Transcripts For CSPAN Morning Hour 20141210

The chair will alternate recognition between the parties with each party limited to one hour and each member other than the majority and minority leaders and the minority whip but in to five minutes, no event shall debate continue beyond 11 50 a. M. The chair recognizes the gentleman from texas, mr. Gallego, for five minutes. Mr. Gallego thank you, mr. Speaker. I rise to say thank you to the wonderful people of the 23rd district of texas who for the last two years gave me the privilege of serving as their voice here in the peoples house. Im living proof that this is a nation of opportunity and that the American Dream still exists. God has blessed me in many ways. I was born into a warm and loving family. My parents taught me to work hard and respect others. I married to a wonderful wife who has stood with me through the peaks and valleys over the last 25 years of our lives and were parents of a son, nicholas miguel, who has taught us the true meaning of love. In addition, though, my roots are humble, i had the privilege of working in this chamber, few people get to serve here. And yet congress isnt what it once was. Agreements are few, partisan ranker are common, statesmanship is rare. Who are the giants of history among us . Where are the states men and women who have accomplished historic feats through signature legislative achievements . But we know that it is possible. When Congress Puts party labels aside, like we did on v. A. Reform, we can accomplish some great things for the American People. But those occasions were far too rare. More often, this chamber saw bickering and pettiness and this congress made history as the least productive and most unpopular congress in the history of this proud nation. And the American People responded by making history of their own. On election day, a Record Number of them simply threw up their hands, wondered whats the point and didnt go to the polls. And its easy to see why americans are so tired of politics. To understand why many of us dont check in on election day when our democracy needs us the most, we check out. Polarization, discontent, dissatisfaction, disappointment, dismay all now normal in the course of our public discourse. Oldfashioned values like truth and good manners and respect for others views and appreciation are no longer envogue. Candidates and Office Holders and super p. A. C. s and yes, even to some it is unchristian. They attempt to stampede people with fear and many teams our fears or lack of faith went out and we failed to realize how really truly lucky we are as americans. But before saying people didnt meet their civic responsibilities, congress should reflect of whether they should be meeting their own responsibility because Even Congress complains about congress. Yet, it does nothing to change. Most americans, most americans are somewhere in the middle, but thats not where congress is. And in our current system, super p. A. C. s attack those members who stake out middle grounds. The American People deserve better than theyre getting. Our country deserves better. Our future and our childrens future is too important. Both congress and our country must rise to the occasion and confront and conquer our only internal pa rale cis. Patriot simple must trump partisanship. A robust democracy requires active participation. Congress, indeed america, needs all of us. It needs democrats and republicans and libertarians anglos and nd fearns. Soon, ill have the highest title, not the title of an elected official, but the title of citizen and as a citizen i hope to continue to remind congress of the importance of governing well and the importance of participating in our electoral system. I have faith that ours is a resilient nation blessed by god. Despite our frustrations and our fears and our failings, despite ourselves, we still live in the greatest nation the world has ever known. Sure, times are tough but they were tougher for our parents and our grandparents. If you think back a moment and you compare your life to theirs and you can see how far you and all of us have come. The job now is not to be mad about and continually relive the old battles of the pacific we need or past, to look to the future. I leave this institution, particularly grateful for the opportunity to work with and serve our veterans and our active duty military and amazed at the incredible and still Untapped Potential of our amazing democracy. I want to say thank you to each of my employees and thank you, again, to all the people of the 23rd district of texas. Especially to those ive had the privilege of representing since i first became a state legislator in 1991. I wish my successor well and i offer my prayers for all the members of the 114th congress. Youre capable of doing great things for america when you remember to put people and policy ahead of part sanship and politics. May god bless texas and may god bless the United States of america. Thank you, mr. Speaker, and i yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentlemans time has expired. The chair now recognizes the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. Thompson, for five minutes. Mr. Ompson thank you, speaker. Mr. Speaker, i rise today to discuss the proudly restoring officers of prior enlistment retirement, our proper act, legislation that i will be introducing this week that will support americas separated service members. For the First Time Since the 1990s, the army is shrinking. As our military continues to drawdown in the middle east, all Service Branches have been tasked with making difficult, force reduction decisions. Our allvolunteer service has made considerable sacrifices. Valiantly fighting two concurrent wars while solely remaining dedicated to the mission at hand. As the pentagon continues to implement a drawdown policy, provisions in the law could create unwarranted and unnecessary redictions reductions to military retirement pay for unvoluntary separated service members. Mr. Speaker, these men and women have honorably served our country and deserve better. For example, some prior enlisted soldiers who received a commission into the officer corps are now facing a difficult situation. Years after being commissioned, the army has made the determination to relieve these experienced soldiers from military service. To make the situation worse, many of these individuals do not have the required time in the officer corps and are forced to receive a lesser retirement pension. Mr. Speaker, after having earned an officers rank, these soldiers have been reduced in rank for retirement purposes. Mr. Speaker, soldiers have honorably served our country and deserve better. These men and Women Deserve to collect full pension and benefits, equivalent to their service in uniform and not subjected to an arbitrary reduction in rank and pay after being unvoluntarily separated from the military. To prevent this injustice, ill soon be introducing the proudly restoring officers of prior enlistment retirement or proper act. The proper act does not prevent further troop reduction. It merely assures these soldiers and those affected through each Military Branch can be made financially whole with respect for their service. Thank you, mr. Speaker, and i yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back. The chair now recognizes the gentleman from illinois, mr. Gutierrez, for five minutes. R. Gutierrez as the New York Times said in an editorial last week, theres an Immigration Crisis looming next year but has nothing to do with the border. Rather, its the huge effort that will be needed to fulfill the president s executive action and get millions, millions of American Families out of harms way by protecting them from deportation and destruction. Sure, we are celebrating the series of executive actions taken by the president , but were also rolling up our sleeves and getting to work. So i want to talk just a little bit about what were doing in the city of chicago and what im hoping my colleagues here in congress and my colleagues across the country and communitybased institutions, immigrants in every state will get people to sign up when the window to Submit Application opens in 180 days and the governments review of cases begin. This coming saturday, the 13th, at 9 30 in the morning ill be at the church on the north side of chicago and more than 500 families have already preregistered for an orientation. We will go over what the president s announcement means for individual immigrants and their families. Then, those who have preregistered will have an opportunity for a oneonone preliminary eligibility from people we are calling family defenders. We are already scheduling followup events this month and into the new year and well be ready to accommodate the huge demand for accurate and trustworthy information. Mayor emanuel has been my friend and partner in the effort and were both committed to making chicago the model for the rest of the country. And for the advocates, the legal community, the business community, the public sector, were all working together to make that a reality. Thats right, new york. Listen up, l. A. Get ready, miami, houston and dallas. Were going to work to protect as many families as we can in the city of chicago and were challenging you to keep up. But it is not just the major immigrant gateway cities where we need to organize to protect American Families. As the president showed us yesterday, cities in the south like nashville, are leading the way to integrate and assimilate immigrant populations. The spirit of inclusion is of utmost importance as we help families come forward, register with the government, submit their paperwork and fingerprints and get ready and into the system. I have told my house colleagues that i plan to be on the road a lot at the start of next year traveling anywhere they need me to travel to help them conduct outreach and educate immigrant communities where they live. But its not just the blue districts where we must support our immigrant communities and make sure they register. It will be necessary in red districts too. States like south carolina, arizona and alabama, states that tried unsuccessfully to push their immigrant communities farther underground, i will accept invitation from those states too to get the word out and educate the community in whatever way i can. I cant tell you how many people have come up to me and said, congressman, i dont know if this will help my family, my dad, my mom, my neighbor or my parishioner but i hope they will not still have to live in fear of deportation. And there are millions who will not be able to come forward and sign up because their cases cannot be reviewed under the president s guidelines, and i tell them that what the president has announced is bold, its broad and its extremely generous and helpful to the United States and her mmigrants who it does not replace for congressional action and legislation. But let us all remember that by the end of this week the clock is going to have run out on the best chance the house has had in decades to address immigration in a bipartisan and measured manner. The senate did half the work by giving us more than a year to craft a bipartisan answer to their proposal, and we tried in many, many different ways to help this house rise to the occasion to get out of the partisan ditch we have dug for ourselves and to put the country on a path to safe, legal, orderly immigration system that protects the country and its people while welcoming its strivers and innovators from around the world. In the end, the house was asleep at the switch and let the country down, but even as i work with people across the country to protect as many American Families as possible, i pledge to my colleagues in both parties in the most sincere way possible, please work with us to solve the immigration issue so that we can move forward as a nation. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from illinois yields back. The chair recognizes the gentleman from ohio, mr. Chabot, for five minutes. Mr. Chabot i ask unanimous consent to address the house for five minutes. The speaker pro tempore without objection. Mr. Chabot mr. Speaker, i stand before you today a proud alumnus of cincinnatis La Salle High School because for the first time in the schools 54year history, they have won the ohio state football championship. Last friday evening, they claimed the title with a 5520 victory, breaking a record for most points ever scored in an Ohio Division ii championship game. La salles offense was so strong this season that in each of their five playoff games they averaged nearly 50 points. Leading the offense was junior running back Jeremy Larkin who ran over 2,500 yards in just 15 games, scored 40 touchdowns and is now a finalist for the coveted ohio mr. Football award. All season long, la salle competed with the best of the best, finishing with 14 wins and one nail biting loss to the st. Ax bombers, including elder s over muller, and as i mentioned, la salle is my alma mater. I graduated in 1971 and i played on the defensive line and in my senior line we won seven games, lost one. Coincidently to future speaker John Boehners Moore High School where he played football too although he graduated three years earlier, and we tied elder 00 in the pitt. Mr. Speaker, i stand before you today a very proud alumnus of my high school and i also want to mention that my brother, dave, whos 10 years younger than me, also played football at la salle and he was a defensive back there. La salle will always have a special place in my heart. I learned many of lifes most important lessons in her halls and on the football field. As a matter of fact, my political career got its start at la salle when i was first elected to Student Council there. I want to thank the coaches, teachers, and staff, and especially the parents who have made the sacrifices to pay the tuition there to make it possible for their sons to receive a tremendous education at la salle. Mr. Speaker, boxing legend muhammad ali once said, champions arent made in the gyms, champions are made from something they have deep inside them, a desire, a dream, and a vision. This season the lancers had the desire to make every practice count and play every game as if it were their last. They shared a dream that was Strong Enough to overcome the many distractions the High School Kids often face in todays world. And their coaches gave them the vision that their hard work and sacrifice would pay off in the end. Mr. Speaker, lancers roll deep. This season illustrated that. To the team, the school, the community, congratulations on a season well played and a job welldone. Go lancers. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from ohio yields back of the the chair now recognizes the gentlelady from pennsylvania, ms. Schwartz, for five minutes. Ms. Schwartz it has been my honor and privilege to serve in congress the past 10 years representing the people of the 13th Congressional District of pennsylvania. As many of you know my mother came to this country alone at the age of 16, a refugee of the holocaust. America offered her safety, freedom, and opportunity. Her experience of fear, tragedy, resilience, and hope inspired my commitment to public service, my love of country, and all it can be. As i conclude my congressional service, i want to thank my family and friends who believed in me and supported me. My constituents who trusted me. The civic and elected leaders, activists, and advocates who gave voice to the wide array of concerns and causes. And to my talented staff who enabled me to do all that we did. Im proud of all we accomplished together from the new parks and bike paths along the North Delaware river in northeast philadelphia to the revitalization of main street in towns. We made our streets safer, promoted economic growth, and improve the lives of families across the philadelphia region. I came to congress in 2005 at a time of war. And as the daughter of a korean war veteran, i know how important it is for veterans to find meaningful work to support themselves and their families when they come home. That is why my first legislative initiative to become law addressed the needs of young men and women returning from iraq and afghanistan by offering incentives to employers to hire our newest veterans. In the time since that first legislative victory, you sought to embrace innovative ideas to find common ground, and to turn these ideas into action. I successfully championed legislation that is now law, including extending tax credits for Energy Efficient commercial buildings, establishing incentives to change the way physicians write prescriptions to reduce errors and save lives. New tax credits and grants to startup biotech companies. And changes in medicare to improve access to primary care for our seniors. Ensuring all americans have access to quality, Affordable Health care has been the priority for me throughout my professional life in both the private sector and elected office. Im proud of the role i played in the achievement for Health Coverage for all americans, in protecting and strenchtening medicare, and advancing access to care for women and for children, including those with preexisting conditions. And today we see the benefits of this effort for millions of americans who now have meaningful Health Coverage for themselves and their families. For this success and others, i want to express my appreciation to the other members of the of congress on both sides of the aisle who enabled us to get things done for the people we represent and for the nation. I value the work that we did together. And i value your friendship. As the only woman in the pennsylvania delegation, i am proud that i had the opportunity to stand up for womens rights and for women to be leaders in pennsylvania and across our nation. Im so honored to have served my state and our nation here in congress. And it is my hope that we, democrats and republicans, activists and everyday americans, can come together to continue to seek ways to ensure safety and security, prosperity and justice, hope and opportunity for the people of our great nation. Just as my mother would have hoped. The speaker pro tempore the gentlelady from pennsylvania yields back. The chair now recognizes the gentleman from new jersey, mr. Smith, for five minutes. Mr. Smith thank you very much, mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, chairman frank wolf of virginia will cast his last vote this week capping off a remarkable 34year career of altruistic deeds, selfless service, and durable achievement. Both of us got elected in 1980, the Ronald Reagan class. Many of us wanted to have a special order tomorrow night, including bob goodlatte, to honor him. He said absolutely no. Thats the kind of guy he is. He never seeks any attention. Im here today, tough, im going to speak about him. At home and overseas, frank wolf defender of human rights and human dignity. Last week World Magazine named frank wolf the 2014 daniel of the year. Whether it be helping young mother in a refugee camp in sudan or Political Prisoners in ssia or jailed people in china. Frank wolf has always sought to rescue and protect. Frank wolf is the author of the landmark religious freedom act of 1998 which established both an independent commission and a state Department Office led by ambassador atlarge, wholly dedicated to safeguarding via sanctions if necessary religious freedom. Mr. Speaker, i saw firsthand his devotion to human rights in a myriad of way, including trips with frank to a prison camp in the soviet union, the infamous permanent camp 35. A gulag in china, prison number 2 right after tiananmen square. A city udge siege during the war in yugoslavia, and romania on behalf of persecuted believers just to name a few. He chaired the Lantos Human Rights Commission with great distinction. A man of deep christian faith, frank wolf not only passionately believes in jesus christ, but walks to st. Paul admonishes in a way worthy of his calling. Frank wolf is a devoted family man. He along with his wife have five Adult Children and 16 grandchildren, all of whom are the apples of his eye. In his district frank wolf has delivered as well. His casework is superb and responsive. His staff reflects their boss commitment to assist and to solve problems big and small. As chairman of the several compropingses committees over the years, including his latest as chair of the subcommittee on commerce, justice, and science, he has authored nine major appropriations laws, including five transportation statutes that funded Major Projects in his district and throughout the nation. Frank wolfs many other accomplishments include his bipartisan bring jobs back to america, designed to return manufacturing jobs to the u. S. From countries like china. Raising awareness of the growing threat from cyberattacks, efforts to address americas unconscionable debt, 18 trillion, through bipartisan reforms of the the formation of two antigang task forces operating in the region, as well as the creation of the National Gang Intelligence Center of the f. B. I. The funding of the 103mile metro rail system. He led the way in obtaining about 1 billion to extend metro rail through tysons and out to Dulles Airport and to loudoun county. He pushed for lower carpool restrictions on i66 and has held many helped many commuters get to the capital and washington. He led efforts to place Ronald Reagans national and Dulles International under a Regional Authority providing the capital to build a new terminal at Reagan National and expand dulles. He has been a leader in fighting with great tenacity lyme disease, fought to address hunger by creating the fed feed families food drive which has generated more than 15 Million Pounds in food. In 2014 he put language into an omnibus bill to create the National Commission on hunger. One of the nations Newest National parks is in his 10th district, the cedar creek and bell Grove National historic park, established in 2002, through one yet another one of franks laws. Finally, let me make this clear, frank wolfs departure from the house is only the end of his current place of service to humanity and marks a new beginning, a transition to the private sector, where he will continue and even expand upon his extraordinary lifes work. Yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from new jersey yields back. The chair now recognizes the gentleman from south carolina, mr. Clyburn, for five minutes. Mr. Clyburn thank you very much, mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, i would like to address the house for five minutes and revise and extend. The speaker pro tempore without objection. Mr. Clyburn mr. Speaker, i rise this morning to stand with my fellow members of the Congressional Black Caucus to pay tribute to the outstanding leadership of our outgoing chair, marcia fudge of ohio. Chair fudge has done much more than occupy a position in the time as c. B. C. Chair. She has truly led this caucus at a time like few others. Active leadership. It is often said that chair fudges work ethic, problem solving approach, and Coalition Building has earned her the reputation as an insightful leader. Over the past year that leadership has been on display to an impressive degree. Legislative priorities including job creation, protecting voting rights, health and nutrition, protecting medicare, and social security, education, and housing. Chair fudges simple philosophy is reflected in her daily pledge, and i quote, to do the peoples work. And that dedicated approach has enabled her to be an extraordinary chair for the Congressional Black Caucus and keeping faith with this historic road. To some they say we are the conscious of the congress. But i say chair fudge, we have been much, much more. Because we have not relied just on our consciousness. We have risen to levels of involvement not achieved very often in this body. And on a personal note, it has been my pleasure to witness the growth and maturity of a leader i am proud to call not only my chair but my close personal friend as well. And i do not mean that in the way that we often use that word on this floor. He is a close personal friend. And, mr. Speaker, as you see here we come from various backgrounds and experiences. I from south carolina. Ur chair lady from ohio. We have had a different set of experiences which means we will not always see things the same way. What has made her an effective leader is the fact that she to d look to the west rbara lee, look south to jackson lee, go down to texas to Eddie Bernice johnson, alabama, and bring all theeks experiences together and all these experiences together and form a cohesive approach. Im proud to call her my leader and proud to call her my personal friend, and i would like to yield the balance of my time to the dean of the Congressional Black Caucus, and come january 6 will be the dean of the entire United States congress, the gentleman from detroit, mr. Conyers. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from michigan is recognized. Mr. Conyers 00 thank you so much. Mr. Conyers thank you so much. I field as all of us do that we rise today to honor an accomplished public servant, an effective problem solver, and a tireless advocate for our societys most vulnerable. Congress woman marcia fudge of ohio, as she concludes her tenure as chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, makes us all obligated to share our deep appreciation for her courage and her thoughtfulness. Since taking office six years ago, congresswoman fudge has been a National Leader in the fight for job creation, the safety net, access to health care, and quality nutrition. And shes been able to motivate some 43 other members of the Congressional Black Caucus in supporting these issues that have made her so outstanding. And its for at the tuesday tuss that she led for tuesdayties that she led the Congressional Black Caucus, essential for saving lives and eliminating the opportunity gap. May i have the opportunity to revise and extend my remarks . The speaker pro tempore without objection. The gentlemans time has expired. The chair now recognizes the gentleman from illinois, mr. Davis, for five minutes. Mr. Davis thank you, mr. Speaker. Today my home state of illinois mourns the loss of a great friend and a great leader, our state comptroller, judy. Phone this morning to my buzzing insessently and i was sad to pick up that phone and hear the news that my friend passed away unexpectedly early this morning. Illinois has lost a great leader. She was somebody that was an institution in republican politics in my home state. Jude eye was the most gregarious politician i have ever met in my life. If he always made everyone feel at ease walking through the state capital. Im happy to represent that capital in springfield. Judy was somebody who knew no strangers. If she met you, whether you were standing out in front of the Capitol Building guarding a door or if you were the governor of the state of illinois, she treated you the exact same way. Shes somebody who inspired me to get into this arena of public service. As a young candidate for state representative in 1996, i had the opportunity to have many people tell me that i shouldnt un, but i had outy baar topinka for encouraging me to go for it. I lost that race but i met so many friends like judy. Judy came to my hometown of taylorville to do some Campaign Events with me one day. It was summer. It was a long day of events and judy wept to my house to lay down and rest for a bit, and i had a 1yard line boston tarier bulldog who decide teryor bulldog who decided he liked judy. He jumped up on the couch and started kissing her the only way he knew how. Instead of helping judy, we took pictures. And since that day, every ingle time ive seen Judy Baar Topinka, she asked me about that dog. In 2012 when my dog, bruiser, passed away, outy was actually sad when i broke the news. But illinois is going to lose not just my friend, but we lose our comptroller who was just reelected. Illinois mourns the loss of judy, and i stand here today with no intention of coming to the house floor to talk about my friend, but i mourn the loss of my friend. Illinois will never be the same without Judy Baar Topinka and america will never be the same without leaders like her. Mr. Speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back. The chair now recognizes the gentleman from illinois, mr. Foster, for five minutes. Thank you, mr. Speaker. It is far too common for members of congress to come to this floor the floor of this chamber to weave their narrative of incompetent federal bureaucracies, blazing and unresponsive members of the unionized federal work force and greedy and irresponsible federal contractors. I rise today to tell a very different story. On september 26, 2014, commercial flights in nearly every airport around this country were delayed or canceled after a chicago route air Traffic Control center, also known as Chicago Center, in aurora, illinois, was disabled in an act of sabotage by a disturbed person. A fire destroyed the communication that processes flight plan data and enabled air Traffic Controllers at the facility to communicate with pilots in the 91,000 square miles of airspace for which they are responsible. This could have led to tragic loss of life. However, due to the efforts of controllers at Chicago Center and adjacent air Traffic Control facilities, all planes in the air when Chicago Center lost communications were landed safely. Nearly 200 of the controllers at Chicago Center then traveled to 12 air Traffic Control towers and terminal radar approach controls throughout the midwest to help direct air traffic. At the same time, technicians, mechanics and electricians were working around the clock to replace damaged equipment and restore the Chicago Center facilities. In total, they replaced 10 miles of cable, dozens of racks of computers and 835 communication circuits to restore the centers voice communications, radar, flight planning and weather capabilities. As a scientists who installed giants machines, i respect what they accomplished. Professional restoration crews removed fire soot from the areas and all of this was accomplished in just over two weeks. Despite significant challenges, significant airports were able to operate at more than 90 at capacity within days of the fire. One week after the fire, administrator wuerta joined us with members of the senate to discuss the restoration and while it was clear the damage was extensive, i was confident what i saw. Everyone understood what they needed to do for the sake of the traveling public. They set an aggressive schedule for repairs and they kept it. The air Traffic Controllers, f. A. A. Employees and contractors who responded to this crisis performed admirably and deserve our sincere thanks and appreciation. Under difficult circumstances, members of the national air Traffic Controllers association from throughout the midwest rose to the challenge and kept the flying public safe. Within four days of the fire, Ohare Airport regained its title as the Busiest Airport in the world. Id like to say a special thank you to toby, the Chicago Center naca facility representative, jerry, the Chicago Center past facility representative, bill, the Chicago Center air traffic manager, mike, the Chicago Center Technical Operations Group manager, and everyone else who worked to restore Chicago Center. Because of all of you, by october 13, repairs were completed and Chicago Center returned to full capacity. But important lessons have been learned. The fire that crippled Chicago Center not only affected flights departing and arriving in the midwest but also those flying throughout chicagos airspace to reach their destinations. Between friday and sunday, more than 3,000 flights were canceled at ohare alone. The estimated cost to the airlines has been reported to be more than 350 million in total. However, what made this crisis unique wasnt the number of delays or canceled flights, it was the just one person was able to disrupt the travel plans of so many thousands of people. The systems that protect the flying public must be made more robust. Although the fundamental redundancy had been built into the system, the ability for nearby Radar Systems to see into the chicago airspace, the f. A. A. Must and is improving contingency plans to restore service much faster than it was able to do. And in the long term, the best way to ensure the safety and reliability of the National Airspace system is to facilitate the transition to next gen air traffic transportation system. Currently the groundbased radar system is the foundation of National Airspace systems. Next gen will allow on g. P. S. Satellites that are nor accurate than groundbased radars. It will include a transition from radio Voice Recognition to one similar to the mobile phone service. This transition will enable air Traffic Controllers to reestablish air Traffic Control Services Much more quickly after this type of disaster. I urge my colleagues to join me in commending the f. A. A. S Response Team on a Job Well Done and to support the president s request for full funding for implementing next gen in the 114th congress. Thank you and i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentlemans time has expired. The chair now recognizes the gentleman from florida, mr. Bilirakis, for five minutes. Mr. Bilirakis thank you, mr. Speaker. I appreciate it very much. Mr. Speaker, i rise today to talk about the 30 million americans who suffer from a rare disease. One in so, mr. Speaker, 10 of the country suffers from a rare disease. Over 95 of these diseases have no treatments because each rare disease impacts a small number of patients. That is why i introduced the open act, the orphan products extension now, accelerating cures and treatments. My bill has the potential to help millions of people and the idea was born from an event in my district. 21st he summer i helped century cures roundtable in my district. It is a Bipartisan Initiative to examine and improve the Discovery Development delivery cycle. Treatments for patients suffering from chronic and Rare Diseases, whether it is from medical devices or medicine, must be discovered on the ground level through basic science. Develop into a practical, useable and marketable product and delivered to the patients so that the treatment may be effectively utilized. The first roundtable featured patient and Patient Advocates from some of these those patients, i heard about the importance of repurpg drugs. This led to the introduction of the open act. My bill will leverage the free market to incentivize drugs to be repurposed to treat Rare Diseases and pediatric cancers. Repurposing drugs has a twofold benefit. First, the open act has the potential to resolve a new treatment for individuals with Rare Diseases. As i mentioned, the vast majority of individuals suffering from Rare Diseases dont have treatments, let alone cures. Yet, i hear often about individuals with Rare Diseases who will take medication that has not been tested for their condition. The open act incentivizes the testing of mainstream drugs on Rare Diseases. This bill opens the door for new treatments. The open act can also create a new surge in bitechnology, jobs and investments, creating jobs and helping the sick are laudable goals, mr. Speaker. My bill takes a step toward accomplishing that. This bill can help millions of people. It will ensure repurposed medications are safe and effective for rare conditions and can be reimbursed through insurance coverage. So important. This is a bipartisan piece of legislation, which i introduced with my colleagues mr. Butterfield, mr. Mccaul and mr. Hastings. Helping those with Rare Diseases is a cause worth supporting, and i am proud to have introduced the open act. Thank you and i yield back, mr. Speaker. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from florida yields back. The chair recognizes the gentlelady from illinois, ms. Kelly, for five minutes. Ms. Kelly mr. Speaker, i rise to take note of the historic gains our economy made last month. With the recent addition of 314,000 new jobs, unemployment under 6 and the best single year job creation since the 1990s, our Economic Future looks bright. But we still have work to create a better Economic Future for American Families. I recently held my Second Annual hiring event where 400 job seekers met with 75 employers looking to hire. I also hosted five job search taught them ere we how to prepare a resume and strategies for successfully hiring event. My home is home to many innovative centers that will serve as engines and driving americas economy. I recently went to the Kankakee Career Center and canadian nationals Job Training Center which are preparing people in trade and transportation. With centers like these and workers like the ones we have in illinois, im optimistic about americas continued economic recovery. I look forward to working with my colleagues to continue growing jobs here at home. Lastly, i want to acknowledge two men. The first weve heard about already. Congresswoman marcia fudge, the great leader of the c. B. C. Marcia has taken the c. B. C. To another level. So, marcia has taken a freshman like me and helped me make it through my first session. I want to thank you for the faith you have in me for asking me to become the next c. B. C. Chair. I thank you. I salute you. You are not the c. B. C. Is not only fortunate to have you, linxs, the e, the great state of ohio. Thank you so much. Lastly, my colleague rodney davis, i want to acknowledge the passing of illinois comp troller Judy Baar Topinka. She definitely made her mark in illinois serving as the first female treasurer, the head of the Republican Party and then at comptroller. Judy has a special way of relating with all people. My thoughts and prayers are with judys family, friends and staff. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the chair now recognizes the gentleman from california, mr. Mcclintock, for five minutes. Themcclintock mr. Speaker, constitutional issues involving the president s executive orders on amnesty far transcend the issue of illegal immigration. The president s act strikes at the very heart of our separation of powers. The constitution reserves to congress alone the power to enact an older or alter law and charges the president with the spot to faithfully execute those laws. If the president can seize legislative power in this manner and boast to an audience that he himself has changed the law, then the separation of powers becomes meaningless and our Constitutional Republic will have crossed a very bright line that separates a nation of laws from the unhappy societies whose rulers boast that the law is in their mouths. If this precedent stands, every succeeding president , republican and democrat, will cite it as authority to make our alter law by decree. This cannot be allowed toe happen of the the question occurs what can the house do . Well, it took its first step last week by passing h. R. 5759, that declares the president s action unconstitutional and null and void. This was a symbolic act since the bill is subject to president ial veto, but it was a warning that the president should have heeded. Obviously he has not. What else can the congress do . One of the fundamental checks held by the congress is the power of appropriation. It can close the purse by forbidding the use of federal funds to proceed with this unconstitutional act. I realize thats a very difficult thing to do with a dysfunctional senate, but a temporary funding measure into january or february would protect us against the prospect of a Government Shutdown while we try to engage the senate to rise and defend the constitution. If the Democratic Senate will not defend our constitution, im afraid thats a strong possibility, a few weeks from now the Republican Senate certainly will. Why in the world would we want to lock in federal spending through next september that reflects the priorities of the Democratic Senate that voters just thoroughly repudiated last month . Why in the world would we want to so greatly weaken our position to insist on the complete defunding of the president s unconstitutional act in the next congressional session just three weeks hence . Meanwhile, its imperative that the house take every action available to engage the Supreme Court to resolve this constitutional crisis. Several states have already filed suit and the house needs to join them. In addition, the house needs to vote as an institution to challenge this act directly. This is too important to be treated as an afterthought on current litigation on obamacare. It needs to be voted on separately, unequivocally, and now. Since the earliest days of our republic, the Supreme Court has invalidated legislative acts that conflicted with the constitution. Now it must be called upon to invalidate an executive act that strikes at the very core of our constitution. Regardless of the ideologies of individual justices, i cannot believe that any of them would sit idly by as the executive seizes such fundamental powers from the legislative branch. On behalf of the house, the speaker announced last month that we would fight this act tooth and nail. To adjourn tomorrow having taken only a symbolic vote while abandoning our actual powers to challenge this act undermines the credibility of the house majority. Elements of the extreme left argue that this act was justified due to congressional inaction over immigration reform. They fought fault the house for not adopting a Senate Immigration measure. They forget the house passed a strong immigration bill this summer and the senate refused to consider it. Since when has congressional disagreement over legislation been license for the president to legislate himself . This argument abandons the constitution and the rule of law for the expediency of one man rule. We should recognize such arguments for what they are, the authoritarianism of the extreme left. We should reject these arguments and those who make them. Mr. Speaker, the Roman Republic died when Julius Caesar seized the legislative authority of the roman senate. Repeated acts of use patient went unchallenged until the constitutional vuckture of the republic simply disintegrated. Let that not be the epitaph of the american republic. Of this crisis let history record that men and women of good will on both sides of the aisle joined together to defend the constitution that they swore to uphold. And that this generation passed that constitution and all the freedoms that is preserved, intact and in vie lat, to the many generations of americans who followed. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentlemans time has expired. The chair now recognizes the gentlelady from texas, ms. Johnson, for five minutes. Ms. Johnson thank you, mr. Speaker. I stand here this morning as a proud american and proud of this republic who elected the first africanamerican president six years ago. And reelected him two years ago by an overwhelming vote. And i rise today to celebrate the outstanding colleague and my dear friend, representative marcia fudge, on the completion of her term as the 23rd chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. I have had the honor and privilege of working along representative fudge on the science, space, and Technology Committee when she first was elected to the house of representatives in 2008. Since that time i have watched her thrive as a fearless leader on capitol hill not only for her constituents of ohios 11th district, but for the africanamericans and other underrepresented citizens all over the country and internationally. As chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. Representative fudge is only the seventh woman to serve in this capacity. And has been a groundbreaking in her fight to tackle difficult issues facing under represented communities of color during her twoyear term as chair. Mr. Speaker, under representative fudges leadership, the Congressional Black Caucus has continued to be the conscience of the congress. Working tirelessly to steer good policy to the forefront. Over these past two years, representative fudge in her role as chair has faithfully represented the under represented voices as they pertain to job creation, education, health care, National Security, and a host of other pressing issues. Her intricate policy knowledge, political savvy, and ability to build coalitions have all been a tremendous value to the Congressional Black Caucus and to the nation. I can speak on behalf of all of my colleagues if youve just witnessed them here present in the chamber in saying that we will sorely miss her leadership and we thank her for her service as chair. I am confident that ms. Fudge will continually serve self lessly and devote her time and talent to the c. B. C. And its goals and look forward to continuing our important Work Together because it is far from being over. Thank you, mr. Chairman mr. Speaker, i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentlelady from texas yields back. The chair now recognizes the gentlelady from ohio, ms. Fudge, for five minutes. Ms. Fudge thank you very much, mr. Speaker. Let me just thank my colleagues, certainly its been a high hopor to serve as chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. And i will express that later on today at our meeting. Mr. Speaker, i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend. The speaker pro tempore without objection. Ms. Fudge thank you very much, mr. Speaker. I rise today to address the recent tragedies that have occurred in my hometown of cleveland, ohio, but also the positive change that can come out of these tragedies. In november, 2012, melissa and timothy lost their lives following a high speed chase involving more than 60 police vehicles. Cleveland Police Officers fired 137 rounds into their vehicle. The pair were unarmed. I immediately wrote to the department of justice seeking an independent review and investigation surrounding the circumstances that led to this use of daily force by deadly force by law enforcement. Following the death of Michael Brown and the unrest that followed, i again wrote to the department of justice in august, 2014, asking for action. While waiting on the results of the department of justice investigation, tragedy again struck my district on november 22, 2014. When a 12yearold boy was shot dead by the Cleveland Police department, an officer in a park outside the cadell recreation center. While my heart is still heavy, i believe some good will rise from the ashes of this tragedy. On thursday, december 4, attorney general eric holder announced the department of justice had concluded its review and found that the Cleveland Division of police had exhibited systemic deficiencies and engaged in a pattern of excessive force. The city of clevelands committed to righting these wrongs through a court enforced consent decree. The d. O. J. s announcement in cleveland last week is an encouraging first step to tackling the systemic issues that are plaguing our communities. However, let us not for one second think our work is done. The use of excessive force, particularly when it comes to minority communities, is not a concern unique to cleveland. The deaths of Michael Brown and eric gardner are tragic reminders that this is a national concern. The killing of men of color by those whom are sworn to protect and serve, must stay foremost in our minds until it stops. I am encouraged by the young people, the young people who have taken to the streets to protest peacefully. They have finally found something that has energized them to be active and vocal about the change they seek. And i urge them to continue to let their voices be heard, to keep up the drumbeat for justice, having worked in the criminal Justice System for many years, i understand more than most that police have a very difficult and dangerous job, and deserve our respect and thanks. Each day our Police Officers put their lives on the line to protect and serve. And they should be commended for the work they do. Yet we cannot ignore that there exists a feeling of distrust of police in many communities across the country, and this must end today. A new era, an era of peace and Collaborative Community involvement, must begin now. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentlelady from ohio yields back. The chair now recognizes the gentlelady from ks it, ms. Jackson lee, for five minutes. From texas, ms. Jackson lee, for five minutes. Ms. Jackson lee its my privilege as well to come to the floor of the house and to pay tribute to our outgoing chair and the Congressional Black Caucus. Before i to that, however, i believe it is important to say to this body that our charge and responsibility is to ensure the governance of this nation. As the appropriations omnibus unfolded, and the, i believe, continuing resolution that has been put forward as an evidence of the nonresponsibility and the nonthought of those who have the obligation to govern this nation, i believe it is important to raise the question of where the objectivity. The continuing resolution is to fund the nations Homeland Security. That means that we are saying to those who just lost their lives in yemen, to the americans who have been seen being beheaded by isil, to boko haram, alshabaab, al qaeda, and many other franchise terrorists that america will stand bare and unprepared. That her National Security will be in jeopardy. Mr. Speaker, it is crucial that we speak against a continuing resolution that funds Homeland Security partially. Let he me also say that i believe let me also say that i believe in this great nation. I believe in the constitution, and i fully realize that the executive order that was issued by the president dealing with the humanitarian relief and the discretion by agencies, prosecutorial discretion is within the context of his authority under article 2. I am fully aware that the president s executive order was well vetted by constitutional specialists, white house counsel, and the department of justice objectively looking as to whether or not the president was making new law. No citizenship was conferred. The only thing that was determined in those executive orders is for prosecutorial discretion on deporting individuals and defering deportation. I deferring deportation. I will tell you, mr. Chairman mr. Speaker, that the response is extreme. Not funding Homeland Securitys extreme and i join with secretary johnson in standing against this discriminatory practice on the agency that is crucial to the security of airports and ports and the borders and the protecting of the American People. As i ask for a reconsideration, it allows me to speak of a lady who represents the best of the constitution and that is chairwoman fudge who understood the equality of all and the importance of guiding this caucus, the Congressional Black Caucus, around the issues of justice. Let me thank her for the considerations made during tragedies like trayvon martin, as we began with briefings and involvement in that case and looking to support members of the Congressional Black Caucus who are fighting in their district to bring about justice. Her continued support of members of the tragedies of Michael Brown and eric garner occurred and many other incidences, respecting and appreciating the service of law enforcement, including those that we oversee on the judiciary committee, the d. E. A. , the f. B. I. , the a. T. F. And many others, but recognizing that the constitution, as she so understands it, must be a document for all. Let me particularly thank chairwoman fudge for her dedicated commitment to the nutrition of children across america. Shes almost like Shirley Chisholm who came to the Agriculture Committee and people wondered what she would do there, but she understood as local representative that food stamps wants a handout but a handup. And then to the issues of all members, her understanding of the Energy Industry, particularly in states like louisiana and texas where she encouraged members to introduce the Energy Industry to the Congressional Black Caucus in terms of giving information. Thats what we are. We learn. We get information. And then of course her commitment to having an International Presence that people would know that Congressional Black Caucus cares about the International Community. That is an important step. As we move forward in 2015, i wish the incoming chair much success and i think it is extremely important that we say thanks where appreciation is due, and i want to say thank you. Many people claim friendship, but i will say to you, chairwoman fudge, you have now goten 40plus new friends to your portfolio and we will claim you as a friend because as we Work Together in this last congress, as we work with the United States president , president barack obama, as we work with the federal government the speaker pro tempore the gentleladys time has expired. Ms. Jackson lee you became a friend to us all. Mr. Speaker, i yield back my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleladys time has expired. The chair now recognizes the gentlelady from North Carolina, mrs. Adams, for five minutes. Mr. Dams thank you, speaker. I rise today to honor my friend and colleague, distinguished congresswoman with a sweet name, marcia fudge, as her tenure as chair of the Congressional Black Caucus ends. First, i want to thank marcia fudge for welcoming me to capitol hill, for being such a good friend and mentor. And in my short time in congress, shes been an invaluable resource to me, and i truly appreciate that. As a servant of the people, i have long admired her as a woman for not just talking the talk but for walking it too. Secondly, i want to thank marcia fudge for her phenomenal leadership. She has successfully guided the Congressional Black Caucus in promoting some of the most pressing issues and concerns of people in our communities. Shes been the collective voice of the caucus, bringing light to necessary issues of social and economic justice. And as weve seen with recent events in the Michael Brown and eric garner cases, it is absolutely critical that we have a strong and critical voice that we shed light on these injustices and to make positive change in our communities. Shes certainly put the caucus on a solid foundation, that i know my North Carolina colleague, g. K. Butterfield, will continue. So on behalf of the residents of North Carolinas 12th Congressional District, i salute congresswoman marcia fudge on her great leadership as chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, and i say thank you, thank you, thank you. Mr. Speaker, i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentlelady yields back. The chair now recognizes the gentleman from texas, mr. Green, for five minutes. Mr. Green thank you, mr. Speaker. Id like to address the house and to revise and extend my remarks. The speaker pro tempore without objection. Mr. Green thank you. Mr. Speaker, id like to say without reservation, hesitation or equivocation, i have preeminent respect for the constabulary. I have a relative who was part of that. I believe that peace officers have a very difficult job and they do it under stressful circumstances, and i believe that most peace officers are doing a good job every day. I also want to say that there are many people without the constabulary, however, who would have us get over Michael Brown, get over eric garner, get on with it. And then there are those that say in the alternative not in these exact words but words like this they say if you cant get over garner, get over brown because garner is a better case for you to take to the court of public opinion. To these people i say, we cant get over garner and we cant get over brown, because if the truth be told, garner and brown are two sides of the same coin, two sides of one coin because if the truth be told, without the eye of the camera, without what appears to be clear and convincing evidence, without what appears to be evidence thats beyond reproach, without the eye of the camera, garner wouldnt be brown. The garner case is only what it is because the camera was there to capture the essence of what happened. Truth be told without the camera, there would be questions about how garner was arrested. There would be questions about how he was taken to the ground. There would be questions about whether he made comments about his inability to breathe. How many times did he say, i cant breathe . There would be questions about whether or not he made some effort to harm some officer. There would be questions about whether the guns were somehow at risk of being taken from an officer. If the truth be told, without the eye of the camera, garner would be brown. This is why, mr. Speaker, i have made an appeal to this ouse to bring h. R. 5407 to the floor. Let it go to a hearing. H. R. 5407 is the tip act, the transparency in policing act, and h. R. 5407 would accord the Justice Department the opportunity to do a survey and ascertain the costs of equipping municipalities, counties, police departments, the constabulary, if you will, with cameras, and then it would go on to require those that cant afford it to have the cameras. And those that cannot, it provides an exemption for them. H. R. 5407 is good legislation. Its not a panacea. It wont cure all. For those that are concerned about the camera not being enough to cause a proper decision to be reached before a grand jury, may not be but it sure does provide the opportunity to galvanize the country around the notion that something needs to be done. Its not a panacea, not a cure all, but it does present an opportunity for officers to be exonerated. H. R. 5407 will do more to help officers than anything out there right now that i can see, because it gives the evidence what actually occurred at events. It can cause officers not to be questioned about what they did, and it would cause those who would perpetrate dastardly deeds and fraudulent circumstances upon officers to be properly prosecuted. R. 5407 is a bill that is before the house and has a good many supporters right now, more than 40. I believe that h. R. 5407 deserves a hearing, and i make an appeal. I beseach and i implore my colleagues who have the preeminent authority to make a decision about whether it moves forward to please give h. R. 5407 an opportunity to be heard. This is not an appeal for from congressperson this is an appeal from those who are concerned about proper policing. I thank you for the time, mr. Speaker, and i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back. The chair now recognizes the chair now recognizes the gentlelady from ohio, mrs. Beatty, for five mins. Mrs. Beatty the speaker pro tempore the chair now recognizes the gentlelady from ohio, mrs. Beatty, for five minutes. Without objection. Mrs. Beatty mr. Speaker, i come to you unscripted about a lady who made a difference in the lives of this nation. 59 years ago, one week ago, rosa parks refused to give up her seat so she could make a stand for civil rights and justice. She said she was only tired of giving in and that day her remaining in her seat made a difference for a person like me, a young girl in 1955 who vowed to make a difference because this woman, known as the mother of the modern civil rights movement, took a stand. And in the third Congressional District last week, governor bob taft, the central ohio transit authority, my third Congressional District and the Ohio State University stood together and hosted hundreds of individuals to talk about redefining our communities, standing up for justice. Am proud that congressman Hakeem Jeffries joined a panel with other scholars like Sharon Davies and Curtis Austin as we talked about moving forward, as we talked about moving forward from the trayvon martins, from the Michael Browns, from mr. Garner and the list goes on across this nation. We must come together for our children, for our families and, yes, we must also stand up for justice that meets the standards of the value of this nation. And today i join my colleagues of the Congressional Black Caucus to thank another woman, our rosa parks, our Sojourner Truth in congresswoman marcia fudge for being the seventh woman to be the president and the leader of the Congressional Black Caucus. To you, congresswoman fudge, to you, mr. Speaker, i say thank you for the Congressional Black Caucus through her leadership being more than the conscience of the congress, before being for being scholarly, for standing up for justice, for daring to be different and also for understanding agriculture, the judiciary system. You see, shes not only a member of congress, she has served as a mayor. She has served as a judge. She is a prominent lawyer. But more importantly than all of these, she is a crusader for children. She is a crusader for the least of us, and she understands relationships and partnerships and working far beyond the c. B. C. She reaches across both sides of the aisle because at the end of the day, she really realizes the fight is not about one of us. The fight is for all of us. Thank you, mr. Speaker. The speaker pro tempore the gentlelady yields back. The chair now recognizes the gentleman from florida for five minutes, mr. Murphy. Mr. Murphy thank you, mr. Speaker. Thank you, mr. Speaker. A few months ago i stood here on the house floor to speak out against the troubling surge of global antisemitic demonstrations that followed the latest confrontation between israel and hamas terrorists. Crimes range from the desscregs of synagogues and other jewish institutions and businesses to murder and acts of violence and terrorism against jews. At that time, i had just led a Bipartisan Coalition of over 70 members of congress and speaking out against the rise of antisemitism and calling on the United States to continue to be a Global Leader in combating such acts of hatred wherever they occur. The United States must lead by example, which is why im proud this body has continued to condemn antisemitism and support efforts to combat such actions. With little agreement between the parties in congress currently, ive been proud to see continual bipartisan cooperation on this issue that not only impacts jews but all other ethnic, religious and minority groups, but unfortunately with antisemitic violence and incitement ntinuing to continuing, leading by example is not enough. Thats why i joined with mr. Deutch and mr. Diazbalart and the gentleman from ohio, mr. Johnson, in leading over 80 of our colleagues from both sides of the aisle to urge the United Nations to take Decisive Action against antisemitic attacks taking place globally. It is beyond troubling across the world we are seeing antisemitic rhetoric being circulated widely on television, radio, and internet. And there are Even National Political Parties that openly espouse racist views. Even more troubling as these hateful actions are taking place and many of our fellow members at the u. N. United Nations Must Join the United States in taking actions to encourage Member States to become Global Partners if combating antisemitism which poses a Severe Threat to International Peace and security. The u. N. Can stem the surge of antisemitism through a variety of methods, including raising awareness of the global prevalence of antisemitic attitudes. The u. N. Should urge the adoption, implementation, and enforcement of strong hate crime laws. Hate crime laws demonstrate that a society will not tolerate unlawful actions motivated by bigotry and minority and ethnic groups are valued members. It should also encourage countries to expand education on diversity and tolerance because it is crucial that children are brought up in a atmosphere of inclusion and taught the significance of valuing individuals of all backgrounds and religious beliefs. Additionally, the u. N. Must encourage heads of state to forcefully speak out about the dangers of antisemitism which can create an environment where violence and escalating tensions can grow and impact all communities. I thank all of my colleagues in this body who continue to stand up against such bigotry. And violent acts of hatred both here and abroad. As we continue to enlist others in our International Community to promote freedom and equality under the law. I also want to thank the local Jewish Community Relations Council in my district which recently held a Community Forum on address antisemitism. This is a conversation that must be held in every Community Across our nation and around the world. I hope to see United Nations and all Member States join us in expanding this dialogue by denouncing such actions and taking Decisive Action in their own countries who halt these hate crimes and acts of hatred. Only by working together across party lines and across the globe can we successfully eradicate such hate in our world. I yield the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from florida yields back. The chair lays before the house a communication. The clerk the honorable the speaker, house of representatives. Sir, pursuant to the permission granted in clause 2h of rule 2 of the rules of the u. S. House of representatives, the clerk received the following message from the secretary of the senate on december 10, 2014 at 9 39 a. M. That the Senate Passed, senate 1474. That the Senate Passed without amendment h. R. 1067, h. R. 4199. That the Senate Passed with an amendment, h. R. 4681. That the Senate Passed with amendment house concurrent resolution 107. Signed sincerely, karen l. Haas. The speaker pro tempore pursuant to clause 12a of rule 1rk the chair declares the house in recess until noon today. The rules Committee Meeting this afternoon over continued federal spending. The current measure expires tomorrow. Well have live Coverage Later on cspan3. Follow the house live when members return at noon eastern here on cspan. House Speaker John Boehner briefed reporters just a short while ago on whats ahead today and looking into the 114th congress. Its about 10 minutes. Morning, everyone. The house this week continues to do its work and focus on the peoples priorities, especially the economy. Today well pass a terrorism Risk Insurance bill that protects jobs and taxpayers and removes uncertainty that could tie up new projects and infrastructure. Tomorrow well pass a responsible bill that keeps the government running. Without the threat of a Government Shutdown, this sets up a direct challenge to the president s unilateral actions on immigration. When we have new majorities in both chambers of congress. All part of preparing for a new American Congress which will bring new opportunities to help middle class families and get ur economy moving again. The speaker laid out to you the next two days of the schedule, the tria today, omnibus tomorrow. I want to highlight something thats very personal to me. I represent california and the central valley. We have a drought thats the worst in 1200 years. Yesterday on the floor we passed a bill, not the bill i would have written if i got to have all my way, but its a bill that we sat and worked with speaker feinstein about. Government cannot make it rain. But government can change the policies right now when it is raining in california. That the water no longer goes out to the ocean but is used by constituents. Especially throughout the central valley. Dont know if you know the central valley, if you ever read the great surratte this is the land that feeds the entire country and world. Throughout the nation people talk about unemployment below 6 . There are cities that have more than 30 . So while the senate is still in session, i ask them to look in the eyes of those unemployed, they can take an action that can make a difference right now. But if they miss this opportunity, well be hurt even further the next year. The government funding bill well take up tomorrow actually reduces the i. R. S. s budget by more than 340 million. It cuts the e. P. A. s Staffing Levels to a point lower than they were going back to the 1980s. It does a number of other important things. It stops the e. P. A. From trying to regulate lead, something thats wled to a rub on ammunition across the country. Its hard to find ammo at walmart because of the threat of e. P. A. Regulating lead in firearm ammunition. We blocked the e. P. A. From cog that. There are a number of other provision that is are in. Something else thats ultimately a component of this legislation is that it finally sets up a battle in just a few weeks with the president on immigration and his attempt at a legal action when we have a Republican Senate when we can actually move legislation through the process that puts a check on this president and the things hes trying to do that are illegal. Last week in an extraordinary act of bipartisanship the house passed the able act that is going to empower millions of americans across the country. The senate prepares to pass the legislation later on this week and send it to the president s desk, im reminded of where some of the best solutions originate. They originate and come from the people. People. Real people. With great ideas. This idea came from a dad who has two daughters, one with down syndrome. He saw the way to make the world a better place and he fought for it. He championed it. He advocated for his daughter and millions like her who will have a better life because of the able act. And he cheered loud and enthusiastically from the house gallery last week when the bill hit 218 votes. That dad, the long time disabilities advocate, steve beck, died two days ago. Just before the able act will be signed into law. But what he left behind will endure forever. The message that we are here in congress to advance solutions that make peoples lives better. So as we look forward to 2015, and americas new congress, im excited to come together, the white house and congress, republicans and democrats, to do what is good and right for america. For making health care affordable, to protecting our veterans, to protecting the most vulnerable. We are here to empower people. From all walks of life. Thats what exactly americas new congress is about, putting eople before politics. A recent article from cnbc stated that santa claus is going to bring lots of presents in a uple weeks, but Lower Health Insurance cost for most americans wont be one of them. Theres no doubt that families continue to struggle with Health Care Costs in this economy. In fact Health Care Costs now outpace the growth of household wages. Clearly our Health Care System is broken and is in need of repair, but theres no reason to be down during the holiday season. There is great hope. Americas new congress in 2015 is eager to get to work on solutions that empower all americans and help everyone get ahead and achieve a better life. Im confident in our efforts to pass legislation with bipartisan support and find solutions to get our economy moving again, put more money in peoples pockets. Well work to put solutions on the president s desk for his signature. We intend to lead. And we hope the president s new years resolution will finally e to work with us. Obviously weve got a lot to do in the next couple days. I want to focus for just a minute on then what comes next. In recent years more and more americans have been asking the simple question, are things in this country ever going to truly get better . We all in this room know the statistics. Some job numbers are up. Wages are flat. Iny americans in modern lows Work Force Participation and families struggling to make ends meet at the end of the month. The answer to all these challenges is a growing economy and i think you will see in the next congress our clock is focused on jobs. That is where our focus needs to be. Whether its Keystone Pipeline and other commonsense policies that increase energy production, encourage conservation, and Lower Energy Costs for everybody. Or tax reform that closes special interests. Loopholes encourages job growth and lowers everyones tax rates. Our Work Force Training programs that ensure that americans are trained for the jobs that are there in a modern economy. We are all excited by the opportunity that comes with the last election. I come from indiana. Its a racing state. I always try to remember that elections are green flags not checkered flags. They are an opportunity before us. We are excited for the chance to get to work. Thanks. Smiker boehner tucked in on page 1599 the government funding bill that would allow an individual to donate up to 324,000 for the party committee. Is that what you guys meant by being the most transparent and open congress in 2010 when you came in . The congress is very concerned about taxpayer funding of political activities. If youll recall correctly, when we did the childrens research act, we eliminated taxpayer conventions. This provisions worked out in a bipartisan way to allow those who are organizing conventions the opportunity to raise the money from private sources as opposed to using taxpayer funds. Mr. Speaker, thats one provision. But thats not the only. It deals with d. C. Marijuana law, Campaign Finance was one, new light bulb rules on portraits. This is exactly the kind of Christmas Tree bill throwing everything on you campaigned against. I understand all the provisions in this bill have been worked out in a bipartisan, bicameral fashion or they wouldnt be in the bill. Even if they have been worked out in a bicameral, bipartisan fashion that doesnt take away you campaigned against these things. How can this new American Congress be voting for this and the American People getting anything different than they have had before . When we get to the end of a twoyear session of congress, a lot of work gets built up, it never gets across one floor or the other. As a result when we get to the end of session, members are trying to find a way to get their legislation across the finish line because of not really issues on the house side, more issues on the senate side, to facilitate their ability to move legislation. Some of this stuff ends up in one bill. Looking at this bill here, you said last week that waiting for this week to do a lot of negotiation has to happen. There are a lot of members we talked to you are trying to jam this up against the final deadline and jam the senate. Is that one of the reasons . Or did it legitimately take this long . It took this long to put this bill together. When you look at the number of agreements that had to be struck on funding levels, on riders, and other provisions, theres a lot in this bill. And the appropriators did a marvelous job. I wish it had been done last week, but it wasnt. So here we are, im proud of the work they have done. Look forward to passing with bipartisan majorities in the house and senate in the coming days. Hanks. This mornings briefing just now abc news tweeting sparke boehner says the spending bill deal will allow the new American Congress to deal with immigration next year. On that spending measure the continuing resolution on omnibus or cronmibus, the continuing spending for fiscal year 2015, the rules committee will be meeting this afternoon at 3 00 p. M. Eastern and well have live coverage of that beginning at 3 00 p. M. On cspan3. The u. S. House returns in about a halfhour. At noon eastern. Today to finish up work on terrorism Risk Insurance bill until 2020. That legislation reducing government exposure after terrorist attacks. Life coverage of the house when they gavel back in here on cspan. The White House Briefing has been under way for about 20 minutes or so. Well take you over. Josh is answering reporters questions. Broad review of the guidelines and procedures for interrogating and detaining individuals who are u. S. Custody. And its why the president has strongly advocated for the United States senate to release this declassified version of the executive summary. It demonstrates a commitment on the part of the United States of america to be honest about our shortcomings. When we have tallen short of our values, we should be straightforward about that and demonstrate clearly to the world hat we made a mistake. That mistake will never happen again. Does this deal that was cut on the omnibus, did that set up an immigration cliff . Homeland security cliff . You may not have an agreement on funding this Department Come february or march. I would be surprised, jim. It wouldnt be the first time i would be surprised. I would be surprised if republicans take the position that they are going to withhold funding from border security, from people who are conducting criminal background checks, from other elements of our federal government that are critical to Homeland Security just in protest over the present taking an executive action that is consistent with the kind of action that democratic and republican president s have taken in the past. Mike. There was the head of the h. O. U. Made a proposal the other day, article 2, section 2 does not give the power of pardon to the Justice Department, gives it to the president. When does the president think about the idea of putting offering some sort of pardon for people who have who are nducted or approved or supervised torture program and is that something he would even think about . Its hard for me to give you i havent had an extended conversation about this with him. I cant give you an insight into his thinking on this. The thing that i can say is that this is something that has been considered by the Justice Department. They did their own investigation in terms of whether or not crimes occurred that could be prosecuted. And seengsly a pardon would absolve anybody of punishment essentially a pardon would absolve anybody of punishment based on a finding like that. Since a criminal finding like that hasnt been found, it seems a little premature at this point to talk about a pardon. Pardons have been used in the past by president s to absolve people of crimes where charges havent been brought. I guess kind of the question that whether or not he would ultimately do it or not, has the president decided, notwithstanding whatever the Justice Department has said, has the president decided in his own mind whether there were crimes that were committed . As i mentioned to jim, thats a decision for career federal prosecutors. If the president were to exercise the pardon power, he would have to make the determination in his own mind, not the Justice Department request make recommendations, they cant decide whether or not to pardon anybody, right . He would have to come to a conclusion, yes or no, in his own mind. Im just asking maybe the answer is he doesnt know. I dont know i havent had this specific conversation with him. I cant shed much light on his thinking as relates to this. The floor udall on discussed the socalled review, classified document that he says the findings of the review or director brennan of the c. I. A. Will provide inaccurate information and misrepresent the advocacy of torture. He says the c. I. A. Knowingly provided inaccurate information to the senate. He accused the white house of not having any moral leadership on this issue. Im wondering if talk about if there are concerns within the white house and c. I. A. Is continuing to misrepresent what they have told the committee. And your response to senator udall . You put me in an awkward spot because i havent seen entirely what senator udall has said. If hes citing classified information, thats certainly not something im going to discuss from here. As relates to the thing i do feel like i can speak authoritatively about in terms of the president s exercise of leadership, i think its a clear sign the president s leadership on this issue, after he was in the oval office for two days issued an executive order unequivocally banning the kinds of techniques described in this report. At the same time on that second day the president also urged or basically called on his members of the National Security team to conduct this review of interrogation policies and detention policies in a way that has yielded reforms to that program that the report itselves says were badly needed. And the president has taken the position of strongly encouraging the release of the declassified executive summary of this report. That is an indication the president has very clear views on this. Hes spoken publicly about ton a number of occasions. I think the president is pretty proud as he should be of his efforts to try to rectify many of the shortcomings included in this report. You retain confidence that the c. I. A. Has not misled congress in any way during the Obama Administration . Youre asking me to account for a whole lot of people. We certainly would have the expectation that everybody in this administration, including everybody who works for the Central Intelligence agency, would be truthful and honest with members of congress, particularly when they are under oath. But again its hard for me to react to what senator udall said without seeing exactly what he said and without being able to discuss the classified report he says hes relying on. Really quick. You said earlier you there were a couple of provisions, wanted to run by them see in you had reaction. Theres a provision that kind of brought back the First Lady School lunch program, cutting out requirements of sodium, whole gains. There is a provision on home rule, abortion, and marijuana legalization. All of these seem like policies the president the white house has discussed in the past. Im wondering if any they are all things the white house is continuing to review. That report, 1,600 pages long. We havent had 16 hours to review it yet. Well take a look at all those things. Aim he confident there are things well find that we wont like. Thats the nature of bipartisan compromise. Well have to review it. As soon as we have the specific position to articulate well let you know. Referred a lot of questions on justice. Does the president accept the just physical departments decision that there is Justice Departments decision that there is no crime committed here . They said it, they investigated, they have decided not to prosecute. Thats fact. Does the president accept the conclusion of his own Justice Department there are no prosecutable crimes committed here . That is the way that our criminal Justice System works. We have career career prosecutors that are insulate interested any political interference, even the appearance of political interference. And the president accepts thats the way the system works. I understand how the system works. Career prosecutors. The president s personal views as being somebody who is so opposed to this program and seeing what hes seen and known about for a long time, does he personally believe there were no crimes committed here . That is a question, again, that is thats not a question for the president of the United States. Its not the president of the United States who conducts a criminal inquiry into the actions of somebody who works at the c. I. A. Thats the responsibility of a career federal prosecutor who could take an independent look at this. Can do so without any sort of political interference, and can conduct an investigation and reach a conclusion based on their own view of the facts. That is the way our criminal Justice System works. The president is confident in the criminal justicecies tefment he has confidence in the professionalism of the prosecutors who reviewed this matter. Thats a conclusion for them to draw. I think youre answering yes. The president accepts the decision of the Justice Department, the finding of the Justice Department there were no prosecutable crimes committed by the c. I. A. In this program . This is something that federal career prosecutors looked at carefully. They did so without any sort of political interference as they should. That is the way our criminal Justice System continues to work and the president has confidence both in the Justice System and in the way that it was deployed in this situation. He accepts no crimes the president , again, is confident that we have had federal career propertyors who took a careful look at this. They use extensive resources to review the relevant material. I suspect they interviewed witnesses. Crimes worth prosecuting and the president accepts that. Im doing my best to answer the question. There is a process in place that is administered by career professionals who did what they were used to do in taking a careful look at this. They reached their own conclusions and the president certainly believes firmly in their competence and the system. I want to ask you a direct question. A ill try to give you a direct answer. The president nominated john brennan to be his c. I. A. Director. Yes. Nailed it. No further questions. John brennan, the president s c. I. A. Director, has said that this program, these harsh interrogations, what the president has called torture, provided valuable and unique intelligence to save lives. A pointblank question. Does the president agree with his own c. I. A. Director that this Program Saved lives . Yes or no . John, this is the thing. The president s been very clear about what he believes about these programs. He hasnt been clear on this question. Hes been clear about the most important question. Did it save lives . The most important question is should we have done it . And the answer to that question is no. The president does not believe that the use of enhanced interrogation techniques was good for our National Security. He does not believe that it was good for our moral authority. He believes it undermined our moral authority. That is why he banned them. The other thing that the president s been clear about and the president talked about this at some length in the interview he did yesterday with diazbalart from telemundo. I believe it was. It may have been univision. Where he was asked specifically if he were president of the United States at the time in the immediate aftermath of 9 11, would he have made the same decision that is president bush did . The president was clear about how difficult an environment that was. That there was intense pressure that was put on the federal government and members of our National Security team to keep the American People safe. And the president is very sympathetic to how difficult it was for everybody to operate in that environment. All the more reason that we can be clear and unequivocal now about how the United States will never again implement the use of enhanced interrogation techniques because it undermines our moral authority which the president views, and i think everybody can agree on this, is one of the most powerful tools in our arsenal to protect the interest of the United States of america. John brennan has come out specifically and provided specific examples of where this Program Saved lives. And just trying to get at i understand it was the wrong thing to do, but did it save lives . John, i continuing to mislead the American Public and congress as the senate skpwens Committee Report allegation . The res. Has alleges. The president has relied on nears for john brennan. Hes a decorated professional and patriot. Hes somebody that the president relies on on a daily basis to keep this country safe. Mr. Brennan works here in the white house for four years as the president s top Homeland Security advisor. Mr. Brennan has continued his service as director of the c. I. A. The president believes hes done an exemplary job in both of those roles. And the president is pleased that he is able to rely on the advice of a dedicated professional like mr. Brennan to protect the United States and our interest. Is he right on this . Again, john. A those not a small question. Its not a small question, but its a smaller question, then, whether or not these kinds of interrogation techniques are worth it. And again because of the way they undermine the moral authority of the United States and because the moral authority of the United States is such a powerful weapon as we try to protect our interests around the globe, the president does not believe those kinds of techniques should be used. The c. I. A. Thats why hes acted unilaterally to unequivocally outlaw them. Did he so in his second day of office. The c. I. A. Said yesterday that these tactics providing information that helped prevent another mass casualty attack. If that is true, if these tactics help prevent a mass casualty of attack, lots of american lives, lives of our allies, how could the president say they werent worth it . Is it bettory see those lives lost . Of course not. What the president believes is our moral authority is critically important to representing our interests and protecting the United States of america. And that the use of these techniques undermines that authority. It degrades our ability to coordinate with our allies and partners around the globe. It hurts our standing in the world. And thats eighty president is committed to rebuilding that moral authority. And one way we can do that, one important step in doing that is releasing this report, acknowledging our shortcomings, being as transparent as possible about them, and being just as clear about the commitment that this president and his administration has to ensuring they are never used again. Last question. Mark udall in his speech, one thing i can tell you purged of Senior Leadership at the c. I. A. Whats your response to mark udalls suggestion there should be a purge of leadership. I spoke at length about the director and his credentials and the president s confidence in him and the Important Role hes played in protecting the United States of america. The president continues to believe the men and women of our Intelligence Community are dedicated professionals. These are patriots. These are people who show up on a daily basis. They work behind the scenes and dont often get the recognition because of the nature of their jobs about the contribution they make to our National Security. And the president is grateful for their work. Talk about american moral authority around the world. The president in one of his interviews last night had a willingness to admit mistakes. He held that up as an american virtue. A top u. N. Official is calling for prosecution. The president also saying is contrary to who we are. This interrogation is contrary to who we are. Is it not also contrary to American Values not to prosecute those who are guilty of International Crimes . Ill just say as a general matter, mike, the United States is committed to complying with its domestic and international obligations. We believe that the United States Justice System is the appropriate place for allegations about conduct by u. S. Officials to be handled. And as we have discussed here at some length, there was an independent department of justice criminal investigation that was conducted. There have been at least two independent Inspector General investigations that have been conducted. You have to ask them about their investigation. Shouldnt it be looked at again in light of new information you have to ask them if there was new information. The white house doesnt have any position . What aim saying department of justice because the white house was not involved in the investigations they conducted would be able to tell you whether or not they learned anything new through the senate report. Following up on johns questioning about john brennan, you also have as the f. B. I. Chief, james, who served in the bush Justice Department and helped endorse the legal memo, legal memo lessening waterboarding and other enhanced techniques. How could the president appoint john brennan and james comey to two of the most sensitive jobs in the administration if he believe they endorsed unamerican tactics . I can tell you that mr. Comey falls in the same category as mr. Brennan in terms of somebody whose advice the president is pleased he can rely on to keep the country say. They have a strong track record and there have been other instances even in his service in the Previous Administration where he stood up for and advocated for important Civil Liberties protections. You are attacking Bush Administration policies but you have two of the architects of those policies serving endorsing i dont think thats a legal i dont think its fair at all to describe him as an act text. You dont see any contradiction between them endorsing the policies the president is attacking and they now serve what i can tell you is the president of the United States has complete confidence in the professionalism of these individuals and complete confidence that these two individuals who serve an important leadership position on his National Security team are following the law and doing everything that is necessary to protect the American People. And the president is pleased with their service. Two days ago you directly said these policies did not make us safer. Former Vice President chaney says thats a crock and a bunch of hooey. How do you respond . Not the first time and probably not the last that this administration strongly disagrees with the views articulated by Vice President chaney. He predicted american troops would be welcomed as liberators in iraq. Hes got not a particularly strong track record when it comes to articulating a policy this president believes is in the breast interests of the country. Why does the this president not president bush, but this president s c. I. A. Director basically agree with dick cheney that these tactics saved lives . Your c. I. A. Director agrees. For questions about mr. Brennans position on these issues i would direct you to the c. I. A. They can explain them to you. I dont think he would say that he agrees wholeheartedly with Vice President dick chainy. You should ask them. Programs save lives. I dont think their views are the same. You have repeatedly talked about moral authority. So can you explain how the president believes that its unamerican to use these techniques, but it was ok to ramp up the drone policy and basically thousands of people around the world, innocent civilians, were killed. Whats the moral equivalency there . How do you have moral authority when innocent civilians are killed by drones . I think this is a difference here, stark difference in the way the United States conducts our pol saint way terrorists around the world conduct theirpolicy. That there is significant care taken and there are significant checks and balances included in the system to ensure any counterterrorism action taken by the United States of america does not put at risk innocent lives. They do in the end. I understand there are safeguards. In the end we see many cases around the world where u. S. Drones have killed innocent civilians. How do you have moral authority . That is a stark difference than the tactics employed by our enemies who seek to use car bombs to actually target innocent civilians. No ones defending the terrorist tactics. By you are asking about moral authority. I think moral authority there is a very clear difference between the tactics used by terrorists and the counterterrorism tactics employed by the United States of america that go to Great Lengths to protect the lives of innocent civilians. Many of these terrorist that is we are talking about, again many of these counterterrorism activities that are used against terrorists are targeting terrorists that themselves have targeted local populations, that have targeted fellow muslims in some situations. The efforts that are taken by this administration to limit or prevent innocent civilian casualties are consistent with our values and are consistent with our broader strategy for protecting the American People. You said many times secretary kerry, secretary hagel concerns u. S. Installations around the world are on high alert right now. Related to that today, republican tray gowdy and his Benghazi Committee is citing a state department Inspector General report that says that many u. S. Installations around the world beyond ben ghazi are not safe now and that there are Real Security gaps. Agree with that . Disagree . Do you plan to have any senior officials here testify to that committee . Previously you said if theres fair oversight on the hill well send people up there. Susan rice, others l. They testify . Others, will they testify . The administration has clear about our desire to dedicate significantly more resources to enshuring that we are protecting u. S. Facilities around the globe. Its my understanding there are a number of occasions where republicans on capitol hill have blocked funding for those kinds ever priorities. Thats something that we have been pretty frustrated by. Do i think it raises questions about the political moat vation, some republicans were criticizing the administration. Will i say as a general matter the administration will continue to cooperate, but legitimate oversight. I think it remains to be seen whether the eighth inquiry into the benghazi matter, coming on the heels of a republican authored report that absolves the administration of any involvement in the many conspiracy theories that have been floated by right wing. Well have to wait and see whether or not there is any legitimacy to the questions being asked by this particular committee. As it relates to the torture report and finding, when there is something wrong, especially when its relationships between this country and islamic peoples around the world, there seems to be outreach, does the president reach out to the leaders of any of the countries that have a Large Population of muslims there to talk to them, to apologize and say this will never happen again, etc. . I dontdirnl not in a position to read out any specific president ial conversations about the potential related to this report with other heads of state. The president obviously has open line of communication with many world leaders, including the king of jordan who was just here last week. Dont know whether or not they discussed the impending release of this report just because im not in a position to read out any president ial conversation abouts this report. This is a very big issue. The president first came into office he made a point to reach out to many of the heads of the nations to say, look, we are of ng to tamp down any kind escalation of jihadist activities and show you we are is country that where this white house when it comes to possibility of continued outreach . Let me say a couple things about that. E talked quite a bit about the success that the United States has had and the president has had in building a Broad International coalition to degrade and ultimately destroy isil. Some of the members of that coalition are muslim countries. To have those muslim countries working closely with the United States to go after a group like isil i think speaks volumes about the success that the president has had in strengthening our cooperation with regional partners as we confront this shared threat. We even have muslim countries flying fighter jets alongside american pilots and dropping bombs on isil targets in syria. Something that i think even a few months ago was its not unthinkable, at least a proposition that many impartial observers viewed septically. They didnt think these muslim countries would ever join the United States in this effort. Yet we have Fighter Pilots from the u. A. E. And from jordan and from other muslim countries in the region who are flying alongside american pilots in dropping bombs on isil targets. That demonstrates the success that this president has had in strengthening our relationship with countries in this region, this volatile region of the world, but also in building strong ties with other countries around the world. We have also gotten significant cooperation from other more traditional allies. Allies like france, u. K. , belgium, netherlands, canada, australia, and denmark. These are countries flying combat missions over the skies of iraq. Again alongside American Military pilots. That is an indication that we have strengthened our relationship with countries in the region and around the world. And we have done so in way that significantly benefits american interests around the world. Is it beyond the possibility that the president did or will reach out to some of these leaders for discussion and or apology . If he does, dont anticipate it will be the kind of conversation that well read out. Lastly. Detroit, expected to come out of bankruptcy. What do you say about that, coming out of bankruptcy, and still they have a debt into the billions of dollars. The city of the Obama Administration has worked closely with officials in the state of michigan and city of detroit as they have worked through the significant financial problems plaguing that city. We certainly are pleased that they appear to be nearing the end of this bankruptcy period. But there is significant work that remains to be done. The administration will continue to work closely with officials in michigan and officials in the state of detroit city of detroit as they continue to recover from the significant financial problems that they have had. There is no question that that region of the country has benefited significantly from the efforts that this president undertook to rescue the auto industry. It is thanks to the grit and determination of American Workers that this industry has come roaring back. That we are seeing record sales. We are seeing record revenues from those companies. And we anticipate that will continue to have a positive Economic Impact on the city of detroit and the broader state of michigan. Thats not the only way. Well continue to seat Administration Whether its department of education, department of housing and urban development, and other core agencies are working closely with city officials in detroit to help that community recover. Live to capitol hill as