker in the for the sins of the few on wall street and its allies. to >> in the bronco, could sign the bill as early as friday and has indicated he will quickly point the first chief to the new consumer prote

chairman, this is outrageous that the federal government and the united states congress, democrats and republicans working together are not fixing this problem, because in arizona, in my sector with my constituents, this is our oil spill crisis but this crisis hasn't been going on for a couple of months but for years and years. and now, tonight, is our opportunity to step up and finally do something about it. mr. chairman, you can only understand how outrageous i find this debate to be. and i urge my members to support this bill. thank you. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from kentucky is recognized. mr. rogers: i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from north carolina. mr. price: i would like to yield myself such time as i might consume to respond to some of the pertinent questions raised by our ranking member. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. price: the gentleman has raised a series of questions which deserve answers and i will briefly attempt to provide those answers. and then we will perhaps bring this debate to a close. the gentleman ask

with today's votes in the senate, the united states congress has now passed a wall street reform bill that will bring greater economic security to families and businesses across the country. it was clear from the moment it began that this suggestion was not the result of your typical economic downturn. it was a result of recklessness and irresponsibility in certain corners of wall street that infected the entire economy. it cost millions of americans their jobs and millions more their hard-earned savings. it is why businesses cannot get credit and my family's had not been able to see appreciation in their home values. the values of their homes have plummeted. even before the financial crisis that led to this recession, i spoke on wall street about the need for common sense reforms to protect consumers and our economy as a whole. the crisis came in only underscored the need for the kind of reform the senate passed today. reform that will protect consumers when they take out a mortgage or sign up for a credit card. reform that will prevent the kind of shadowy deals that led to this cris

tonight to the injustice of that result and to the moral imperative that we as members of the united states congress have to see that that decision is corrected. for sentries now the american indians who call these lands home long before europeans arrived have been pushed to the fringes of this great country 1 fringes of this great country and suffered disruption, violence and relocation to make way for continued expansion. the indian reorganization act irronically sought to actually rectify many of those mistreatments. from 1934 to 2009, the department of the interior has restored lands to enable tribal governments to build schools and health clinics, hospitals, housing and community septemberers to serve the american indian people. the secretary of the interior has approved trust acquisitions for approximately five million acres of former tribal homelands, far short of the more than 100 million acres of land lost through the federal policies of removal, allotment and assimilation. the supreme court decision in cocieri versus salazar, if left in place, has the potential to undo that effort. the dec

with today's votes in the senate, the united states congress has now passed a wall street reform bill that will bring greater economic security to families and businesses across the country. it was clear from the moment it began that this suggestion was not the result of your typical economic downturn. it was a result of recklessness and irresponsibility in certain corners of wall street that infected the entire economy. it cost millions of americans their jobs and millions more their hard-earned savings. it is why businesses cannot get credit and my family's had not been able to see appreciation in their home values. the values of their homes have plummeted. even before the financial crisis that led to this recession, i spoke on wall street about the need for common sense reforms to protect consumers and our economy as a whole. the crisis came in only underscored the need for the kind of reform the senate passed today. reform that will protect consumers when they take out a mortgage or sign up for a credit card. reform that will prevent the kind of shadowy deals that led to this cris

when is the united states senate, united states congress going to make their own goal of hiring people with disabilities? you are always telling people that you all should hire them, but i want to see what you guys can do. show me the money. [laughter] [applause] >> absolutely right. you are right. you're absolutely right. i mean, we keep going to the employment offices and stuff like that. i keep pushing affirmative action. it is not enough just to sit back and wait. a lot of people have disabilities and did not even know these jobs are available. there has to be some kind of affirmative-action. >> right. but if we have harry reid and nancy pelosi using the bully pulpit and making a commitment, we get the word out. we find the people to come. >> and again, becky, you have done so well over the past 20 years i have known you, and just keep poking. >> i have no intention of stopping. >> ok. [applause] >> today, i am speaking to you from the u.s. international council on disabilities, and i was so happy to see more bipartisan colleagues up there and talk about how important the bipartisa

community to united way to various mental health sorks to your state unemployment offices, don't handle this alone, don't go it alone, but while you are working to survive, we in the united states congress should do so. let me close by suggesting that there is much work left for us to do. creating public job initiatives, voiving the department of labor and employment -- involving the department of labor and employment and training association and the national and community service. locally directed programs for youth summer jobs, to my disappointment, it is almost an embarrassment to stand on the floor of the house. this house passed it and we want get a senate that doesn't understand that the families of youth are standing in unemployment lines and we can't pass a simple summer youth program or youth job of $1 billion to put young people to work who may be providing for some extra income to these desperate families. locally directed funding, as i indicated, for our summer youth, enforcing the minority contracting requirements under the significant and national grant in extension of the apprentice and training programs, which i'm working with in the city of houston, providing access to

in addition, last week i signed our own set of sanctions, coming out of the united states congress, as robust as any that we have ever seen. other countries are following suit. and so we intend to continue to put pressure on iran to meet its international obligations and to cease the kinds of provocative behavior that has made it a threat to its neighbors and the international communities. we had an extensive discussion about the prospects for middle east peace. i believe that prime minister netanyahu wants peace. i think he is willing to take risks for peacc. during our conversation, he once again reaffirmed his willingness to engage in serious negotiations with the palestinians around what i think should be the goal not just of the two principals involved, but the entire world, and that is two states living side by side in peace and security. israel security needs met, the palestinians having a sovereign state that they call their own -- those are gools that have obviously escaped our grasp for -pdecades now. but now more than ever i think is the time for us to seize on that vision.

: first of all, i have to say george bush, former president of the united states, republican, spent two years trying to get the congress of the united states to enact comprehensive immigration reform. so i guess the caller is saying we should have i mean peached george bush. but it's highly politicized today and partisan today but let's go back to 1984. there was a debate between mon del and reagan. reagan's running for re-election. mondale's view is we don't need to work with immigration. ronald reagan said we need to take the workers and legalize them. then it legalized 3 million undocumented workers under the leadership of ronald reagan. host: so what are the lessons learned from that political battle then and what president bush tried to do with immigration reform? guest: that there are republicans. his brother, jeb bush, right? bloomberg. i mean, the owner of fox news station. they are for comprehensive immigration reform. if you look, there are many republicans, much of the business community and those on wall street and in industry and chambers of congress are for comprehensive immigration reform. so there are a

in addition, last week i signed our own set of sanctions, coming out of the united states congress, as robust as any that we've ever seen. other countries are following suit. and so we intend to continue to put pressure on iran to meet its international obligations and to cease the kinds of provocative behavior that has made it a threat to its neighbors and the international community. we had a extensive discussion about the prospects for middle east peace. i believe that prime minister netanyahu wants peace. i think he's willing to take risks for peace. and during our conversation, he once again reaffirmed his willingness to engage in serious negotiations with the palestinians around what i think should be the goal not just of the two principals involved, but the entire world, and that is two states living side by side in peace and security. israel's security needs met, the palestinians having a sovereign state that they call their own -- those are goals that have obviously escaped our grasp for decades now. but ow more than ever i think is the time for us to seize on that vision. and

united states with respect to people coming in. as a practical matter, only the federal government can do it.c the federal government, notn fraternal leadership, the congress of the united states, men and women bear responsibility for not having gotten a law that could be signed by the president through the congress. >> well, there is a role for states and local communities. what is interesting about this, the obama administration under the homeland security department has given grants to states andho local communities in the past to talk with border security. they are the folks on the ground. that's a joint effort, it's not the states acting on their own they're doing so with federalte authority. the bottom line is, we have got to secure our borders. it is not fair to the people ofo arizona or the people of texas and the people of california and increasingly now all 50 states, that the government is not doing that. the reason we didn't get it last time because it was way over the top trying to pile everything in, we have got to takeot incremental steps in securing our border. i don't know anybody unless we have somebody here who thinks we shouldn't do tha

united states department of labor. that is an independent, national, statistical agency that connects, processes, analyzes, and disseminates its central statistical data to the american public, the united states congressor. dr. hall has also served as chief economist for the white house council of economic advisers. prior to that, he was the chief economist for the u.s. department of commerce. dr. hall also spent 10 years at the united states international trade commission. thank you for your public service. we look forward to your testimony. >> thank you, madam chair. thank you for the opportunity to discuss the employment and unemployment data we released this morning. non-farm employment fell by up 125,000 in june, and the unemployment rate edged down to 915%. the larger employment reflects a fall in the number of the number of jobs in the private sector is up. private-sector employment has risen by 593,000 so far in 2010. in june it was 9.7 below its previous session level. federal government employment decline shortly. the number of temporary census workers dropped by 225,000, leaving 339,000 temporary workers on the census peril. in the private sector, temporary help services employment continue

an extraordinary member of the united states congress from rhode island came in as a young man as 16 and participated in a police program -- cadet program , is -- a bullet went off accidentally and hit him in the spine and disabled him. we think. but today you will see it did not disable them. it did change his life. it did make it necessary for him to do things in a different way. but it did not disable. and i am quoting this song because i just love it, josh grubin sings the song, you lift me up to walk on stormy seas and you let me up to stand on mountain. i stand on your shoulders, you lift me up. i ask him to change one word. you lift me up to all that i can be. today someone will be lifted up by a mechanical device called their reasonable accommodation. they lift them up on the first level, and the next left will lift him up to the second level, the highest level on the rostrum, and he will sit in a mechanical device, a wonderful the fis, that lets them up further, and he will preside over the house of representatives on july 21, 2010. [applause] we think speaker policy for the

we are honoring the agenda of president obama and the democrats in the congress of the united states. this wall street reform and consumer protection act is a very major accomplishment. it is historic in what it does. it is important to household of america as well as to the financial institutions of our country. the president's statement yesterday at the signing i thought was perfect about the recognition that financial institutions are important to funding innovation in our country, but this must and can be done with transparency and accountability, and that never again can we put the american people and the taxpayers at risk for the benefit of some on wall street. because of that recklessness, the middle class lost over $one trillion in terms of their homes, their pensions, their savings etc. jobs were lost, revenues were lost. i am very proud to be standing there when the president signed the legislation. among the pillars of the stabilization that the president put forth when he became president, first we had the recovery act the save or create a 3.6 million jobs, but then we had

united states and everywhere else. i have, finally, mr. speaker, had so many conversations with people from other countries, foreign dignitaries, who have asked me when the united states congress is going to do something about american sex offenders traveling to their countries to rape their children. the international megan's law is the answer to that question. i hope my colleagues will support it. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlelady from nevada. ms. berkley: continue to reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from nevada continues to reserve. the gentleman from new jersey. mr. smith: mr. speaker, i yield three minutes to the gentleman from texas, judge poe, aness steamed member of both the -- an esteemed members of the judiciary committee and the co-chair of the victims rights caucus. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas is recognized for three minutes. mr. poe: thank you, mr. speaker. i appreciate the work that the gentleman, mr. smith, has done on human trafficking throughout the -- his career here in congress to make the congress and the american people aware of this horrible tragedy that'

today, on the floor of the united states congress, the most far-reaching, most important revamp of the financial industry in this nation's history since 1936 took place. and it was a vote on the wall street reform and consumer protection act. in that very important piece of legislation, there are several sections that deal directly with the housing market, outliing, making illegal the kind of liar loans, the kinds of revamp and mortgages that were theen cyst of the problem. all -- genesis and holding brokers responsible, holding the banking industry accountable for what it does and setting up a consumer protection agency. now, this is something i understand. i was the insurance commissioner in the state of california, elected statewide twice and i dealt a consume earl protection agency. it's absolutely essential. the capital is particular model is driven by profit motives. but the profit motive dreeve this nation and the world right to the edge. you neat a countervailing power and the consumer protection provision would protect consumers and allow consumers to speak out, to get assista

speaker. 10 years ago the united states congress enacted legislation to create an oceans commission to look at how we can prevent the oceans from dying. yesterday the president of the united states enacted by executive order the first national oceans policy and governance for the oceans and great lakes of the united states. our greatest national heritage. and our greatest national trust. we the people are going to be taking care of the oceans like they have never been taken care of before. we are not going to allow the conflicts of the sea of overfishing, overmining, overdrilling, of overeverything and dumping all our waste and garbage and sewage into the ocean. we are now going to have a policy that's like the clean air policy where we cleaned up the air in america. thank you, mr. president, for being the best steward our oceans have ever had and implementing the recommendations of the national ocean commission which congress enacted but could not enact legislation. hopefully we'll move out from here and the world will see and the children will appreciate the actions that the presiden

with that mind-set that no immigration reform will pass as long as i'm a republican in the united states congressi am not. >> well, i think congressman lee, my home -- you represent my hometown of houston, and -- >> good to see you. >> the texas pastors council just -- it had a press conference last week -- issued a statement on comprehensive immigration reform signed by a lot of conservative baptist pastors and was a multiethnic statement dealing with the texas legislature and their attempt to implement some form of the arizona law. and i know some of those churches. those churches are filled with people who vote republican. i think frankly the country is ahead of you on this issue. i think with all due respect the country is significantly ahead of you on this issue. >> excellent. >> and they're waiting for leadership, they're waiting for statesmanship. i believe that there is -- there is -- the foundation and the building materials and the blueprint for a sen triggs comprehensive immigration reform package is there. it's out there in the country waiting to be constructed by people who are willi

i'm here tonight to present to the united states congress and the american people my report, my observations and my recommendations regarding the deepwater horizon oil spill. it includes the responses that have been taken and the recovery that's needed for to us move forward. so let's start with what happened back on april 20 at 10:00 p.m. tragedy struck in the gulf of mexico. just 42 miles from the population of the people in venice, louisiana, there was a fire. there was an explosion. and the deepwater horizon oil rig began to be engulfed in flames. after trying to quench the flames, people came from all over the country, even holland, attempt to be able to figure out how to put the fire out on this rig. after spending much time and much event, 115 crew members were rescued and evacuated. 11 crew members, unfortunately tragically died. those 11 men lost their lives. jason anderson,dale berken, donald clark, stephen curtiss, gordon jones, roy kemp, blair emanuel, dewey revette and adam wise. these 11 gentlemen were men. they were men who were fathers, brothers, sons and uncles and on behalf

the very first act of the first congress in the united states was to bring in a minister and have a congress led in prayer and afterwards read four chapters out of the five a few years later when we unanimously declared our independence we made sure that the right there were given to our creator. it all comes out of the bible really like the grave a sin that obama could commit is to say that we are not a judeo christian country you know somehow though that's passed on as natural and conservatives are really best trying to slip that under the table because in the past it would have been the fact that he's black the living crazy but these days the g.o.p. wants to look like they're the party that champions diversity the party there's a black man is chairman of the r n c no matter how many are saying michael steele maybe and they've even except it bobby jindal and indian governor in the state of louisiana and now in nikki haley south asian woman to south in south carolina but that is they've only accepted these two people because they change their religions to fit in with american politics jinda

paul had already made the decision to retire from a very distinguished career in the united states congress. in the midst of the chaos, i will never forget this moment. he took his right arm and put it around my shoulder and with his left hand, swept across the room and said just think, in six months, all of this is yours. i am going to break tradition here a little bit. these are busy days, obviously, and we have a very distinguished friends and colleagues here. normally we would begin with an opening statement, but in consultation with my friend from alabama, i would like to invite our colleagues who are here to introduce the witnesses. then we will make some opening statements and then get to our witnesses. if you'll bear with us, we will proceed in that manner, if that is possible. diane, what don't we begin with you and then -- you do not have to worry about votes in committee hearings. you have a boat here, and paul does not. i want to make sure we take care of you. >> thanks very much, mr. chairman, senator shelby, senator reid. it is a great pleasure for me to be here this morning t

they're waiting to say, thank you, united states congress. they want to say, thank you, barack obama. because the action that you just took this day means to us that you are working for us. you have rnforced our confidence in our government. you have said to us that we do matter and i know that the people of illinois will be saying, thank you, our government. i urge passage and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from louisiana. mr. boustany: thank you, mr. speaker. i have to respond to my friend from the state of washington. and i would say that i would not have the audacity to speak for the people of washington because i haven't had the chance to actually get to know them. and i can tell the gentleman that i do know the fishermen and oystermen and shrimpers and those who run boats down in my state of louisiana. and if they were here on the house floor today they would say, please do not kick us when we're down. lift this ban on drilling because it's going to kill our economy.

on fundamental tax reform over last month that has been introduced in legislation in the united states congresss a tax exemption for special status introduced by members from new york to help to bail out the new york economy. that is the only poll from the democrats i have seen. host: "investor's business daily" has this last week -- had this last week, "if you pass away after december 31 of this year, the death tax will return over 55% of the state's. -- -on estates." guest: some of us worked in a bipartisan manner in the senate with a modest proposal, a roughly $5 million exemption and a 35% tax from there on out. it passed the senate. the house of representatives refused to even take a compromise bill. we could have actually had a fix for the death tax this year. they have no interest, the controlling party has no interest in doing fundamental tax reform. they want these taxes to expire. host: kelly, california. caller: i have a new name for america. it should be called the chinese states of america. we are pathetic and ridiculous. we do not even own our own country. this tax bill, i think t

congress would have crossed their t.'s and dotted their i's by now and fighting their longest battle as they're supposed to be united states constitution requires that before the united states goes to war that there be an act of congress but just as in the vietnam war we've never followed that procedure with respect to a war in afghanistan and we centrally drifted into a war and a long term commitment a long term commitment that appears to be wearing on lawmakers who want to know this wouldn't be helpful for the president to at least lay out a flexible time for when the u.s. is getting out beyond the july two thousand and eleven date to start withdrawal u.s. president obama set is given no assurance that this should be an open ended occupation holbrooke emphasizes the u.s. is committed to no calendar very leery of setting a date certain. they are here for the salute withdrawal but still the endgame is unclear civilian and military operations in afghanistan are proceeding without a clear definition of success the ambassador is banking on the success of reintegrating the taliban starting next week but little about afghanista

so on behalf of my colleagues in the congress of the united states, waint to congratulate san franciscof our city on this beautiful, beautiful occasion and when congress comes into session again i will be sure to tell them of this wonderful day as a matter of public record of the pride we take in san francisco and of our people, our monuments, and of today, of coilt tower. thank you for allowing me to be part of this special event. >> all right. it's all right. only the speakev of the house of representatives could compete against this. so thanks again, speaker pelosi. and to everybody. how many fomings here are -- folks here are from out of town? and how many of this it's first time you've been up here? you have chosen wisely and picked an outstanding day. welcome. i want to thank obviously all of you for taking the tame -- time to be here and be part of this rather extraordinary day and i know we say that often. we tend, though, to only say it around the end of september and throughout the month of october when the weather actually cooperates. so it's appropriate and wise to do that.

lockerbie yes max in the united states apparently senators and congress people want an investigation into b.p. because they're shocked to discover that the terrorist who was accused or charged with downing the lockerbie plane pan am flight one hundred three hundred ninety americans died yes their only now saying oh we're shocked that b.p. was behind this but at the time two thousand and seven remember you can see the photos of tony blair standing with moammar gadhafi in front of the farting camels of tripoli and he and they were out doing the deal to release this you know terrorist in prison and right away b.p. got a deal you know like a billion dollars with libya young this is blood for oil this is tony blair's epitaph blood for oil tony blair but it wasn't an issue then it wasn't it was reported widely at the time that's why he was in libya that's why it helps to have a media company and the mainstream media under your thumb in the united states because you can distract and bamboozle the vast population with kinky celebrity game shows etc but you know to get to the nettle of this i

they're waiting to say, thank you, united states congress. they want to say, thank you, barack obama. because the action that you just took this day means to us that you are working for us. you have reinforced our confidence in our government. you have said to us that we do matter and i know that the people of illinois will be saying, thank you, our government. i urge passage and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from louisiana. mr. boustany: thank you, mr. speaker. i have to respond to my friend from the state of washington. and i would say that i would not have the audacity to speak for the people of washington because i haven't had the chance to actually get to know them. and i can tell the gentleman that i do know the fishermen and oystermen and shrimpers and those who run boats down in my state of louisiana. and if they were here on the house floor today they would say, please do not kick us when we're down. lift this ban on drilling because it's going to kill our economy

the honor consistently displayed over the last 86 years deserves the thanks of the united states congress this year. the success of the united states is contingent upon the bravery and honor of the 111th fighter wing. i urge my colleagues to join me in supporting house resolution 1411, and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas rise? >> to claim the time, madam speaker. madam speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for such time as he might consume. the speaker pro tempore: thank you, madam speaker. i rise in support of house resolution 1411, as amended, which honors the service and commit! of the 111th congress -- commitment of the 111th fighter wing. i'd like to thank the gentlelady from pennsylvania for introducing this resolution. mr. conaway: i want to commend the former members of the fighter wing who have dated back to the operation squadron operating out of the philadelphia airport, the unit first saw ac