losses or bankrupt the food industry. it simply lets consumers know where their food comes from. that is particularly important in this economy when not only food inspectors but food producers are stretched thin. consumers should be able to know when they are buying foods that were grown, raised, or produced right here in america. they have the right to know where their food was produced and to make their own choices about the food that they buy. in the past, there has been a bipartisan consensus that country of origin labeling is a good idea, that it keeps families safe and supports american farmers. in fact, the chairman, my counterpart, on the labor-hhs subcommittee, congressman rehberg of montana, has been a leader in ensuring strong country of origin labeling. we should continue that

bipartisan recommitment today, exempt country of origin labeling from the reins act. i urge my colleagues to stand up for public health and consumers' right to know and support this final amendment. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from kentucky seek recognition. for what purpose does the gentleman from kentucky seek recognition? mr. davis: mr. speaker, i rise in opposition to the motion to recommit. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. mr. davis: this motion is a distraction. it misses the point of this legislation entirely. we are here today to restore accountability for the regulations with the biggest impact on our economy. good, bad or ugly in our regulatory code includes all three, congress should be accountable for regulations that cost the american people $100 million or more annually. mr. speaker, the house is not in order. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is correct. the house is not in order.

would members take their conversations from the floor? the gentleman may proceed. mr. davis: thank you, mr. speaker. the reins act simply says that congress must work -- vote on these regulations, these major rules, before they can be forced on the american people. essentially, this motion to recommit repeats part of an exclusion already attempted in the mccarthy amendment that the house just voted down. it's purely a political motion. the reins act has been the subject of two hearings and a markup in the judiciary committee and was subject to an additional markup in the rules committee. today we had a robust debate and seven amendments, five of which were offered from the minority, on the floor. congress has a bad habit, writing legislation that sounds nice but leaves the dirty work to administrative agencies. this practice has allowed congress to claim aspects of laws and blame regulatory agencies for increased cost,

the otherwise negative effects of the legislations. agencies are starting to bypass congress by writing regulations that stretch the bounds of their authority. they have pushed items they could not get through congress, through regulatory actions instead. in other words, laws that could not pass in in the last congress is now trying to be implemented by regulation. what we proposed in the reins act is very simple. congress should at the very least be accountable for regulations with $100 million of annual economic impact or more. these rules are classified by the administration as major rules. the reins act is not anti-regulation and it is not pro-regulation. what we're saying is let's have a transparent and accountable process for implementing new regulations. according to a recent gallup poll, small business owners cited implying with government regulation is the biggest problem facing them today.

public notice found that a majority of americans say congress should approve regulations before it is enforced. our economy is struggling to recover and more than 14 million americans are out of work. congress needs to do a better job of a pro-growth environment that rewards entrepreneurship and ingenuity. everyone agrees that regulations could have a significant and detrimental impact on jobs in the economy. even president obama described regulations that stifle innovation and have a chilling effect in an op-ed for "the wall street journal" earlier this year. the reins act says congress should be directly accountable for the most expensive regulations that could stifle innovation and have an effect. i ask all of my colleagues to strike a blow for liberty, to vote for accountability. i oppose the motion to recommit, vote against the motion to recommit, support the reins act and i yield back.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back his time. without objection, the previous question is ordered on the motion to recommit. the question is on the motion to recommit. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the noes have it. ms. delauro: mr. speaker, a recorded vote. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from connecticut is recognized. a recorded vote? ms. delauro: recorded vote, yes. the speaker pro tempore: those favoring a recorded vote will rise. a sufficient number having arisen, a recorded vote is ordered. members will record their votes by electronic device. pursuant to clause 9 of rule 20, the chair will reduce to five minutes the minimum time for electronic vote on the question of passage. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote, the yeas are 183 and the nays are 235. the motion is not adopted. the question is on passage of the bill. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes have it. the gentleman from virginia. >> recorded vote. the speaker pro tempore: a recorded vote is requested. those favoring a recorded vote will rise. a sufficient number having arisen, a recorded vote is ordered. members will record their votes by electronic device. this is a five-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote, the yeas are 241, the nays are 184. the bill is passed. without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from florida rise? >> mr. speaker, i ask -- i send to the desk a privileged report from the committee on rules for filing under the rule. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title. the clerk: report to accompany

house resolution 487 to provide for consideration of h.r. 1633 to establish a temporary prohibition against revising any ambient air quality standards to limit federal regulation of nuisance dust under which dust is regulated and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: referred to the house calendar and ordered printed. the gentleman from florida. >> i ask unanimous consent that when the house adjourns today it adjourn to meet at 9:00 a.m. tomorrow. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. so ordered. for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? >> i offer a privileged resolution and ask for its meet consideration. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the resolution.

the clerk: house resolution 486, resolved, that the following named member be and is hereby -- mr. becerra: i ask that the resolution be considered as read and ordered in the printed. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the consideration is considered read. without objection, the resolution is adopted and a motion to reconsider is laid on the table.

pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, the chair will postpone further proceedings today on motions to suspend the rules on which a recorded vote or the yeas and nays are ordered or on which the vote incurs objection under clause 6 of rule 20. any record vote on a postponed question will be taken later. the gentleman from pennsylvania. >> mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 1254. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: -- the speaker pro tempore: does the gentleman offer the rule as amended?

mr. pitts: with an amendment. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the motion. the clerk: union calendar number 196, h.r. 1254, a bill to amend the controlled substances act to place synthetic drugs in schedule i. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. pitts, and the gentleman from new jersey, mr. pallone, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from pennsylvania. mr. pitts: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous materials in the record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. pitts: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman may proceed. mr. pitts: mr. speaker, h.r. 1254 was introduced by my friend and colleague from pennsylvania, representative charlie dent, in response to a

frightening trend of synthetic drug use in our communities. these synthetic drug substitutes made from chemical compounds that are sold legally in most states mimic the hallucinogenic and stimulant properties of drugs like marijuana, cocaine and methamphetamines. while these synthetic drugs is just as dangerous as their traditional counterparts, they are illegal. many families and young families in our communities do not realize the destructiveness of these synthetic drugs because of their legal status and they are wide availability and often harmless-sounding names such as bath salts and plant food, both cocaine substitutes. h.r. 1254 would first ban synthetic drugs that imitate marijuana, cocaine and

methamphetamines and, second, allow the drug enforcement administration to temporarily schedule a new substance for up to the three years. currently, d.e.a. can only temporarily schedule a substance for up to 18 months. i would like to thank congressman dent for working with the d.e.a. on this important issue, and i would urge my colleagues to support this commonsense and bipartisanly supported legislation. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves his time. the gentleman from new jersey. mr. pallone: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. pallone: mr. speaker, i'm pleased to support h.r. 1254, the synthetic drug control act. this bill enjoys bipartisan support and is aimed to eliminate commercial availability of harmful synthetic narcotics. under this proposal, hallucinogenic drugs would no

longer be able to hide behind the aliases. i was around the country, constituents have been able to utilize synthetic drug products to the detriment of their mental and physical health and in some cases costing them their lives. unfortunately, these imitation drugs are not illegal and there is a critical need to strengthen the federal government's ability to keep these harmful and dangerous drugs off the street. the synthetic drug control act add specific synthetic abuse of drugs to schedule i of the controlled substances act. it mimics drugs such as marijuana and can be unsafe causing convulsions, heart attacks. under current authority, the drug enforcement agency has difficulty taking action against these drugs because they have been designed to fall outside existing statutory

descriptions of schedule i drugs. h.r. 1254 will enable the drug enforcement agency to take enforcement actions to get them off the street and away from our nation's youth. mr. speaker, i urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this legislation, and i hope the way we work together on it can prove a model for our efforts on future legislation. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from pennsylvania. mr. pitts: at this time i yield five minutes to the prime sponsor of the legislation, the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. dent. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from pennsylvania is recognized for five minutes. mr. dent: thank you, mr. speaker. i certainly appreciate the support of mr. pitts and mr. pallone for their leadership on this issue. it's deeply appreciated. but this issue of synthetic or designer drugs was first brought to my attention by a woman, a mother in my district, whose son had been abusing legal substitutes for marijuana.

these cabarkapa -- these cannabinoid or marijuana, is one category of designer drugs. even more potent substances have properties similar to cocaine, methamphetamine, l.s.d. and other hard street drugs. these are marketed as innocent products like bath salts, plant food, insents and sold under brand names familiar to their users such as k-2 spice, vanilla sky or ivory wave. these are misnoemers. these drugs are no legitimate purpose period. h.r. 1254, the synthetic drug control act, drafted in consultation with federal law enforcement, has three principal components. first, a prohibition of broad structural classes of marijuana or the cannabinoids. two, stimulants and other designer drugs such as bath

salts, c 2--e,est. third, an expansion of the d.e.a.'s existing authority to ban a substance from 1 1/2 to three years. under current law the d.e.a. and health and human services can prove it is dangerous and, two, lacking legitimate value while it is temporarily ban, the prohibition will become permanent. over the past year there has been a sharp increase in a number of new reports dealing horrific stories of individuals high on synthetic drugs. a man in scranton, pennsylvania, stabbed a priest and another jumped out a three-story window, both high on bath salts. several deaths from west virginia to florida to pennsylvania to iowa have been attributed to abuse of synthetic drugs. senator chuck grassley has introduced similar legislation named after one of his young constituents who tragically

took his own life. a man fired a gun out of his window in a university neighborhood. police charges indicate he injected himself with bath salts and he later told police he thought there were people on the roof watching him. finally, i was approached by another mother whose son was hospitalized for over two weeks after suffering liver failure and other complications after injecting himself with bath salts. these substances pose a substantial risk, both to the physical health of the user as well as to the safety of those around them when these drugs contribute to dangerous, psychotic behavior, suicide and public engainingerment. the -- endangerment. the fact that they are legal has the misconception they are safe. and brand names and logos on the packaging promotes the concept of a consistent product. potency from one unit to the led has led to users to overdose. one of the major difficulties

in combating these designer drugs is the ability of producers to skirt the law with different chemical variations. by modifying the formula in some one, they can generate a new compound which circumvents legal prohibitions but seminar kotyk events. d.e.a. needs to temporary schedule new variations when they hit the market. and they usually hit europe first. then, they hilt the united states. a growing number of states, pennsylvania, has banned synthetic drugs but federal action is necessary for these drugs being obtained by crossing state lines or increasingly ordering them over the internet. i believe over 30 states have passed bans if memory serves me correctly. state-by-state differences in which individual substances are controlled and how strongly makes for a patchwork and federal legislation certainly will facilitate enforcement. the u.s. department of justice announced its support of h.r. 1254, as amended, by the house jewish in a letter dated

december 3, 2011. i submit that for the record. the american college of emergency physicians who note the devastating physical and psychotic affects of these drugs have also endorsed this bill. and i think that's quite significant as well. finally, go to a hospital like children's hospital of philadelphia, they tell you they'll get a case every day with individuals who are suffering from these particular drugs. and a year ago this time they probably got no calls. now every day, and that's not just typical in philadelphia but throughout the country. i urge my colleagues to support this legislation. you'll also hear some folks here today who might argue that the -- that medical research will somehow be impeded. nothing could be further from the truth. this legislation does not in any way impede medical research. i'd be happy to get into that at some point. my time has expired. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired.

the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. pitts, reserves his time. mr. pallone: mr. speaker, i'd like to yield now to the gentleman from maine, mr. michaud. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from maine is recognized for one minute. mr. michaud: i thank the gentleman for yielding. mr. speaker, i rise today as a co-sponsor and a strong supporter of this bill, the spread of synthetic drugs like bath salts have quickly reached crisis level in many communities throughout our country. this year in maine the bangor police department has responded to hundreds of bath salts-related incidents. in october i organized a meeting of local, county, state and federal law enforcement officials to discuss the spread of bath salts in our states. the message they shared with me is clear and the message they shared with the deputy director was clear, we need to give our

law enforcement officers more tools to combat this epidemic. a national law will build upon that good work and help make -- make this a bigger impact all across the country. so i urge my colleagues to support the synthetic drug act, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from pennsylvania is recognized. mr. pitts: at this time, mr. speaker, i'd like to yield two minutes to the gentlelady from florida, congresswoman sandy adams, who was formerly in law enforcement. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from florida is recognized for two minutes. mrs. adams: mr. speaker, october, 2010, a 31-year-old texas man committed suicide. he said, thanks, bath salts. january, 2011, in panama city,

florida, a daughter tried to attack her mother with a machete before fleeing the scene. she spent several days taking bath salts. an army sergeant killed his wife following a police chase. both had chemically altered bath salts. the couple's son was found dead with a plastic bag over his head and bruises on his body. these incidents led many states, including my home state of florida, to outlaw these often dangerous and deadly substances. . i added chemicals added to bath salts to induce a drug high to schedule i of the controlled substances act. these substances are not marketed for human consumption. this also is why i have joined representative charlie dent in his work to bring h.r. 1254,

which includes the billing i introduced in april to the floor today. you have heard no research can be conducted if this passes, but those claims are false. they can be conducted. research will continue to be done on schedule i chemicals. just listen on the e.r. doctors and poison control centers, who are both asking for this bill and both want this bill to save lives. too many lives have been lost and too many vial ept acts have already been committed due to these drugs. these dangerous substances are being packaged and marketed to our children, to our children, by using names like bliss, vanilla sky. bath salts. drug-altered bath salts. today i urge support for h.r. 1254 and get these drugs out of the hands of our children. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady's time has expired.

mr. pitts: continue to reserve. mr. pallone: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that the remainder of the minority time of h.r. 1254 be controlled by mr. scott of virginia by the committee on the judiciary. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the gentleman from virginia will control the time. mr. scott: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself 1/2 minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for 2 1/2 minutes. mr. scott: this bill will place over 40 chemical compounds on schedule i of the controlled substances act at a time when only eight of these substances can be found in the united states and does so in a way that sir couple vents the normal process of scheduling substances and does so without any scientific or medical research or evidence to support it. congress has a process for placing substances on drug schedules. the criminal code sets forth a process with the attorney

general and the secretary of health and human services must engage in to determine the proper prite of scheduling substances. the secretary must conduct a scientific and medical evaluation and provide recommendations about whether the substances being analyzed need to be controlled and this needs to be a scientific study, not a compilation of anecdotes. and there is a mechanism for addressing emergencies where the attorney general determines there is an emergency, the code provides that substances may be placed on schedule i up to 1 1/2 years while the evidence is being developed to schedule them. the judiciary committee, during our consideration, received numerous statements from pharmaceutical and medical researchers imploring us not to hamper their ability to determine medical uses by placing them on schedule i that makes it illegal to possess these substances without a

permit, even for research purposes. this includes promising research on the cure of par kin son's disease that would be compromised with this bill. the restrictions, once on schedule i are onerous. there are legal uses of these uses. when congress established the process for the secretary and the attorney general to do their due diligence and study the proper prite of placing substances on schedule i, we had a thoughtful process. and if we want to establish good crime policy, we need to follow that thoughtful process. h.r. 1254 circumvents that process and i urge a no vote on h.r. 1254 and reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from pennsylvania is recognized. mr. pitts: mr. speaker, i would like to yield four minutes to the gentleman from iowa, congressman tom latham.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from iowa is recognized for four minutes. mr. latham: i thank the speaker and for the opportunity the to speak today. i rise in support of h.r. 1254, the synthetic drug control act. this bill addresses an alarming danger to our kids that many american families may not be aware of. many american teenagers are experimenting with synthetic drugs that are like marijuana or other types of drugs. these products that are known as k-2, pure evil, cloud nine and other names can be bought legally at convenience store or so-called head shops and passed off as bath salts. in reality, users can experience unexpected anxiety attacks, extreme paranoia, hallucinations and thoughts of suicide and are in serious risk of harming themselves. our experience with this issue

in the state of iowa illustrates why a federal ban on these dangerous substances are so important. a year and-a-half ago yesterday, 18-year-old david rozka shot himself after taking k-2. in response to the tragedy, david's parents have led a campaign to outlaw synthetic drugs like k-2, and testified before congress about the dangers of the drug and enlisted the help of their representatives on cracking down on the sale and abuse of these substances. we must act on this issue to protect our kids and the time is now. the threat posed by synthetic drugs is dangerous and growing. in the past two weeks alone, there have been several cases where teens are injured or hospitalized. in polk county, three teens were involved in a high-speed crash after smoking one of these

crashes. in central iowa, a boy was hospitalized after taking synthetic drugs and having seizures, vomitting and hallucinations. i want to specifically thank the rozka family to relive the tragedy they have experienced in their efforts to prevent other families from experiencing the same heartbreak. this legislation and other efforts to address this threat to our children would not have occurred without their courage, strength and leadership. i'm hardened today that congress has listened to their message and is taking action. it's time to recognize how dangerous these substances are and ban their sale in the united states by collar filing their status as schedule i controlled substances. as a co-sponsor of h.r. 1254, i urge my colleagues to support the passage of this most important piece of legislation and i thank the gentleman and

yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from, mr. pitts, reserves his time. recognize the gentleman from virginia. mr. scott: i yield two minutes to the gentlelady from california, ms. lofgren. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from california is recognized for two minutes. ms. lofgren: we are all opposed to the damage that these drugs can do to the american people, but i have to express my opposition to this bill. my concerns about the bill and are its effect on scientific research. when a substance is on schedule i, it is difficult to obtain not only for legal purposes and researchers who wish to study its medical potential. while this may be justified for some drugs, it isn't a a restriction that should be implemented and that's because it becomes difficult for scientists to get permission to

obtain these molecules, even for scientific study that we need. in the united states, only 325 researchers have been able to obtain schedule i licenses at this moment. congress established the procedure for scheduling drugs and requires the scientific and medical evaluation. this bill would bypass this process rather than relying on scientific and medical experts. i have heard from faculty at a range of universities and they share the concerns about the impact. here is what one professor said at pharmaceutical sciences and associate dean for research at the university of wisconsin said, quote, the bill is a simplistic response to a social problem of great complexity. the world will get less medical and technical help with the low probability of helping anyone with a substance abuse issue. the list is too broad and would

restrict otherwise what would be important experiments. people with problems are already a serious concern. here is what the chief of the clinical pharmacology at university of san francisco said. restrict these substances? scheduling impedes access to chemicals in small quantities, has the potential to seriously hamper medical research. i would ask an additional minute. on balance, has the potential to seriously hamper medical research. on balance, the faculty are against this measure. and john armed, berkley center of green chemicals said, this effort is well intentioned but will cause more problems than it will solve. we are against drugs that harm our people, but we had no hearings in the judiciary

committee on this, and i think the placing of these molecules on schedule i is evidence of that lack of scholarship. these drugs need to be controlled but need to be controlled in such a way that there is no harm done to the vital scientific and medical research that we count on. i join mr. scott and urge a no vote on this bill in the hopes we can come back with a measure that accomplishes the worthy goals without doing damage to scientific research that will save so many lives. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from virginia reserves. the gentleman from pennsylvania. mr. pitts: i would like to yield two minutes to the gentleman from pennsylvania, former prosecutor, congressman pat meehan. mr. meehan: i rise in support of h.r. 1254 for the reason that as a prosecutor, i have seen the impact of what can be done when

children are lured to the false promise, sense that somehow because it's synthetic, it doesn't present the same kind of danger as the drugs that are often believed to be the most dangerous, the heroins and the cocaines. these are luring kids into a false sense of security. and this evidence isn't anecdotal. i have had a chance to visit an emergency department at one of the leading children's hospitals in the nation and we have seen a dramatic rise in families who are being affected because their children are coming in and are under the control of these synthetic substances. no less than the emergency college of emergency physicians for that reason supports this bill. but let me conclude by the comment that i think we have it backwards if we are saying that

somehow we are going to let these children be exposed while we wait and give some potential that there could be research done. i have worked with pharmaceutical companies and the d.e.a. to be able to get access to drugs that have been held under control. that can be done. just needs to work with the d.e.a. that's the solution not to put our kids at risk. thank you, mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from pennsylvania reserves. the gentleman from virginia is recognized. mr. scott: i yield five minutes to the gentleman from tennessee, mr. cohen. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from tennessee is recognized for five minutes. mr. cohen: i appreciate the gentleman from virginia yielding the time. i rise in opposition to this particular bill. not that i'm in favor of any of the particular drugs that are here, but just like ms. adams, my colleague from florida

mentioned, the state of florida has criminalized it. it seems interesting when the subject of the day comes up that there is a rush to action and forget states' rights, that there is the desire on gun bills to overlook the states and have a federal law on interstate shipment of guns and in this situation, drugs that should be criminalized and are criminalized at the state level and we are doing them more at the federal level. this would place more than 40 chemical compounds on schedule i without scientific evidence that doing so is necessary or warranted. it is a rush to legislate before we know the facts. this bill essentially bans these substances without any study whatsoever. i have read the press reports of young people who have been harmed by these substances and others and i'm very sympathetic. but we shouldn't legislate on the basis of this evidence. it is on shoot first ask

questions later that we have taken in this country for decades. our national drug policy should be driven by science, not politics. we have gotten a well deserved reputation here as a do-nothing congress a our attitudes towards clean air, global climate change has made this the no respect for congress as well. the d.e.a. has placed certain substances on schedule i while it conducts a review. if there is an emergency that requires temporary scheduling the other substances in this bill, the d.e.a. can do it as well but shouldn't circumvent the process that is established in law. i know the sponsors of this bill know about the emergency review process because the bill has doubled the length of time that it can be put on by emergency review on a schedule from 18 months to three years. it doubles yet. yet there has been no hearings that there is no hearing.

it was a knee-jerk way to respond to the issue of the day. this is a very serious issue and deserves serious consideration before we act. i fear that this bill continues the misguided policy that we created towards drugs in this country. look at marijuana, which congress placed on schedule i in 1970. . . let's put aside for a minute the question whether it has potential for abuse. certainly there's a lot of evidence it does not. but i think thousands of people who depend on marijuana to treat the effects of diseases such as aids, glaucoma, cancer and multiple sclerosis. it increases appetite and eases pain in a way that has helped thousands of people in the last

sames of life. but we treat drugs as a police matter, not a science matter. we ask to reschedule studies on marijuana to continue to research. they advocated wider research with quality controlled cannabis. none of this can happen with the tight restrictions we placed on cannabis. that's the situation we may find ourselves with -- in with some substances in this bill. there's no reason to make researchers go through hoop, it is nearly as easy to get permission to do reserge on a schedule one drug as to go to the vatican and ask for permission to -- for a grant to study birth control.

perhaps they belong on a lower schedule and schedule 2 would deter young people from using them, but we have no idea. we decided to throw the book and make them schedule one. maybe they shouldn't be scheduled at all. but maybe the -- but the scientists should be deciding this, not the congress. haven't we learn fled 40-year experience with the war on drugs, prohibition doesn't work. it fills up our prisons and places a mark on our citizens that can make job, housing and education nearly impossible to obtain. we should focus our efforts on educating young people about these substances and continue to do research about the benefits an risks instead of -- and risks. instead of basing our decisions on science, we are basing it on politics.

we need congress to make this decision on a scientific basis. the deform e.a. could use its emergency powers to temporarily schedule these substances while letting the scientific process play out. let's defeat this bill. if we put science first an politics second, maybe we won't be in single figures in the public's mind as an organization they support. part of the 9% level is because we to things in a rush to jum and politics and the issue du jour rather than allowing the scientific process and doing what is logically best for our nation prevail. i urk defeat of this bill and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from virginia reserves his time. the gentleman from pennsylvania. >> can i inquire how much time is left on each side? the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from pennsylvania has 6 1/2 minutes. and the gentleman from virginia has six minutes.

>> could i inquire how many speakers you have left? mr. scott: i have one remaining. >> i yield to the gentleman from pennsylvania many marino. mr. marino: i recently co-authored a letter concerning this very issue. i would like to read just a paragraph. as of october 4, 2011, the d.e.a. has 325 researchers conducting research with schedule one controlled substances. these resermingers include research centers and universities who seek to better understand the effects of schedule up with controlled substances. additionally, as of october 4, 2011, the d.e.a. has 3,983

active registrants who manufacture, research and conduct chemical analysis with schedule one controlled substances. many researchers who could and would conduct research to better understand the compounds controlled in the h.r. 1254 are already registered with the deferment e.a. which means there would be virtually no impact on ongoing research. as a former prosecutor for 18 years at the state and local level, i have seen firsthand what the disaster this drug causes. and -- may have another 30 -- may i have another 30 seconds? the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman veck niced. mr. marino: i've seen what this drug does. if it doesn't kill our children, it makes them suicidal, it makes them

incredibly violent and i still get calls as a former prosecutor from hospitals and emergency service personnel telling me the violence that a child under the influence causes not only on him or herself but emergency personnel. therefore i ask my colleagues to support this legislation. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. pitts, reserves his time. mr. pitts: i had another speaker arrive -- mr. scott: i had another speaker arrive unexpectedly. i yield two minutes to the gentleman. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. clyburn: -- mr. davis: i rise in -- before we haphazardly rush to a settlement we need to pause for what i call station

identification, so to speak. i'm thinking of the wrong bill. but i also rise in opposition to the synthetic drug bill, that's the one we're -- the synthetic -- i think there is not enough research. i think there is information still needed. i don't think that we are in a position to allow this action to take place and so i join in opposition to passage of this legislation and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from virginia reserves. the gentleman from pennsylvania. mr. pitts: we're prepared to close. i continue to reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from virginia is recognized. mr. scott: mr. speaker, in closing this bill circumvents

the normal process for scheduling drugs. most of the drugs in this pill can't be found in the united states and to the extent there is an emergency and needed knead to place these on a schedule, the attorney general has the emergency process to just put a drug on the schedule for a year and a half. medical researchers have asked us not to pass the bill because it will disturb promising research, particularly on parkinson's disease so they asked us not to pass this bill. we should follow the thoughtful process for scheduling drugs and defeat this bill. i yield back the balance of my time the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. pitts. mr. pitts: i yield to the prime sponsor of the bill, mr. charlie dent, for such time as he may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. dent: i do want to address a few statements i hard on the floor from my friends from tennessee and virn. my friend from tennessee maze some comments. i want to be very clear, these

drugs a dangerous, have a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use, which is why they belong on schedule one. schedules two through five are reserved for drugs used in legitimate medical procedures. we're talk about ski squle one here, not schedules two through five. second the f.d.a. is stated the drugs lifted in h.r. 1254 have no medical use and there are no i.n.d., investigational new drug studies, pending with the f.d.a. h.r. 1254 will not prevent further research into synthetic drugs. it's simply false to say it will. d.e.a. has a routine, well-established procedure in place to facilitate scientific study of schedule one drugs, including marijuana, cocaine and heroin. currently the d.e.a. has

licensed nearly 4,000, let me repeat, 4,000 individuals and other entities including universities, manufacturers, resergers and labs to handle schedule one drugs for scientific and investigational purposes. these are facts. also want to point out, too, my friend from virginia made some comments about the -- about, i guess, eight compounds having been found in the united states. actually, dozens of compounds have been found in the united states. many bath salt chemicals currently are in the united states but only three synthetic stimulants and five synthetic cabanoids have been found but they have to go chemical by chemical and deal with this on a chemical by chemical basis. we need to give the -- we need congress to give the d.e.a. more authority to get ahead of

this problem. we know these are coming in from europe. that's where they're coming from. there are some in europe right now. our goal is to get out in front of this before they have a chance to be exported to the u.s. another comment i heard about 325 researchers. 325 researchers, because that's all who have applied to do this type of research. d.e.a. is not in the business of turning researchers away, so i want to be clear on these points. there's so much more that can be said on, but again, research will not be impeded in any way. there's a mechanism, there's a process in place to do research on these schedule one drugs, well-est tablied, nothing to do with the medical marijuana debate, i heard that argued earlier, we're talking about synthetic marijuana, synthetic cocaine, this stuff is dangerous. some would argue worse than the real stuff. let's get to it. this is about public safety, this is about the health of our constituents, we know what is going on. somebody pointed out to me today that in a store in

washington, d.c., a few blocks from the capitol, somebody is selling this stuff my state and other states have seen this problem and we need to do something about it. deform e.a. is alarmed by this. justice is on board, deform e.a. is on board, let's do something good for the american people, let's pass the synthetic drug control act of 2011, it's in the best interest of the people, the best interest of our children and i yield back to mr. pitts. mr. pitts: i yield back the mans of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from pennsylvania yields back. all time having been yieldle -- yielded, the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 1254, as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspendedful the

gentleman from pennsylvania is recognized. mr. pitts: i object to the vote on the grounds that a quorum is not present and make a point of order that a quorum is not present. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to clause of rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, proceedings will resume on motions to suspend the rules previously postponed. votes will be taken in the following order. h.r. 944 de novo.

h.r. 2360, de novo, h.r. 2351, de novo, s. 683, de novo, s. cohnres. 32 de novo. -- s.con.res. 32 de novo. the the question is on suspending the rules and passing h r. 944 which the clerk will report by title. the clerk: union calendar number 109. h.r. 944, a bill to incorporate the rocks and small islands along the coast of california into the national monocumet -- monument managed by the bureau of land management and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill? those in favor say aye. those opposed, no in the

opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed an without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. . unfinished business is the question on suspending the rules and passing s. 535. the clerk: an act to authorize the secretary of the interior to lease certain lands within fort pulaski national monument. the speaker pro tempore: the unfinished business is the question on -- the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill. those in favor say aye. thope in -- those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the bill is passed and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table the unfinished business is the question on suspending the rules and passing h.r. 2360, which the

cleck will report by title. the clerk: h.r. 2360, a bill to amend the outer continental shelf lands act to extend the constitution, laws and jurisdiction of the united states into devices attached to the seabed of the outer continental shelf for production and support of production of resources other than oil and gas and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table the unfinished business is the passing of h.r. 2351. the clerk: h.r. 2351, a bill to direct the secretary of the interior to continue stocking fish in certain lakes in the north cascades national park,

ross lake national recreation area. the speaker pro tempore: the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. unfinished business is the question on suspending the rules and passing h.r. 1560. the clerk: union calendar number 144, h.r. 1560, a bill to amend the ysleta del sur pueblo and alabama and coushatta indian tribes of texas restoration act to allow the ysleta del sur pueblo tribe to determine blood quantum requirement for membership in that tribe. the speaker pro tempore: the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the

rules are suspended, the bill is passed and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. the unfinished business is the question on suspending the rules and passing s. 683. the clerk: senate 683, an act to provide for the conveyance of certain parcels of land to the town of manawa way, utah. the speaker pro tempore: those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. the unfinished business is the question on suspending the rules and agreeing to senate con current resolution 32. the clerk: concurrent resolution to authorize the clerk of the house of representatives to make technical corrections in the enrollment of h.r. 470, an act to further allocate and expand the ability of hydroelectric

power at hoover dam and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the concurrent resolution is agreed to and the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. the chair lays before the house the following enrolled bill. the clerk: senate 1639, an act to amend title 36, united states code, to authorize the american legion under its federal charter to provide guidance and leadership to the individual departments and posts of the american legion and for other

purposes. the speaker pro tempore: the chair will entertain requests for one-minute speeches. for what purpose does -- the the clerk: leaves of absence requested for mr. nadler of new york today and thursday, december 8. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the request is granted. the speaker pro tempore: under the speaker's anournsed policy of january 5, 2011, mr. levin is recognized for the designee of the minority leader. mr. levin: i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their

remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of special order. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. levin: we are here to talk about the need to extend unemployment insurance. the numbers are taggering. if we do not act by the end of this month, in january, well over one million people will lose their unemployment insurance and by mid-february, the total will be well over two million. and by the end of next year if we do not act, over six million people. as i said, these numbers are staggering, but the people behind these numbers are overwhelming. and we're here today to talk about the numbers and also talk about the people who are involved.

when we have had emergencies like this, we have never failed to act. today, we face an emergency beyond any we've seen since the great depression. and it's absolutely vital as a result that we act. i'm joined by some of my colleagues, and i want to call on them, and as i do so, i want to read stories and i'll start by reading just one story, and then call on one or more of my colleagues. let me start by reading what came in from a person in amherst , new hampshire. jackie. unemployment benefits helped me make ends meet to keep up with everything. now, they are gone.

my savings are long gone. my 401k is almost gone. i'm watching everything i worked so hard for my entire adult life slip away from me. i'm 50. i will never recover from this. i would like to call on the gentleman from texas, if he would like to join me. and i yield as much time as he shall consume. mr. reyes: i thank my colleague for yielding and time to speak on this very important issue here. and mr. speaker, recently, the department of labor reported that the national unemployment rate fell to 8.6% in november. its lowest point in nearly three years. in el paso, in the 15th district in texas, the unemployment rate has also declined. this is good news and very

positive news for not just our respective districts but for our country. we have been told by economists, once our economy gets going and operating at full strength, it can literally drive the economies of the rest of the world. and these positive signs make it evident that, in fact, our economy is moving forward, that we are on the road to recovery. however, as our economy continues to heal, we cannot afford to become complacent. instead, we need to immediately pass legislation that will help create jobs and put more people back to work. first, i believe, mr. speaker, that we must pass the american jobs act. my district, as well as districts of my colleagues in talking to them here would greatly benefit from the president's jobs act. for instance, el paso would

receive over $66 million to upgrade and modernize our schools to meet 21st century needs. in addition, school districts in the el paso region would receive funding to keep teachers from being laid off. for example, our largest school district, the el paso independent school district, would receive an estimated $45 million to keep teachers from being laid off and to perhaps hopefully continue to hire desperately needed teachers in our classrooms. these are smart investments on our part for the future, which will also boost our economy in the immediate future. second, we must extend unemployment benefits and i want to thank my colleague for highlighting this. and make sure that we extend unemployment benefits to those that are in desperate need.

in fact, these benefits are the only thing that stand between them and homelessness and going without. during this downturn, unemployment benefits have kept over three million people in food and clothing and the basic essentials and served as a booster to our struggling economy. we must protect these families who are still struggling and help them by the jobs act to find a stable source of income. i have heard, like many other of my colleagues here, many stories from those in my district that have had difficulty in the last months and years in finding a job. so, today, we cannot and we must not turn our backs on the american people. the american people that need our help and need the passage of the american jobs act.

they also need for us to step forward, stand with them and pass the unemployment insurance. rather than being distracted and being misled by the -- our colleagues on the other side of the aisle, we must focus on our priority, which should be the creation of jobs, the passage of the unemployment insurance and getting this economy going. so i pledge to my colleagues here that we must continue to work together to create jobs, not just for el paso and not just for texas, but for our country. and when we talk about the united states' economy that literally drives all other economies, people around the world are waiting for us to work together to get this done. so, with that commitment, we can turn things around. we are seeing some very positive

signs. and we must continue to work for all the people that have sent us here to do that work. with that, i want to thank my colleague for yielding me time. and yield back my time. mr. levin: thank you very much to the gentleman from texas for joining us and explaining what this means in his state and throughout the country. we are determined to tell the stories. and as i said, to put faces on these numbers. and to do that, i'm joined with other ways and means democrats to launch and extend unemployment program ecall web site. 2,590 americans have joined the e call, and we have received 501 stories from jobless americans and before i call from the gentleman from illinois, i would

like to read a couple more. this is from nick of clinton township, michigan. i was unemployed from august, 2008 until 3, 2010 after working 23 1/2 years of my job. my job went to brazil. had it not been for extended unemployment benefits, i would have lost my house. nick of clinton township. and let me read what was said by peter of warren, michigan. i was permanently laid off from american axle and worked there 15 years and our jobs were sent to mexico. as of this time, i have not found a job. i have been looking over two years now, and nothing in michigan. i am in the t.r.a./t.a.a. program to be re-educated, but

my benefits will run out before i finish my school and will not get the degree in my field. again from peter of warren, michigan. i now would like to call, if i might on the gentleman from illinois to join us and then, if i might, the sponsor of this legislation, mr. doggett of texas. . . >> let me thank the gentleman. i want to commend him for the tremendous leadership he provides as the ranking member of the ways and means committee. mr. davis: mr. speaker, it is december 7 and republicans still have not enacted legislation to protect the millions of americans hardest

hit by one of the worst economic crises in our nation's history. the well being of six million americans, including 100,000 from my home state of illinois, hangs in the balance. our nation is in an unemployment crisis and we must act now to help our citizens. at this time last year, republicans emphasized that the economy was so horrible that the wealthiest americans needed two years of tax cuts, yet they only saw the need to help the unemployed for one year of emergency assistance. now one year later, as the emergency assistance runs out, republicans remain comfortable with the $180 billion in tax breaks for the wealthiest 3% of americans. but they cannot support $50 billion in 2012 to help

millions of the neediest of americans, never mind any consideration of helping the millions of americans who have exhausted their federal benefits and still can't find a job. our nation, yes, is indeed in an unemployment crisis. over 45% of all unemployed workers, more than six million people, have been out of work for more than six months. there are approximately 6.4 million fewer jobs now than at the beginning of the great depression. the department of labor day ta show that there are over 4.2 unemployed americans for every one job. even if every job was filled, 8.9 million citizens would remain unemployed. during this proteakt -- the department of labor statistics

show that there are over 4.2 unemployed americans for every one job. unemployment funds have kept millions of americans from talling -- falling into poverty. the economic program provides $2 in economic stimulus for every $1 of unemployment benefits in the economy. the federal unemployment program saved or created 1.1 million jobs as of the fourth quarter of 2009 alone. and the economic policy institute estimates that preventing unemployment benefits from expiring could prevent the loss of over 500,000 jobs. our nation is indeed in an unemployment crisis and we must act now to help our citizens.

we cannot protect the wealthy while ignoring the millions of americans hardest hit by one of the worst economic crises in our nation's history. we cannot deliver a wind fall to the privileged and deny the poor. such a position is not responsible leadership and such a position is not consistent with american values. so i join with my colleagues in urging the republican leadership to protect vulnerable americans by extending the unemployment benefits. i want to thank you, mr. levin, again, for the opportunity to participate and i yield back my time. mr. levin: i thank the gentleman from illinois for your distinguished service and your passion. -- and your passion that you bring to this and so many other issues. i want to yield to the gentleman from texas who is the lead sponsor and ranking member

on the relevant subcommittee, but before i do that, since you're from texas, i want to read one of the hundreds that we've received, words from people who are the unemployed. this is jesse of san antonio, texas. i quote, i've submitted over 350 job applications and have only been called for two face-to-face interviews and five over-the-phone interviews. i am a disabled navy veteran whose appendix ruptured in october, 2010, and was filled with cancer cells. my state benefits expired at the end of august and now my federal benefits will expire in sticks weeks. it seems no one is hiring

adults over 56 years of age. i'm a very good, positive employee and i feel that with every job application, i'm due to get hired soon. please help me in any way possible. it's now my privilege to yield to the lead sponsor of this legislation, lloyd doggett, from the great state of texas. mr. doggett: thank you, mr. chairman. i still call you mr. chairman, though the formal leadership of the committee has changed with the change in the majority here in the house. and i guess if you were in fact still the chairman with full authority, we would not be here, nor would there be any unemployed individual in the united states among the millions whose benefits would expire next year who would be wondering the night before christmas what would happen the day after their unemployment coverage expired next year.

we face a great challenge and as you have been pointing out in describing vims like jesse, a retired -- not voluntarily retired, but retired, removed if the work force, by unemployment in san antonio, these are very real human beings, not just unemployment statistics. with over six million fewer jobs than when the recession began and more than four workers competing for every job opening, too many americans have nowhere to go. they're like the lyrics from that working man song of the nitty-gritty dirt band, had me a job till the market fell out, i need a job for these two hands, i'm a working man work nowhere to go. if our republican colleagues

continue to insist that unemployment is caused by the unemployed instead of by the troubling economy we have, there will be about another five million americans with nowhere to go looking as to where they will find the resources to put food on the table, make the car or pickup truck payment, take care of the kids and meet the other necessities of life if their unemployment insurance expires. while the republicans continue to have a really factless finger pointing at the unemployed, i think it is past time for us to lay the facts straight out on the table and respond to some myths they have been promoting. fact, an unemployment check is not a substitute for a paycheck. people like jesse know that. an unemployment benefit usually amounts to a fraction of what a worker was making before

someone lost his or her job. fact, unless you are actively searching for a job, getting job training for a new job, or are on temporary layoff, you're not likely to be entitled to an unemployment check. i'm not for just paying people to be idle. but these are individuals who are either getting training, who are actively involved in a job search, or the few that are in the temporary layoff category there is little evidence to support the republican claim, repeated again and again, that unemployment insurance benefits are a significant factor in discouraging folks from going out and looking for work. fact, to receive extended benefits, an unemployed person is required to accept reasonable offers of employment. two out of three of the unemployee red spondents in the survey and 80% of those who were receiving unemployment

benefits said they were willing to take a pay cut in order to get a new job. as so many americans have had to do with the challenges in our economy. fact, one economist estimates that for every $1 we spend on these unemployment insurance benefits, about $1.61 in economic activity comes back. in fact, some of the estimates from one group that began its survey back during the bush administration for the department of labor say it's even higher than that in terms of the economic rewards. so i believe that we must create jobs, certainly, we must do the kind of things that this congress has failed totally to do in terms of job creation and promoting economic recovery. but we also must provide a vital lifeline for those folk whors out there actively searching for work and the jobs are just not there for them. the facts are clear, the time

for us to extend unemployment coverage is now. not to wait until next year, not to wait until christmas, not to wait until these families are faced with the critical situation of not having the unemployment insurance coverage they should have to meet these basic necessities, but to act right now in the next few days and it's for that reason, as you well know, that we are working together to try to get this unemployment insurance coverage extended. as it has been done often on a bipartisan way sis in the past whenever the unemployment rate was at a level near what it is today. so hopefully in our sounding the alarm here again tonight in your telling these stories about individual americans and what a los of this coverage means, we can begin to involve and get the support of more of our colleagues to do what we

really need to have accomplished, just as soon as possible. mr. levin: thank you. what we're trying to do, as you say, is to bring america into this debate. because if the faces are shown and the voices heard, our faith is that somehow we'll act. and as you say, republicans tend to blame the unemployed instead of blaming themselves for inaction. and we're not going to leave here, we're not going to leave here until there's an extension of unemployment benefits. isn't that correct? that's your pledge. mr. doggett: it is our pledge. there's too much at stake here. this congress has been incredibly unproductive you might think it had been unemployed for much of the last year. and we need to stay in complete -- stay and complete the work,

this is work that was done practically on christmas eve last year when this extension was in jeopardy again. we ought not to go right down thth wire like that again. there's no rb that -- reason that this could not be done in the coming week but for this ideological commitment saying that unemployment insurance coverage is not good for the economy. the facts don't bear that out. the individual stories that you're telling us about tonight, those are the individuals, those are the families that have so much at stake. of course because of this economic effect, those unemployed families, when they get $1 of unemployment insurance, they have to spend that dollar. they may be spending it at the grocery store they may be playing a landlord or mortgage company. they may be paying on their credit card or their car, just to have the basic necessities of life and that's why the economic impact on small businesses is so significant

from doing what we would need to do in order to support these families engaged in an active job search or getting the retraining and retooling they need to have an opportunity for a job in the future. mr. levin: it's so important that you've talked about the facts. the more ewe discuss the facts about unemployment insurance and the more we talked about the unemployed, the more persuasive is the need for action. there's so much mythology and the stories help to blast the mythology. i just would wish that we could get into the shoes, there are six million whose benefits are threatened here. if you lined up the six million from here, they go, i think, to hsu falls -- to sioux falls,

south dakota, but it's hard for us to receive the stories or obtain them because under the privacy act we don't know the names. that's why you and i and others have joined to essentially have a website so people can tell us how to reach us. but your recitation of the facts is so important because in the end, i think the facts will prevail, the stories will be telling, and so, mr. doggett, you've been such a lead person on this, you're the lead person on this legislation, so many of us have been working on this, as you said, one of the facts is, we have never failed to act and this is a deeper recession than we've known. . there are now seven million

fewer jobs in the economy today compared to when the recession started in december of 2007. seven million fewer jobs. and so when people search, they are often hitting a wall. and by the way, this gentleman, jesse refers to his age. and it's very true that the older -- they're not very old -- people are having trouble. i had a forum in michigan, and it was so heartbreaking that a person said to me, i would guess in her 50's, that i've taken all of the years off of my c.v., when i went to college, when i graduated, when i first had a job and the date of every position she had because she's

afraid that when these resumes come in, people look at the age and a stonewall is hit. and it's my privilege to join with you. and i now would like to have join us a very distinguished member from california. and if you give me a minute, barbara lee, i want to find a story from california. and so if i might just read this before i yield to you. this is benjamin of los angeles, california. and i quote, i have been actively looking for work for eight months now. unemployment insurance has been crucial in my survival. it has literally kept me alive.

it's allowed me to buy food and pay all my bills. bills have no conscience. they come regardless if one is working or not. i really feel or and extend my empathy to those who are unemployed and have children. i wholeheartedly support the emergency extension of unemployment insurance. benjamin of los angeles, california, your home state. you do such honor to your state and the whole nation. and it's my privilege now to call upon the gentlelady from california, barbara lee. ms. lee: thank you so much. first of all, let me thank the gentleman from michigan for those very kind words. more importantly for your leadership on so many fronts and for caring about those who have

fallen through the cracks at this point and for the very sobering special order tonight, because this is very sobering on the need for extension of unemployment benefits for millions of americans who are struggling to find work. while we received some welcomed news on the unemployment rate last week with the national unemployment rate falling to 8.6% from 9%, we cannot stop. we cannot abandon the millions of job seekers during the middle of a fall tering recovery. failing to extend these benefits would crip will our economy and cost the economy over half a million jobs. the slow pace of private sector job creation is not because of job regulations or uncertainty in the tax code, if you speak to any business person, they will tell you they are not hiring because they don't have

customers, abruptly ending unemployment benefits during the holiday season is mean and it's wrong, morally wrong and would strip two million customers out of the economy. by march and over six million customers out of the economy by the end of the year. this is morally wrong. this is not who we are as americans. we cannot make a worse decision than to crip will our economy by failing to protect millions from poverty, because that is just what unemployment benefits do. it keeps one million children from falling into poverty. we must extend this critical benefit to workers who are laid off through no fault of their own before the end of this year. hidden within the positive 4% drop of unemployment is the discouraging news that over 300,000 americans dropped out of the work force and that the long-term unemployment picture

is not improving, with the average length of unemployment now rising from 39 weeks to 40 weeks. not only must we immediately extend the emergency unemployment benefits, about we should also pass legislation that congressman scott and i myself have introduced, h.r. 589, which would add an additional 14 weeks of tier one unemployment benefits for the millions of americans who have already completely exhausted their benefits and i hope that the republican leadership would bring that bill to the floor for an up or down vote. we can't ignore people who have hit the 99 weeks because unfortunately when we extend unemployment benefits, there will be two to three million people who won't be covered. we can't ignore the needs of millions of americans who are running out of time and losing

their homes and relying more and more on our help. in addition, there was a startling rise in the african-american unemployment rate to 15.5%. there can be no clear reminder of the ongoing racial and ethnic disparities that continue to plague our nation and keep minority communities suffering higher rates of unemployment, poverty, near poverty and tragic health disparities like higher rates of h.i.v. rates of infection. when the unemployment picture improved, african americans faced a marked increase in their unemployment. that means we must take immediate and bold action to implement targeted programs and policies to ensure that we truly are a nation that provides equal opportunity and leaves no one behind in terms of accessing the

american dream. now, congressman levin, i held a job fair in my district a few months ago. thousands of people showed up in oakland for the few jobs, four jobs for one person that were available. but let me tell you, people want to work, they want to work. we and the congressional black caucus have held job fairs across the country, thousands of people showed up for limited jobs. i can say with certainty, people want to work. people want to work. and so, we have to extend the safety net or this bridge over troubled waters until we figure out how we can deal with the politics of getting the american jobs bill act -- the american jobs act passed and also other opportunities and legislation to provide jobs for people, because people want to work. so we have to extend this unemployment compensation until we do that.

we have to save our economy and millions of struggling families from poverty and immediately pass and extend unemployment benefits now. let's not forget the two million-plus people who hit the 99-week limit who will not be eligible for an extension unless we include them in these initiatives and in this policy. mr. speaker, we have a lot of work to do. we have a lot of work to do, but i know we intend to stay here until we do our job, until we extend this bridge of troubled waters, the safety net for people just to survive. that's all this is, just for people to survive. if we don't do that, you know, those of us who call ourselves people of faith, really need to come to grips with our faith and who we are and how we propose to move forward within the context of looking out for and making

sure that the least of these are addressed and taken care of until we can provide them those opportunities and dismantle those barriers so they can re-ignite the american dream, because it has turned into a nightmare for millions and millions of people. congressman levin, i thank you again for this collarion call to our conscience. it should prick our conscience and say tomorrow, let's pass this now. the holiday spirit is upon us. people need certainty in their lives and need to know that they have a bipartisan effort to help them through this period and need to know that we are going to work hard to pass the american jobs act so they can finally get a job, because that's what this is all about and people want to work. mr. levin: thank you for your eloquent statement. as you said, this is one estimate, four people for every

job. you mentioned -- this is a matter of faith. few weeks ago, i met a minister. i had never met him before, and we got talking about the challenge of unemployment insurance. and i paraphrase what he said to me. this is a challenge to america's soul. thank you very much. ms. lee: thank you. mr. levin: before i call on the distinguished colleague from wisconsin, i want to read one more story. and i have a story from -- that's given to us, one of the more than 400 from nathan of madison, wisconsin. so let me read this before i call on my distinguished colleague and friend from wisconsin, gwen moore.

this is what nathan of madison, wisconsin sent us. i quote. i have been unemployed twice in the past five years and they were not by choice. i have a master's degree in organic chemistry and worked in pharmaceutical industry since finding a job out of school in 1998. after two years with my first company, i received a double promotion. so my layoffs have not been due to my performance ability or capabilities. anybody who says unemployed people are lazy or have it good are ignoring the fact that people are hurting across the board. from your fellow resident of the state of wisconsin.

it's now my distinguished privilege to yield to you, ms. moore, from the state of wisconsin. ms. moore: absolutely. let me start out by thanking you for this special order. and that letter is just one in -- you know in 58,000 people just off the top of my head that will be immediately affected by our inability to expand unemployment insurance. that's one story. and as you indicated, it's a person who has -- is from madison, wisconsin, well educated, and cannot find a job in this recession. you know, i just think it is really curious and i would like to engage in a dialogue with you about this, you being the ranking member on ways and means and maybe you could help me understand better, that our colleagues in the majority, the narrative in the country for them is they want to preserve

benefits for millionaires and billionaires. they want to preserve corporate tax expenditure benefits for corporations. they want to maintain foreign profits for certain funds. they want to maintain a very high exemption, tax exemption for estates over $5 million. they want to maintain capital gains benefits, benefits on death dividends. so i'm just curious, representative levin, why they don't want to provide this governmental benefit for unemployed people. . .

this is very distressing to me when i think about who the unemployed people are. when i think about who the majority party wants to preserve benefits for and who would benefit from this unemployment insurance, there's a stark contrast. perhaps that explains why there's a reluctance and unwillingness and unreadiness to provide this benefit. as you know, the overall national unemployment rate dropped from 9.1% recently to 8.6%. that's something that i think we can claim some victory for. but when you peel back the curtain and dising a gate these numbers, you're going to see there's a sharp, problematic -- -- and disaggregate these numbers, you're going to see a sharp, problematic racial undertone. when you look at unemployment for white men, their

unemployment dropped from 7.9% to 7.3%. while -- and that's very high. but black men endured a spike from 7.2% unemployment to a disturbing 16.5% unemployment. and so those lowered unemployment rates certainly do not reflect what's happening in the african-american community. then of course, according to the bureau of labor statistics, unemployment declined for every demographic within the white community. teenagers, men, women, but it actually increased for every measured group within the african-american community. men, women, and teenagers. even worse is the fact that after the recession is over, black unemployment won't be any better than white unemployment is right now. i guess that's the sort of

racial -- that's just sort of racial inequality 101. when we peel back the layers of this improved community, what we find, mr. levin, mr. speaker, is that single mothers, women, are suffering and they are some of the most hardest hit. as you recall, as you recall, mr. levin this institution on a bipartisan basis, i understand i was not here when mr. newt gingrich was speaker of the house, they decided that the most important legislative initiative they could undertake is end aid to families with dependent children and put women and children under the vagaries and vi sis tuesday of a cyclic -- and vicissitudes of a cyclical economy. now that we have an economy that is as bad as it was during the great depression, we can look at the unemployment

numbers aamong women, especially sickle women and we'll find that some very, very distressing data, poverty among women climbed from 14.5% in 2010 to 13.9%. the highest in 17 years. and according to a recent report by legal momentum, recent census data on poverty paints a bleak picture for single mother families. this report finds that the poverty rate for single moms, people who, by definition have to feed their kids every night, reached 42.2%. last year. up from 38.5% in 2009. and way up from 33% in 2000. it is chilling to contemplate the predicament of women and children with no aid to

families with dependent children, no entitlement, when you consider you've got folks like the gentleman you described in your letter who has a master's degree and cannot find a job and a mom with kids is competing in the same job market. i mean, there's a great deal of need for these populations which even as the economy begins to show growth, they're forced to make cuts in the family budget. you know, they're living with food insecurity, not enough food and the quality of the food is not good. eliminating health insurance. i know families in my district who are taking medicines every other day. doing without transportation, clothing, utilities cut off -- utility cut offs are very prevalent. mr. levin: let me just if i might, i have some of the letters, let me read a letter

talking about a single parent. i quote, i never thought i would have to start all over again looking for work in my late 40's. i hadn't even been one year cancer-free. i'm a single parent of a teenage daughter, when my job terminated, so did my medical insurance. i had to move back to my mom's house, i could no longer afford my rent, car note, and insurance and the basic, everyday needs of raising my daughter and keeping my own place. please don't take away u.i. so soon. people like me need to keep it until we can find full-time work to take care of our families and help us keep our self-esteem. ms. moore: that is a very

moving letter. you say she had to move back into her mom's house with a teenage daughter. teenage kids, they need other things than just food. i mean, something like toilet paper, becomes an issue when you are sharing a household and you don't have enough money to make those contributions. and you know, the thing -- the other thing that makes me very curious, representative levin, is the rhetoric around the desire to help small businesses. do you realize that if we don't extend this unemployment benefit, economists have calculated that in 2012 this will take $90 billion out of the economy. you'll buy that teenager shoes because you're -- you don't buy that teenager shoes because you're unemployed. mr. levin: that's true.

we are focusing today on the stories of the unemployed, to put a face on the numbers. it's also true, and you referred to it, that it's also important for the economy of our country because every economist, i think, without any exception, everyone says that unemployment insurance is one of the two most beneficial instruments that we have in terms of putting money back into the economy because people who are unemployed and receive their insurance, they work for it. spend it. -- and receive their insurance, they worked for it, they spend it. and we have other stories from single parents, let me just if i might read another story if i might. and then perhaps we should ask the gentlelady from texas to join us if she would like.

but let me just read this. i'm a military spouse that was forced to move and leave a great-paying office management position since my husband was transfered to a new duty station. i have applied for jobs that were pairly -- that would barely cover our bills so i can be among the working again. my soldier can't afford to support us on a military income and it's not just about me, i have a son to think of. i hope and pray that an extension is approved so that it doesn't cause our family structure to crumble. i believe that an extension should be approved as it is keeping not only my family, but millions of other american families, from drowning in a

sea of financial ruin. that's from rachel of california. it's now my privilege to yield to the gentlelady from texas. ms. jackson lee: i thank the gentleman very much an thank him for his leadership on this issue. and reading these passionate letters, i don't know how anyone could bring us to the brink of disaster as where we find ourselves today. i want to read from the u.s. department of lay por a simple sentence that i think speaks volumes. the unemployment insurance system helps the population most directly affected by recessions. those who have lost jobs through no fault of their own. mr. levin, you have heard my colleague speak of the double digit unemployment in distinctive population the young, recent college graduates, african-americans, and latinos, who remain at the bottom of the heap but who are looking for jobs every day,

reminded of a job fair at a church in houston, texas, where throngs came seeking opportunity, and basically re-- refuting the commentary of one presidential candidate no longer in the race, mr. kain, who said if you're broke -- mr. cain who said if you're broke and unemployed, it's your fault. now the frontrunner, mr. gingrich, says poor children have no role models, their parents don't get up and go to work, they haven't seen anyone go to work. how outrageous to speak about those who have lost their job, their children are poor and they would blame the victim. so i think it is crucial that we pass this legislation an we have never, mr. levin, not passed this legislation when unemployment in our country has been near 9.1%. it is not 9.1% but very well

near there. and unemployment benefits will keep us from losing over 500,000 jobs. it also also -- it will also help some of the bankrupt states. there are states that are in fact looking to $5 pl in tax hikes so employers in nearly two dozen states. these provisions will stop putting $5 billion in tax hikes on employers in nearly two dozen states as well as provide $1.5 billion interest relief. some of these very members who may be objecting to this, debating about it, come from states who are themselves facing a question of solvency. because of the unpliment -- unemployment insurance. where is the life raft, if you will? where is the helping hand? where is the rescue for the people who are desperate?

might not be able to see this, but it's a very small picture of a person living in a disastrous home impacted by hurricane ike. there was some decision about some funds going there in houston, texas, today, i'm not happy with the meager distribution to help people like this, they're not getting all the money they need, i can assure you if they're living in homes like this, many times they may also be unemployed system of they're living in devastated houses and in many instances their need of food on their table -- they're in need of food on their table, they are likewise trying to provide for their children, and they don't have the resources. mr. levin: let me just, if i might, you refer to a particular situation. let me read from another story, if i might. ms. jackson lee: please do. mr. levin: i quote, this is linda in seattle, washington, i'm a person, a hardworking american person at that, and i

will be forced to live on the streets if e.u.c. is not extended. it terrifies me and if it happens, the struggle i will face to once again be a productive member of this society in these times by myself is not one that i'm likely to win. there are thousands of stories just like mine that won't be told here. we are people. we have faces. and lives and dreams. just like everyone who still has a job. i am telling you, we will be on the streets without this extension. and only some of us will ever make it back from that. ms. jackson lee: i -- first we read about a mother and her child that has to move back in to their family's residence, or

parents' residence, these are now senior citizens, then you tell me about someone who is actually going to be homeless, then we hear about a person that is degreed, has the ability to contribute to the engine of this economy and science, and they're unemployed and then if you would, mr. levin, just look, i'm on the floor with mr. garamendi of california, the gentleman from california, and we use this to show how flatlined our working and middle class have been in terms of their growth of their income and we see the top percent of wealth right here shooting up to an enormous amount that is the blue line, this is how the wealthy have progressed and grown, and then we hear our friends saying, the poor little rich person, where the very rich person in this group, because i'm not involved in class warfare, is saying, we

understand and we're willing to have the burden of sacrifice with the benefit of living in this great country, and so when we look at this wealth, think about this woman who is saying she is near homelessness and think about the 160 million americans that if we do not do a payroll tax cut, but think about most of all, the six million americans who will be left to homelessness in contrast to the enormous wealth that is on this poster board and the meager proposal of surtax on the 1% for 10 years starting in 2013 to pay this off and to keep solvent social security, it is unbelievable that we would not rush to do this as we are nearing the holiday season. i am just noting for you, mr.

levin, just to say that the powerful, passionate letters you have read are volumes in terms of those who are seeking our help and for anyone that's been to occupy houston or occupy wall street or occupy any city, if they talk to the people individually, they will know that these are simply hurting americans who have lost their jobs, who are seeking to come and seek opportunity, they want to work an everyone that i have spoken to, the lady who is here with this home, 56 years old, i know that whether she's employed or not, the conditions of her home suggests that she is in need and the homeless persons because they have no job are in need. i don't believe the wealthy that are speaking on this particular poster board would argue about the solution that you have come to and that you are advocating and that those who are writing in are saying they're asking, just give me a

lifeline and help me to survive. i'm prepared to stay here, mr. levin, as you've indicated to make sure we do right by the people who are so much in need. mr. levin: that leads me to the last letter i'll read. i think my time is about to expire. i read from ralph of warren, michigan, because your chart shows what's at stake for middle class america. unemployment insurance must be extended so you can pay your bills and buy food. without this insurance you will see the foreclosures go through the roof. and he concludes, start looking out for the middle class that built this country. and this issue of extension of unemployment insurance is critical for all america and it surely is critical for the

middle class that helped to build this country and that now in the millions are finding they've lost their job, they're looking for work, they can't find it. we need to respond and we need to respond right now and i close with this pledge from all of us on the democratic side in the house. we do not intend to vote for a motion to adjourn until we have acted on the payroll issue, continuing it, on the physician reimbursement issue and very much so on extending unemployment insurance so the people out of work through no fault of their own can be assured there won't be millions of people in this country

beginning the first of january who are left out in the cold. i thank all of my colleagues and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. under the speaker's announced policy of january 5, 2011, the gentleman from florida, mr. mack, is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader. mr. mack: thank you, mr. speaker. and i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. mack: thank you. you know, i think there's a lot of people back home who are watching this debate unfold and more importantly are watching the congress and the administration. and, you know, i think a lot of people at home are scratching their head. they're saying, we the people are outraged at this administration and this congress and they should be.

the white house and their liberal allies in congress and the media go on a nonstop bashing of a group of americans who are productive and hard working. class warfare is as despicable as any other type of stereotyping and putting citizen against citizen for political gain is outrageous and it's wrong. the people are told, listen to this, the people are told that a tax cut is a tax increase or a tax increase isn't really a tax increase because there are savings that can be made wrells. that doesn't even make -- elsewhere. that doesn't even make sense. only in washington can someone say we have to pay for a tax cut . think about that. what we're saying is, what washington is saying is we have

to pay for a tax cut. well, whose money is it? government doesn't make money. it's the people's money. yet somehow up here, in washington, we keep saying we have to pay for a tax increase. it's that hardworking family that has earned that money. it is not washington's money. and people frankly i think are disgusted with the notion that somehow the paradigm in washington is, we have to pay for a tax cut. it's their money. something is very wrong here and this body is part of the problem. let's put out the facts. facts, not spin. government money doesn't exist. fact. it's the people's money.

here's another fact. if there are projects that can be cut they should be cut. they shouldn't be traded like futures in the stock market. if we believe that we ought to extend the payroll tax cut extension, let's extend it. let's stop playing games about moving money around from one program to another or keeping a bucket of projects or programs that we can save to cut at a time to bargain for something else. it's time that we get serious and the american people are saying they've had enough. they've had enough of what they're seeing here in washington. let me say this one more time. pitting american against american is un-american and

outrageous and deserves the condemn nation of each and -- condemnation of each and every one of us in this congress. this is not the america we know and love. we the people deserve better. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. under the speaker's announced policy of january 5, 2011, the gentleman from arizona, mr. gosar, is recognized for the remainder of the hour as the designee of the majority leader.

mr. gosar: mr. speaker, thank you for joining me this evening to talk about a very spiritual group of veterans, the navajo code talkers. tonight my colleagues and i are going to share their stories and highlight their amazing accomplishments of this group of warriors. their contribution to the allied effort during world war ii is widely accredited with winning the battle of iwo jima and making major gains in the pacific. during the early months of world war ii, japanese intelligence experts broke every code of the u.s. forces in which they devised. the japanese were able to decode and intercept communications with ease. to combat this, increasingly complex codes were initiated and sometimes took hours at a time. simply to decipher one message. guata canal in 1932 was a turning point for the allied forces who realized that the military communications needed a new direction and new

inspiration. fortunately an innovative citizen named phillip johnsonton had the answer. as the son of a protestant missionary, johnson had grown up on the navajo reservation and was one of less than 30 non-navajos fluent in the unique navajo language. he realized that since it had no alphabet and was almost impossible to master without early exposure, the navajo language was a perfect choice to form a new, impenetrable military code. in 1942 johnson completed an impressive demonstration of the navajo language to the commanding general of the pacific fleet, headquartered in san diego. he was then given permission to begin a pilot for the navajo code talker program and i'd like to submit his letter dated march 8, 1942, for the record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. gosar: the early unit was

formed in early 1942 when the first of the 29 navajo code talkers were recruited by johnson. the code was modified and improved throughout the war but it is so important -- still important to note that these 29 navajo heroes came up with the original code themselves. accordingly, they are often referred to reverendly as the original 29. we will have the honor of reading their names a bit later this evening. many of these enlistees were just boys with little exposure to the world outside the navajo reservation. after the war it was discovered that recruits as young as 15 and as old as 35 years of age had enlisted. in fact, a few of these men traveled to other towns on the reservation, outside their clan, where no one knew them and their true age in order to enlist underage and serve their country. after sailing through basic

training, the navajo code talkers were sent to marine divisions in the pacific theater of world war ii. their reputation as innovators soon spread far and wide amongst their commander officers in the field -- commanding officers in the field. they were not allowed to write any part of the code down as a reference. in fact, the code existed only amongst this small group. under high pressure battle conditions, the code talkers had to quickly recall their code accurately or risk hundreds or thousands of lives. make no mistake about the gravity of this accomplishment. the navajo code talkers created the only unbroken code in modern military history. it baffled the japanese forces. it was even indecipherble to a navajo soldier taken prisoner and tortured. the secret code created by the navajo code talkers was a simple marvel of linguistic invention. it contained native terms that were associated with specialized or commonly used military

language as well as native terms that represented letters in the alphabet. english words with no navajo translation were spelled out using the navajo alphabet. the selection of a given term was based on the first letter of the english meaning of the navajo word. for words that did not translate into navajo, the code talkers created code that did not directly translate but tended to resemble the things with which they were associated. for example, the navajo word for iron fish represented submarine. i could give many more examples but i think the one is more particularly poignant. to say america the code talkers used the word which means, our mother. this brilliant code allowed marines to communicate quickly and accurately. the code talkers' brave work is widely credited with the successes of battles in the pacific and were ultimately with

helping to end this tragic war. in the battle for iwo jima, in the first 48 hours alone, they coded over 800 transmissions with perfect accuracy. while the true heroism of these brave warriors is known today, sadly the code talkers had to return home after the war without the heroes' welcome they deserved. ironically the code was such a precious asset to the u.s. military that it was classified and had to be ketcht secret. while the code was declassified in 1968 it took years to properly decorate those veterans. in 2001 nearly 60 years after -- 2001, nearly 60 years after they created their legendary code, the navajo code talkers finally received their well-deserved congressional medals of honor. today only one original code talker is remains. but it lives on.

a coalition of representatives will try to recognize these men one by one and we start with mr. flake. mr. flake: this is something we in arizona and the west, utah and elsewhere, have great pride in, that this recognition as the gentleman mentioned came far too late and has been far too little, given the amount of the impact that navajo code talkers had on world war ii. i'm pleased to be here and to lend my voice to recognition when, as the gentleman mentioned, only one of the original code talkers is still living, so i think it's important that we recognize others who carried on this code and tradition and helped out in this way. this was a group, as we

mentioned, of many navajos, native americans who volunteered for the armed services in world war ii. this was, as the gentleman said, very successful, it was the only code that remained unbroken, and one of the most amazing aspects of world war ii is how these people came together as the gentleman mentioned, young kids in their teen years and others and volunteered for this effort. it's even more remarkable when we note that many states did not permit native americans to vote until the 1950's. yet the code talkers were undeterred, they wanted to help their country. it's fitting that we honor this group on the anniversary of the attack on pearl harbor, the start of world war ii, because they had such an integral part of ensuring that that brutal war came to an end. i want to thank my colleague from arizona and other who was come here for putting together

this timely tribute to make sure that these individuals are recognized for the impact that they had in ending this war and tone sure that this world remains free. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: i thank the gentleman. i would like to acknowledge my good friend from new mexico, mr. lujan. mr. lujan: i thank my colleague from arizona, mr. gosar, for bringing us together tonight. as we get a chance to visit and celebrate heroes amongst us, whether in spirit or in body as we are still so fortunate to have chester nes, with us, one of the original 29 as well. i have a few excerpts of articles written arn the country to capture some stories, recently an author captured a story of chester nes. it starts like this, growing up in new mexico, chester nes and

many of his fellow navajo were punished for speaking their language. they were pulled away to boarding school, so many and a half hoe across the country and the importance of what they were able to accomplish in world war ii in the words of major howard connor of the fifth marine division, he declared that were it not for the navajos, the marines would have never taken iwo jima. the importance of language and that we were -- and what they were able to accomplish. he goes on to hear that years later nes was shocked to learn he had been recruited to help develop a code based on the language that government tried to beat out of him. it was ironic that one of the things they were forbid ton do, speak navajo, helped win the war he said he and his first

code talkers first developed an alphabet, as you described, mr. gosar, wrusing everyday navajo words to represent letters of words. as you talked about, submarine, iron fish, beshlo, hummingbird, to talk about fighter planes and it's amazing how when we talk about the japanese and how they were so effective at cracking codes, how they couldn't crack this one. mr. nes goes on to say in the article that the last -- being one of the last original code talkers living in albuquerque with his son, father of six children, he has nine grandchildren, and eight great grandchildren. it goes on to say that today with so many people leaving theres.er vision -- reservation, navajo elders fear

the language is dying. he hopes that've hoe children learn the story of the code talkers to understand how important their language is i thank you for bringing us together, mr. gosar, if to talk about the importance of the code talkers. it wasn't until we were able to honor a few of the original 29 with gold medals and silver medals to the others that were also trained to go on. i think this is an example of a few story -- stories we'll be submitting and sharing this evening to celebrate the lives and stories and the history especially on today as we remember pearl harbor and the sacrifice of the families we lost that day, so many brave soldiers as well. thanks if bringing us tonight. i look forward to continuing to share many of the articles we have been able to find capturing the history and personal stories of our friends an hero the code talkers from throughout new mexico, arizona and utah. mr. gosar: i thank the gentleman from new mexico.

at this time, i recognize my good friend from utah, mr. chaffetz. mr. chaffetz: thank you, i appreciate the bipartisan nature in which we do this. these are truly american heroes who have made a difference in our lives and something we should all be proud of and never forget. i worry that as these gentlemen get older, yen rages in the future will forget this and i appreciate you, mr. gosar, for your commitment to them. i know you're passionate about this i can see it in your eyes when you talk about this i want to recognize and pay special tribute to someone ornlally from utah, samuel tom holiday, a navajo code talker, served in the fourth marine division, 25th regiment, the h & s company. we're fortunate to have him with us here in our presence today but mr. holliday was born in 1924 on a 1/2 roe ho

reservation near the monument valley area of utah, he was a navajo code talk for the world war ii and as you have talked about before, code talkers transmitted tactical messages by telephone and radio in the dena language. at a young age, he and hi brothers hid from government agents who came to send navajo children to boarding schools. he was ultimately caught an forced to afend boarding -- attend boarding schools and not being able to speak his native language. he said he would hide cookies in his pockets to pay older boys to teach me english. whenever the school instructors found out i talked navajo, they made me scrub the floor, scrub the walls he attended the school until he was 18 years old and was recruited into the

marine corps he served in the pacific theater from 1943 to 1945, saipan, and iwo jima. quote, from mr. holliday, quote, a lot of times they sent us where it was a very dangerous spot and i sent message thafle didn't know we were navajo code talker, using navajo language, end quote. the very language he was punished for using in his boarding school was a major asset to the united states marines. he remains active and conducts presenting as about the code talkers and his experiences before and after the war. i was pleased to see that mr. holliday was awarded the congressional silver medal, something he was very worthy of, obviously. it's interesting to me that the navajo code talker program was actually a secret until after the war and was not

declassified until later in 196 . it was another 14 years before the navajo code talkers were recognized by the united states government. in fact in december of 1981, president ronald reagan recognized the code talkers for their dedicated service, unique achievement, patriotism, resourcefulness and courage. august 14, 1982, was proclaimed national navajo code talkers day. i think president reagan did the right thing. i think it's something that all americans, i want my kids and people in utah and across the nation to recognize the contributions and sacrifices these people made. they made a difference in our lives, instrumental in the war and i appreciate this time to be able to recognize their achievements and their participation and help to our country. with that, i yield back. mr. gosar: i thank the gentleman from utah. i would like to recognize my friend, the gentleman from new mexico, mr. hinrich. mr. hinrich: i want to thank the gentleman from arizona for pulling us together from around

the four corners to honor these incredible in itive americans, these incredible americans, especially on this historic anniversary and i'm certainly honored to join my colleagues tonight to honor the quiet valor of all the navajo code talkers. today, some six decades since their service during world war ii, only one of the original 29 code talkers, corporal chester nes, survives. i am incredibly proud of him, who at the age of 90 resides in my congressional district in albuquerque with his son, mike, daughter-in-law rita, and their children. corporal ne s's story is much like the hundreds of code talkers who followed in his footsteps he grew up on the navajo nation to parents who grew corn and pinto beans, kept goat and sheep and grew up at a time when navajos were sharply mistreated and even unable to vote in our own elections in

places throughout the southwest. yet in 1942, at the age of 18, he sprung into action and he joined the 382nd platoon in a role that is largely credited with saving thousands of american lives. along with the other 28 original code talkers, corporal n embing s developed a code from their unwritten language. you can find the code's explanation today in the index of his autobiography. whether in artillery tanks, aboard ships, or ininfantry, the code talkers played a vital role in some of the worst battles in the pacific theater. their code talking was so essential to the war, they were forced to serve straight through the war with no breaks for rest, trips back home and today we widely recognize that

their service helped turn the course of world war ii. yet because of the sheer secret nature of their role and the possibility that they be called back for the same duty in the future, the actions of the code talkers weren't declassified until 23 years after the war ended. it wasn't until 55 years later they were bestowed with the congressional gold medal of honor and silver medal. to young people of the navajo nation for whom corporal nez's quiet valor is a remarkable example, i encourage you to carry on his legacy by keeping the navajo language alive and well for generations to come. mr. speaker, i know that the navajo nation takes such pride in these heroes and on behalf of all of us who owe a tremendous debt of -- debt of gratitude to their service, i'm proud to recognize the courage, service, and bravery of all the navajo code talkers and

especially corporal n embing z of albuquerque, new mexico. i yield back to my friend from yea. mr. gosar: i thank the gentleman from new mexico for that. now i would like to yield to my good friend from arizona, mr. is week ert. mr. schweikert: when you consider that today is the 70th anniversary of pearl harbor and the entry into world war ii, for many of us who grew up with family that had served, there's many heartbreaking stories. but when we reach out an read and learn more about the code talkers -- code talker story, it's one of the great moments of pride for those of us from arizona. when you consider, my understanding is there were about 400 native americans who served, but the 27, was it 27 or 2929? 29 from arizona, i've had the

pleasure over time of meeting some of them and i also know as arizona now is about to begin celebrating its 100th anniversary that -- and i have actually just a little bit of a silly photo, there's a smaller version of this on my wall in my office. a few months ago, we had our very first celebration of beginning the up with-year celebration of our centennial as a state and many of -- we were featuring our navajo code talkers. it is something that many of us from the west are very, very proud of. an it was also that little moment where if you ever want to be a little humiliated, have them try to teach you to speak a few navajo words and then the giggling begins on how badly you profouns -- pronounce it. but for anyone who is listening, the navajo code talkers have actually built a

foundation and they have actually -- they have a wonderful website that has data and stories, it is navajocodetalkers.org and i encourage anyone to reach out an grab some of that information, these are powerful stories of incredible service to our country in a time of great need with a very unique skill and talent, planned gosar, thank you for organizing this and i yield back. mr. gosar: i thank the gentleman from arizona. i want to take a few moments and honor one of our own in arizona who just recently died. it's my humble privilege to honor allen dale june, one of the original 29 co--- code talkers. he died in september of 2010 at the age of 91. he passed away of natural causes at the veterans hospital in arizona which is in my district. he is survived by his wife and 10 children and was buried in the heart of navajo reservation.

june retained the rank of sergeant, received the congressional gold medal in 2001, along with other members of the original code talkers. when he died navajo nation council speaker said, the navajo nation lost a great warrior. his unique service to his country brought positive attention to the navajo nation. he will be missed. according to his wife, virginia, june first tried to sign up for the marines in his hometown but a recruiter told him he was too young. he then traveled to the reservation town to enlist because he figured people there wouldn't recognize him. answered could lie about his age and -- and he could lie about his age and forge his father's signature. this determination to serve their country was common among the code talkers. and shows character and bravery that we all should emulate. although allen june was a humble man, he did not like to brag about much, even his remarkable

service as a code talker. however, in the last years of his life, he wore his service proudly, sporting a red navajo code talker cap with his name on it. i would like to take an opportunity and see if my colleague from new mexico would entertain a colloquy back and forth, giving the roll call of the names of the 29. >> it would be an honor. mr. gosar: the roll call for the navajo code talkers. charlie w. bige, roy beg -- bige . >> cozy s. brown. >> john brown jr. >> john chi. >> benjamin cleveland. >> eugene r. crawford. mr. gosar: david curley.

>> local s. damon. mr. gosar: george h. denson. >> james dickson. mr. gosar: carl m. gorman. >> oscar b. lipma. mr. gosar: allen dale june. >> alfred leonard. mr. gosar: johnny r. manalito. >> william mckay. mr. gosar: chester nez. >> jack nez. mr. gosar: lloyd olver. >> joe palmer. mr. gosar: frank danny pete. >> nelson s. thompson. mr. gosar: harry sosi. >> john willie. mr. gosar: william dean wilson. does my friend have any further comments? >> i would only ask unanimous consent to submit into the record an article from the santa if he new mexican also captured a story talking about mr.

chester nez as well as the article, the last of the navajo code talkers, by morales and again, mr. gosar, as we celebrate tonight to never forget about the contributions of the navajo people, to never forget about the contributions of the navajo people to our great nation. with the work that they've done, not only through the cold war, but going back to all the work that was done and as we pointed out earlier, in the words of major howard connor, were it not for the navajos, the marines never would have taken iwo jima. it's a great night to be here to celebrate and i thank you for bringing us together. i yield back. mr. gosar: i thank the gentleman from new mexico. thank you for your contribution. i'd also like to start by going through the further list of the navajo code talkers in the honor roll. dan aki. franklin anthony. jimmy apache. manny arviso.

earl sa -- ashaki. john augustine. henry bahi. woody bahi. benjamin baldwin. harold beard. lloyd basen tembings, carlos bige,, fleming begay. george begay. henry begay. jerry c. begay. joe begay, lee begay. leo begay. paul begay. samuel h. begay. thomas h. begay. walter begay. willie k. begay. wilson j. begay. david m. begoti. roger begoi.

harry bologna. jimmy d. binali. jimmy l. binali. johnson b. binali. samuel banali. willie benton senior. john bernard. lloyd betone. andrew bia. ben billie, howard billman. samuel billson. sam johnson billy. peter j. bitse. jesse bizard, jesse black. paul blatcheford. david bluehorse. john henry bouman. robert bowman. arthur brown. clarence paul broun.

coseey brown, william tully, which willford buck, boby birk, jose burny, fran cease personside. sandy bureau. william kagman. oscar cosey carol. dennis cattlechaser. ralph calidito. sam charlie. frederick chase. george chaveezz. guy chi. stewart claw. thomas claw. billy cleveland. instead cleveland. leslie cody. james charles cohoe. bobby craig. carey crawford. walter clonemeye, r. billy crosby. jaydale.

anson damon. tully davis. dan dehiya. leo dennison. john dooley. richardson dooley. herald evans. ray foghorn. jimmy francisco. joseph gatewood. william george. milton gishal. jimmy gleeson, john goodluck. bill grayson. yazzie graymountain. tully gustine. charles guy. ben williams harding. jack w. harding. tom hardy. emet harrison. ross hsakie. roy hawthorne.

bud haycock. albert henry. edmond hahn henry. kent carl henry. dean hickman. calvin holiday. samuel tom holiday. johnson housewood. denny housetine, louie hudson. tom hunter. benjamin james. billy james. george b. james. eliott tully. charlie john. leroy m. johner is. -- john sr. frances t. johnson. johnny johnson. peter johnson. ralph johnson. jack jones. tom h. jones jr. david jordan. floyd june. percy keens. wilson keenda. joe kellwood, bahi ketchem.

john kinsle. george h. kirk. leo kirk. rex kons. harrison lafi. james laggerow. keith m. little. tommy k. lopez. peter mcdonald. maxima loan. rex malone. robert malone. james maloney. paul e. maloney. peter manilito. robert mark. matthew martin. jose martinez. archibald mccrate. king paul mike. general miles. tom moffitt. ralph morgan.

oscar p. maltine. james t. nahkai jr. martin napa. harding negale, alfred newman. arthur nez. freeland nez. israel nez. sydney nez. roy notah. willie anthony notah. billy owe dell. willard v. olver. paddock, robert b. paul -- pahe. david earl patterson. alfred james peaches. sam peshlakai, joe peterson sr. john senator pinto. richard platero. jimmy preston. sam reid, harry reanhorse.

jerry e. salabiye, peter sand value, samuel s. sand value, thomas sand value, john scott. john c. sells. fredy shields, deeley shorty, joe a. silversmith. oscar jones singer. richard singer. wilson skeet. albert j. slivers sr. arsenio smiley. albert smith, george smith, raymond r. smith, samuel jesse smith, george b. soce, benjamin j. sorrell, henry -- harry spencer, alfred tah, edward tah, john n. tally. better tallsalt.

richard thomas. claire m. thompson, everett m. thompson, frank t. thompson, carl todacheene, frank todacheenie, curtis toledo, frank toledo, preston toledo, willie toledo, joseph h.towne, zain towne, chester h. tso. paul b. tso. paul edward tso. samuel tso. alfred tsosie urk collins d. tsosie ush samuel tsosie, sr. john upshaw, william upshaw, joe vandever, olver wagoner, robert walley, franky