The speaker pro tempore the chair the prayer will be offered by our chaplain, father conroy. Chaplain conroy let us pray. Gracious god, we give you thanks for giving us another day. In this moment of prayer, please grant the members of this peoples house as they meet with their respective constituents. The gifts of wisdom and discernment, but in their words and actions theyll do justice, love with mercy and walk humbly with you. We ask, as well your blessing upon those who are especially impacted by the Severe WeatherWinter Weather in this city and throughout so much of our country. May those who work to address the needs of the weak and vulnerable at times like this know they do your work. May all that is done this day be for your greater honor and glory. Amen. The speaker pro tempore pursuant to section 2a of House Resolution 100, the journal of the last days proceedings is approved. Please join me in the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of america and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Pursuant to section 2b of House Resolution 100 the house stands adjourned until 11 00 a. M. On friday february 20, 2015. The house has completed its pro forma session, not because of snow, but because members are in home districts because of the break. Congressman from represent party tweets this. John shimkus says he is beaten to the Clay County Farm Bureau alledge letter breakfast at anthonys in florida. Cspan begins this evening with conversations from the annual Techcrunch Disrupt conference from san francisco. Journalists interview the leading entrepreneurs and innovators in silicon valley. Heres remarks from ubers ceo. Heres the idea. The ideas you push a button, the car comes to pick you up just like normal. While you are on your way to your destination. Someone else is going along your destination at the same way the same time. With less than two minutes humans are less deviation from your route, you go and pick someone else up along the way. And they get in my car with me . Correct. It sound like a bus so far. Understood. The difference is a bus, you go to a quarter that half a cap my way from you. And you wait 15 minutes, and sometimes its on time, and sometimes its not. This one comes just like the uber you know. Its there when you want to, where he wanted. Thats the magic. What happens is you are still getting the benefit of a bus you are still getting the benefit of carpooling by literally taking cars off the road. There is significant efficiencies in doing that. You can see all of our coverage of the conference as part of our three nights of tech starting this evening at 8 00 eastern here on cspan. Where you can logon to the Video Library at any time, go to cspan. Org. The cspan cities to or takes book tv in American History tv on the road. Traveling to u. S. Cities to learn about their history and literary life. This weekend, we partnered with Time Warner Cable for a visit to greensboro north carolina. After months and months of cleaning the house they were making one more walkthrough and in the attic, he looked over and saw an envelope with kind of a green seal on it, and walked over. And noticed the date was in 1832 document. He removed a single mail from a panel in an upstairs attic room, and discovered a trunk and books and portraits stuck under the eaves, and this was this treasure of Dolly Madisons things. Weve had the story available to the public, is playing different items from time to time. But trying to include her life story from her book from her birth to her death in 1849. Some of the items we currently have on display a card, ivory calling card case, it has a card enclosed with her signature as well as that of her niece anna. So small cut glass perfume bottles. And a pair of silk slippers that have tiny little ribbons that tie across the arch of her foot. And the dresses are the reproductions of a silk, peach silk down that she wore earliest in life, and a red velvet down which has intrigued both that its lasted and its part of this collection, theres also a legend that is now accompanying the stress. Watch oliver events from greensboro saturday at noon eastern on book tv, and sunday afternoon at 2 00 on American History tv on cspan3. Earlier today, Vice President joe biden swore in the next defense secretary, Ashton Carter , who replaces chuck hagel, who announces his resignation in november. Ashton carter is president obamas fourth chief. Make a twoforone. [indiscernible] hello, everyone. Welcome to the roosevelt room. Dr. Carter, stephanie, william carter, where is william . Hey, man. How are you . Welcome. Daughter ava couldnt be present today, but the deputy secretary who has been running things, its been a great asset to the department. General marty dempsey, chairman of the joint chiefs, as well as admiral james wouldve filled, vicechairman, and members of the carter transition team. I said as i walked in, tash, if anyone is made for this job, if theres a Job Description that that the person, this is the guy that fits the Job Description. Its kind of fitting that we are here the roosevelt room, a lot of renaissance men, from teddy to franklin. They get sworn in in this room. Ash, you are a scholar of Strategic Military affairs, and Nuclear Weapons policy. A profoundly capable manager demonstrated time and again with universal respect and affection of the people you work with. Reflected in a near unanimous vote in the United States senate. We have to talk more. [laughter] i tell you what, they used to be the good old days. Im glad you got us back and harness, got the senate back in harness. A physicist with a genuine expert on the acquisition and technical capabilities that are going to help guarantee the United States military is second to none in the world. This man has a driving intellectual force behind all that he does, and all this in administration has been doing. Strengthening our nations nations cyber security, and deepening defense cooperation with india. Even when you were allegedly gone, we never let you go. I dont how many times i was on the phone with you for your advice after you had left. The president didnt like it when you work here, when you werent here, ash. Im glad you are back. Most importantly, you have been a fighter like the men and women in uniform, have been a fighter for the women and men who served in uniform. Our incoming secretary of defense, like his predecessor, understands that while this country has many obligations it only has one truly sacred obligation, many obligations but one truly sacred one. And thats to equip and protect those we sent to war, and care for the families while they are there, and them and their families when they come home. Years ago, when we learned that what improvised explosive devices were, its hard to believe that 15 years ago, people were talking about we didnt know what ieds work on it wasnt part of the vocabulary. They are responsible for upwards of 60 of the death and injuries to our troops in iraq and afghanistan. And ash carter was the guy who left into action to honor that sacred obligation taking care of our troops. He was then undersecretary of defense of Acquisition Technology and logistics. And then as deputy secretary, he works like the devil to get our troops mine resistant ambush protected vehicles. They have saved lives and limbs and countless numbers for american women and men. I can remember ash i spoke at the time on the senate with the commandant of the marine corps. We had a universal opposition to spending money at the time it, as you are member. Even some Division Within the Defense Department on whether we should spend the money. That was 23 billion we were trying to get that year. To begin to build these. Its faced not only bureaucratic opposition, but there was opposition on the floor of the United States senate. I have a great privilege of leading the effort to get this money put in the budget. And remember before we went in to the debate, going around quoting you, referencing your report. And then in the middle of the debate, why was told by democrats and republicans, leaders in the house in the Senate Armed Services committee, this was not a priority for the United States military, i called up then the commandant of the marine corps. I left the floor i suggested the absence of a quorum, left the floor, and went back into the cloak room. And he referenced your report as well, and said he believed, im paraphrasing, his highest moral obligation was to get these bills. And so, guess what . We did. But then the argument became a rebuilding too many are we building too many . I member saying is a little like Franklin Roosevelt saying how we built to many Landing Craft . Because we are not going to be able to use than after this, we wont need the very much. That was the argument of the time. We shouldnt build as many because were not going to need them. Were not going to need them, why waste the money . In the end, we sent more than 24,000 two iraqi in afghanistan and your binary work was was saved thousands of lives and limbs. I remember my next trip to afghanistan, after this. Two iraq, they were in falluja and the battle had been run. There was a group they wanted to show me. It was a meeting going on. They wanted to show me one that had just been blown up. Two young sergeants in an armored humvee got out of their vehicles and showed me how this one was blown up. I forget how many pounds of explosives, but it blew the entire vehicle up higher than a telephone pole, it brought down wires. But they all survived. They had all of the soldiers there survive because the internal portion of the vehicle was preserved. If you did nothing else in your career, that was a pretty important thing to have done. But thats just one example of the way he cares for the troops. The also led the effort to develop this is not a joke, protective undergarments. Earned him a pair of signed bulger funderburk, but enduring gratitude from writers whose bodies were broken run broken because of what he rushed into the field. Ash and stephanie my deceased wife used to say you want a measure of a man or a woman look at what they do if no one was looking. If no one was looking. Almost every saturday, when no one was looking ash and stephanie were out at walter reed, no cameras, no publicity no advance. They just became regulars. They got to know the families of those women and men they looked after their children, they saw these warriors heal. And they formed Lasting Bonds with hundreds upon hundreds of these young women and men. Thats what endeared the most to you ash and stephanie. He didnt just do these things, he wrote eloquently about the lessons of his experience of the next time, we could do a lot better. In other words ash carter is a thinker and a do or. He gets things done, hes famous for Holding Meetings while walking briskly in the pentagon with aides struggling to give up. They hope you stay in the Bigger Office and dont wander as much. And woe to the person who runs carter runs into ash carter having not finish a project. Theyre probably staffers over there thinking of the things they told you you would do before you left. Where is that memo, did i get it all done . Many tough missions as you know as well as any of the men or women in here lie ahead, from the fight against isil, to the asiapacific rebalance, to maintaining a technological edge, to the continuous efforts to make the most out of every dollar we invest in defense. As you know now, after your vote, not only to the president and i, and the chiefs, but the United States senate are counting on you to keep holding yourself and all in your charge to the highest possible standards required for our ideals. Never stop demanding and delivering the best for the men and women in uniform. And dr. Carter, as you take leadership of this greatest military in the history of mankind, that is not hyperbole. That is an absolute fact. In all of human history, there has never been a military as capable as this. You do so with confidence of everyone in your building, confidence in the United States senate, the confidence of president obama and me. And so many other people who admire your work. So, god bless your mission old buddy, and may god protect our troops. With your permission, im going to administer the oath, and you and i are going to have to sign a few documents here to make it official. And then im going to turn it over to you. You walk up to her, and he raised her hand. Put your left hand on the bible. I, state your name. I, Ashton Carter, do solemnly swear, that i will support and defend the constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic that i will their true faith to legions of the state. But i take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of invasion. And i will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office of which im about to enter. So help me god. Secretary, thank you. [applause] you and i have to sign this, ash. And then the podium is euros. Let me make sure i sign the right place. Sign there, and ill get out of the way. Well, thank you as Vice President. I think you know how much it means to me to have you swear me in today. I thank you. And for me, this is the highest honor, to be the 25th secretary of defense. Im grateful to the president and the Vice President for your trust and confidence, and to the u. S. Senate as well, for their trust and confidence. Ive got a lot of banks to give out here, first and foremost to my perfect wife stephanie. My wonderful sun will, and my daughter ava, already mentioned. A number of folks who were part of my transition team, and helped me get to where i am without whom i would not be where i am. I wont name each and everyone of you, but im looking at you. And i appreciated it. It was a time when i really needed help. And i got help from you all. And to join, my wonderful deputy bob lark, my fantastic chairman marty dempsey, ive known and worked with you before. Its wonderful to rejoin the team with you. I have some special friends here, deputy secretary of Energy Leader sherwood, im very grateful that you would come today and take your time to be with me. All the rest of my team to be, eric ron, thank you all very much for being here. I am honored to rejoin the men and women of the Defense Department in what is the highest calling, which is the defense of our country. Starting today, i want to make three commitments to them, and to the country, and to the president , and to the Vice President. And my fellow citizens. The first is to help our president make the best possible decisions about our security and the security of the world. And then, to ensure that our department executes those decisions with its long accustomed competence and effectiveness. And while we deal with the challenges to our national security, i also want to make sure that i help our leadership grab hold of the wonderful opportunities that lie before this great country. And to make the world better place for our children, and to create a safer world. My second commitments is to the men and women of the department of defense, whom i will lead to reflect in everything i do, and to honor the commitment and dedication that brought them into service. To protect their dignity, their safety, their wellbeing. To make decisions about sending them into harms way with the greatest reflection and care. And third, i have a commitment to the future. To building a force for our future. That involves not only securing the resources we need, but making sure that we make the best use of the taxpayers dollar. Make sure that we embrace change so that years from now, and decades from now, we continue to be a place where americas finest want to serve. A place that the begin to the rest of the world, a place that has the best in the way of technology, and in the way of caring for our own people, and people around the world. We are entering the Fourth Quarter of this president s president s tenure. These commitments i think will help me help him come and help the Vice President to ensure that those years are productive, and that they leave our countrys future in the best possible place, in the best possible hands. So thank you, once again, for this honor and privilege, to lead and serve alongside the members of the finest fighting force the world has ever known. Thank you. [applause] [indiscernible] [indiscernible] Ashton Carter becomes the fourth defense secretary under president obama. The white house is promised an appeal after a federal judge in texas temporarily blocked president obamas action on immigration, and gave a coalition of 26 states time to pursue a lawsuit. This puts on hold the president s orders that could spare from deportation as militant as many as 5 million people. Should the lawsuit go forward without april and her injection he said, the states would suffer irreparable harm in this case. How speaker john bader tweeted this out about the texass judges ruling. President obama does not have the authority to do what he did. No surprise, at least one court agrees. Nancy pelosi offer this, clearly, the Legal Authority of and precedents of previous president s do not apply the eyes of a texas judge. Three nights attack beaching featurin