general westmoreland, you've sat here quiey and listened to this dialogue. well, i must say i'm turned off by the gestapoactics that you have suggested and apparently practiced. it seems to me this thing can be handled a little more civil-like, a little more delicaly. if when it became very clear that jim valentine was not the man with the moral character that the american people would accept, th somebody would get in touch with mrs. kirkpatrick, one of his advisers, and say,h, "we strongly recommend "to you, joe, "that you get out of politics. "you're a public figure. "evidence s been aumulated "ireflects on your moral character "and your judgment. "you don't have a chance, "so get out of politics "a go back to harvard law school and reduce your golf handicap." where did you get this evidence? byistening to this forum. yogot it inside the newsper or on the television. that's how u learned. miss garment, shld i be knocked out this ce? should fiedler ha sent out his troo on ? he shouldn't. you shouldn't, according to older standards. coing tood's standards, y

mcmillen: well, i was actually born and raised in westmoreland county so i have been aware of the conditions in herminie all my life. herminie has declined, because for any type of business of any size to come in and create jobs, they need the infrastructure there, and in herminie, it's just not there. narrator: to address community frustrations, sewickley township, home of herminie, created a sewer authority board in 1998. it's comprised of residents and business owners who worked for almost a decade to get sewage infrastructure for the area. miller: we were novices. i don't think anybody in the township knew where to go. and we were frustrated at times. we thought we were right on the cusp of getting funding, and then, something happened and we didn't get it. yeah, we could go out and float a loan, and probably people would be looking at maybe $100 a month in sewage bills. so what you have to try to do is get enough funding to keep sewage rates at a reasonable rate so people can afford them. and that's been a real problem. without grant money, it can't be done. mcmillen: they were in line,

westmoreland? >> thank you, mr. chairman. you were innnan, the white house and this white house seems to have a strategy that they want a negotiated peace in syria and just let assad step down. do you think that's a good policy or plan for syria? >> congressman, i am an intelligence officer. when i was at the white house, it was a policy maker. i recognize the responsibilities is to provide policy makers with the best intelligence possible so they can formulate policy that will advance u.s. national security interests. that's what my intention is. i will not comment on whether i disagree or agree with any type of policy perspectives of this administration. >> ok. of him your opinion stepping down and the fact that he is just going to step down? >> as director clapper mentioned, there is pressure that is being applied on him. he is getting support from a number of outside entities. that pressure will continue. we have a policy position, the u.s. government, that it's time for him to go. the bloodshed that is taking place in sy

westmoreland. >> thank you, mr. chairman. mr. brennan, director, you were in the white house and this white house seems to have a strategy that they want to negotiate peace in this area and just let assad step down. do you think that's a good policy or plan for syria? >> congressman, i'm an intelligence officer in the white house can i policymaker and recognize the intelligence officer to regret policymakers with the best intelligence possible to permit the possibility of u.s. national security interests and that's my intention going to be. i won't comment whether a career disagree. >> okay, let me ask you this. what is your opinion of assad stepping down in the fact that he's just going to step down? >> i think as director clapper mentioning his opening statement, there is pressure and plan on having. he's getting support from a number were about site entities and that pressure is going to continue. we have a policy position about it's time for assad to go. the bloodshed taking place continues at the implications for the region

westmoreland. >> thank you, mr. chairman. mr. brennan, director, you were in the white house and this white house seems to have a strategy that they want egotiated peace in syria and just i guess let assad step down. do you think that's a good policy or plan for syria? >> congressman, i am an intelligence officer when i was down at the white house, a policymaker, and recognized my responsibility as an intelligence officer is to provide them with the best darn intelligence as possible to advance national security. i am not going to comment on whether i agree or disagree with any type of policy, perspectives of this administration. >> ok. well, let me ask you this, then. what is your opinion of assad stepping down and the fact that , you know, he's just going to step down? >> i think as director clapper said in his opening comments, there's pressure that is being' plide on him. he's getting support from a number of outside entities, and that pressure's going to continue. we have a policy position in this government that it's time f

westmoreland: in those three short years, the law has already cost the american people over $2 trillionaised taxes another $1 trillion and the law isn't even full yen acted yet. and what do we have to show for it? higher government spending, higher tax, higher deficits. higher health insurance premiums and a lower quality of health care. companies all over the country are being forced to cut costs by laying off current employees or cutting their hours, putting on hold hiring new employees and halting expansion. that is bad for the american workers and bad for our economy. house republicans are committed to defunding, delaying and dismembering of obamacare and will continue to fight for the american people to get rid of this terrible law and replace it with real reforms that will make our health care system stronger. as one senior democratic senator said, obamacare is a train wreck. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from tennessee seek recognition? mr. cohen: unanimous consent to address the h

and he said, well, i'm working for the chief of staff, for general westmoreland. i said, no kidding? so i said, so what about this guy that shot up everybody? he said you mean cally? i said, well, you know, i slunked. i probably didn't -- shrugged, i probably didn't say anything. then he goes like this. he said, sigh, he hits his bad knee, and he says cally didn't shoot -- he didn't kill anybody higher than that. not worth worrying about. and, okay, here we get to a little journalism ethics. do i say, oh, man, you've just delivered the package? i now have a name, i now have an idea that it's at chief of staff's office and, basically, everybody is saying, you know, when you say that, that's just a way of dismissing it in a way. good guy that he is, but he's working for the chief, and that gives me a point of view that they're aware, you know, it didn't take two and two. they're not anxious for this story to get out. and so did i say to him, general, you just made a mistake because you put me in the big story? hell no. should i have? probably journalistically, no. b

westmoreland to act as speaker pro tempore on this day. signed, john a. boehner, speaker of the house of representatives. the speaker pro tempore: the prayer will be offered by the chaplain, father conroy. chaplain conroy: let us pray. god of the universe, we give you thanks for giving us another day. under your divine providence, this nation was established and has been guided through the years. through turmoil, strife, disaster and even war, you have brought your people to renewed faith, greater strength and a deeper longing for peace. be with us now. guide and enable the members of this people's house today as they consider the ongoing business of the nation, with the issues of the economy, immigration, domestic safety and security or matters beyond our shores. bless their efforts as they seek to protect and defend our fellow citizens. may all that is done this day be for your greater honor and glory. men. the speaker pro tempore: the chair has examined the journal of the last day's proceedings and announces to the house his approval thereof. pursuant