Both can be found at theatlantic. Com. Thanks for joining us. We will take you live to the house floor. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions Copyright National cable satellite corp. 2012] the speaker pro tempore the house will be in order. The chair lays before the house a communication from the speaker. The clerk the speakers room, washington, d. C. , december 19, 2012. I hereby appoint the honorable Daniel Webster to act as speaker pro tempore on this day. Signed, john a. Boehner, speaker of the house of representatives. The speaker pro tempore the chair will receive a message. The messenger mr. Speaker, a message from the senate. The secretary mr. Speaker. The speaker pro tempore madam secretary. The secretary i have been directed by the senate to inform the house that the senate has agreed to s. Res. 624, relative to the death of the honorable daniel k. Inouye, senator from the state of ohio. Hawaii. The speaker pro tempore pursuant to the order of the house of january 17, 2012, the chair will now recognize members from lists submitted by the majority and minority leaders for morning hour debate. 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 each, to five minutes but in no event shall debate continue beyond 11 50 a. M. The chair recognizes the gentleman from oregon, mr. Blumenauer, for five minutes. Mr. Blumenauer thank you, mr. Speaker. The reality behind the fiscal cliff is that if we really get down to work, talking with one another, digging into the details, it really is not that hard. The Nuclear Arsenal is a prime example and something that doesnt get nearly the attention it deserves and is an illustration of why the fiscal sequestration level over the next 10 years for the department of defense, which would bring it down to 2007 spending levels adjusted for inflation, is really not that draconian. During the cold war, the United States spent on average 35 billion a year on its Nuclear Weapons complex. Today, it spends an estimated 55 billion. The Nuclear Weapons budget is spread across the department of defense, department of energy, the department of homeland security, and the government doesnt publicly disclose how much it is, but the last year that the elements were aggregated together, it spent at least 52. 4 billion, thats in 2008, according to the Carnegie Endowment for peace. That doesnt include classified programs and was five times the state department budget, seven times the e. P. A. And 14 times what the department of energy spent on Everything Else it does. Indeed, the president agreed to a 200 billion modernization in order to secure the approval of the strategic arms reduction treaty in the senate. Well, perhaps its time for us to take a step back and ask what is actually the purpose. Who is the enemy that this Nuclear Arsenal is going to destroy deter . The Nuclear Arsenal didnt stop iran from pursuing Nuclear Weapons. Its not helping us at all with the terrorists who are now the central focus of our security concerns. It doesnt help in iraq or afghanistan, and we basically have a stalemate between russia and china. Nuclear weapons have not been used since world war ii. They likely never will be, so why do we need landbased intercontinental ballistic missiles, bombers and submarine launched Delivery Systems, all three of them . Do we really need 12 new strategic submarines that will cost almost 5 billion a year if were lucky and contain costs . Who actually is being deterred by this massive spending and buildup . Exactly what are the circumstances 30 years from now that call for this massive stockpile of weapons and three redundant Delivery Systems . You know, recent articles in the post by walter, i think really focused on this, ordained priest in the post, g. A. O. Reports, you dont have to dig very deeply to find out that this is a bloated, flawed program with little tactical benefit for us now and a great deal of fiscal pain currently and well into the future. 1 years ago, president 21 years ago, president george h. W. Bush unilaterally announced landbased tactical Nuclear Weapons stationed in europe and an end to the deployment of tactical Nuclear Weapons on surface ships, attack submarines and landbased naval aircraft. Billions had been spent over the years on such weapons, but there was really never any plans for how to use them. Most have been dismantled and the United States today is no weaker. Most frankly have not even noticed. What could we accomplish over the next 10 years with the same sort of Bold Thinking on the part of the president , the pentagon and members in congress . Its time that we find out. The speaker pro tempore the chair recognizes the gentleman from texas, mr. Poe, for five minutes. Mr. Poe thank you, mr. Speaker. 27yearold marine corps john hammer served two tours in iraq and afghanistan. While he was on active duty, hammers battalion was hit very hard in fallujah, and 13 of his fellow marines were killed in action. When he came home to america, he suffered from ptsd, as many of our warriors do. He spent time in a recovery facility in california to cope with the mental wounds of war. Then in august, john decided to get some r r. He wanted to go to costa rica with a fellow marine, ian, and they wanted to go on a surfing trip. According to ian, surfing gave john a peace of mind and helped really with his therapy. So the two packed up their car with their surf boards and began their journey from florida to costa rica. Their trip took them through texas to the border, brownsville, texas. There they crossed the International Border into matamoros, mexico, and thats as far as they got. John carried with him 100yearold antique gun, a family air loom that belonged to his grandfather. When they arrived at the customs and Border Protection in texas, john did what he was supposed to do. He filled out all the necessary paperwork. He talked to u. S. Customs and verified with them that the gun did not violate any mexican law. The two allegedly handed the mexican officials the paperwork regarding the rifle, but instead of continuing on their way to costa rica to go surfing, hammer was immediately detavend, dragged away to detained, dragged away to a notorious jail in matamoros, mexico, where they jail narcoterrorists. This is a picture of the marine when he served america. This is a picture recently taken in the matamoros prison. As you can see hes in solitary confinement and like back in the old days chained to his bed because so he wont go anywhere all because of a mixup of what the law is and what should have happened to him at the border. So hes being held as a criminal because the size of the barrel of that rifle was apparently too long. Even though u. S. Customs told him he was not violating any mexican or american law in having the rifle. Hammer had no criminal intent when he took that old rifle into mexico. John hammer should not have to spend another holiday away from his family. Holidays he spent while he served as a marine and certainly he shouldnt spend a holiday away from his family in a mexican jail where he is illegally being detained. Obviously there appears to be a misunderstanding between u. S. And mexican officials with hammer literally caught in the middle of this. So the mexican president , enrique nieto, should intervene and have hammer released. It is the power of the mexican president to do this in a diplomatic way. So i ask he do so in releasing hammer by christmas. Mr. Speaker, this marine and veteran has spent his life defending freedom, defending america, taking care of america and its time that america take care of him by asking for and expecting his release from this mexican prison where he ought not to be. And thats just the way it is. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the chair recognizes the gentleman from maryland, mr. Hoyer, for five minutes. Mr. Hoyer thank you, mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent to revise and extend. The speaker pro tempore without objection. Mr. Hoyer i thank you, mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, for over 40 years, the Congressional Black Caucus has strengthened and enhanced the work of the peoples house. It does so by carrying into this chamber the voices of millions of americans who for too long in our history were voiceless. It represents millions of our citizens who contribute greatly to building our economy, defending our hard won freedoms and fighting for equal justice and equal opportunity for all of our citizens. The Congressional Black Caucus has been rightly known for a long period of time as the conscience of the congress. And, mr. Speaker, since he arrived here seven years ago, our colleague and my friend, Emanuel Cleaver, has been the conscience of the c. B. C. Representative cleaver, as most of us who serve with him know, but Many Americans might not know, wears multiple hats. He is not only the former mayor of kansas city, missouri, but hes also an ordained methodist pastor. Pastor cleaver is frequently called upon for words to deliver at my whip meeting on thursday mornings. I have said they are the highlight of our week, in many respects. Emanuel cleaver speaks to us about humanity, about caring, about respecting each of our colleagues on either side of the aisle, of respecting and honoring our responsibilities to our fellow citizens. In short, Emanuel Cleaver on a weekly basis appeals to the best that is within us, to reflect the best that is america. Emanuel cleaver will shortly be succeeded as president of the c. B. C. By marcia fudge from ohio. Like Emanuel Cleaver, a leader of conscience, a leader of great ability and a leader who will reach out to all of us as well and continue to lead this organization that we know is the conscience of the congress. As we talk about creating jobs, as we talk about caring for one another, as we talk about makinging life better for all americans, there is no more compelling voice than the Congressional Black Caucus towards that end. And there has been no compelling voice than that of my friend, Emanuel Cleaver. Emanuel, i expect your leadership to be enhanced as the days go by, but you have shown us an example of how one can serve with dignity, with grace and with effectiveness. Thank you. I yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the chair recognizes the gentleman from arizona, mr. Quayle, for five minutes. Mr. Quayle thank you, mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, i rise today to thank the people of the third Congressional District of arizona who put their trust and faith in me to represent them in the 112th congress. The people of our district are good, hardworking americans. They value their family, their country and their freedoms. It was an absolute honor to serve them in this congress. I would also like to thank my family and friends for their support throughout my life. Without them i would not be here today. Mr. Speaker, id also like to thank my tireless staff, both here in washington and back home in arizona, their dedication to our district and to our country was something that was amazing to watch. And over the course of two years, working day and night, they became a lot more than people i worked with, they became extended family. I thank them for that. Mr. Speaker, i want to finally thank, most importantly, my wife, tiffany, who a few years ago made me the luckiest man on the faith of the earth when she said yes to being my wife. I want to thank her for all of the sacrifices that she has made so that i could be in this house. She has held down a fulltime job all the while playing both mom and dad to our daughter when i was away from home. I can never thank her enough for all that she has done. Mr. Speaker, the past two years have been an interesting ride. Primarily because it was highly unlikely i would ever speak on this floor. You see, mr. Speaker, if you asked me five years ago if i would ever run for public office, i would have said no. Not because i dont value and honor Public Service, i certainly do. But the environment i grew up in, i saw the bad size of politics, and i didnt know if i wanted to put my family through the same trials and tribulations. How that all changed as i witnessed our country continuing to stray from our its founding principles and how we didnt reverse course, then we were going to lose countless generations because of lost opportunities. So, mr. Speaker, i ran for office not for a title, not for some unhealthy desire to be the center of attention, but to serve my fellow citizens and to be a part of a movement that would reestablish the belief that our countrys greatness comes from its people and not from the government. And to make sure that america remains the last great hope on earth. Two years ago we set out to accomplish those objectives. We didnt succeed. Not for the lack of trying, though. We did take steps towards solving the biggest and most severe issues that we faced. We must build on this and not shrink from solving the fiscal disaster that awaits us if we do nothing. Mr. Speaker, as this Congress Comes to a close in the next couple weeks, im confident that the members of the next congress will rise to the occasion and provide the solutions to a worried nation. However, my confidence is not limitless. If petty politics drives policy decisions, if one group is pitted against another for political gain, if personal destruction drowns out personal accountability, then sadly, the legacy of our great nation will be forever altered. And the world will be a dimmer place. I hope and pray it does not happen, mr. Speaker, but as i said, my confidence is not limitless. Thank you, mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the chair recognizes the gentleman from georgia, mr. Scott, for five minutes. Mr. Scott thank you very much, mr. Speaker. I rise to join some of my fellow colleagues in recognizing and honoring a distinguished gentleman serving in the congress of the United States, who is the chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, and that is representative, reverend Emanuel Cleaver. God has a way of having the right person serve at the right time in the right place. And we have such a person in our chairman, chairman cleaver. For chairman cleaver took office at a time of great turmoil and tumultuous. This tumultuousness. This country was experiencing and at the height of perhaps the most devastating financial crisis since the great depression, and chairman cleaver turned that situation into a tremendous positive. By bringing his insightfulness and by helping to share with the entire nation that while we did have great economic calamity, for every sector in our economy, nowhere was that damage as greatly felt as in the Africanamerican Community. And we were blessed to have a chairman that could articulate it with the sensitivity and with the intelligence and with the intellect to be able to express those very serious concerns that were impacting the Africanamerican Community in a way and in a manner that enveloped the entirety of the entire population of our country. Chairman cleaver became chairman at a time of the height of the tumultuous health care debate, where there was great passions that were brought to bear and expressions of demonstration, where hundreds of thousands of people gathered here in washington to express their concerns, but chairman cleaver provided a calmness, an impact that helped us to navigate those troubled waters. Very, very successfully. And when it came time to look at the disparates disparities of this Economic Impact and joblessness, he initiated job fairs in every Congressional District all across this country that helped people be able to get jobs. He addressed the health disparities, particularly as they impact the Africanamerican Community, in a way and in a manner that everyone was able to accept the reality. So we thank you, congressman cleaver, for the outstanding job that you have done. And we want to thank god for sending the right person to us at the right time. Thank you, chairman cleaver, and it is with my great honor to serve with you and thank you for your outstanding service. The speaker pro tempore the chair recognizes the gentleman from North Carolina, mr. Watt, for five minutes. Mr. Watt mr. Speaker, i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. The speaker pro tempore without objection. Mr. Watt and i want to join with my colleagues in expressing thanks and giving praise to our outgoing chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. Hes not leaving congress, hes just leaving the chairmanship of the Congressional Black Caucus. I dont usually come over here for these fiveminute speeches or oneminute speeches, but today i thought i would make an exception to say some things about our outgoing chair. And i want to make two points. First of all, contrary to the perception thats out in the world, there are no bad people in this body. All of us are good people who are here to serve the American People and our constituents in particular. I characterize us as all good guys and that includes female in that good guys category, too. But then there are people who, because of their particular qualities, i would put in a category of really, really, really good people. It doesnt take long to detect those people. It comes thro