author of eternal promise and god of mercy you know full well that our human nature is fraught with limitations and wounded by sin the result is that peace in this world is never finally established or last forever the building of a peaceful society has to go on all the time day after day lord continue your work in us in and through this representative democracy keep this nation ever vigilant to secure the peace by the outpouring of your grace  person of this our homeland struggle to control one's passions be willing to trust others as well or share human talents and riches with the less fortunate may our true growth in becoming your beloved community spread around the globe and give you glory both now and forever the chair has examined the journal of last days proceed into an announcement to the house her approval thera pursuant to clause one of rural one the journal stance approved the pledge of allegiance will be led by the gentleman from georgia mr mitt act in which the conclusion of the house is the question the chair will entertain requests for one minute speech if the gentleman from minnesota for what purpose does he write without  madam speaker as this nation prepares to honor our veterans on veterans day this new democratic congress has shown an unwavering commitment to those who have served this nation so bravely we passed a wounded warrior assistance act that takes the first steps to address the problem to light in the walter reed scandal by improving outpatient medical care and restoring efficiency by cutting bureaucratic red tape we've passed legislation that focuses on post traumatic stress disorder by requiring a program that reduces suicides among veterans with suicide prevention counselors at all medical facilities and we've passed a veterans appropriation bill that provides the single largest in bedrooms in our but investment in veterans health care in the seventy seven year history of the v a we plan on sending that funding bill to the president's desk this week after a vote on this floor today madam speaker a budget is far more than a fiscal document it is a reflection of this nation's values americans veterans bravely serve this nation and were promised and speaker three blocks from our white house the world bank is subsidizing the administration of iranian president mahmoud a minute jog last year the world bank cut a two hundred twenty million dollars check to the government  after two un sanctions the world bank paid another fifty million dollars to iran in august according to the bank they have another eight hundred and twenty million on the way world bank funding is paid through iran's bank melli which the us government has now found to be a conduit for terrorist financing over five million dollars of world bank funds are now frozen in bank melis accounts it's hard enough for the united nations to sanction a country but it is california right now without objection and the speaker members of the house president bush must take a strong stand on the actions of president musharraf and pakistan the constitution of pakistan must be restored and democratic rule must be given back to the people if we fail to do that then democracy fails in pakistan and we will see exactly the exact environment and which the taliban terrorists al and others are borne witness egypt and saudi arabia the restoration of democracy immediately must be high on the agenda of the bush administration failure to do so turns turns a pakistan into into an armed dictatorship with a nuclear weapon we have spent tens of billions of dollars in pakistan to encourage their fight against terrorism and the taliban and what have we gotten in return we now see that the military has started businesses with that money they've used it to pad their retirement accounts they've used it to run the military to run their private businesses rather than to defend the country and prosecute the war against al qaida the taliban and other terrorists that are now in northern pakistan the choice is the administration they can speak out forcefully for democracy or they can watch watch it wither on the vine and they will have another failed states in exactly the region we don't need one for the purposes of gentleman from tennessee without objection thank you madam speaker for my grandmother we're standing here today she would say your actions are speaking so loudly i cannot hear one single word that you're saying and she would be saying that madam speaker about the mistreatment of our veterans by president has poised his b and ready to sign that bill well now the democrats have decided they're going to design yet they're going to play politics with it they're going to pile on other things around it and they're doing it to use it as a political tool how very very sad we find this situation we need to make certain that a political tool is not made of our veterans and our men and women in uniform they have sacrificed so much for this country it is imperative that we move the bill forward as a standalone bill as we go into veterans day let's honor those who serve by the actions that they see us take your back making it the single largest increase in veterans funding in the seventy seven year history of the but president especially this bill invest three point eight billion dollars more than the president's request that the final conference report also includes five hundred million dollars above the president's request for much needed maintenance and v a health care facilities and six hundred million dollars more than the president's request format to help for mental health p t s d and traumatic brain injury this investment  critically important at a time when one third of the veterans returning from iraq and afghanistan face mental health challenges but i speak it today let's ensure that no better is left behind by supporting this bill  use of increased funding for their benefits and health care that is eighteen and a half million dollars a day not able to be used in june this house passed this appropriation bill with a six billion dollar increase in a bipartisan manner and september sixth the senate completed their bill this work is done yet the bill has not been sent to the president who has agreed to sign it and why because the democratic leadership has decided to use funding for our veterans as a smokescreen in an effort to pass billions in unrelated domestic spending our veterans are not pawns in a political game they are heroes these funding issues must be considered separately and on their own merits america expects us to get the job done america expects us to provide the best care to our veterans our veterans deserve no less please join me  madam speaker as we approach veterans day holiday i want to express my support for all men and women who have ever served our country i congratulate the new democratic congress for making remarkable improvements to better and benefit during this past year we have already appropriated the largest increase in better intel spending ever we've also taken steps to increase awareness about post traumatic stress disorder and other mental health needs among veterans in addition we seek to improve our ability to prevent to diagnose and treat these conditions especially would like to note a new awareness about the needs of our women veterans and commend my colleagues in the women's caucus for making the needs of women's veterans a priority of ours during this congress as we commit commemorate veterans day this weekend let us all make a commitment to continuing and renewing our efforts to improve benefit for all veteran you'll back to bounce and i for what purpose is it's been eight weeks since the senate passed a military construction veteran affairs appropriations bill and join the house and demonstrating overwhelming and bias or partisan support for this legislation yet for two full months the democrat leadership has refused to send this important piece of legislation to the floor they refuse to give our veterans the funding they deserve this week the majority will bring the v a bill to the floor attached to the labor health and human services and education appropriations bill rather than send these bills to the president on a standby alone basis something the democrat leadership promised they would do they're using this v a bill as a political tool to through other legislation as a veteran and military parent i know it is time that our colleagues on the other side of the aisle stop using the military and our veterans as a political tool to help advance their other spending priorities in conclusion god bless our troops and will never forget september the eleventh for what purpose direction this decision was not only asking for a new congress but asking congress to head in a new direction one area make america safer the last congress ignored the recommendations of the nine eleven commission this congress is implementing the recommendations of the nine eleven commission our ports in skies are safer our first responders have better access to emergency communication we are also recognizing very straightforward and directly that the cost of the war must include the cost of caring for the warrior and that is why we have passed the largest increase in the veterans health care budget in the history of the administration and finally with cop on the beat oversight we've uncovered in this is depressing the scandal of tens of billions of dollars in waste fraud in abuse by companies like blackwater and h  veterans just five days from now i am appalled that the democratic old majority is holding these veterans hostage back combating a bill that we passed in this house five months ago to increase funding for our veterans as they pointed out in regard to clue to health care six billion dollars and the president is ready to sign that bill but no the democratic majority wants to hold that bill and i have better and hostage so they can pass a blo the port laden health aiki double labor bill that increases spending over the past present requests by now and billion dollars i think this is a deplorable thing and i have called for the end of it and house resolution seven eighty eighty six which would change the rules of the house so that no house could ever come back and our milk on veteran's administration budget again with any of the appropriations bill it would have to pass a standalone bill let's quit playing politics w and next monday we will honor those who have served this nation on the frontline of freedom and democracy this veteran's day the democratic led congress is working to honor our troops military families and veterans with quality health care today the house will give final approval to a veterans funding bill that provides the largest increase for veterans in the seventy seven year history of the v a and i hear our friends on the other side of the aisle complaining that that's eight weeks overdue well they  twelve years to do this and they chose not to over the last decade while the number of veterans has doubled our nation's investment in their health care needs has simply not been enough unlike the president this new democratic congress has vowed to fulfill our promise to our veterans and today we will pass a final veterans funding bill that has been endorsed by all major veterans groups this new democratic congress has also made major strides in addressing the military healthcare crisis monday is veterans day and i think all of us in america though those who have fought for our country given their lives given their service for our country we all owe them a great deal of gratitude but how is this congress today this house going to give and show our veterans our gratitude and we're going to pass a military quality of life endurance bill and we're going to catch a pork laden overstuffed labor health and human services bella on the on the backs of this bill said it's not going to take this bill up in this form but they're going to put the two bills presidents make clear is not going to sign this bill combining these two appropriation bills this is one of the most cynical and most political things i've seen in the seventeen years that i've been here in congress to know that the president's not going to take and sign this bill to know that the senate is not going to allow this to bill pile up to be considered in the senate  and yet we're going to force the members of the house today in a position where they shouldn't be and we shouldn't play these political games on the backs of our veterans and our soldiers and i think divisions split this bill and do it the right way and show mr speaker it's not as hard as the president would like us to believe someone reminded me over the weekend of something here's what he said when the japanese army subjected american prisoners of war to waterboarding it was a crime and those responsible were severely punished after world war true several japanese soldiers were convicted for waterboarding american and allied prisoners of war at his trial lieutenant chase nelson one of the one hundred forty two army air force officers who flew the raid over tokyo was captured by the japanese he said i was given several types of torture i was given what they call the water water cure he was asked what it felt like when japanese soldiers poured the water well i felt more or less like i was drownding he replied and yet we have an administration complete with attorney generals and designees who are sure if water bartering is a crime they can check the record of the war tribunals after world war two because the rest of the world is sure it was a crime then and it is a crime today over the weekend i saw a rendition it ought to be required viewing for this body for what purpose is that sentiment from south carolina right that section better speaker our veterans and our troops have protected us from enemies foreign and domestic in the past decade decades and currently today when is it become part of congressional activity not to fully protect their interest our v a appropriations bill passed the house over one hundred forty days ago with strong bipartisan support however the house majority party never appoint conferees for the bill where the senate immediately appointed them the military and veterans appropriation bill is now back on the floor with an additional bill attached our servicemen are members veterans and our troops deserve the best that congress can deliver to them their milk a appropriations bill should not be in a session for massive labor spending has politics blocked our activities in washington where we cannot pass a military a funding bill for our soldiers i stand here today with so many others who join me in saying you madam speaker house democrats and some of our republican friends continue to fight for a much needed health care system that we need for our children unfortunately though the president and too many republicans in this body still refuse to support a plan that has already received tremendous bipartisan support in the senate and from the public last month after meeting with republican members and our democratic leadership once again we brought forward a bill that would cover ten million children ten million american children who live in this country who deserve to be covered but republicans my colleagues have avoided taking this vote we need to make sure that our children are covered instead they proposed a program that would provide health care for one point seven million fewer children in america bill which does research on prosthetic kinds of advices devices it helps to rebuild veterans facilities it helps to treat things like traumatic stress disorder that's the purpose for the money that has been waiting now since we passed it one hundred forty four days ago unfortunately that bill has been held up in order to connect it with other legislation laden with pork on the h h s bill now it's been many years since i was a combat engineer in the army but my son is freshly back from fallujah and to hold our veterans hostage in order to try to slide a greasy pork through washington is the wrong thing for the democrats to be doing they need to allow the bill to stand on its own base let the bill people take a vote and respect the veterans that we want to respect thank you that's my son his exp for what purposes the gentlewoman from california writes without objection madam speaker last week president bush tried to label is this new democratic congress a do nothing congress is the serious are did he simply forget that he signed bills into law that were written and passed by this congress that increase the minimum wage made college more affordable for millions of children and made our nation safer by fully instituting the nonpartisan nine eleven commission recommendation the president is also ignoring the fact that he the legislation that had strong bipartisan support we sent him a bill that would insure ten million children to quality to have quality health care but he vetoed it we sent him another bill that would have allow for federal funding of stem cell research so that we can discover cures for diseases like alzheimer's and parkinson's but again the vetoed it we also overwhelmingly approved a bil madam speaker it's been over one hundred forty days since the house passed the milk on the appropriations bill already a month into the new fiscal year and we have yet to single sand a single appropriations bill to the president including the bill that funds our veterans we should have sent the present to milken v a appropriations bill weeks ago when the senate appointed their conferees but the democrat house leadership consistently refused to do so our veterans deserve better and the actions of the majority are completely unacceptable house republicans have been asking for weeks and were standing united today asking to milk on the appropriations bill they sent to the president standing alone the baghdad and drove in a humvee through the city with our troops while there i made the decision that i would do everything i could to support the troops the troops are giving all they can and because of that whichever side of the aisle you sit on you need to support the troops and support the veterans funding bill that's coming before this house in whatever manner it comes because the troops come first this veterans bill gives veterans the increases in medical care and benefits for veterans and increases in their pay and increases for the soldier salaries that they need this veterans bill is important when we were in cutter the general their general nor said do one thing when you go home don't forget the troops don't forget the veterans who have been injured and fund them and fund their veterans bill no matter how it be presented we should support the veterans and vote for the bill thank you madam speaker  speaker we've had a lot of talk about the veterans of course is coming up on veterans day so we're all going to be talking about the veterans we've got an opportunity to do something great we the in a bipartisan ma be loaded down with spending pork and we're going to ask our soldiers once again to lug extra weight on behalf of the american citizens and that's just flat wrong we need to have a clean bill by itself so we can fund the veterans were already over a month late on doing this process it's time to get ready do our job have a clean non loaded down veterans bill pass out of this house it's important for our soldiers they deserve this blessing for what purpose it's against men from pennsylvania right right that that interaction that was speaker was speaker four years ago i served in baghdad iraq with the eighty second airborne division and i'm proud of my service and two thousand and six the election was about change change in iraq change your home change how we treat our veterans well these are problems that we dressed in this congress one the walter reed tragedy our answer we injury in iraq and afghanistan our p t s d post traumatic stress disorder and t b i traumatic brain injury our solution in congress six hundred more million than the president asked for to address these two injuries later today this house will take up my bill with cars to walk our bill with cars walter jones to give our troops a three point five percent pay increase dull listen to the rhetoric the president says that increases without objection thank you madam speaker as we approach veterans day would seem that funding the services for the men and women who have served our country faithfully should be a no brainer yet under the new majority this congress has yet to send the president a single appropriations bill including funding for our veterans we should be on the floor asking that the funds for our veterans be considered on their own merits that should just be the way that it's done it is inexcusable to tie funding for our veterans with high labor h h s appropriations bill which can best be described as wasteful this congress has drifted far from the priorities of the american people we should never play politics with funding for veteran services on veterans day it is fitting that we remember the sacrifice of the brave men and women in uniform and their families and loved ones our country was founded by courageous part patriots in a sustained by the same kind of people today our veterans have done their duty to their country and it's time that we do ours by providing them with the benefits they are owed by you back for what purpose that gentleman from pennsylvania right this second section madam speaker as we listen to the politicized rhetoric we're hearing from the other side today let's keep one thing in mind there is no group that will stand ahead of our nation's veterans when it comes time for this congress to make federal funding decisions in this congress after years and years of underfunding the v a this congress added thirteen billion dollars of increased funding to the veterans affairs health care system it's the largest increase in the seventy seven year history of the v a health care system we're going to send that bill to the president and if he chooses to veto it we have the opportunity to override it and i can guarantee you that the democrats in this house are going to vote to override it so madam speaker you tell me who's responsible if the veterans don't receive their funding on time for what purposes the gentleman from texas wri section madam speaker with all the discussion about protecting our vulnerable orders from illegal intrusion by smugglers criminals and fortune hunters homeland security is missing the obvious legal ports of entry are as easy for illegals to cross as the remote areas of america's porous borders media sources report that the general accounting office did a study that showed at least ten percent of the illegals who try to unlawfully enter the us at ports of entry are successful these failures to detect include drug and weapons smugglers and one individual who had an curable top of tb who was allowed to legally enter the united states seventy six times homeland security doesn't argue with the results of the g a o but simply makes excuses one solution however is to require all people entering the united states at ports of entry to have a valid passport where the u s can record record who enters and who leaves our country the nine eleven commission recommended the passport but politics in the governments of mexico and canada and the open borders crowd seem to keep this common a sense that the effort become a reality the security of this nation deserves better we need to use passports and that's the way it is for what purposes the gentleman from new hampshire has without objection i was a military spouse and i and the proud wife of a veteran now of course i support the veterans i'm also on the armed services committee and is in that capacity that i've had the sad task of listening to what the administration has done to our servicemen and women and to our veterans we just need to say a name of a couple of the hospitals to understand that the president has not honored the commitments to our troops this democratically led congress is honoring commitments we passed the greatest budget in history for our veterans but we have another problem with the president right now the president wants to give our brave troops are only a three percent pay increase and the democrats are leading the fight for a three and a half percent pay increase why is the president refusing to give our soldiers who are fighting for us an increase in pay only the president in this administration can answer that question but i want america to know that i in the proud wife  speaker on october the eighth one nine hundred fifty four president dwight eisenhower signed the proclamation urging all americans to observe each november eleventh as veterans day that proclamation said the following on that day let a solemn one remember the sacrifices of all those who fought so valiantly on the seas in the air and on foreign shores to present preserve our heritage of freedom madam speaker there is broad bipartisan support for the military construction and veterans affairs appropriation bills in both houses of congress the president has indicated that he will sign the bill i call on the leadership of this house to bring that bill to the floor by itself on its own this week so that it can be signed into law before veterans day during this time of war we need to show our veterans and those on active duty that we honor the service and the sacrifice of those who have answered freedom's call please let us rise above the politics and do what is right to honor our veterans i yield back what purposes the gentleman from new york writes but that objection the speaker i rise today in support of mr murphy's resolution to strongly urge the president to give our soldiers sailors airmen and marines the pay raise that they deserve the military families in my district have sacrificed more than any of us could ever imagine for mothers and fathers who have to run households while their spouses are deployed over and over again to parents and grandparents that watch the news every night with dismay to returning soldiers that have to piece together their lives upon the return from a war zone these families deserve more than just the cost of living adjustment proposed by the president they deserve a raise while the three point five percent increase that we're able to add to the defense authorization bill is a good start there's much more that we can and should do at the president may still veto this race i urge my colleagues to vote for this resolution to tell the president to lift his objection to this well deserved raise for the brave men and women who serve our military thank you liberties but over one hundred forty days more than four months since the house passed the milk on v a appropriations bill in the early eight weeks since the senate passed it my colleagues on both sides of the aisle join together to craft and pass this important legislation and the president is standing by waiting to sign it into law it was only last week the democratic leadership announced that they were finally going to take action not to pass the bill but instead to use funding of our veterans as a political tool to help ensure pass massive increase in spending in the labor h h s appropriations bill mr speaker i stand here today in support of our nation's veterans in support of milk and v a appropriations and stacia we oppose the democratic leadership attempt to use veterans as human shields to pass this i do want to encourage my my colleagues across the aisle to to remember the history here it was not long ago that the previous v a secretary mr nicholson came before the house and complained that the v a was one point one billion dollars in the red and that was under a a house leadership that was was republican and that left short many of the needs of our veterans it was when the democrats in january took over that we pushed this the largest single appropriations bill in the history of the v a to address all of those unmet needs and i just asked my colleagues across the aisle to work with us no one is complaining here today about the contents of that bill or the process that brought it to this floor many of the ideas in that bill are are part and parcel of what my colleagues on the other side of the  in my remarks and speaker i rise today to oppose the majority's plan to combine two unrelated appropriations bills the departments of labor health and human services and education and the funding for veterans and military construction i oppose this combined approach because in doing so the democrat majority is using political maneuvering to avoid tough spending choices in the controversial labor h h s an education bill i hope we all agree that we need to keep our commitment to veterans by supporting veterans benefits and military construction provisions but the majority should not use the power larry of veterans funding to build a legislative christmas tree by including labor and health spending at ten billion dollars above the president's request no one is fooled by this craven manipulation of benefits for our nation's veterans madam speaker let's debate these bills individually rather than holding funding for military for veterans military care and military facilities hostage kansas and we found it just appalling how shameful the lack of funding for our veterans had become so when i came to this congress i can't tell you how pleased i was we put five point two billion dollars of emergency spending into our veterans funding and a lot of that came right into the good hospitals of kansas that five point two billion dollars of emergency funding was also called pork how somebody could call funding our veterans pork was just beyond me today we are making a historic investment in our veteran care and i am hoping that we can come together across the aisle in a bipartisan manner and stand up for our veterans and insist that our president sign this bill and start to take care of our veterans as they should have been thank you so much madam speaker i yield back for the purposes of gentleman from minnesota right no a funding bill to the floor for a standalone vote you know earlier this year many of us felt the pain when a young marine in my desk committed suicide after honorably served in iraq after revisited two v a hospitals and we recognize as a body here that we need to provide the funding for our v a and we passed the bill in this house four hundred ninety two this is a bill with bipartisan support but we've heard rhetoric from those side of the floor that says this is so important that we should this legislation no matter what pork laden legislation it's tied to and that's what's the trouble here my colleagues is that the leadership of this house has taken a cynical action to attach an important bil bipartisan support to a piece of legislation that i know that many of us do not support and the president has promised to veto so i asked the leadership to reach out as one of my colleagues said and work in a bipartisan way which is easily done by separating this legislation but to get it overseas remains the same this democratic congress today is passing a veterans funding bill prioritizing veterans by fully funding the veterans administration we recognize the changing needs of our new veterans by allocating funding to address conditions like p t s d and we supported a pay raise for military families that this president who has no trouble sending our troops and billions of dollars into iraq called unnecessary that's today we're going to finally pass this veterans appropriations bill we're going to keep the promise we made to servicemen and women when they volunteered to serve our nation overseas by taking care of them when they come home this is the largest veterans increase for health care in history this is the commitment of the democratic prop of the democratic congress and we're going to make sure it happens today regardless of what the president decides to do if he vetoes it or not we'll just come back again and again and again regardless of his veto we're tired of the fact that this president gets up and says that he supports these initiatives but then vetoes them for what purposes the gentlewoman from minnesota writes without objection madam speaker i thank you howling was last week but trick or treating may be a part of the house of representatives this week as if the democrats have their way on the veterans funding bill is over one hundred forty days ago that this congress passed a veterans funding bill it was a good bill so why hasn't this bill made its way to the president's desk the president has said he will sign this bill our veterans need this funding they deserve this funding that the bill would provide instead the democrats are preempting thanksgiving holiday by serving up a turkey of a funding bill a turkey that is filled with pork based staffing the business of national defense and the business of taking care of the very real needs of our veterans is just too important just to satisfy the urge to spend extra money that we just don't have in order to fund pet projects i want to thank you to america's veterans to those veterans who go to our veterans h god minnesota i want to thank you for what you have done for your sacrifice for this country let's pass this bill thank you for what purpose does the gentleman from wisconsin right but that objection madam speaker lewis greasiest served with honor with courage and skill last week on october thirty first he lost his life while serving his third tour of duty in iraq please join me in honoring his memory he leaves behind a wife stephanie and a four month old daughter schuyler sergeant lewis greasiest sturgeon bay wisconsin was killed as a result of wounds incurred from a roadside bomb his family believes in service once nation a true believer in service se followed in the footsteps of his father who fought in the korean war sergeant crees mother susan free heart described her son saying quote he was very proud to be a soldier he didn't want to leave his newborn baby but he left because that was his duty every member of congress and every american owes a debt of gratitude to louis crazy and his family for is dedicated and honorable service sergeant breezy made the ultimate sacrifice and his service shall not be forgotten i ask all of you to join me in a moment of silence on his behalf eight outstanding individuals with the presidential medal of freedom one of those individuals was dr scott in the s b set a political prisoner in cuba such as we said is a forty six year old physician and peaceful advocate of freedom and democracy a doctor said is an honest and decent man of principle who cites martin luther king gandhi and the dalai lama as his role models he has dedicated his entire life to defending human rights and advancing the cause of democracy in cuba and for that ma speaker in two thousand and three dr beset was sentenced to twenty five years in prison and today sits in solitary confinement in a totally dark and three by three foot by six foot cell commonly known there as the tomb doc to be set and hundreds of other individuals just like him keep the hope for democracy alive for the cuban people he's a true patriot and speaker he's a pitcher for the cuban people a true hero an example for everyone who loves freedom i want to thank president bush for once again banding with the cuban people and making a strong statement for freedom i am a kind of all i am and all dr b sex bravery and i look forward to the day that he can walk in freedom among his people and from his arm has expired objection today my colleagues will enumerate the importance of the funding bills the congress this congress has yet to pass one of these bills the veterans appropriations bill is particularly important and the lack of progress for political purposes is simply atrocious this past weekend i met with veterans from louisiana who had come to visit the beautiful world war two memorial one man had stormed omaha beach on d day another was a member of the famed buffalo soldiers an original member of the famed buffalo soldiers these men are here rooms i heard firsthand there there needs the increased attention that's needed for mental health purposes another better a better v a services madam speaker is weak for approach veterans day let us in congress demonstrate our appreciation let us pass a veteran's appropriations bill as promised without unrelated pork laden spending bills attached let us pass it to on of those who have protected a so brave madam speaker i rise today to protest the majority's decision to tie the funding of our veterans to the labor health and human services appropriations bill the facts of this case are simple the house has passed a bill on june fifteenth followed by the senate on september the sixth that supports our veterans and the pay raises in the funding that they need the differences in these bills are miniscule the senate has appointed their co houses yet to do the same what's the holdup politics rather than bringing the milk on the aids conference report to the floor as a standalone measure a measure that will support will be supported by both parties supported by the president and signed into law the other side has decided to tie it to a controversy or bill that the president has said time and time again he will veto madam speaker our veterans have risk their lives for us without regard to political affiliation we have to stop the politics we have to work for our veterans i ask that we use that we use this time in a bipartisan way  as a standalone bill thank you for what purpose this a gentlewoman from north carolina writes one minute without objection thank you madam speaker we celebrate veterans day on november eleventh every day in this country should be veterans day that is we should highlight veterans and thank them for their service to our country yet it's been over one hundred forty days since the house passed the milk on v a appropriations bill and eight weeks since the senate passed it the bill as strong bipartisan support the president is ready to sign it yet democrats have delayed bringing this bill to the floor the democrats finally announce their bring in for this week but instead of voting on of a standalone bill which would ensure quick passage and provide funding for our troops and veterans there using it as a political tool by attaching it to the labor h h s bill the american people hate this kind of political posturing they know that when bills are combined law that that it's a political and cynical ploy that's the only way the democrats can get their pork barrel spending passed is by attaching it to the military bill by using it as a political tool instead of an ur a speaker arrived today in support of our american heroes the men and women who have served this great nation our veterans on june fifteenth the house passed the military construction and veterans affairs appropriation and did not appoint conferees the senate passed the same in september on september the sixth over sixty days ago and they immediately appointed conferees this tactic of holding veterans funding hostage creates a dangerous precedent that house is now faced with unrelated policies being forced into this bill veterans funding is not a means of playing politics using our veterans and funding our next year's election is unconscionable found the veterans and let's move on to the next piece of legislation our focus should be on keeping our promise that objection and speaker almost five months ago the house passed a military construction and veterans affairs appropriations bills eight weeks ago it passed the senate i'm a member of both the armed services committee and the veterans affairs committee and i like most members of congress voted for the bill it will provide funding to ensure our veterans receive their benefits in a timely fashion and will provide our troops with the resources necessary to keep america safe however the democrat leadership has failed to get this bill to the president's desk despite tremendous bipartisan support it is sad that they are choosing to abuse their leadership position by playing politics with the needs of our veterans in our servicemen and women this bill were to stand alone would enjoy overwhelming bipartisan support in both the house and the senate yet the democrat leaders have failed to this day to appoint conferees to a conference on this bill instead they thank you very much madam speaker let us suppose that i went out to buy a new car today and i went to the dealer and i made a deal for saw exactly what i wanted made an agreement on the price and i called him up tomorrow and asked when it would be available and i called him up the day after that and i called him up the day after that after one hundred forty days he finally said you can come in and pick up your car and want to pick up the car he said oh by the way we have this huge car in the back that no one will buy this clinker this clunker this thing that won't work and that's part of the deal now you have to not only pay what it's worth but you have to pay nine point seven thousand additional dollars for it would you consider that fair would that be considered for dealing with you're really be concerned about the purchaser and what they're purchasing or what it looks like sharp practice is what it looks like on a rope a dope would look like bait and switch what do we have here we have a bill that's been waiting for a hundred forty days for us to vote on that we have almost unanimous agreement on and what are they doing there tie in a clunker to it untie this miss madam speaker and allow us to get our business time has expired for spirit used to be that there were just some things you simply didn't play partisan games with our military our kids and especially our veterans but not in this congress in this house of politics no matter is saved from political posturing and exploitation from playing class warfare with every proposal to using children as political props politics is trumped policy from day one now the new majority has sunk to a new low holding our nation's proud veterans hostage and for what madam speaker pork though the veteran spending bill passed this house months ago with four hundred nine votes the new majority has refused to allow the legislation to move forward and veterans demand action this is a clear demonstration of where the majority's priorities lie it's shameful and sad that the loony left in this house are willing to exploit our veterans as a political tool so that they can get their hands on ever more hard earned american tax dollars madam speaker bring up the veterans bill free from pork and free from politics expired for what purposes the gentleman from pennsylvania objection thank you madam speaker i rise today to call out to the american people to ask them to take notice of what's happening on the floor when the majority party took control in january they promised a new direction but what they direction only direction they received is to go backwards here it is november and the president has not received one appropriations bill on his desk the congress has not moved this slowly in twenty years and the reason is purely political they wan drastically increase social spending and they can't get a bill passed on social spending without coupling it in holding hostage our veterans bill our veterans deserve better our veterans deserve the funding that they need and i hope every a veteran in america's listening to this debate today i hope they realize that the veterans funding is being held hostage the president will veto the social spending the democrats propose and thus delay the the need the funds needed to go to our veterans around this country i urge the majority party to stop the charade give the veterans a straight up or down vote and it will pass this house overwhelmingly i thank the i thank the congress for listening i thank you american people my list time has madam speaker i rise today to express my disappointment and sadness at the majority's politicization of funding for our veterans this is a sad day today the majority is tying veterans affair funding to outrageous overspending in a completely separate bill to pork that is a sad day it's using our veterans for political gain americans veterans deserve better than that they deserve the support of the american people and they certainly deserve the support of this congress yet as you've heard the veterans affairs appropriations act passed this congress months ago it should have gone to the president but here we stand today fighting the leadership of the democratic party which has decided to attach that bill to a separate contentious already bloated spending measure essentially to blackmail our veterans madam speaker next week is veterans day and this is how we are honoring our veterans who have served our country and fought for our freedom our veterans deserve the money in this legislation they deserve to have the appropriation passed as a standalone i call on the congress to do that now line the day fired and not to punish our nation's veterans generation of young men and women did the same yet today the majority is playing games with our veterans who sacrificed so much back then today marks the thirty seventh they passed the fiscal year that congress has failed to pass veterans funding we're losing eighteen point five million dollars a day a whole two copies that i request unanimous can of letters i request unanimous consent to insert into the record these letters were signed by eighty nine members and asked the senate speaker majority leader in the senate to put aside partisan gamesmanship and bring a standalone veterans bill to the floor since i wrote these letters weeks of past a fiscal year is running out and our veterans are still waiting on us to finalize a bill to provide the funding for their benefits man and speaker it is time for us to do our job into action and i'm speaker two months ago today the our colleagues in the other body passed this very important bill designed to provide right assistance to to our veterans and here we are two months later and there is a desperate need to ensure that our nation's veterans have exactly what they deserve yesterday afternoon i followed the example of our colleague a gentleman from florida mr young and his wife beverly  who regularly go out and visit our wounded troops and i went out to the walter reed army hospital i had the opportunity to see a number of these courageous men who have sacrificed and have been wounded and i couldn't help but think as i came back i went to the rules committee last night and saw this attempt being made which they have done to tie the labor health and human services appropriations bill to the veterans bill as nothing but pure politics which undermine the ability the ability for us to get what these brave men and women who have fought behalf of the cause of freedom need this is wrong we've got to end it right now bring a clean bill to this morning on expired for what guard for serving our nation and iraq and afghanistan and around the world they are a bully and bravely fighting terrorist overseas in order to protect american families at home one way we can say thank you to the brave men and women is to adopt that runs appropriations bill stand alone with a unanimous on nearly unanimous vote it does not need to be wrapped up into something else we need to send on september the sixt sent it over the house and immediately appointed conferees the minority appointed their conferees but so far but up till now we've never had conferees appointed on this bill which means this bill that the president's announced he would sign could have become law before sept before october the first it means that military families veterans and retiree's could be receiving the benefits of up to eighteen and a half million dollars every single day since october the first this tactic of holding the veterans funding hostage creates a dangerous precedent what controversial unrelated policies could go on this bill in the an extension without objection madam speaker and my colleagues this is the first time i have chem out for a one minute address and i think it's necessary to that i also voiced my disapproval with what's happening right now that congress of the united states is at an eleven percent approval rating and unfortunately the actions dealing with our metrics our veterans and military appropriations measures is going to  i think further road public confidence in this body right now and what's going to to play out in the next number of hours our military and our veterans unfortunately be held hostage  and unfortunately to our veterans and our military going to suffer from this all in a an attempt to try to i guess embarrass the president of the united states but in turn we will be embarrassing and further eroding confidence in this house now we need to work together to pass in a bipartisan effort the funding for our troops and our veterans and stop the political games and some kind sentiment's time has expired for the purposes the gentleman from arizona writes just one that happened to action i think the speaker you know people may wonder why we're doing this combining these two bills veterans bill and also labor h h s it's easy to see when you look simply airdropped into the bill that we have no opportunity to amend out we have violated our own rules were violating our own rules to do this a million dollars for the thomas daschle center for public service and representative democracy we're spending a million dollars in this bill airdropped into the bill with no opportunity to amended out a center for public service and representative democracy at a university somewhere named for a former member of congress this simply isn't right this isn't right we shouldn't be doing this this institution deserves far better than we're giving it you know that gentleman who feels the time has expired record voter post punk question will be taken later concurrent resolution expressing the sense of congress the congress and the president that increased basic pay for members of the armed forces person to the rule the gentleman from pennsylvania mr murphy and the gentleman from north carolina mr jones each will control twenty minutes and the chair now recognizes the gentleman from pennsylvania that you madam speaker i feel myself as much time as i might consume and as unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on the resolution under consideration without objection mrs speaker i rise today for a simple yet important purpose i rise alongside my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to say that we support a three point five percent pay increase for the brave men and women of our armed forces that was speaker when i was serving in baghdad and i fought alongside specialist one o or r v to his friends and fellow paratroopers r v is a quick wit and fearless texan who had the trust of everyone in our brigade and would say things to make us laugh or make us think even door and war we used to joke that r v sign up for active duty in the army without even knowing that soldiers got paid the joke was that he was so innocent he thought the only common station he received was training housing and three square meals a day serving in iraq and making just over fifteen thousand dollars a year all the r v told everybody he was a richest man in iraq even though r v would have worked for free in our military he shouldn't have to and neither should the families who depend on their loved ones overseas more than one point six million soldiers sailors airmen and marines have been deployed to iraq and afghanistan many of them multiple times these are the brave men and women whose pay we seek to raise today a pay raise that is long overdue but i am speaker there are more than three million family members who count on someone serving on active duty in the wars in iraq and afghanistan today we fight not just for those soldiers for their families as well our resolution points out that there are currently that there is currently a four percent pay gap between the members of the armed forces and those in civilian life at a time when our arms forces are stretched so thin we are all for more comparable pay to the private sector to retain the most qualified service men and women our ruse resolution also gives thanks for their valiant service to our nation mrs speaker this is a common sense measure but unfortunately our president has called this paying crease unnecessary and yet two weeks ago president bush said and i quote america should do what it takes to support our troops the president criticizes the spending priorities of this congress but stands in a way that pay increase for our troops i say the president should do what it takes to support our troops this pay raises long overdue and it's necessary and president bush's opposition to it is simply unconscionable mrs speaker with a three point five percent pay increase we are talking about a lot of money but for a private in iraq making less than sixteen thousand dollars a year in basic pay that small increase would make all the difference in the world for an enlisted man with those to pay and young children to support several hundred dollars a year more is a big deal mr speaker i yield the floor to my colleagues i want to thank the gentleman from north carolina mr jones for his courageous support chairman murtha chapter chairman ovi chairman snyder as well as chairwoman davis thank mr murphy for his service to this nation and for introducing h con resolution one sixty two throughout the history of this great nation men and women have chosen to put on the uniform and defend the principles upon which this country was built the dedication of our men and women to our nation should never be overlooked and we as a congress should encourage the next generation of americans to do the same how they exist in an equity in pay between those who serve in our armed forces and those in the civilian sector to serve a years the civilian pay increase rate has remained four percent which congressman murphy mentioned above that of the military it is time to end this in equity age cond resolution one sixty two will help bring this in equity to a close by calling on congress to voice their support for our service members this nation relies on our military to defend its citizens against enemies both foreign and domestic and have done so with honor and integrity but they do not fight these battles alone our military families provide them much needed support and these difficult times as was said earlier nearly forty percent of the members of the armed forces who are deployed leave their families and children behind them there are more than three million family members and tenets of those serving on active duty and in the reserves for far too long congress has made a has not made this a top priority that is why i join with my colleagues r patrick murphy and all those in both parties who want this to be a number one issue for those in uniform and their families matching the increase is not sufficient we must close the gap thank you m support of house can resume action one sixty two by doing this i rise in strong support of our men and women who deserve a pay raise as part of the defense authorization the house passed a three point five percent pay increase for our troops half a percent larger than the president's budget this means an easy for would earn two hundred dollars a year difference in this just two hundred dollars a year difference but the president opposed this increase calling it unnecessary i don't think it's unnecessary to provide a decent wage for the brave men and women who sacrificed for our country i once lived on military pay and i can assure you that a decent wage is a requirement for military men and women and their families i find it ironic that the president thinks a pay raise for our troops is unnecessary but he thinks it is necessary to pay contractors billions of dollars with no accountability at all the president keeps sending our troops back again in again and the president should at least be willing to give them a decent pay check to do this job madam speaker standing up for our troops must also mean standing up for their families more than half of all service members who are deployed to iraq are married and more than forty percent of them have left children behind while a half percent pay increase may seem small when you're caring for a family every little bit of support helps this is not only the right thing to do for our troops it's the right thing to do for our national security there is currently a four percent pay gap in pay between the military and the private sector if we want to make sure that our armed services can recruit and retain the best most talented most highly qualified people we need to provide them with comparable pay this is especially critical now when we face new and emerging threats from around the world and the army began this year with the lowest number of recruits signed up for basic training since the end of the draft in hundred seventy three i urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution supporting our national security and in supporting our troops and their families by giving them the pay increase a have earned and i yield back  gentleman is recognized for three minutes madam speaker as a co sponsor of this resolution i rise in strong support of his passage next week on veterans day our nation will pause to honor the many sacrifices made by veterans who have served in the defense of our country and i appreciate the attention of our house leadership that they have given to this resolution and to our veterans who have served with incredible honor with incredible skill and courage which con  lucian once sixty two recognizes the value of their dedicated service and begins to address the economic sacrifice of veterans as they endure their economic pain because we rely on voluntary citizen army we are now more indebted to those who have foregone higher pay elsewhere in civilian employment especially as the value of our united states dollar continues to decline as congressman murphy personally understands our military has historically been underpaid servicemen and servicewomen receive much less than they could earn in the private sector and like my colleagues i believe their pay must reflect their sacrifices this resolution calls upon congress to fairly increase basic pay by three and a half percent we all understand that we must begin to pay all of our nation's debt and this resolution is a good first step in doing so and i yield back my time gentleman years you know back in time emphasizes our support for giving a pay raise for our armed forces this year this administration insisted inus defense budget requests that military service members should get no more than a three percent increase however in may the house passed a needed three point five percent across the board increase in pay for our brave men and women unfortunately the administration has deemed this extra half point unnecessary i strongly disagree with this assessment i can tell you that our service members who defend this country both at home and abroad don't find this increase unnecessary for a young soldier who may be earning twenty thousand dollars a year that extra half percent totals one hundred dollars but that one hundred dollars could make all the difference in the world when that soldier has bills to pay and a family to take care of i believe america's service members deserve this extra half percent increase they put their lives on the line for us daily for which we can never fully repay them for their service but a three point five percent salary increase is a good start and it is a small token of this nation's gratitude passing this resolution sends a strong message that this increase is not only the congressman murphy the stress of war on our men and women and their families is enormous we cannot do much to help with the stress of war but mr murphy's resolution can help the military family to my colleague mr walter jones i appreciate that i appreciate the gentleman's service for the citizens of our country and its citizens in north carolina we owe it to those protect your nation and fighting for our rights to make sure that we support them and their families who are waiting at home this pay raise may mean less than a thousand dollars for some a list of men and women but for those with bills to pay and young children to feed several hundred dollars is a big deal mr speaker i strongly support this pay raise and i urge my colleagues to do the same by passing this bill we tell our troops that we support them and send a message to the president that this pay raise is not only necessary it's our responsibility but i was speaker at this time i have no further requests for time now you'll back the balance of my time the gentleman yield back sufficient number having risen the nays are ordered and pursuant to clause eight of rule twenty the chairs prior announcement further proceedings on this motion will be postpone provide earnings assistance and tax relief to members of the uniformed services volunteer firefighters and peace corps volunteers and for other purposes pertinent to the role of the gentleman from washington mr mcdermott and the gentleman from pennsylvania mr english each will control twenty minutes and the chair now recognizes the gentleman from washington better speaker martin luther king said everybody can be great because anybody can serve you only need a heart full of grace and a soul generated by love those that volunteer to serve our country deserve our thanks and our support members of our armed forces make sure mendus sacrifices as they honorably perform their duties and deserve so much in return for their service their heroes earning assistants and real effect is an important piece of legislation that would eliminate many inequities that presently exist in federal statutes affecting those performing service to our country the bill makes several improvements in the tax code for service members and their families it includes a provision to remove obstacles for americans who wish to serve our nation overseas through the peace corps by providing relief from capital gains taxes on the sale of a home additionally the bill makes several important changes to the supplemental security income program known as s s i the s s i program provides critical for service members who are caring for a severely disabled spouse or child this bill would change s s i his treatment of certain forms of military compensation when determining s s i eligibility and benefit amounts for military families as a result more military families will be able to benefit from this important safety net this bill would remove penalties that present presently exist for blind disabled an venner veterans under the s s i program and finally the bill would end the disparate treatment of compensation that is paid to some american or volunteers but not to others under the s s i program this modest change would enable disable americans to serve their country and their community despite their disability for some americans american work and provide a pathway for the disabled to gain the skills to re enter the workforce i ask unanimous consent to enter into the record the attached documents without detection and i thank mr rangle for being a champion for those that unselfishly served our nation and i retain the gratitude we owe the brave men and women who defend our freedoms every day it's with great honor that i joined my colleagues on the house floor today and helped lead the debate and h r thirty nine ninety seven the hero's earnings assistance  relief tax act this legislation is more than a simple clean up of some of the disincentives distortions and oversights that have disadvantaged our active duty military and veterans in the tax code this legislation is significant because it sends a clear message that even as many of our best and brightest are currently in harm's way in theaters where they're facing hostile fire this congress is prepared to work on a bipartisan basis to consider every option and every opportunity to improve the lives of their families and their predecessors the two point three billion dollars tax package which was reported out of the house ways and means committee last week tax and social security benefits for military service members veterans and volunteer this important measure will allow our active military men and women to benefit from the earned income tax credit by allowing them to pare their nontaxable compact pay with their earned income h r thirty nine ninety seven will ease the financial burden of losing a loved one by allowing survivors  to put military death benefits and to ross iras without limitations furthermore this legislation will ensure military reservists will have the opportunity to make penalty free withdrawals from their retirement plans clothing for a one k and ira accounts if deployed these men and women will be able to provide the financial footing their families may depend on during their absence i've also plays that the majority and bringing this bill to the floor today included an amendment i offered and withdrew in committee i appreciate the bipartisan support displayed on this critical issue specifically my provisional expand social security income veterans in certain states like pennsylvania which provides paralyzed vets with an eight hundred per year annuity may be denied federal benefits or receive a lower amount than veterans and states that do not provide such dedication and bravery made by american soldiers have allowed us to exercise our everyday freedoms many have made the ultimate sacrifice and it's our duty in congress to make sure that veterans rights and interests are protected and served as many of us prepare for this upcoming veterans day this legislation reaches our chamber at the proper time and includes the right incentives to help our ben and women in uniform overall this legislation is a bundle of veterans is before the house today it also is certainly have great assist to our active duty miller tarion reservists and indeed their families the bill we are considering today is the product of a joint hearing held last month by the select revenue measures subcommittee or reduce burdens on those who serve or volunteer for america the bill we are considering today which passed out of the full committee last week is a product of those deliberations and will go far to assist those serving this not create problems but rather solve them for military families and that is exactly what this bill will allow us to do to handle the rest of the time without objection passionate testimony on several of the tax and benefit provisions for better i benefit payments to certain military families veterans and america's war participants the bill also includes provisions authored by my friends and colleagues feelingly should pennsylvania and tom reynolds in new york that would ensure comparable treatment under the s s i program when it comes to state annuities for blind and other disabled veterans it is important we look for ways to ensure that those in the military and their families who make sacrifices receive appropriate and timely support the bill before us today w provide more help to our veterans to our military families and to others who volunteer in service to our nation that is something i support and i urge all my colleagues to join me in supporting our soldiers are families and others who volunteer to help america by voting yes for this record is recognized for one minute thank you support for our troops does not begin on the battlefield and it must not in there with approval of this legislation texas veterans will be eligible for below market loans of up to three hundred twenty five thousand dollars under the previous law this benefit was restricted to veterans who had served prior to one thousand nine hundred seventy seven today we close the gap for the many who have been  heroes in the in the last twenty five years who are not currently eligible those who have served to keep us safe in our homes deserve a chance at a home with their own and that's what this bill does we know  day is approaching but every day that we enjoy freedom above stowed by the sacrifices of those in uniform is a day that we should on or is often said that we should honor our vets with our words and also with our deeds well today we expand the opportunity for each of that to obtain a deed for their home as veterans paid the price to build our great democracy we can afford the price higher a building a foundation for home in pennsylvania madam speaker it is now my privilege to yield two minutes to another member of our committee and a strong advocate of the cause of veterans the gentleman from texas mr brady the thank you madam speaker i rise in support of this bill and floor today that will provide additional tax relief to our nation's veterans especially those who are seeking to purchase a home this bill updates current law to ensure the veterans who served after nine seventy seven can qualify for low interest home loans financed by the qualified veterans mortgage bonds back home in texas that this bill is going to enable texas veterans lane board to expand its existing low interest loan program several thousand more texas veterans several thousand helping a new generation of veterans own a piece in american dream or lanka mr jerry patterson a main marine veteran himself as an excellent job supervising this program and reaching out t and means committee mr pomeroy potential men from north dakota it's recognized for one minute this is a photograph of major alan johnson his wife tori and his step daughter this beautiful family was suffer the tragedy of losing major johnson in iraq last winter we buried major johnson at arlington cemetery his widow contacted me two weeks later to tell me that what had happened in the state of washington is the pension plan there had simply given the money back that alan johnson had paid in as if he had terminated his employment at the time he was called to duty called to deployment in his status as a reserve officer it brought to light a gap in the law that protects our deployed reservists and guardsmen when they come back this law seamlessly into reintegrates them into the pension plan of their employer but there was no provision if we tragically lose our soldiers under deployment included in this bill is the hero's act introduced by doc hastings and myself that allows for survivor benefits to be paid in this situation it's a very important influence i don't at all as i might have the gentleman additional thirty seconds it's terribly important that survivors of our soldiers who paid the ultimate price have survivor's benefits under the pension and this law will afford that i also ask unanimous consent madam speaker to add into the record a letter to this effect from mrs tory johnson with one of bank both chairman rangle and ranking member mccurry as well as chairman neal and chairman mcdermott and ranking members english and weiler for their outstanding leadership in crafting this legislation michigan we come together today no democrats or republicans but as americans we are united in our respect for those who wear the uniform of the united states armed services and we are united in our desire to ensure that federal programs within the ways and means committee has jurisdiction from the tax code to the s s i program work effectively for members of the military veterans first responders and their families and i strongly urge the passage of this legislation i would like to highlight two specific provisions in the bill that have been a particular interest to me during my time in congress the first provision in section two zero two is modeled on legislation the blind veterans fairness act that i first entered used in the year two thousand my legislation would correct a problem the federal s s i rules and effects blind veterans in four states new york new jersey pennsylvania and massachusetts that provide these that earns modest annuities in recognition of the substantial sacrifice they made in service to our country we're going to flee under current federal law the state's annuities actually reduce any s s i payments for which blind veterans would otherwise be eligible as we heard from michelle rock of the new york's division of veterans affairs at our ways and means hearing three weeks ago this cork in the federal s s i rules creates a hardship not only for the affected veterans themselves but for the states that administer these annuity programs as well as in years pass the bill i've introduced one hundred ten congress h r six forty nine has enjoyed bipartisan support and it's been strongly endorsed by the blinded veterans association i would also like to publicly thank chairman rangle not just the chair of our committee but the dean of my state's congressional delegation for its co sponsorship of prior berges of this bill and i look forward to working closely with them to see the proposal finally enacted into law let me turn briefly to a separate provision in section one zero seven of the bill which will permanently allow penalty free withdrawals from ira four hundred one k s and other retirement funds for reservists national guardsmen called active duty as we all know when guardsmen and reservists are called up they often face significant reductions in pay compared to their civilian sour he's put in economic strain on their families to lessen this economic hardship many of them chose to draw down on their retirement funds unfortunately under prior law they faced a temper sent early withdrawal tax when they did so and they faced restrictions on making repayments to their retirement funds upon returning from active duty last year's pension protection act provided relief from this penalty tax and permitted unlimited repayments within two years after leaving active duty but only for guardsman a reservist called to active duty before december thirty first two thousand and seven to assure that this important relief remains available on a permanent basis going forward i entered oozed h r eight sixty seven the guard's going to reservist tax baronets act on february seventh of this year this legislation is also attracted a bipartisan group of co sponsors as well endorsements from several leading veteran service organizations i look forward to seeing these common sense changes in act into law over the coming weeks neal for their timely manner in which they have handled very important legislation that addresses veterans but specifically to mr neal because it was not lost on him in this piece of legislation that we also needed to address an important segment of our society our volunteer firefighters wasn't lost on mr neal that the volunteer firefighters protect approximately thirty eight percent of america's population and more than seventy percent of our land it wasn't lost on mr neil the volunteer firefighters save taxpayers nearly thirty seven billion dollars annually with their efforts two thirds of the one point two million firefighters in this country are in fact volunteers more importantly it wasn't lost on we won in this body that it wasn't the f b i the cia or the department defense it was our frontline depend defenders it was our front line tonight and first responders that were there at the world trade center at the pentagon and in the fields of pennsylvania is to them of course that we  gratitude it was lost however on the i r s that when states like mine in connecticut moved to provide a rebate on their local property taxes that they charged it in sought to make it ordinary income on behalf of these brave volunteers this legislation correct that i want to commend the mitchell brothers both john and billy from south windsor connecticut and chief crombie who are the genesis of this idea and concept you brought it to my attention again thank chairman neil for making it all happen because the gentleman you're back gentleman yelled back sentiment from pennsylvania madam speaker it is now my privilege to yield three minutes to a strong advocate of the cause of veterans the gentleman from north carolina into the hero's earnings assistance and relief tax act of two thousand and seven for several years i have tried to get this measure to the house floor so thank you mr neil mr mcdermott and m account this legislation would change that to allow recipients to contribute up to the full amount of the gratuity payment to any of those two accounts as if families of our fallen heroes try to put their lives back together they need help the death of a loved one is difficult enough without having to worry about saving the day after to agree to pay for retirement college or other expenses and then had the government come in and tax the interest on that savings  need for this is system was brought to my attention by captain michael seris a constituent stationed at marine corps as station near river captain seris who just returned from serving in iraq would be soon redeployed paid the ultimate college with the loss of their loved one today i call on all my colleagues in the house to support this major piece of legislation known as the heroes earnings assistance in tax relief tax act of two thousand and seven with that mr madam madam speaker at this time i would like to yield one minute to the gentleman from oregon and also a member of the ways and means committee mr bowman our the gentleman from oregon from oregon is recognized for one minute i appreciate the gentleman's courtesy  in recognizing me and in working with us for over sixty years oregonians have provided a benefit to our returning veterans of home loans that were below market rate to be able to help them re establish themselves in the community and as a small gesture of our appreciation for their sacrifice unfortunately with the recent flood of returning veterans from iraq and afghanistan we found that that program has been stretched to the limit and we were in the  faced with denying them access working with mr neil chairman rangle the committee and subcommittee we were able to make an important adjustment four hundred percent increase in the loan cap so that w be able to fully meet the needs of record reporting oregon veterans and along the way it will help people in alaska wisconsin texas and california in this time of uncertainty in the housing market giving these important loans to our veterans is an important gesture i appreciate the work that the committee has done to make this a reality gentleman's time has expired the gentleman from pennsylvania thank you madam speaker it's now my privilege to yield four minutes to a true advocate of the veterans as well as all of  military facilities in his district the distinguished gentleman from kansas mr moran the gentleman from kansas is recognized for four minutes i thank the gentleman from pennsylvania and i thank the speaker for recognizing me this as you can here is an important piece of legislation that is widely supported and praised here on the house floor today but i'm disappointed that the majority in the committee rejected in a minute an amendment that the gentleman from pennsylvania mr english offered this amendment was a commonsense bipartisan fix to the tax code to prevent lower income military personnel and their fan pleas from being discriminated against when applying to live in affordable housing built under the low income housing tax credit program a number of military installations across the country are experiencing housing shortages as a result of the two thousand and five brac one of those facilities for riley an army post located in the state of kansas is nearly doubling in size and is now seeing an influx of thirty thousand soldiers civilian workers and others when the new soldiers live off base they receive a military housing allowance from the government that they use for payment of rent though the tax code does not treat the housing allowance as taxable income it is considered income when determining a military families eligibility to live in facilities financed with low income housing tax credits the result is that some service members particularly our enlisted men and women are considered to earn too much income and are thus disqualified from a live living in affordable housing however comparatively low income civilians receiving section eight housing vouchers from the federal government are more likely to qualify for this housing this is because unlike the military housing subsidy the tax code exempts section eight assistance from being considered income our nation's military families deserve access to safe decent and affordable housing and they should be given a fair opportunity to qualify for it the house acted in may to exempt military housing allowance from income eligibility requirements when qualifying for the head start program the u s d a s wic nutrition program for women infant and children also provide for this this exemption unfortunately discrimination persists when military families apply to live in affordable housing and enlisted service members and their families continue to be treated unfairly in communities across the country i encourage my i'd hope to offer an amendment here today on the house floor to address this issue but the procedure by which this bill is brought to the floor does not allow me that opportunity i would urge and encourage my colleagues to join me in co sponsoring h r fourteen eighty one the military access to housing act to correct this inequality and to encourage the leadership of this house to bring this congressman neil and congressman english for their persistence tax changes if done wrong can exacerbate existing inequalities hurt i'm all fabric and slow the economy so i'm glad today with this bill take up my tax measure that is not geared towards increasing the fortunes of the already fortunate but instead we will provide a measure of relief for those brave men and women serving in the military and as first responders but pickle i'm glad to see that this bill excludes from income certainly a merciful expenses incurred in the line of duty by volunteer firefighters and i commend my friend congressman larson from connecticut has worked on this issue for some time i'm truly heartened that we  permanently extending combat pay and the calculations of the earn income tax credit recent law allowed members of the armed forces to exclude combat pay which is generally nontaxable for purposes of computing earned income credit second since mike you and i spoke to the march second thank you but this will only last through the two thousand and six tax year many of us have worked for some time to make this proposal permanent i'm tremendously pleased that this provision has made it into the broader package that we're discussing today there is no reason a member of the armed forces should lose their own income tax credit when they're mobilized serving their country again i thank the chairman english for the work and diligence on this critical issue and i yield back thank you many will effect this time the gentleman from pennsylvania madam speaker at this point i mean i am choir of the gentleman in the majority how many additional speakers he has and a speaker i believe that we have about five additional speakers madam speaker we have the possibility but not the certainty of an additional speaker and i'm wondering if it might be appropriate for the gentleman to have a few of his speakers go forward now i think don't be appropriate madam speaker might acquire the gentleman on the minority side if in fact that we were to run over like the gentleman he wanted to yield a couple of extra minutes to us this indeed was a bipartisan bill i'm i'm sure we can accommodate that thank for one minute thank you madam speaker as veterans day approaches the timing could not be more appropriate for congress to be considering the hard act this legislation will help veterans and their families and it will also show them that their fellow citizens appreciate their service and honor their sacrifices for our country nevada has one of the fastest growing veterans populations in the country and i have seen firsthand the economic hardship that extended military deployments in iraq and afghanistan have caused the hard act will allow more families to qualify for the earned come tax credit or to make penalty free withdrawals from retirement plans in time of to economic need to help ease the burden of deployment nevada has suffered fifty nine deaths during the global war on terror including forty six in iraq i support the provisions of this bill that will allow the spouses of those who sacrificed their lives to be better able to plan for their futures and those of their children as a member of both the ways and means committee and the veterans affairs committee i strongly support this bill i urge my colleagues to vote for this bipartisan legislation  including in this bill legislation that i introduced to assist our brave men and women in uniform my bill h r thirty eight twenty seven the active duty military tax relief act ensures that active duty military personnel will be able to treat combat pay as earned income when computing the earned income tax credit my bill also allows reservists called active duty to make penalty free withdrawals from their retirement plans and service members who receive differential pay from their civilian employer will be able to contribute those wages to their retirement plan finally family members of those killed in the line of duty will be able to contribute up to one hundred thousand dollars of the military death gratuity into tax favored accounts such as roth iras and education savings accounts i want to again thank the chairman for working with me to ensure that all of these provisions from my bill have been included in full in this legislation which i strongly support your back my recognize for one minute thank you madam speaker and thank you mr chairman unless we act now over one hundred fifty thousand of our american troops and their families will pay sharply higher taxes unless congress extends the military eligibility for the earned income tax credit we will through inaction slash the i e t c e i t c for hundreds of thousands of troops it would be a tax borne soley by our soldiers and our military families we call it a soldier tax our military continues to serve our country with honor and distinction the very last thing we need is for our soldiers and their families to have to worry about paying higher taxes next year that's why a tax relief or armed combat families act of two thousand and seven it will permanently permanently end the soldier tax our military families should not have to worry from year to year what funds are going to be available to take care of our families of their families i'd like to thank chairman rangle chairman neil for working my language into today's legislation and i call on my colleagues to pass this important legislation let's permanently finally end the soldier tax  cuts for true american heroes our combat troops our veterans and our firefighters last month i introduced h r thirty eight zero eight the combat troops tax relief act and very pleased that the first provision in the hard act is taken from my tax bill this bill honors the patriotic commitment of military families such as the heber and southern arizona army specialist adam hubert is currently serving at fort huachuca he is married  children and soon he will be deployed abroad for combat service this bill is going to give the heber's concrete tax relief it will permanently protect their eligibility for the earned income tax credit and southern arizona across the united states we must honor our heroes with true true true tax relief i urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join with me to pass h r thirty nine ninety seven the hard act thank you the s s i program because eligibility for s s i benefits is based on a family's income military families lose benefits when additional pay is added to their income and military families struggling to make ends meet benefits loses benefits for their children if they receive a jump a hazardous duty pay or a number of other pays considered unearned income i think i speak for my colleagues when i say these papers are not earned but hard earned the second bill addresses crawford veterans mortgage loans and as a californian i join with other colleagues in the desire to provide veterans who signed up for service after nine hundred seventy seven with a better opportunity to achieve a home ownership why should a veteran who served in iraq be treated any differently than someone who signed up before nine hundred seventy seven correcting this flaw in current law to allow those returning from iraq and afghanistan to have greater opportunities i mean by in california's high cost real estate market leadership the ways and means committee in the members because i think this bill really takes a commonsense approach of being having as you heard the stories told about people who have had problems that just don't make sense this is sort of fix the dumb dumb in the tax law and that's what this bill does for military veterans for volunteer firefighters for eligible peace corps volunteers and others i'm pleased that the committee included my legislation to authorize to provide a tax relief for thousands of military retirees whose v a disability claims have been delayed by dysfunctional v a claims backlog the issue was brought to my attention by a constituent michael st germain whose v a claim took over eight years to process imagine eight years to process one v claim i'm proud that in the military v a appropriations bill that we have procreated one hundred twenty four million dollars to provide eight hundred new claims processors for to work on the four hundred thousand backlog of claims i think the committee for extending for another two years the the claims adjustment thank you very much and then for messages in a speaker at this time i'd like to reserve the balance of my time gentleman reserve yield myself such time as i may consume chemistry between or in conclusion i believe the case has been made compelling way that this legislation consists of many components but they have been developed within the ways and means committee as a benefit for our veterans and our active duty military i don't believe there's a great controversy here what i do believe is that there is a lesson  when republicans and democrats work together on a bipartisan basis when they put aside political posturing when they put aside ideological poses when they insist on procedural  fairness then i think we can find a common ground to move forward on things that are genuinely important i want to particularly credit the chairman of our committee mr rangle and also the gentleman from massachusetts the chairman of our select revenue subcommittee for having moved this legislation forward and having set a very high standard and i would like to take credit for the fact that there has been substantial republican participation in the development of this bill this bill i think is important to move forward now but not only for what it consists where but for what it symbolizes and that is what this chamber c when both parties work together and with that i yield back the balance of my time and then you know that mr speaker i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks  courtesy that he extends to all members of this body and particularly those of us who are on the ways and means committee i also wish to acknowledge chairman rangle and mr mccrary work to accommodate suggest tunes from several members of the house and we thank those members both republicans and democrats for generating many of the good ideas contained in this bight bipartisan bill let me describe some of the provisions in this bill the bill makes permanent the current provision waiving the ten percent withdrawal penalty for those called up to active duty who need to tap into retirement accounts the bill allows families to rollover amounts received as death gratuity benefits in iraq buy or raise or education savings accounts the bill makes a number of changes relating to supplemental security income or s s i eligibility in military service and the bill makes permanent the special rule treating combat pay as earned income for the purposes of the earned income tax credit or to see the bill also provides a number of changes to allow employers the flexibility to extend benefits to workers called up to duty and will expand certain provisions that provide mortgage assistance to veterans to qualified bond programs the bill also includes incentives for those who volunteer their service stateside such as firefighters and emergency responders and for those that had an opportunity to attend our hearing and listen to the moving testimony of one widow a reservist and how people will listen to this one widow of a reservist whose pension was cut in half because he did not return to work after being killed in action pleased to know as all members of the body will that this bill we are considering today fixes that problem for good with the british leader benjamin disraeli noted that the legacy of heroes is the memories memory of a great name and the inheritance of a great example let it set our own example today of a congress that responds to families in need but the show our heroes and their families that we acknowledge and appreciate their service not only do i encourage support for this bipartisan bill but i want to  to what was stated a few moments ago by my friend mr english this is a very firm example of what happens in this house of representatives when members put aside differences and proceed with a common principle house suspend the rules and pass h r three nine nine seven as amended those in favor say aye aye jose no mr speaker in the opinion of the chair two thirds being in the affirmative  clause eight of rule twenty and the chairs prior announcement further proceedings on this motion will be postpone for what purpose the gentleman from massachusetts rise by mr speaker i move the house suspend the rules and agree to h r seven eighty seven the clerk will report the title of the resolution house resolution seven eighty seven resolution expressing the support and sympathy of the house of representatives and the people of the united states for the victims of the tragic fire that occurred in ocean isle beach north carolina on october twenty eighth two thousand and seven pursuant to the rule of the gentleman from massachusetts  objection so added mr speaker as a member of the house committee on oversight and government reform i am pleased to join my colleagues in the consideration of house resolution seven eighty seven which expresses the support and sympathy of the house of representatives and the people of the united states for the victims of the tragic fire recently that occurred in ocean isle beach north carolina house resolution seven eighty seven which as sixty six co sponsors was introduced by my friend and colleague representative james mr speaker on sunday october twenty eighth two thousand and seven seven college students perished in a fire in ocean isle beach north carolina they were victims of an early morning fire that engulfed the two stor house there are also six survivors that were hospitalized but later released of the six students who perished excuse me of the seven students that perished six were from the university of south carolina and one was from clemson university we in this congress express our heartfelt sympathy for the victims their families and the campus communities that have been affected the students were among  best and brightest this striving their aspirations and the hope and support of their families especially their parents for their future embodies a shining example of what what is best about america the ocean isle beach fire claimed the precious lives of seven young p people who had so much to live for and so much to give we express our deepest sympathy to the victims and their families mr speaker recommend my colleague representative jim cliburn for you mr speaker i rise to mourn the passing of seven of this nation's young students on the morning of october twenty eighth two thousand and seven fire quickly swept through the beach house and ocean isle beach north carolina where they were spending a week in six of the seven students the seven were scenes of the university of south carolina seven to ten and clemson all were filled with much promise this in mind i expressed my deepest condolences to the family and friends of the seven rest assured that you are in our thoughts and our prayers are also like take this opportunity to commend the entire community of ocean isle beach north carolina for its response to this tragedy from the very onset of the flames local citizens rushed to alert and assist emergency responders these responders then work bravely to rescue those trapped inside aid the injured and extinguish the fire and fortune the blaze was too powerful and claimed seven young lives however without the depth response of all involved the tragic toll of this blaze would have surely been higher because with all this in mind that i would like to take this opportunity to commend those involved in the response our sincere gratitude memorializes and per member rates the lives of seven students from the university of south carolina and clemson university who perished in last week's tragic beach house fire in the ocean isle beach north carolina i proudly represent the university of south carolina and i rise to thank the house reform and oversight committee for its proper action on this resolution and to once again extend my deepest condolences to the famil es friends and loved ones of those university of south carolina and clemson students who we lost in this unfortunate event they should all know that we will continue to keep them and their loved ones  prayers as they mourn their tremendous loss there's little that we cherish more than seeing our children and grandchildren go off to school seeking to acquire the knowledge and skills that they will need to pursue their dreams and aspirations it is an incredible feeling and to have that promise cut short in such a dramatic and tragic way is probably more than anyone who has not had the experience can possibly imagine as we mourn with the university of south carolina and clemson university communities at this solemn time we should all take some solace in knowing that these young people represent the very best of our hopes and dreams for the future through their extracurricular activities and academic successes they serve a strong role models for future generations and our sources of pride it for their families and friends it is only fitting that we honor them for being the bright beacons of light that they were and that their loved ones will always remember them as being no words of sympathetic sentiments will ever do that tragic loss endured a bad university of south carolina and reps in communities however by passing this resolution it is my hope that these communities understand that this congressional bata stands in unison in offering our prayers and condolences may god bless all those affected by this a tragic an accidental fire in ocean isle beach north carolina claimed seven very young lives six of the victims were students of the university of south carolina cassidy say lauren astrid cristiana mohan justin michael anderson travis lane calle allison walden william rhea one of the victims emily lauren yelton was a sophomore at clemson university a graduate of jail man high school in greenville a member of the delta zeta sorority and a member of the young life of greenville these brilliant young college still students were sisters brothers devoted sons and daughters athletes instructors friends volunteers coaches and leaders family members and friends have recounted how each one has given support made a difference and by brightened people's lives i stand here today to support a tree as seven eighty seven which is a resolution sponsored by congressman jim clyburn to express much needed support for those fire victims i would also like to recognize recognize and offer sympathy to the victims families and let them know that south carolina and the people of this nation mr speak filed and which expresses the support and sympathy of the house of representatives and the people of the united states for the victims of the tragic fire that occurred in ocean isle beach north carolina about ten days ago on october twenty eighth a you may know i represent the town of ocean isle beach and like all of my constituents i was saddened by the events that took place just a few days ago ocean isle beach is a family community a place many do love to come and spend time with friends and the loss of seven college students and injuries by six more indeed was a tragic turn of events that brought this small beach town the state of north carolina and our neighbors the state of south carolina for the students were in school and this nation to its knees i'm honored to support this essential and timely measure which also expresses gratitude for the efforts of all the emergency personnel law enforcement fire and rescue that were involved in this horrific situation and our gratitude to mayor davey smith and the other local officials in that community as well as to the brunswick county officials and other community members  private citizens that responded to the far and that reached out to help those in need in the families that were affected by this tragic situation as we gathered today to express our condolences to the families and friends of the students that perished and as we offer hope for the full recovery of those students who were injured i urge all of us to reflect on the importance of these individuals lives and express our sympathies to those families who will carry this loss with them mr speaker we're a strong nation ocean isle beach is a strong community and i know that events like the fire on october twenty eighth will demonstrate even more our strength and our unity in times of tragedy may we all sta here in this body today indeed may we all stand as a nation together in remember its of the students and pledge our commitment to their families and friends we pray for god's comfort his peace and his strength to isle beach north carolina over a week ago this tragic accident reminds us all how precious life is and i want to express my condolences to the families in friends of the students as university of south carolina law school graduate and a parent of a current clemson student i have grown to know the strength and character of these communities i have had the privilege of getting to know many of their students faculty in ministre toure's all my life under the leadership of u s c president andrew sorenson and clemson president jim barker the students and families of these two universities have found comfort and kinship during this difficult time i also want to extend my heartfelt condolences to the sigma alfre epsilon fraternity and the delta delta delta sorority who lost members in this tragic fire my father and my mother were members of these c organizations respectively and is a member of of a paternity with three sons and paternity i know that the bar the binds of these students and alumni how they feel for one another and the grief they are experiencing so china's media has been very thoughtful respectful and helpful in providing tributes to the students today we offer our support and comfort to the students who were injured in this terrible accident we will continue to pray for their full in speedy recovery additionally we will recognize the brave members of the local fire departments in emergency personnel as well as the ocean isle beach citizens title of the rule of the resolution house resolution seven twenty eight resolution expressing that support and sympathy of the house of representatives and the people of the united states for the victims of the devastating flooding that occurred across many parts of ohio in august two thousand and seven and commending the community's volunteer organizations churches and emergency response agencies for their continuing work to restore the affected areas across that state pursuant to the rule the gentleman from massachusetts mr lynch and the gentleman from ohio mr jordan each will control twenty minutes the chair now recognize the gentleman from massachusetts thank you mr speaker mr speaker i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks that objection sought it was the speaker is a member of the house committee on oversight and government reform i'm pleased to join my colleagues in the consideration of house resolution seven twenty eight which is a bill that expresses the support and sympathy of the house of representatives and the people of the united states for the victims of that of the devastating floods that swept across ohio in august of two thousand and seven house resolution seven twenty eight which has fifty one co sponsors was introduced by my friend mr representative jim jordan on october tenth two thousand and seven house resolution seven twenty eight was reported from the oversight committee on october twenty third two thousand in seven by voice vote mr speaker during the week of august nineteenth two thousand and seven ohio's received over fifteen inches of rain in a violent storm that swept across the state firefighters and volunteers from that state performed great acts of heroism in rescuing people from life threatening conditions the storm caused major flooding that damage many homes and businesses and the water forced at least five hundred families from their homes in several northern ohio towns governor ted strickland of ohio declared states of emergency in one counties in northwestern north central ohio this was indeed the worst flooding for ohio since nine hundred thirteen are now rise in support of the victims in this disaster and to commend the state local and federal officials and emergency personnel for their response to this crisis situation mr speaker i commend my colleague representative jordan for seeking to express support and sympathy for the ohio flood victims and mr speaker at this time i reserve the balance of my time german reserves gemma from ohio thank you mr speaker i try to rise in support of this resolution not obviously as a result of these devastating floods this this summer we had eight counties that were declared disaster  counties in our state four and a half of those counties i have the privilege of representing the other three and a half counties were represented by our late friend congressman paul gilmore i want to commend congressman gilmore stafford for the help that paul himself of course when he was with us and then his staff or the great assistance they provided our office and others as we work through this i also want to just take take a moment to thank those those local local leaders both our police fire our e m s people our local public officials in our state public officials who did just an outstanding job and also commend our federal officials fema was there in the in ohio several of the leaders were there director paulson as well as this devastation it was so neat to see how communities come together how people work together and all kinds of acts of kindness from family member to family member from from neighbor to neighbor and community to community it was it was amazing to see what takes place when devastation hits an area and so again the resolution just expressed expresses our commendation for those individuals those local officials those families those people in in west central north central twenty eight which speaks to the issue of the flooding throughout ohio in august of this year congressman jordan i stood shoulder to shoulder with congressman gilmore in finley to survey the devastating  one hundred year flood level this flooding ripped through the heart of many small towns in northwest ohio burying our communities in feet of mud and water while washing away the dreams of so many today we know there are over probably a hundred million dollars worth of damage and we owe so very much to all the emergency workers to the fire to the police to the local officials mayor really i thought in finley did in an outstanding job of trying to address this problem which wasn't any of their faults or our fault you had fifteen inches of rain within twenty four hours and this flood truly was different instead of simply devastating our community the flood also sent a shockwave through all of us on the challenge of fresh water management that our region are very flat region faces it is ironic that you know heigho we were talking about too much water at a time when now georgia and the southeastern states were experiencing record droughts we know in our region the status quo is not acceptable and we were very pleased that secretary chertoff joined us and offered the continuing help of fema long before these floods in august we knew that we had potential problems we never thought they would come now so quickly but we launched a watershed management partnership in the western lake erie basin to handle the growing levels of storm water runoff and the army corps of engineers the u s department of agriculture have driven forward a remarkable partnership that is unique in its scope anywhere in the country for what it is attempting to accomplish and at the center of this assessment is the understanding that we must better manage our freshwater asset for the future it is our competitive advantage without question in the great lakes states and we have been buffeted for in our region by globalization but we will not give up our greatest asset but we know we must manage it with a comprehensive basin wide solution i think this was a real clarion call to people in our region and we saw the levels of damage and having to remediate after the fact but had we had in place structures and systems to handle this level of water we would not have had the level of damage that we experienced we know that the level of rainfall was extraordinarily large but the point is we were not are probably prepared for it and we have now had this clarion call we were very fortunate that the loss of life was minimized but nonetheless people are still digging out and i think this resolution is a very important step forward as we try to handle this precious global asset of fresh water in our region in a much much wiser way so that we can avoid the flooding of the future even marathon oil had eight feet of water in its corporate headquarters in finley ohio business leadership the chamber a broad band of public officials and private sector leadership across the region recognize we can't go through this again we have to think about dry dams we have to think about reservoirs we have to think of ways to avoid hundreds of millions of dollars worth of damage and put those dollars to work avoiding that kind of disaster in the future so in recognizing all of those who helped to handle this  this enormous tragedy that befell that the fall our area we also look to the future and the fact that we have the western lake erie basin partnership as a building block toward the future in order to make the future better than the past and to learn the lessons that history have now taught us and so i'm very pleased to join my colleagues here today congressman lynch who's taken such great leadership on this measure we in ohio appreciate the recognition to all the emergency personnel who did so very much into the people who suffered and also congressman jim jordan for bringing this to the floor today we are joined hand in hand as we move forward together in northern ohio to better manage our freshwater asset for the future thank you gentleman from ohio mystic before yelling back our time on let me to just thank congressman lynch and congresswoman kaptur come from captors as has been right at the front of looking at this in a comprehensive way and we appreciate that she talked about our marriage both in finland shelby ohio done so much work and who are looking at this overall i also want to when we talk so much about our local officials i think i don't know if we mentioned our our two u s senators have been very helpful in this effort as well looking at this in a broad way so i thank you so much for that without a you're back at the balance of our time gentleman reserve the opinion of the chair two thirds being in the affirmative the rules are suspended a resolution is agreed to and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table gentleman from massachusetts mr speaker i move to the house suspend the rules and agree to house resolution seven eighty two the clerk will report that part of the resolution house resolution seven eighty two resolution expressing the sense of the house with respect to the boston red sox victory in the two thousand seven major league baseball world series pursuant to the rule the gentleman from massachusetts mr lynch and the gentleman from ohio mr jordan each will control twenty minutes the chair would like to make the following statement and that withstanding the fact that the chair represents the bronx new york the chair will do everything you can to be happy doing this resolution only half of the boston red sox the chair now recognizes the gentleman from massachusetts  house committee on oversight and government reform i'm pleased to join my colleagues in the house and in the senate and my mom and dad and the entire red sox nation in consideration of house resolution seventy two a bill that congratulates the boston red sox baseball team our beloved boston red sox baseball team for winning the two thousand and seven major league baseball world series house resolution seven eighty two was introduced by my friend and colleague representative michael kapil lionel mr speaker the boston red sox baseball team did indeed win their second world series in four seasons defeating the colorado rockies four three in game four at coors field in denver colorado on sunday october twenty eight two thousand and seven and the red sox are the first team in this century to win multiple championships indeed since the year two thousand kevin euclid's the first baseman for the red sox said pitching will lead you all the way and that was it great pitching and timely hitting and this team is now rightly the best team in baseball the red sox won the two thousand and four and two thousand and seven world series under the great management of terry francona and mr speaker we in red sox nation wish to congratulate the management of the boston red sox baseball team the players the coaches the fans and the entire red sox community mr speaker i commend my colleague representative kappa lionel and fenway park is actually in his district i want to thank him for congratulating boston red sox for winning the two thousand and seven major league baseball world series and for all of  well you're happy if i get to read all this stuff about the red sox i rise to recognize the most recent achievements of the boston red sox and commend their victory in the two thousand and seven major league baseball world series in the last two years the red sox have distinguished themselves one most dominant teams in baseball of course this is not always the case after winning their fifth world series in one thousand nine hundred their regular season successes were often met by postseason disappointment those were the old the old red sox and this century we have the new red sox the team that entered the two thousand and four playoffs as a wild card and then proceeded to mount one of the most memo more of will come backs and baseball history down three games to zero against their arch rival the new york yankees they came back to win the american league championship series and ultimately went on to break the curse of the bambino win the two thousand and four world series and four straight games against the st louis cardinals in two thousand and seven after winning the american league east division the red sox again faced adversity and the american league championship series down three to one to that other great team in ohio the cleveland indians they persevered winning three games in a row to once again represent the american league in the world series the red sox went on to win this series again in four games sweeping the red hot colorado rockies behind the leadership of manager terry francona the two thousand and seven red sox did it all this moment may be inflicting i didn't expect you to be in the chair and i just want to express my personal regrets that you have to suffer through this is a lifelong yankee fan gentlemen those the other half of the speaker i rise to add my voice to congratulations to the red sox on behalf of the entire red sox nation which has always been strong but now is growing across the country every road game they played they filled up stadiums and they filled it up both with their supporters of the opponents because they came to see good baseball in with red sox fans they found everywhere across this country and i will tell you that they appeared in my eyes on behalf of all of us what is good about sports and what is good about america baseball is still america's game it's still america's pastime  all love watching it but i will tell you i will admit that as a lifelong red sox fan i always had my doubts until the last play of the last game i always figured we could find a way to blow it like we did for eighty six  slowly turning me turning me around and one by one one game at a time now to win the last four years maybe i'll get over the initial years of my red sox are days that always figuring come late in the season the yankees and sneak up on us and clobber us from behind and i will tell you that it is nice to begin the new century this way but i also remember that we started off the last century pretty well too but then we had a war i don't expect that to happen i expect this will continue on and on for the red sox and as you've probably noted the red sox didn't just keep it all to themselves and now handed off to the patriots in the boston college eagles and hope for the celtics will be able to gain the same  type of traction that the red sox did and mr speaker with that in my remarks by simply saying congratulations the red sox thank you for a wonderful year on behalf of all my constituents and i yield back my time german years back me for three minutes thank you mr speaker and thank you congressman lynch for letting me join in on today's resolution i come from the southern and red sox nation in eastern connecticut we're still closer to fenway park than we are yankee stadium or shea stadium so it's still fairly safe for me to publicly speak out on this resolution and as someone from a multigenerational red sox family like mr cap you want all we suffered and worried and and have terrible memories but obviously these this is not our father's red sox anymore this is a great team that combined a lot of new players doesn't joya jake jacoby ellsbury does came out to sack along with the two thousand and four veterans of the last world series to again have another great exciting season particularly the l c s where they came back down three to one as mr cathy want to set red sox nation extends far and wide last march i was on board the u s s alexandria a nuclear submarine at a gratin connecticut under the ice in alaska spent a day driving around with a great crew professional and just so impressive in the work they do for our nation sat down for breakfast after sleeping onboard the ship and was immediately confronted by the sailors who said they was only one question for me i feared was the war in iraq health care and the one question was yankees or red sox i was able to reassure them that i was a red sox fan since they all were as well but one of the sailors indicated to me that he was coming up for reenlistment and his dream was to do it in fenway park in front of the green monster when i came back to washington we contacted president lucchino of the red sox who bent over backwards for the sailor in his family his fiance and they did in fact stage in ceremony in front of the green monster where in the two thousand and four ring as he signed the papers committing himself again to our nation i just want to read from the boston globe the comment of petty officer becky only said quote it's a sacred place i had the ring on my finger as if i was married to the red sox for a few minutes and i think really what that incident showed though there is that we have a management who sees that it's a two way street and red sox nation we love our players but they love their fans and that's why we have such a great fan base who are so passionate about this incredible team that goes back to the early days of baseball and and i appreciate again the bipartisan support and even the support from some members who sit root for other teams in this resolution and urge passage and with your back to balance my expanding about a month ago i happened to visit afghanistan pakistan and while in afghanistan traveled with the hundred seventy third airborne up into a little place called now ray is about eight thousand feet up in the mountains of afghanistan and while i was there the helicopter it was not pressurized so it only took us up so far and then we had to walk up a little ways to the outpost where one hundred seventy third was conducting operations on the pakistani border and when we were approaching the camp there were a group of afghanis villages off of the right hand side digging a ditch and while most of them had the traditional headdress of the the afghans at that time on  a boston red sox baseball cap and that is an indication of how how widespread in popular the movement behind the red sox has become and in closing i would just like to thank the red sox organization as a corporate citizen its owners is managers its players coaches there is no shortage of kindness that they have shown to every cause from curt schilling's support republic there is no shortage of kindness and good citizenship that has been exhibited by this organization we recognize them for their excellence and at this point in a moment of questionable wisdom i am actually going to yield to a mets fan the gentleman from new york mr leno for for for one minute because i am not quite sure what he might say gentleman from new york though i think it is aaron i look i i rise without any compunction to offer some level of congratulations to the red sox is that as the speaker knows you know i'm a mets fan so when we played one thousand nine hundred six it wasn't that big of a problem and as bad as our collapse was this year we have a great deal of empathy for the fans of the boston red sox and i must admit there are some genuinely likable players on the red sox this guy kevin eucalypts who you know mr lynch his great grandfather was named winner so perhaps way back when there was some baseball talent in the winter family although no been displayed recently in the congressional baseball game and it's it's no doubt about it that manny ramirez from washington heights a new york connection and mike lowell the m v p it's hard not to root for that guy but i have to say i'm a little surprised there isn't language in this resolution in reference to the m v p the most valuable trader i seem to recall reading that rudolph giuliani that vaunted yankee fan who for years in years would put the yankee pinstripes on and he even has world series rings i understand his collection stood up and said that he too was pulling for the boston red sox and i think there should be some kind of a ti  mr speaker i rise is strong supporter of house resolution seven eighty two a resolution that graduates the boston red sox winning the world series on october twenty eighth two thousand and seven as a lifelong red sox fan i am so pleased to be here with the rest of the new england delegation at a show our appreciation for the red sox players coaches front office and the rest of red sox nation the two thousand and seven red sox were dominant from the beginning of the season which is not easy when you have one hundred  sixty two regular season games in a year in the world series the red sox face the colorado rockies said a team that had won twenty one of their last twenty two games leading up to the last showdown that statistic games to win their second world series in four years every player on the team made a contribution from veterans like curt schilling to rookies like jacoby ellsbury mike lowell who helped keep the red sox on top during the regular season and rightfully won their world series most valuable player the two thousand and seven red sox not only worked hard they enjoyed themselves as well and kept the fans entertain which is easy to do when you love what you do and you're good at it papelbon strikeout batters and then we waited for a salvatore dance at the end of the game it's not often the professional sports that you see a team full of players that has such a strong bond it's always a good year when you could follow your baseball team all the way from the beginning of april to the end of october it's an even better year when they can take the world series trophy on a parade through boston the two thousand and seven red sox played this year with confidence and class and showed us the true definition of team so i look forward to two thousand and eight and adding on to two world series trophies that we've already won this century i again my congratulations to to a great team congratulations opposed say no in the opinion of the chair two thirds being in the affirmative the rules are suspended the resolution is agreed to and without objection a motion to reconsider is laid upon the table final thirty six united states code to revise the congressional charter of the military order of the purple heart of the united states of america incorporated to authorize it says the it membership in the corporation for the spouse of a recipient of the legislative days to revise extend their remarks and include extraneous material in the bill under consideration without objection so already mr speaker i yield myself such time as i may consume in a moment nice h r one one one nine the purple heart family equity act of two thousand and seven provides an excellent opportunity for us to recognize and honor the brave women as well as brave men who served our nation in the armed services as many of you know the purple heart is awarded to our armed forces members who are wounded by an instrument of war in the hands of the enemy and posthumously to the next of kin for those who are killed in action or who die of wounds received in action is specifically a combat declaration first conceived in seven hundred eighty two by general george washington so the five years ago an organization now known as the military order the purple heart was formed for the purposes of protecting the mutual interests of all those who have received the declaration composed exclusively of purple heart recipients it is the only veterans service organization comprised stick strictly of combat veterans when the order was federally chartered in one hundred fifty eight however very few women had received receive the purple heart and to this day women recipients of the purple heart do not have the same benefits as their male counterparts under the current law male members can invite their wives to join the ladies auxiliary of the purple heart but there is no place in the order for husbands of purple heart recipients the order has a dental fight at least ninety seven female purple heart recipients who have joined in or not and join the full benefits of membership that they deserve h r one one one nine six to fully honor the women of the armed forces who've been awarded the purple heart defending our nation specifically the bill amend the orders federal charter to allow members to invite their spouses to join as associate members both for male and female recipients of the purple heart with this minor revision to the federal charter the husbands of female members could join the organization spell also allows members to invite their siblings to join this associate members so that they can too they too can take part in the full honor of their brothers and sisters who fought so bravely for our country and received a purple heart is only right that we allow the members to include their siblings in this honor this bipartisan legislation is endorsed by the military order the purple heart it recognizes the important role women have played in defending our nation in times of war we owe this long overdue recognition to these women and their families families i urge my colleagues to support this bill and i was or the balance of my time down from iowa  stated it goes back to george washington it's rich in our heritage and it's precious in our reverence to those who have bled for this nation and for the freedom of the people here in the united states of america was recognized by the veterans administration gratian represents veterans in the presentation of claims before the administration this is a military order of the purple heart and also the service officers are active in veterans hospitals the organization was federally charter eight active members of the military order of the purple heart must be persons of good moral character who have received the purple heart for wounds received as a member of the us armed forces or those of any country during military combat against an armed enemy of the united states the military order of the purple heart is a sterling organization that provides services to those brave americans who were wounded defending our country the order also seeks to promote patriotic allegiance to the united states fidelity to the constitution and laws of the united states and the security of civil liberty and the permanence of free institutions and that's all out of their mission its goals are educational return all historical and patriotic perpetuating the principles of liberty and justice which have created the united states in short mr speaker the military over the purple heart upholds many of the pillars of american exceptional parents are lineal descent it's a person's eligible to be active members can be associate members of the order the order has requested and that its charter be amended so that siblings and spouses of members can also become associate  members i am pleased that h r eleven nineteen the paul hart family equity act of two thousand and seven as amended by the judiciary committee provides that spouses and siblings of persons eligible to be active members of the military order of the purple heart can become associate members if i just look at the bill for the sake of clarity mr speaker the current law is parents and lineal descendants this strikes parents and lineal descent and replaces it with the parents spouse descendants this is something that has been agreed to promoted by the members of the military order of the purple heart by republicans and democrats on the judiciary committee i do not recall opposition to this i believe one c colleague from california as well mr speaker i was honored for the opportunity to introduce the purple heart equity act along with representative virginia foxx minority whip roy blunt chairman john murtha and a number of other bipartisan sponsors we came together and this is a unanimous feel as all my colleagues here because honoring the women who have won the purple heart is something that we can all stand behind as commander of the continental army as has been mentioned george washington wanted to recognize soldiers who sacrifices  distinction forward in the cause of independence as a result he created the military merrit he also designed the award shaped like a heart and the color purple and after their evolutionary war this award was actually abandon but in honor of the bison danielle of washington's birth president herbert hoover revived the award in one hundred thirty two and it maintained it's originally designed to make a more known today of course as  purple heart in that same year the military order of the purple heart formed with the mission of fostering a positive environment among wounded veterans as well as provide services to all veterans and their families but when the organization was federally chartered in one thousand fifty eight few women actually had won the purple heart so under the current law male members today can invite their wives to join the ladies exhilarated the purple heart but there is no place in this organization for the husbands of female members so that's why h r eleven thousand nine hundred is important today because it adds the word spouses to the federal charter of the military order of the purple and model update the husbands of female members will have the option of joining the organization just as the wives do just a little bit more history mr speaker the first woman to be awarded the purple heart was lieutenant annie g fox after she was killed during the attack on pearl harbor and since then the military order of the purple heart has identified at least ninety seven the male purple heart recipients who have joined the organization it's been sixty six years since lieutenant box earn the award and now it is time certainly time that we acted to fully honor the courageous women who are bestowed with the purple heart h r eleven nineteen honors and recognizes these brave women and future female recipients of the purple heart this is the least certainly that we can do for the women who sacrifice for our country and finally h r eleven one thousand will allow the siblings of all those who belong to the organization to join as associate members by passing this legislation today we certainly honor every family who son or daughter or sister or brother has won the distinguished perp hart thank you very much mr speaker i yield back the balance of my time gentlewoman from california this is speaker i have no  say no in the opinion of a chair two thirds being in the affirmative the rules are suspended the bill is passed and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table without objection the title is amended gentleman from california this is speaker i move to suspend the rules and pass h r twenty eight eighty four as amended clerk will report the title of the bill uniontown or number two seventy eight char twenty eight eighty four a bill to assist members of the armed forces in attaining united states citizenship and for other purposes pursuant to a rule the gentlewoman from california ms laughlin in the gentleman from iowa miss the king it will control twenty minutes the  myself such time as i may consume recognize h r twenty eight eighty four the kendall frederick citizenship assistance act play pays tribute to the memory of twenty one year old army reserve specialist kendall k frederick who was killed in iraq while attempting to become an american citizen specialist frederick was born in trinidad and immigrated to the united states when he was fifteen to join his mother stepfather and two sisters he attended randallstown senior high in baltimore county maryland where he joined the school's razzi program specialist frederick enlisted in the army reserve in his senior year and was deployed to iraq in december of two thousand and four as he was serving our country specialist frederick sought to apply for u s citizenship yet one bureaucratic hurdle after another delayed his application first the u s citizenship and immigration service failed to route his application to the unit that process naturalization applications for members of the military that agency then rejected his application for failure to pay an application filing fee despite the fact that active military personnel applying for u s citizenship do not need to pay a filing fee there after this agency directed specialist frederick to get his fingerprints taken in maryland despite the obvious fact that he was deployed in iraq at the time also he had recently had a stinger prince taken and undergone a background check when he enlisted in the army reserve when his mother called the agency's helpline she was told that there was nothing that could be done after trying for more than a year to become a us citizen and having his application rejected and delayed a result as a result of various bureaucratic failings specialist frederick was forced to travel on a convoy to a base where he gets could get his fingerprints taken for his naturalization application tragically he was killed on route by a roadside bomb specialist frederick was pot posthumously granted u s citizenship a week after his step h r twenty eight eighty four would remove unnecessary procedural hurdles like the one specialist that frederick face for naturalization naturalization applicants who are serving or who have recently served in the military were to acquire the department of homeland security to use the fingerprints provided by military naturalization applicants at the time of their enlistment in the armed forces if the applicants were fingerprinted in accordance with d requirements if a naturalization applications are filed within twenty four months of enlistment and if the fingerprints are deemed sufficient by the department of homeland security for naturalization purposes the bill would require the h s to inform a member of the armed services applying for naturalization when submitting to fingerprints would result in a more timely and effective adjudication of the naturalization application along with a description of how to submit the new fingerprints but also ensure the d o d complies with the requirements of this bill so that fingerprints they hold are sent to d h as it would clarify the timeframe in which the h s is required to publicize changes in regulations and forms recording regarding the naturalization of members of the armed forces and finally it would promote accountability by requiring the g a o to report on the naturalization process for armed forces members approximately thirty five thousand lawful permanent residents are currently serving in our armed forces more than thirteen thousand non citizen members of the military have applied for u s citizenship since two thousand and two this is an excellent bill that will help ensure that from now on american soldiers do not face the kinds of unnecessary and unreasonable hurdles to american citizenship that cost specialist frederick his life i urge my colleagues to support the bill and i would note that this was passed unanimously out of the house judiciary committee i urge my colleagues again to support the bill and i reserve the balance of my time only old u s army soldier will serving in iraq and he dreamed of becoming an american citizen was born in trinidad hadn't came to this country when he was fifteen years old specialist frederick joined our o t c while in high school and he joined the army after he graduated or make the point about how important our o t c is in the recruitment of our military personnel and having that available at the high school and also the college level and and i reflect a mention was made in the previous debate about the purple heart and george washington the history is that i talked to point out to me that george washington most likely received his commission to command the continental army outside the gates of harvard near the commons and it's interesting also that they are o t c recruiters aren't allowed on that campus but they were allowed on the campus that recruited specialist kendall frederick and october nineteenth two thousand and five very sadly kendall frederick was killed by a roadside bomb while traveling traveling in a convoy to a base he was granted u s citizenship posthumously but he never knew that he was an american citizen tragically the very reason that he was in that  that day was to get fitter fingerprinted in order to achieve his dream of citizenship he'd been trying to become an american citizen for over a year having started a process while he was in training his mother and his sergeant in iraq tried to help him but they didn't know the rules his efforts to become a citizen were thwarted because by bureaucratic misinformation and other obstacles although he was fighting for our country in iraq he was told that he had to have his fingerprints retaken in maryland when his mother called one eight hundred immigration a u s c i s as a u s citizenship immigration services hotline for immigration assistance and tried to explain that he was fighting in the war and could not come home to baltimore to be fingerprinted she was told that there was nothing that they could do a very good answer for a government that has people who put their lives on the line for freedom this is wrong mr speaker and it's intolerable that our soldiers are unable to get correct information particularly with regard to the citizenship that they fight to defend they should be given every possible assistance in applying for citizenship h r twenty eight eighty four provides that a soldier who submits a naturalization application within twenty four months of unless meant can have that application process using the fingerprints that were taken at the time of enlistment this is a very simple very commonsense solution and it's too bad that congress has to take action on this to get this kind of a thing done but it is dealt with the kind of passion for patriot compassion for patriotism that i think reflects the members of this congress both sides of the aisle in the people of this country mr speaker i'm pleased to support age our twenty eight eighty four to honor specialist frederick and all of our permanent resident service members who seek citizenship urge my colleagues to support this bill and i reserve the balance of my time gentleman reserves gentleman from california mr speaker i would like to recognize the author of this bill the gentleman from maryland mr cummings for five again to the floor of the house mr speaker the kindle fredrick citizenship it truly is a step towards correcting and honoring our non citizen members service members many of whom continued to serve in iraq and in afghanistan is appropriate therefore that we consider this legislation as we approach veterans day honoring all who have risked their lives to protect our own i introduced c kendall frederick says an act to ensure that those who are willing to fight we let leslie on the battlefield to protect our great nation do not have to also battle through a drawn out citizen ship process specifically h r twenty eight eighty four will assist our non citizen servicemen and women on the road to citizenship by making the following needs adjustments requiring the united states department of homeland security to use the fingerprints taken by the defense department and induction for citizenship applications acquire non citizen military service members to submit their citizenship applications within twenty four hours of enlistment requiring the department of defense and v h s to determine a single acceptable format for fingerprints a mission requiring d h s to update appropriate application forms for natural light and naturalization the instruction and guidebook for obtaining naturalization and the d h s website when naturalization procedures pertaining to members of the armed forces a change and ensuring efficiency and accountability to the congress by requiring that the government accountability office report on v h s is training a personnel and methods in effect in this in adjudicating applications by members of the armed forces madam mr speaker this legislation honors the memory of a young man from my district twenty one year zero army reserve special specialist kendall k frederick he was a resident of baltimore county and a native of trinidad who was stationed in iraq and died watch trying to journey to another post in order to meet the citizenship application fingerprinting requirement in other words if he didn't have to go through the changes that he went through he probably would be still with us today and one of the interesting things that was mentioned a little bit earlier he was a part of the r o t c process but he's also young man when he entered the military he entered and he entered and made agreement to serve in the military for eight years i mean even knowing that there was a war going on he bravely said i want to serve my country although and he claimed this as his country and still went out there and fought but he wasn't even a citizen yet of our country namely after trying for more than a year to become a citizen and having his application  delayed at least five times due to miscommunication and misinformation in processing his fingerprints keep in mind the reason why he got he was killed was on his way trying to get his being a president over there in iraq special frederick had no choice but to travel with a convoy convoy to a base to resolve this issue unfortunately he was killed on the way by a roadside bomb never realizing his dream of becoming an american citizen and the interesting thing is that he was in the last vehicle of the convoy mr speaker specialist frederick embrace a nation that it failed to fully embrace him by honoring him with citizenship and during his lifetime and it's interesting that i think it was a day or so after he died then the game citizenship that is why i urge my colleagues to vote in favor of h r two thousand and eighty four to make certain that no other soldier who wants to be a citizen will have to jump through unnecessary bureaucratic hoops these outstanding being non citizen soldiers such a specialist frederick has made the choice to give voluntarily to our nation by fighting the terrorists groups that threaten us putting their lives on the line sacrificing their blood sweat tears and their lives by may i have another  minute i yield an additional fifty seconds because i think that leaves me ten seconds i'm sick all right i just urge you i want to thank you gentle a b and i just urge my colleagues to please vote in favor of this legislation and i know his mother is watching and i notice the gentleman for coming to the floor to speak up and speak on behalf of kendal frederick and the memory in the legacy that he leaves here for us in this country one of many who stepped forward to defend this country  one of tragically too many who lost their lives and his life has contributed in a number of ways one of them being the freedom that he helped to protect in the safety and security of the american people and another always this legacy of this bureaucratic snafu that will i pray be forever straighten out by this by this bill the the candle fredrick bill and so i urge adoption this bill i thank my colleagues and i deal back the balance of my time mr speaker i would just close by noting that the mis handling of this application it's just infuriating to read through what happened and to have lost this young man who volunteered for our service in such a way is so distressful but i think we can take a stand by supporting this bill named in candle frederick's honor to make sure this does not happen to another serviceman or servicewoman and also that his family can can know that in addition to serving in iraq he has served as a model for change in the law in that they may take some comfort with that so in the opinion of the chair two thirds being in the affirmative the rules are suspended the bill is passed and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table gentlewoman from new york  from new york is recognized must be adjusted accordingly while we have made great strides this congress to make sure they need to small business owners are met h r thirty a sixty six is the final step andrea reauthorizing small passed legislation that lowered the cost of lawns and gave minorities greater access to s b a loan programs through h r thirty five sixty seven as the eighth investment programs wearing proved annual source of equity capital was open to interpret moore's through angel investment also smen e small business contracting programs has been modernized accountability has been increased and fraud has been reduced this makes sure small firms have fair access to the fairer marketplace and allows them to continue growing their companies and creating jobs in the aftermath of just the first that the small business programs act of two thousand and seven provides the vehicle for the ace small business assistance programs to run and meet the needs of interpret new wars in our changing economy next two years also this provides the necessary of story for there's be a to carry out its lending and venture capital programs ensuring as the ace initiatives are the premier lending tool for  the rising demand for services are a time when their budget continues to decrease these programs have a proven track record of success but they require sufficient resources to be able to evolve a modern knife clearly in order for small firms to adapt to changing economic conditions small businesses system programs must be adjusted there is no larger job creator or greater impact on lock on community local communities woman gentleman from ohio the speaker i yield myself such time as i may consume tomas recognize thank you today mr speaker i rise in support of the request to suspend the rules and pass h r thirty eight sixty six the s b a programs act of two thousand and seven i'd like to thank chairwoman of last quest for working in a quiet cooperative and bipartisan manner to bring this bill to the house floor today the bill we are considering today is a highly technical bill but one of the small business committees legislative obligations the financing programs in the small business act and small business investment act in one thousand nine hundred eighty eight rely on lending by the private sector lenders are protected by guarantees issued by the s b a promising repayment if the small business borrower fails congress must impose limits on the authority the s b a to issue such guarantees h r thirty eight sixty six establishes limits that will enable the program to operate even if there is unexpected demand given the current credit crunch it is certainly possible that the s b a will have a spike in demand the limits adopted in this bill will ensure that unlike in some prior years the program will not be the subject of operational restrictions i want to point that supporting these limits will have no budgetary impact the s b a is guaranteed loan certified development company and debentures small business investment company programs all operate at zero subsidy that means the programs require no appropriation and losses are covered by fees charged to lenders and borrowers maintaining this is zero subsidy still enables congress to provide for a significant expansion of the authorization in order to meet demand whil protecting taxpayers the micro loan program which helps entrepreneurs in many low income air as in is a valuable job creation tool for a modest investment by a government also receives an increase in the lending authority given the value of the program i believe that the modest increase more than pays for itself in providing jobs and developing the entrepreneurial culture that continues to maintain the economic viability of this nation in addition the committee must provide authorization levels for the small business development center program the allocation of funds to various centers is based in part on a comparison of funds appropriated to funds authorized without an authorization level the funding formula cannot work it also is important to point out that the authorization level for the s p d sees is increased by around three and a half percent this increase takes into account inflation in the administration's request that the centers provide even more counseling the the other major entrepreneur outreach program of the s b a the women's business center program receives an increase of around seventeen percent now while this may at first seem like a lot the authorization in this bill represents the first time in nearly eight years that the women's business center authorization levels have been set thus representing an adjustment in line with inflation similarly the prime program which provides additional technical assistance to micro loan borrowers has not received an authorization level hundred ninety the authorization of twenty million dollars in this bill represents an increase of six hundred twenty five thousand per year or just enough again to keep up with inflation i want to point out that the s b a requested a budget increase to cover inflation including the rapid rise in the cost of energy it's only fair to authorize a similar modest increase for the s b a as entrepreneurial outreach and education programs other authorizations in this bill also represent either level funding such as  score program and the drug free workplace program or represent very modest increases from prior authorization levels so as the four hundred thousand dollar increase in funding for business link a valuable program that helps small businesses find contracts to supply large businesses with goods and services to programs received significant boost in authorization levels the office of veterans affairs in the hub zone programs in time of war it is important that we provide assistance to our veterans and that includes ensuring that they have the tools necessary to integrate into civilian life through entrepreneurship on a percent percentage basis the authorization increase for the program is significant but the dollar value is a modest two million dollars given the sacrifices our veterans have made this represents only a modest downpayment on the debt we owe to them our veterans as for the hub zone program the increase arises from the efforts of the committee to ensure that only firms eligible for participation in the program receive federal government contracts this requires additional onsite verification and thus represents the committee's view to the appropriators to significantly increase funding in that area again i'd like to think chairwoman last question although there are significant philosophical differences between members i think the past year has demonstrated what can happen when this body tries to work through those differences without acrimony or questioning of the motives  other side much can be accomplished for the american public and that is what the people elected us to do so i want to again commend the chairwoman for her willingness to work in a bipartisan manner not only in this bill but many bills that we've we've dealt with in the equipped to meet their needs with the small business programs act of two thousand and seven that is exactly what we are giving into printers this legislation ensures that our nation's twenty seven million intrapreneur have access to the business we are investing in our communities helping to create jobs and benefiting the nation as a whole i would like to take this opportunity to thank ranking members shabat for your collaboration for us to work together in a responsible way to follow regular order and i am very proud that every time that we have consider legislation we have done in a very inclusive open things that can be done when we respect the shoulder despite our differences but we show the american public that we are willing to work together on their behalf i also would like to take on opportunity to thank the staff that worked on this bill is passed and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table speaker i have a privilege resolution pursuant to two a one of rule nine i rise to give notice of my intent to raise a question of privilege of the house the form of the resolution is as follows and if it's appropriate i can continue to read it the gentleman may be resolved that richard b cheney vice president of the united states is impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors and that the following articles of impeachment be exhibited to the united states senate articles of impeachment exhibited by the house of representatives of the united states of america in the name of itself and of the people of the united states of america against richard b cheney vice president of the united states of america in maintenance and support of its impeachment against him for high crimes and misdemeanors article one in his conduct while vice president of the united states richard b cheney in violation of his constitutional oath to faithfully execute the office of the vice president of the united states and to the best of his ability preserve protect and defend the constitution of the united states and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed has purposely manipulated the intelligence process to deceive the citizens and the congress of the united states by fabricating a threat of iraqi weapons of mass destruction to justify the use of the united states armed forces against the nation of iraq in a manner damaging to our national security interests to wit one despite all evidence to the contrary the vice president actively and systematically sought to deceive the citizens and the congress of the united states about an alleged threat of iraqi weapons of mass destruction a quote we know they have biological and chemical weapons unquote march seventeenth two thousand and two press conference by the vice i was shocked how much palace big and we know they're pursuing nuclear weapons march nineteenth two thousand and two a press briefing by the vice president richard cheney and israeli prime minister ariel sharon in jerusalem c and is actively pursuing nuclear weapons at this time march twenty fourth two thousand and two c n n late edition interview with vice president cheney d we know he's got nuclear we know he's got chemicals and biological and we know he's working on nuclear that's may nineteenth two thousand and two n b c meet the press interview with vice president cheney quote but we know that saddam  resumed his efforts to acquire nuclear weapons simply stated there is no doubt that saddam hussein now has weapons of mass destruction there's no doubt that he is amassing them to use against our friends against our allies and against us unquote august twenty sixth two thousand and three speech of vice president cheney at the v f w one hundred third national convention after quote based on intelligence that's becoming available some of it has been made public more of it hopefully will be that he has indeed stepped up his capacity to produce and deliver biological weapons that he has reconstituted his nuclear program to develop a nuclear weapon and that there are efforts underway inside iraq to significantly expand his capability unquote september eighth two thousand and two and we see meet the press interview with vice president cheney g quote he is in fact actively  aggressively seeking to acquire nuclear weapons unquote that september eighth two thousand and two and b c meet the press interview with vice president cheney h quote and we believe he has in fact reconstituted nuclear weapons on quote march sixteenth two thousand and three and b c meet the press interview with vice president cheney to preceding the march two thousand and three invasion of iraq the vice president was fully informed that no legitimate evidence existed of weapons of mass destruction in iraq the vice president pressured the intelligence community to change their findings to enable the deception of the citizens and congress of the united states a vice president cheney and his chief of staff lewis libby made multiple trips to the cia in two thousand and two to question analysts studying iraq's weapons programs and alleged links to al qaeda creating an environment in which analysts felt they were being pressured to make their assessments fit with the bush administration's policy objectives accounts be vice president cheney sought out and verified and ultimately inaccurate raw intelligence to prove his preconceived beliefs this strategy of cherry picking was employed to influence the interpretation of the intelligence number three the vice president's actions corrupted or attempted to corrupt the two thousand and two national intelligence estimate and intelligence document issued on october first two thousand and two and carefully considered by congress prior to the october tenth two thousand and two vote to authorize the use of force the vice president's actions prevented the necessary raw conciliation of facts for the national intelligence estimate which resulted in a high number of dissenting opinions from technical experts in two federal agencies a the state department's bureau of intelligence and research dissenting view in the october two thousand and two national intelligence estimate stated and i quote lacking pervasive evidence that baghdad has launched a coherent effort to reconstitute its nuclear weapons program i n r is unwilling to speculate that such an effort began soon after the departure of u n inspectors or to project a timeline for the completion of activities it does not now see happening as a result i n r is unable to predict that irak could acquire a nuclear device or weapon unquote b the state department's bureau of intelligence and research dissenting view in the october two thousand and two national intelligence estimate also stated that quote finally the claims of iraqi pursuit of natural uranium in africa are in i and ares assessment highly dubious unquote see the state department's bureau of intelligence and research dissenting view in the october two thousand and two national intelligence estimate referenced as a department of energy opinion by stating that quote i   r accepts the judgment of technical experts at the u s department of energy who have concluded that the tubes iraq seeks to acquire are poorly suited for use in gas centrifuge to be used for an  the vice president subverted the national security interests of the united states by setting the stage for the loss of more than thirty eight hundred united states service members the loss of more than one million innocent iraqi citizens since the united states invasion the loss of approximately five hundred billion dollars in war costs which has increased our federal debt the loss of military readiness within the united states armed services due to overextension lack of training and lack of equipment the loss of united states credibility in world affairs and the decades of likely blowback created by the invasion of iraq in all of this vice president richard b cheney has acted contrary to his trust as vice president and subversive of constitutional government to the prejudice of the cause of law and justice and the manifest injury of the people of the united states wherefore vice president richard b cheney by such conduct is guilty of an impeachable offense warranting removal from office article t in his conduct while vice president of the united states richard b cheney in violation of his constitutional oath to faithfully execute the office of vice president of the united states and to the best of his ability preserve protect and defend the constitution of the united states and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed has openly threatened aggression against the republic of iran any real threat to the united states and has done so with the united states proven capability to carry out such threats thus undermining the national security of the united states to wit one despite no evidence that iran has the intention or the capability of attacking the united states and despite the turmoil created by the united states invasion of iraq the vice president has openly threatened aggression against iran as evidenced by the following a quote for our part the united states is keeping all options on the table in addressing the irresponsible conduct of the regime and we join other nations in sending that regime a clear message we will not allow iran to have a nuclear weapon unquote march seventh two thousand and six speech of vice president cheney to the american israel public affairs committee two thousand and six policy conference b but we've also made it clear that all options are on the table unquote january twenty fourth two thousand and seven c n n situation room interview with vice president cheney see quote when we as the president did for example recently deploy another aircraft carrier task force to the gulf that sends a very strong signal to everybody in the region that the united states is here to stay that we clearly have significant capabilities and there we are working with friends and allies as well as the international organizations to deal with the iranian threat unquote january twenty ninth two thousand and seven newsweek interview with vice president cheney d quote but i've also made the point the president's made the point that all options are still on the table unquote february twenty fourth two thousand and seven vice president cheney at a press briefing with australian prime minister  sydney australia number two the vice president who repeatedly and falsely claimed to had specific detailed knowledge of iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction capabilities  no doubt fully aware of evidence that demonstrates a rand poses no threat to the united states of america as evidenced by the following a quote i know that what we see in a rand right now is not the industrial capacity you can and that's a reference used to develop a bomb that's a quote from our director general of international atomic energy agency february nineteenth two thousand and seven iran indicated its quote full readiness and willingness to negotiate and modality for the resolution of the outstanding issues with the e a subject to the assurances for dealing with the issues in the framework of the agency without the interference of the united nations security council on quote that is from the i a e a board report february twenty second two thousand and seven c quote so whatever they have what we've seen today is not the kind of capacity that would enable them to make bombs on quote mohammed  director general of the international atomic energy agency february nineteenth two thousand and seven number three the vice president is fully aware of the actions taken by the united states towards iran that are further destabilizing the world as evidenced by the following day the united states has refused to engage in meaningful diplomatic relations with iran since two thousand and two rebuffing both bilateral and multilateral offers to dialogue b the united states is currently engaged in a military buildup in the middle east that includes the increased presence of the united states navies in the waters near iran significant united states armed forces in two nations neighboring to iran and the installation of anti missile technology in the region see news accounts of indicated that military planners have considered to be sixty one dash eleven a tactical nuclear weapon as one of the options to strike underground bunkers in iran d the united states has been linked to anti iranian organizations that are attempting to destabilize the iranian government in establish contact with anti government groups number four in the last three years the vice president has repeatedly threatened iran however the vice president is legally bound by the united states constitution adherents to international law that prohibits threats of the use of force a article six of the united states constitution states this constitution and the laws of the united states which shall be made in pursuance thereof and all treaties made or which shall be made under the authority of the united states shall be the supreme law of the land unquote any provision of an international treaty ratified by the united states becomes the law of the united states b the united states is a signatory to the united nations charter a treaty among the nations of the world article two section four  united nations charter states quote all members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state or in any manner inconsistent with the purposes of the united nations unquote the threat of force is illegal see article fifty one lays out the only exception quote nothing in the present charter show impair the inherent right of individual or collective self defense if an armed attack occurs against a member of the united nations until the security council has taken measures necessary to maintain international peace and security unquote iran has not attacked the united states therefore any threat against iran by the united states is illegal the vice president's deception upon the citizens and the congress of the united states that enabled the failed united states invasion of iraq forcibly altered the rules of the pomus see such that the vice president's recent belligerent actions towards iran are destabilizing and counterproductive to the national security of the united states in all of this vice president richard b cheney has acted in a manner contrary to his trust as vice president and subversive of constitutional government to the prejudice of the cause of law and justice and the manifest injury of the people of the united states wherefor richard b cheney by such conduct warrants impeachment and trial and removal from office mr speaker this resolution is similar to a resolution which introduced earlier this year and has the support of twenty two of my colleagues in a house on the rule nine a resolution offer from the floor by a member other than the majority leader of the minority leader as a question of the privileges of the house as immediate presidents only at a time does ignited by the chair within two legislative days after the resolution is probably noticed pending that designation the form of the resolution notice by the gentleman from ohio will appear in the record at this point the chair will not at this point determine whether the resolution constitutes a question of privilege that determination will be made at the time designated for consideration of the resolution thank you title of the bill you encounter number two sixty seven h r thirty four ninety five a bill to establish a national commission on children and disasters a national resource center on children and disasters and for other purposes hazards all hazards including major disasters and emergencies i strongly support the creation of this commission because there is no doubt that in dire circumstances the needs of children are different from the needs of adults this realization is one of the many lessons learned from hurricane katrina almost want fifty two hundred children were reported missing or displaced to the national center for missing and exploited children after hurricane katrina this bill is a step in the right direction and dividing the needs of children in such conditions and deserves our support consistent with other commissions this bill provides that the chair and chair be chosen from commission members the role of state and local emergency managers is acknowledged in commission membership along with private nonprofit organizations and the committee recognizes that state emergency managers and local emergency managers perform complimentary but not identical functions and therefore recognizes difference in a commission such as recognizes that differences in a commission such as this is important it is important to have because of the differences and a commission such as this among the parties it is important to have both groups represented the commission will produce an interim report and a final report with specific recommendations which will be sent to congress and to the president the commission members will serve without pay and the subject to the federal advisory committee act requirement the amendment authorizes two million dollars for the fiscal years two thousand and eight and two thousand and nine for the commission work act command my good friend and colleague congresswoman corrine brown for her diligent work on this bill strongly support three thirty three four h r three four speaker h r thirty four ninety five introduced by represent crim brown of florida creates a national commission of children in disasters first i want to thank chairman over starr incher woman norton for working with this to improve this legislation i believe that our bipartisan efforts were necessary to assure fair and balanced commission and i think it's resulted in a much better legislative product that's thank you very much for for working with the son that the speaker h r thirty four ninety five establishes a ten member commission examine the needs of children in disasters the commission is directed to report its findings and conclusions and recommendations to the president and the congress as charwoman norton pointed out the bill specifically directs the commission to build upon the investigations of other entities to avoid an unnecessary duplication of effort for example last congress the house created the select committee to investigate hurricane katrina and former subcommittee chairman bill schuster served on the select committee in its final report the select committee made a number of findings with respect to children in response to this report we passed the post katrina emergency management reform act which included provisions creating a national emergency child locator center and national emergency family registry and locat center finally h r thirty four ninety five requires both state emergency managers and local emergency managers to be president or or be represented on the commission this requirement ensures the representation on the commission of the people who may very well be responsible for implementing its recommendations mr speaker i support this legislation and encourage my colleagues to do the same in a reserve the balance my time on reserves gentlewoman from the district of columbia  for graves but there bipartisan support their leadership and their staff have been instrumental in strengthening the merit of the bill and the concept of this commission family i would like to think the house leadership but bringing this important bill to the floor so quickly the children's wish will establish a national commission on children and disaster that will conduct a comprehensive st examine and access the needs of children to a pair for response to every couple of them all major disasters and emergence is the bipartisan commission will report to the president and congress on their fine conclusions and recommendations to address the needs of children and emergencies in addition the commission will can consider than these for a permanent national resource center on children and disaster that will be a resource  emergency managers schools housing agencies transportation into disease and other relevant alben is a sion disaster in emergency to spread all over this country and they affect children  small and large numbers this spring in greensboro kansas which has a population of one thousand three hundred and eighty nine  children aged zero the seventeen make up twenty five percent of the population in kansas that would translate into about three hundred forty seven children who was effected this might be a small number compared to the hurricane katrina but each of those children lies were ultimately changed after this one tornado in the san diego area as a result of the recent was our eight hundred fifty thousand people were evacuated  california the population is about twenty six percent children zero to seventeen so that translates to roughly two hundred twenty thousand children who had to be evacuated on october twenty seven being report that thirteen thousand plus individuals was house in shelters that translates to roughly three thousand five hundred children since hurricane katrina man improvements to our emergency management system have been made but there's still much work to be done the basic tenet of disaster emergency is to make a plan make a plan you hear this in public service announcements all over florida and in the gulf coast as is written on many of the material destroyed bhima make a plan make a plan for all of that tall we do not have a plan for children children is one of our most vulnerable populations and their needs unique and cannot be easily specifically designed for this size do you know if the hospital in your district a pair for children in an emergency situation hospital is just one of the many areas where improvements can be made to children in emergency situations and what the commission is needed more of them both hundred thousand children under the age of five live in and were evacuated from counties in pairs and that was the collapse disaster area but at the moment in response to hurricane katrina in addition one thousand one hundred schools was closed immediately following hurricane katrina two years later only forty five percent of new orleans schools have reopened effects of disaster on children are not limited to this magnitude addition to this day in age we can keep thinking that children will not be home in a terrorist attack in nine hundred ninety five one thousand children was killed and more than eighty children was injured at the oklahoma city bombing more than six thousand children in the immediate area of ground zero nine eleven and the text was war wiped where it was a reach over one point to me public school students in the d c area we are painfully aware that doing this type sniper shooting schools and children are not overlooked by terrorists we must have a plan for and disaster recovery to discuss how to grow a pair respond and to recover from all has a small children of a hundred people attend this briefing to show their support for the legislation as we may think this is unnecessary but once again we must think how children are different answers commission to think outside the box children diverse group and the commission should remember children in the conscious a private to preschool after school program day care facilities pregnant women foster children and often age last year congress passed the pair evacuation and transportation standard act of two thousand and six congress has reckon as how pay can slip through the cracks  emergency but have yet to have a plan for children in an emergency children should not be forces suffer through another learning experience like her kinkel true congress must look forward and discover a comprehensive was a human tragedy at every level but the most unbearable scenes were those of hapless children with and without talents it's almost unimaginable to understand the trauma of a child who had lost her parents during that time the committee are subcommittee has indeed last year in this year mr speaker passed two important bills post katrina the post katrina management and reform act and more recently the katrina and rita recovery act but the all of this legislation still leaves a gap that the gentle lady's bill would address and there was probably a good reason for it in a real sense we don't know what to do yet we know what the problem is we saw the problem with our own lives then the question becomes how do you put together what it takes to make sure it doesn't happen again the gentle lady has wisely  decided that first we have to find out with her bill for commission to provide us with the expertise to go further she's done a real service to the children of the united states of america because such a tragedy could happen everywhere with no for the speakers mr speaker i yield yield back the balance of my time the question all time has expired the this motion will be postpone what purpose the gentleman from illinois mr speaker i move to suspend the rules and pass the bill s twenty two sixty five as amended a bill to extend the existing provisions regarding the eligibility for essential air service subsidies through fiscal year two thousand and eight the clinically put the title of the bill the senate twenty two sixty five and act to extend the existing provisions regarding the eligibility for essential air service subsidies through physical year two unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on s twenty two sixty five without objection so to mr speaker i yield myself such time as i ma consume gentleman is recognized mr speaker i rise in support of s twenty two sixty five as amended as you know the authorization for the federal aviation administration programs expired on september thirtieth two thousand and seven although the house overwhelmingly passed h r twenty eight eighty one the f a a reauthorization act of two thousand and seven on september twenty two thousand and seven the senate has yet to pass a long term f authorization bill instead s twenty two sixty five as passed by the senate last week extends a single provision of the expired federal aviation administration authorization act service program rather than extend just this one provision are amendment two s twenty two sixty five extends each of the f a s major programs as well as section four zero nine vision one hundred without this legislation the airport improvement program will not be authorized after november sixteenth because the airport improvement program is funded by contract authority rather than discretionary budget a its funding is typically provided by an authorization act as twenty two sixty five provides nine hundred eighteen point seven five million dollars an airport improvement program contract with r t to fund the program for the three month period from october first two thousand and seven until december thirty first two thousand and seven this amount when annualized equals the fiscal year two thousand and seven amount for the program this provision will ensure that airport funding continues without interruption through the end of this calendar year s twenty two sixty five also authorizes the appropriation of such sums as may be necessary for the federal aviation administration operations facilities and equipment and research and development programs through the end of the year in addition to these programs reauthorization s twenty two sixty five extends the secretary of transportation as authority to limit to one hundred million dollars the third party liability exposure of airlines an aircraft manufacturers for any cause resulting from a terrorist event this authority expired on september thirty two thousand and seven s twenty two sixty five extends its authority until the end of the year finally s twenty two sixty five extends section four zero nine of vision one hundred for an additional year through september thirty two thousand and eight section four zero nine directs the secretary of transportation to use the most commonly used route rather than the sharpest route when measuring the distance of certain communities from the nearest hub airport to determine eligibility for the essential air service program s twenty two sixty five does not provide any additional funding for the u s program rather it simply allows communities to continue participating in the program for fiscal year two thousand eight within existing funding levels on the same terms as were in effect during the previous authorization period in summary mr speaker this bill simply continues aviation programs under the same terms and conditions or with as were in effect on september thirty two thousand and seven and ensures that these important programs continue to operate without interruption mr speaker on behalf of chairman oberstar i want to thank  committee colleagues ranking member mr mica and subcommittee ranking member mr p try for working together with us on this critical legislation i look forward to the senate passing a long term f and sending a bill to the president in the near future with that mr speaker i urge my colleagues to join me in supporting s twenty two sixty five as amended and i reserve the balance of my time yeomanry there the gentleman from wisconsin m month extension of the f a a programs unfortunately the other body has taken no action on that extension bill h r thirty five forty and therefore the authority for the f a a is essential programs the taxes were as it is unlikely that congress will be able to send an f a a reauthorization bill to the president for consideration before this november sixteenth we have before us today yes twenty two sixty five as amend the bill would extend eligibility for essential air service subsidies and in addition as amended would extend the funding and expenditure authority of the f a a through december thirty first two thousand and seven the bill provides a i p contract authority at the budget year two thousand and seven level through the end of this year authorizes such sums as are necessary for the f a a facilities and equipment research and development in operations through december thirty first and extends the authority to limit the third party viability of air carriers arising out of acts of terrorism through december thirty first and i regret that s twenty two sixty five does not include provision that would change the mandatory retirement age for pilots to age sixty five however this bill will ensure that our national mediation system continues to operate until a full the a enacted there is much work yet to be done on the f a a reauthorization bill we must work in a bipartisan and by camel fashion to craft legislation that the president can sign i support this extension in order to allow us time to accomplish this important goal and mr speaker with that i yield back the balance of my telling you back telling from illinois mr speaker at this time i yield three minutes to my resolution quickly to the floor and the gentleman from illinois mr castillo for his leadership and for yelling the time i urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan bill introduced by my friend and colleague the junior senator from south dakota which extends funding for many critical programs ascertain and certify the most commonly used route from n e a s airports a major airport hub for the purpose of determining e a s eligibility the essential air service program is important for many small rural airports throughout the country it helps smaller communities to connect with larger cities and their airports and facilities economic development additionally s twenty two sixty five extend several of the f a s major programs including the airport improvement program and provides appropriations for the federal administration operations facilities and equipment and research and development programs through december thirty first two thousand and seven these programs were approved in the house on september of this year with overwhelming bipartisan support in the federal aviation administration reauthorization act of two thousand and seven in closing transportation infrastructure is a critically important priority particularly in rural america and i urge my colleagues to support s two two six five as it provides a necessary short term extension of the chair two thirds being in the affirmative the rules are suspended the bill is passed and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table without objection the title is amended for purposes of gentleman from ohio arise mr speaker i call up the question of the privilege resolution noticed earlier today the clerk will report the resolution the cheney vice president of the united states is impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors and that the following articles of impeachment be exhibited to the united states senate articles of impeachment exhibited by the house of representatives of the united states of america and the name of it self and of the people of the united states of america against richard b cheney vice president of the united states of america and maintenance and support of its impeachment against him for high crimes and misdemeanors article one in his conduct while vice president of the united states richard b cheney in violation of his constitutional oath to safely execute the office of the vice president of the united states and to the best of his ability preserve protect and defend the constitution of the united states and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed has purposely manipulated the intelligence process to deceive the citizens and congress of the united states by fabricate adding a spread of iraqi weapons of mass destruction to justify the use of the united states armed forces against the nation of iraq in a manner damaging to our national security interests to wit one despite all evidence to the contrary the vice president actively is systematically sought to deceive the citizens and congress of the united states about an alleged threat of iraqi weapons of mass destruction hey we know we know they have biological and chemical weapons march seventeenth two thousand and two press conference by vice president dick cheney and  kumud pilots be and we know they are pursuing nuclear weapons march nineteenth two thousand and two press briefing by vice president dick cheney and israeli prime minister ariel sharon in jerusalem c and he is actively pursuing nuclear weapons at this time march twenty fourth two thousand to c n n late edition interview with vice president cheney d we know he's got  chemicals and biological and we know he's working on nucular may nineteenth two thousand to him b c meet the press interview with vice president cheney but we now know that saddam has resumed his efforts to acquire nuclear weapons simply stated there is no doubt that saddam hussein now had his weapons of mass destruction there's no doubt that he is amassing them to use against our friends against our allies and against  august twenty sixth two thousand to speech of vice president cheney at v f w one hundred international convention based on intelligence that's becoming available some of it has been made public more  hopefully will be that he has he'd stepped up his capacity to produce and deliver biological weapons that he has reconstituted his nuclear program to develop a nuclear weapon that there are efforts underway inside iraq to significantly expand his capability september eighth two thousand and two in d c meet the press interview with vice president cheney g he is in fact actively and aggressively seeking to acquire nuclear weapons september eighth two thousand and two in d c meet the press interview with vice president cheney eight and we believe he has in fact reconstituted nuclear weapons march sixteenth two thousand and three n b c meet the press interview with vice president cheney two preceding the march two thousand and three invasion of iraq the vice president was fully informed that no legitimate evidence existed of weapons of mass destruction in iraq the vice president pressures the intelligence community to change their findings to enable the deception of the citizens and congress of the united states a vice president cheney and his chief of staff lewis libby made multiple trips to the cia two thousand and two to question analysts studying iraq's weapons programs and alleged links to al qaida and creating an environment in which analysts felt they were being pressured to make their assessments fit with the bush administration's policy objectives account be vice president cheney sought out and verified and ultimately inaccurate role intelligence to prove his preconceived beliefs this strategy of cherry picking was employed to influence the interpretation of the intelligence three the vice president's actions corrupted or attempted to corrupt the two thousand and two national intelligence estimate and intelligence document issued on october want two thousand two and carefully considered by congress prior to october tenth two thousand and two though to authorize the use of force the vice president's actions prevented the necessary reconciliation of facts for the national intelligence estimate which resulted in a high number of dissenting opinions from tentacle experts in two federal agencies say the state department's bureau of intelligence and research dissenting view in october two thousand to national intelligence estimate pervasive evidence that baghdad has launched a coherent effort to reconstitute its nuclear weapons program i n r is unwilling to speculate that such an effort began soon after the departure of u n inspectors or to project a kind wind for the completion of activity it does not now be happening as a result i n r n is unable to predict that iraq could acquire a nuclear device or weapon b the state department's bureau of intelligence and research dissenting view in october two thousand to national intelligence estimate also stated that finally it claims in iraq  energy opinion by stating that i n r accept the judgment of technical experts at the us department of energy be only to have concluded that the tubes iraq seeks to acquire are poorly suited for the use and gas centrifuges to be used for uranium enriched and by pervasive the arguments advanced by others to make the case that they are unfit and for that purpose the vice president a national security interest of the united states that setting the stage for the last of more than three thousand eight hundred united states service members the loss of more than one million innocent iraqi citizens since the united states invasion the loss of approximately five hundred billion dollars in war costs which has increased our federal debt the loss of military readiness within the united states armed services due to overextension lack of training and lack of equipment the loss of united states credibility in world affairs and the decades of likely blowback created by the beijing of iraq and all of the vice president richard b cheney has acted in a manner contrary to his trust as vice president and the birth of constitutional government to the prejudice of the cause of law and justice and the manifest injury of the people of the united states where poor vice president richard b cheney by such conduct is guilty of an impeachable offense warranting removal from office article two in his conduct while vice president of the united states richard b cheney in violation of his constitutional oath to faithfully execute the office of vice president of the united states and to the best of his ability preserve protect and defend the constitution of the united states and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed purposely manipulated the intelligence process to deceive the citizens and congress of the united states about an alleged relationship between iraq and al qaeda in order to justify the use of the united states armed forces against the nation of iraq in a manner damaging to our national security interests to wit well and despite despite all evidence to the contrary the vice president actively and systematically sought to deceive the citizens and the congress of the united states about an alleged relationship between iraq and al qaeda a history gini regime has had high level contract contact with al qaeda going back a decade and has provided training to al qaeda terrorists the similar second two thousand two speeches vice president cheney at the air force national guard senior leadership conference be his regime a and project terror including members of al qaeda he could decide secretly to provide weapons of mass destruction to terrorists for use against us january third two thousand third speech of vice president cheney two thirty thirtieth's political action conference in arlington virginia c we know he's out trying once again to produce nuclear weapons and we know that he has a longstanding relationship with various terrorist groups including the al organization march sixteenth two thousand and three in d c meet the press interview with vice president cheney d we've learned more and more that there was a relationship between iraq and i caught al qaida that stretched back through most of the decade of the ninety's that it involved training for example on biological weapons and chemical weapons september fourteenth two thousand and three n b c meet the press interview with vice president cheney he al qaeda had a base of operations there up in northeastern iraq where they ran a large poisonous factory for attacks against europeans and u s forces october third two thousand and three speeches vice president cheney at bush cheney zero four fundraiser in iowa app he also had in families with lation sheoak with al qaeda providing training to al qaeda members in areas of poison and conventional bombs october tenth two thousand and three speech of vice president cheney two heritage foundation g al qaeda and the iraqi intelligence services have worked together on a number of occasions january ninth two thousand and four rocky mountain news interview with vice president cheney eight i think there's an overwhelming evidence that there is a connection between al qaeda and the iraqi government january twenty second two thousand fo r morning edition interview with vice president cheney i first of all on the question of whether or not there was any kind of relationship there clearly was a relationship it's been testified to the evidence is overwhelming june seventeenth two thousand and four c n b c capital report interview with vice president cheney two preceding the march two thousand and three invasion of iraq to vice president was fully informed that no credible evidence existed  working relationship between iraq and al qaida a fact articulated in several documents including a classified presidential daily briefing ten days after the september eleventh two thousand and one attack indicating that the united states intelligence community had no evidence linking saddam hussein to the september eleventh attacks and that there was scant credible evidence that an iraq that iraq had any significant collaborative ties with al  b defense intelligence terrorism summary number zero four four dash two issued in february two zero zero two by the united states defense intelligence agency which challenge the credibility of information glean secular and is wary of islamic revolutionary movements moreover baghdad is unlikely to provide assistance to a group it cannot control see a january two thousand and three british intelligence classified report on iraq that concluded that there are no currently between iraq between the iraqi regime and the al qaida network the vice president the bird of the national security interests of the united states by setting the stage for the loss of more than three thousand eight hundred united states service members the loss of more than one million innocent iraqi citizens since the united states invasion and the loss of a proximately five hundred billion in war cost which has increased our federal debt the loss of military veteran this was in the united states armed services due to overextension lack of training and lack of equipment the loss of united states credibility in world affairs in the decades of likely blowback created by the invasion of iraq in all of this vice president richard b cheney has acted in a manner contrary to his trust as vice president and subversive of constitutional government to the prejudice of the cake causes of law and justice and the manifest injury of the people of the united states wherefore vice president richard b cheney by such conduct is guilty of an impeachable offense warranting removal from office article three in his conduct the vice president of the united states richard b cheney in violation of his constitutional as to faithfully execute the office of vice president of the states and to the best of his ability preserve protect and defend the constitution of the united states and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care of the law the respectfully executed has openly threatened aggression against the republic of iran absent of any real threat to the united states and done so with the united states proven capability to carry out such threats undermining the national security of the united states to wit one despite no evidence that iran has the intention or the capability of attacking the united states and despite the turmoil created by the united states invasion of iraq the vice president has openly threatened the group aggression against iran as evidenced by the following day for our part the united states is keeping all options on the table in addressing the irresponsible conduct of the regime and we join other nations in sending that regime a clear message we will not allow iran to have a nuclear weapon march seventh two thousand and six peach a vice president cheney to american israel public affairs committee two thousand and six policy conference be but we've also made it clear that all options are on the table january twenty fourth two thousand and seven c n n situation interview with vice president cheney see when we as a president did for example recently deploy another aircraft carrier task force to the golf that sends a very strong signal to everybody in the region that the united states is here to stay that we clearly have significant capabilities and that we are working with friends and allies as well as the international organ organizations to deal with the iranian threat january twenty ninth two thousand and seven newsweek interview with vice president cheney the but i've also made the point and the president has made the point that all options are still on the table feb twenty fourth two thousand two thousand and seven vice president cheney at press briefing with australian prime minister in sydney australia to the vice president who repeatedly and falsely claim to have specific detailed knowledge of iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction capabilities there's no doubt fully aware of evidence that demonstrates iran poses no real threat to the united states as evidence by the following day i know that what we see in iran right now is not the industrial capacity you can use to develop a bomb mohamed el baradei director general of international atomic energy agency february nineteenth two thousand and seven b iran indicated its full readiness and willingness to negotiate on the modality of the resolution of the outstanding issue with i a e a subject to the assurances for dealing with the issues in the framework of the agency without the interference of the ignited nation security council i a board report february twenty third two thousand and seven c so whatever they have what we have seen today is not the kind of capacity that would enable them to make bombs mohamed el baradei a director general of international atomic energy agency february nineteenth two thousand and seven three vice president the vice president is fully aware of the actions taken by the united states towards iran that are further destabilizing the world as evidenced by the following  united states has refused to engage in meaningful diplomatic relations with iran to stew thousand two rebuffing both bilateral and multilateral offers to dialogue the united states is currently engaged in a military buildup in the middle east that includes the increase presence of the united states navy in the waters near iran significant united states armed forces in two nations neighboring to iran and the installation of anti missile technology in the region see news accounts of indicated that military planners have considered to be sixty one dash eleven a tactical nuclear weapon as one of the options to strike underground bunkers in iran the united states has been linked to anti reigning organizations that are attempting to deed the stabilize iranian government in particular the mujahideen ecology and ha even though the state department has branded it a terrorist organization the news accounts indicate that united states troops have been ordered into iran to collect data and establish contact with anti government groups for in the last three years the vice president has repeatedly threatened iran however the vice president is legally bound by the us constitution zahir into international law that prohibits threats of use of force a article six is the united states concept of the article six of the united states constitution states this constitution and the law of the united states which shall be made in pursuance the of and all treaties made or which shall be made under the authority of the united states shall be supreme law of the land and the provisions of the international treaty ratified by the united states becomes the law of the united states the united states is a signal is a signatory to the united nations charter a treaty among the nations of the world article two section four of the united nations charter states all members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state or in any other manner inconsistent with the purposes of the united nations threat of force is illegal the article fifty one lays out the only exception nothing in the present charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self defense if an armed attack occurs against a number of the united nations until the security council has taken measures necessary to maintain international peace and security iran has not attacked the united states therefore any threat against iran by the united states is illegal the vice president's deception upon the citizens and congress of the united states that enabled the failed united states invasion of iraq forcibly altered the rules of diplomacy such that the vice president's recent belligerent actions towards iran are destabilizing and counterproductive to the national security of the united states in all of this vice president richard b cheney has acted in a manner contrary to his trust as vice president and subversive subversive of constitutional government to the prejudice of the cause of law and justice and the manifest injury of the people of the united states wherefore richard b cheney tronic the vice this will be a fifteen minute vote pursuant to cause eight of rule twenty this fifteen minute vote on the motion to table will be followed by five minutes votes on motions to suspend the rules with