Millions of American Youth is upon us. May our appreciation as a nation of the value of education among those who are our future be incentive enough to guarantee its importance in our Public Policy consideration. May all that is done within the peoples house this day be for your greater honor and glory, amen. The speaker the chair has examined the journal of the last days proceedings and announces to the house his approval thereof. Pursuant to clause 1 of rule 1 the journal stands approved. The gentleman from connecticut. Thank you, mr. Speaker. Pursuant to clause 1 of rule 1, i demand a vote on the speakers approval of the journal. The speaker the question is on agreeing to the speakers approval of the journal. Those in favor say aye. Those opposed, no. In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. The gentleman from connecticut. Mr. Courtney thank you, mr. Speaker, i request the yeas and nays. The speaker pro tempore the yeas and nays are requested the speaker the yeas and nays are requested. All those in favor of taking this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. A sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question are postponed. The pledge of allegiance today will be led by the gentlelady from North Carolina, ms. Foxx. Ms. Foxx please join me in the pledge to our wonderful flag. I pledge allegiance to the flag f the United States of america and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. The speaker the chair will entertain requests for oneminute speeches. For what purpose does the gentleman from texas rise . Mr. Poe mr. Speaker, i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. The speaker pro tempore without objection. Mr. Poe mr. Speaker, its been 19 months since terrorists stormed the american consulate in benghazi. Four americans were murdered. And today their killers still room free somewhere in libya. Why have none of them been apprehended . Meanwhile back in the United States more questions than answers remain for this administration. Who is responsible for failing to rescue those victims . Who is responsible for the massive secrecy campaign of hiding what actually happened . Where was the administration during the time of the attack . And why did ambassador rice mislead the world on National Television as to the facts . A new email has surfaced from white house entitled, quote, prep call with susan. Ed administration created a goal, to underscore that these brute protests are rooted in an internet video and not a broader failure of policy. Why didnt the Administration Just tell america the truth about what happened . I applaud the speaker for establishing a select committee on benghazi to find out the truth. People in government that botched this benghazi matter and the terrorists who killed the americans should be held accountable. Justice requires it. And justice is what we do. And thats just the way it is. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentlemans time has expired. For what purpose does the gentleman from connecticut seek recognition . Without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. Thank you, madam speaker. Im proud to announce that thursday, Mystic Aquarium of mystic, connecticut, will be awarded the institute for museum and Library Services 2014 National Medal. Mr. Courtney this award is only given to 10 institutions each year and is the highest honor bestowed upon museums and libraries for Exceptional Service to their communities. The award will be presented by First Lady Michelle Obama at the white house in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the medals program. Mystic aquarium is a crowned jewel of eastern connecticut. It has more than 4,000 animals and over 300 species including new englands only beluga whale. The aquarium has plead an Important Role for connecticut residents and visitors alike with numerous Exchange Programs for students from and around the country. Dr. Steven cohen, c. E. O. Of sea research foundation, the parent of Mystic Aquarium, will accept the award on behalf of the aquestionnaire come. The aquestionnaire on behalf of the aquarium. The aquarium has done a lot of research. Madam speaker, i want to congratulate the aquarium and dr. Cohen as they receive the 2014 National Medal and i thank them for their monumental dedication and contribution to the mystic community. I yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. For what purpose does the gentleman from South Carolina seek recognition . Mr. Wilson mr. Speaker, i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute, revise and extend my remarks. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Wilson mr. Speaker, the American People have lost faith in the administration. When four of americas heroes were brutally murdered at the consulate in benghazi, libya, the president promised the families of the fallen that he would bring those responsible to justice and prevent a future attack. Congress has held countless hearings to conduct oversight responsibilities through the last 19 months. Last week a secret memo was discovered. Despite subpoenas, Unanswered Questions remain as to how the administration handled the attack. We must continue to pursue every avenue to ensure all americans remain safe from terrorists terrorist attacks at home and abroad. Because the administration continues to provide a misleading coverup, we owe it to those who have died for america to develop a select committee, to continue the investigation of the benghazi murders. I am very grateful that House Speaker john boehner picked a proven prosecutor for the job. Congressman gowdy of South Carolina is most capable of forcing the administration to reveal the truth. In conclusion, god bless our troops and we will never forget september 11 and the global war on terrorism. The speaker pro tempore for what purpose does the gentlelady from North Carolina seek recognition . Ms. Foxx i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute, mr. Speaker. The speaker pro tempore the gentlelady is recognized. Ms. Foxx thank you, mr. Speaker. The buddha once said that there are three things that cannot be hidden long. The sun, the moon and the truth. Its been 18 months since the attack in benghazi and this piece of proverbial wisdom has again proved prescient. Evidence is mounting that the Obama Administration mounting that the Obama Administration manipulated truth of what happened on september 11, 2012. When our ambassador and three other americans were killed in what early reports indicated was a planned attack on the u. S. Diplomatic facility in benghazi. Ly repeated attempts by this house to ascertain the truth what have happened have been dismissed by the administration as politicizing the tragedy. The deep irony is that it was the white houses political maneuvering which led to the truth being buried in the first place. The emails released last week shed more light on the white house response to the attacks. More will be learned as the investigation continues. Coverups like clouds are temporary. They cant hold back the light forever. Americans want answers and they will get them. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentlelady yields back the balance of her time. For what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania seek recognition . The gentleman is recognized. Thank you, mr. Speaker. Northhampton Fire Department back in my Home Community is celebrating 100 years, a century of service, this year. Mr. Fitzpatrick and the community that i represent proudly recognizes the spirit and unflinching courage of its dedicated and skilled volunteers who remain faithful and ready to protect their neighbors year after year. The fire Company Continues to serve the northhampton Township Community with a staunch group of trained firefighters who consistently demonstrate the highest order of public service. Risking their lives as they do to save others. Each of the firefighters and Company Officers are an integral part of the history of the centuryold fire company. And each reflects the true spirit of First Responders everywhere. Throughout its history, the northhampton Township Volunteer Fire Company and its members have set an example of selfselfless volunteerism and dedication for others to follow. I congratulate them on this landmark anniversary and with that, mr. Speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. 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 may 5, 2014, at 5 19 p. M. That the senate agreed to Senate Resolution 436. Signed, sincerely, karen l. Haas. The chair the chair the speaker pro tempore the chair lays before the house a communication. The clerk the honorable the speaker, house of representatives, sir. Pursuant to section 743b3 of the consolidated appropriations act, 2014, public law 11376, i am pleased to appoint the following individuals to the National Commission on hunger. Dr. Deborah alice frank, m. D. , of brookline, massachusetts. Mr. William howard shore of boston, massachusetts. Thank you for your attention to these appointments. Signed, sincerely, nancy pelosi, democratic leader. The speaker pro tempore 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 may 6, 2014, at 10 22 a. M. That the senate passed, without amendments, h. R. 4120. Signed, sincerely, karen l. Haas. The speaker pro tempore pursuant to clause 12a of rule 1, the chair declares the house in recess subject to the call of the chair. Back. Join us to discuss the book at booktv. Org. Washington journal continues. Host our next guest is adam snider of politico. We are talking about the Highway Trust Fund running out of money. Why should i be concerned about that happening . Guest you get from point ato point b at some point. You are driving, taking a train, a transit system, a bus, Something Like that all the goods you get, everything you order from amazon, that comes on a ups or fedex truck that travels over our roads. It is the lifeblood of our economy. It really is what drives our nation. Host this goes specifically to a fund. What is the fund and what is it tasked to do . Guest it is the Highway Trust Fund, created in 1956 under legislation by president eisenhower, starting with a toee cent gas tax that went fund the initial construction of the interstate highway system. Things were going well for a few decades, but as they continue to grow and build the system there was more and more work to be done, and less and less money coming into the fund. So, we were starting to have the problem of not enough money to repave roads, to fill potholes, to fix crumbling bridges, and things like that. Primary funding the gas tax . Guest 90 . There is also the truck the and a few years ago the fund was given the ability to earn interest. Interest rates are next to nothing now, so it does not mean much, but down the road that could account for a small bit of money. Recent stories talk about it running out. Is that the case . Guest under the antideficiency act, it cannot go fully broke, but as it gets closer to zero, the department of transportation is tasked with managing that and making sure it does not reach a zero balance, so whether that be slowing the money that goes back to the states, totally shutting down the program, they have a few options and none of them are good and then as lawmakers scared. Host what is the timeframe for running to that point . Is thepart of the issue dot does not know exactly when that is. There is no computer screen that they can see as an uptodate balance that takes up or down every minute or every hour. They put out these monthly updates. Right now, they are projecting the end of august, but that could change, that could slip into the next month. Tocould be back up earlyaugust. Keep in mind, congress is out for all of august. Host it is also the height of the driving season. Guest exactly, and the summer construction season, right now in the northern states, which is a crucial time. A lot of the winter states need to be working on their summer plans because the ground is thawing and they only have a few months to get the work done before the winter freeze. Host as a solution to the fund running out, what are the options . Guest there are a number of them. One that gets the most attention is a sample gas tax increase. A number of people like it. It is as close to a user fee as we can get at this point. It is not directly tied to how much you drive, but it is close enough. As far asother ideas repatriation, using a corporate tax, closing tax loopholes to bring back foreign money back to the u. S. , but the one that gets talked about a lot is the gas tax simply because it is a thing that is fund this program for over 50 years. Host one legislators on capitol hill here increase the gas tax what is the reaction . Guest they focus on the increase and the tax. President obama campaigning in 2008, he said he did not want a gas tax increase. A number of democrats do not. Republicans, some privately do, but they are really all over the place. That is feeling a lot of concern as there is no obvious consensus solution. Host what is the current tax . 18. 4 cents per gallon on gasoline, and 24. 4 cents per gallon on diesel fuel, and a little bit of that extra money, mostly paid by truckers, those two freight and other projects. Host if the money comes in from all 50 states, does that mean all 50 states get a general payout as far as those funds are concerned, or does it depend on the size of the state . Yuko it is actually a complex set of formulas. All guest it is actually a complex set of formulas. It is based on population, there has been politics to the way they write of formulas, which helps if you are the chairman of a committee with control over this, but he goes to a complicated system of a number of formulas and several different programs, and then back to the states. One of the hot topics has been the rate of return, which is sort of the minimum that every state gets back, and i believe that is about 95 now. State is paying in and they are getting near everything they are paying in, but not all of it. Host you ever the guest talk about the Highway Trust Fund, as far as its solvency, its future. He is adam snider of politico. If you want to ask questions, here are the numbers to call if you want to send us a tweet,. Ou can do so cspanwj outfolks at pew stayed put a study and looked at the funding and a broke down as this, with 57 billion coming from the federal government and more productive the state and local governments as well. Talk about the breakdown. What happens if the federal torsion is affected by the trust fund drying up . What does it mean for the state and localities . Guest a couple of other things. For one, when it comes to the mind, thiskeep in price crisis has been going on for quite a while. Nting for as been pu long time. Everyone patted themselves on the back and it ended up being a twoyear bill. You cannot finance a bridge. You need that longterm certainty. It means on one hand the states are pursuing things on their own. On either side of us, virginia and maryland have taken action to adjust their transportation funding, and it is not just partisan. Red asing, which is as it gets, they have implemented a gas tax increase. So, states are not counting on the federal government anymore, so they are doing things on their own, but at the same time the federal program is very important to them. A number of states rely on that. Rhode island, for example, the small estate in our country country,state in our their state program simply matches the federal program. You could envision that if that is gone, rhode island has zero original dollars they could use. That is not the case in every single state, but there are states all across the country that are facing a backlog, stumpage, or other that issues. Programsheard about done under stimulus for these types of projects. Do states have access to that type of money . Guest that was a number of years ago, about five years ago. It is starting to wind down. I am sure some states have some money left, and one of the big forshes was 8 billion highspeed rail, and california is just starting to put shovels and the ground to build their project. Host as far as the legislation that oversees the trust fund, when did that run out, and when does it have to be renewed . Guest there are two different tracks. There is the policy, where d. O. T. Does, and that comes from the house transportation committee, and in the senate, environment and Public Works Committee has most of it. To big issue really is going be financing, which is up to the house ways and means means and e finance committees. Host your first call comes from john, democrat from maryland. Caller hey. Host john, go ahead. Good morning. Caller what i would like to say is, yeah. Host john, you are on the air. Caller what i would like to say, it seems like they are running out of money on any