the chair: on this vote the

yeas are 187. the nays are 241. he amendment is not agreed to. the unfinished business is the request for a recorded vote on amendment number 2 printed in house report 113-2414 by the gentleman from texas, mr. vees -- mr. veasey, on which further proceedings were postponed and on which the noes prevailed by voice vote. the clerk will redesignate the amendment. the clerk: amendment number 2 printed in house report 113-214 offered by mr. veasey of texas. the chair: a recorded vote has been requested. those in support of the request for a recorded vote will rise nd be counted. a sufficient number having arisen, vord. -- a recorded vote is ordered. members will record their votes by electronic device. this will be a two-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 chair: on this vote the yeas are 189, the nays are 237. the amendment is not agreed to. the unfinished business is the request for a recorded vote on amendment number 3 printed in house report 113-214 by the gentleman from virginia, mr. connolly, on which further proceedings were postponed and on which the ayes prevailed by voice vote. the clerk will redesignate the amendment. the clerk: amendment number 3 printed in house report 113-214 offered by mr. connolly of virginia. the chair: a recorded vote has been requested. those in support of the request for a recorded vote will rise and be counted. a sufficient number having arisen, a recorded vote is ordered. members will record their votes by electronic device. this will be a two-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 chair: on this vote the yeas are 186. the noes are 240. the amendment is not agreed to. the unfinished business is the request for a recorded vote on mendment number 4 printed in house report 113-214 by the gentleman from florida, mr. hastings, on which further proceedings were postponed and on which the noes prevailed by voice vote. the clerk will redesignate the amendment. the clerk: amendment number 4 printed in house report 113-214 offered by mr. hastings of

florida. the chair: a recorded vote has been requested. those in support of the request for a recorded vote will rise and be counted. a sufficient number having arisen, a recorded vote is ordered. members will record their votes by electronic device. this will be a two-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 chair: on this vote, the yeas are 191, the nays are 235, he amendment is not agreed to. the question is on the committee amendment in the nature of a substitute as amended. those in favor say aye. , please say aye. those opposed, no. the yeas have it. accordingly, the committee rises.

the chair: mr. chairman. the committee of the whole house on the state of the union has had under consideration h.r. 751 and pursuant to the house resolution 347, i report the bill back to the house with an amendment adopted in the committee of the whole. the speaker pro tempore: the chair of the committee of the whole house on the state of the union reports that the committee has had under consideration bill h.r. 751 and pursuant to house resolution 347 reports the bill back to the house with an amendment adopted in the committee of the whole. under the rule, the previous question is ordered. is there a separate vote demanded on the amendment to the amendment reported to the committee of the whole? if not, the question is on the adoption of the committee amendment in the nature of a substitute. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it and the amendment

is agreed to. the question is on the engrossment and third reading of the bill. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the clerk will read. the clerk: a bill to require the secretary of interior and secretary of agriculture to develop domestic sources of minerals and strategic importance to america's gnat national economic competitiveness. the speaker pro tempore: the ouse will come to order. for what purpose does the gentleman from rhode island seek recognition? mr. cicilline: i have a motion to recommit to the desk. is the gentleman opposed? mr. cicilline: i'm opposed. the clerk: mr. cicilline moves to recommit the bill to the committee on natural resources with strickses to report the same back to the house forthwith with the following amendments. at the end of title 1, page 12,

after line 2, add the following new sections. section 105, prohibitions regarding china and iran. a, prohibition on exports. the federal mineral exploration or mine permit issued pursuant to this act shall include provisions that prohibits exports to china and iran as minerals produced under the permit. b, issuance on permits. no federal mineral exploration may be issued pursuant to this act to any company in which china or iran has an ownership interest. the speaker pro tempore: the entleman will suspend. for what purpose does the gentleman from nevada rise? >> i move we dispense with the reading of the motion. the speaker pro tempore: is there objection? without objection, so ordered. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from rhode island is recognized for five minutes. mr. cicilline: thank you, mr.

speaker. mr. cicilline: this is the final amendment to the bill which will not kill the bill or send it back to committee. if adopted the bill will proceed to final passage as amended. much of the dwabet is focused on the importance of rare earth elements to our national security and economic competitiveness. the gland for minerals continue to grow. these are critical to ensure the long-term viability of our manufacturing sector, public health and our defense capability. new technologies and emerging american industries rely on rare materials. a diverse set of heavy rare erlt elements are essential tore lap tops. and technologies rely on these rare materials. in addition, patient and health

care professionals use medical devices and equipment that require rare earth elements during production. and our defense capabilities for manufacturers of jet fighter engines, satellite and anti-missile systems rely on a consistent supply of rare earth minerals. this is an important subject for business leaders and manufacturers in high home state of rhode island and all across our country. in order to plan for the future and hire additional businesses need to remain consistent and predictable. so it should be clear that we all understand that the strategic and economic importance of these minerals is clear. now some of us disagree on how we should manage the extraction of these elements. i believe that thoughtful management of these natural resources instead of undermining -- the speaker pro tempore: the house will come to order. please take conversations off the floor.

mr. cicilline: instead of undermining environmental protections, it will ensure the supply chain that is sustainable in the long-term. this amendment addresses a different concern. today, china has monopoly on the global rare earth development production market. according to recent estimates, china poses 97.3% of the world's mine production and 55% of the rare earth elements reserve. at the same time, in an attempt to manipulate the market and raise prices, the chinese ministry has imposed strict tariffs. this has a real impact for american manufacturers and businesses and china is not acting alone. iran is one of the largest mineral-producing countries in the world. the director of southern iran said china is the largest commercial partner. recently, according to recent

reports, officials have engaged with iran as they look to expand this relationship. china is already stockpiling various minerals upon which american manufacturers and our defense capabilities rely and may be working with iran to gain a larger market share. this is a real threat to our national security, but it's a real concern for local businesses and manufacturers, technology companies and defense contractors who rely on rare earth elements every day. despite these concerns, the underlying bill fails to protect these strategic minerals to exposure to foreign control. minerals produced under this act do not become available to china, iran or any entity that existed any sanctions law. it would say mine permits include provisions prohibiting the export of critical materials produced under the permits to china and iran. the amendment also

prohibitsishance of any permits to any company which china and an has an interest and prohibitsishance of permits that have violated laws. the amendment plibses three important goals. our own domestic resources aren't used to promote or iranian chinese or businesses. we continue to pressure iran with economic sanctions in a sector vital to their local economy and this is a vital bipartisan national security interest. and third, it provides more serpt for domestic manufacturers by ensuring american minerals stay here and help make our domestic supply chain more predictable. i urge my colleagues to support this amendment and protect our country. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the entleman from nevada rise?

the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. >> i think my colleague from rhode island of the eloquent description of what the underlying bill does. i agree with how critical this legislation is. i am surprised at the tone, though, when we already have multiple rules, regulations, statutes on the books that talk about import and export. i'm surprised at the town when we talk about the danger of producing these materials in this country when we aren't producing them and we are reliant with those who we compete with. mr. amodei: while well intentioned, this matter is taken care of under existing law. but let's not forget the underlying purpose of the bill. it's about jobs. you want to talk about the middle class. you want to talk about the

economy. you want to talk about the western half of this country where over 40% of many of those states are owned by the federal government, people who are elected by nobody within the state are making decisions about permitting. you want to talk about permitting times and how long it takes to do that. the purpose of this bill is to put people to work and put us back in control of supplying those minerals -- by the way, did you hear if it isn't grown, it has to be mined. of supplying those minerals for the building industries, communications industries. and by the way, not that anyone wants to trade with the folks mentioned in here specifically and you have an executive branch to take care of that, but you have balance of trade. i urge your vote against the motion to recommit and i yield back, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. without objection, the previous question is ordered. 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. a recorded vote is requested. those in favor of a recorded vote will rise. a sufficient number having isen, a recorded vote is ordered. members will record their votes by electronic device. this is -- pursuant to clause , rule 20, the chair will reduce to five minutes on the question of passage. 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 197, the nays are 227. the motion is not agreed to. the question is on pass ang of the bill. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. for what purpose does the gentleman rise? >> on that i ask for a recorded vote. the speaker pro tempore: a recorded vote. a recorded vote is requested. those in favor say aye of 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 246. the nays are 178. the resolution is adopted. without objection, the bill is passed. without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from new jersey rise? >> mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that i may hereafter to be the first sponsor of h.r. 1507, a bill originally introduced by representative markey of massachusetts for the purpose of adding co-sponsors and requesting reprintings pursuant to clause 7 of rule 12. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. for what purpose does the gentleman from california rise? >> mr. speaker, by the direction of the democratic caucus, i offer a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.

the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 349, resolved, that the following named member be and is hereby elected to the following standing committee of the house of representatives -- one, committee on energy and commerce, mr. yarmuth. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the resolution is agreed to and the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. . the speaker pro tempore: the chair will entertain requests for one-minute speeches.

for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? >> permission to address the house for one minute and revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. poe: mr. speaker, in developing countries, access to clean water isn't as easy as walking over to the kitchen faucet. communities die from diseases they contact from bad water. in a search for life's basic need they put themselves in harm's way. women walks miles to get but some wells are controlled by criminals and then they must buy the water. we have the ability to help these countries that don't have access to clean water. we can help them dig wells, for example. that's why congressman blumenauer has introduced water for the world act. this uses taxpayer money by making water available and a priority in third-world

countries. i thank congressman blumenauer and the groups who advocate for water for the world. no one on earth should be assaulted just to obtain clean water on a daily basis. and that's just the way it is. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from connecticut seek recognition? ms. delauro: permission to revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. delauro: i rise to point out the condemnation of the majority's wrong-headed plan to food 0 billion from stamps. the center for budget and policy priorities has noted 170,000 veterans could lose access to food aid because of this act. the national education association said this plan will result in 210,000 children losing access to nutritious

meals which help children be more attentive. aarp condemns this bill saying this should not have to wait on the economic and political sidelines for access to effective safety nutrition net. homeless organizes have said quote, will worsen the lives for americans who are homeless already or risk will become more severe. the catholic bishops have said will harm hungry children, vulnerable seniors and workers who are underemployed and unable to find employment. the list of opposition to tomorrow's bill goes on and on and even from senator bob dole. i urge all members of conscience in the majority to join with us tomorrow to vote down this cruel legislation. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from wyoming seek recognition? mrs. lummis: ask unanimous

consent to address the house. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mrs. lummis: the congressional budget office informed us again yesterday what we already know comb our job here in congress, which is that we must reform entitlement programs in order to save them. we must save them so we can save ourselves from this unsustainable debt and deficit which faces us. and further, that if we are to do it by raising taxes, it will erode the economic recovery that we're already just beginning to have. mr. speaker, i urge senate democrats to adopt the house republican budget, which will balance in 10 years, which will address our unsustainable debt and deficit and put us on the road to recovery. mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman

from arizona seek recognition? >> permission to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. , the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. barber: mr. speaker, because of the proposed sequestration cuts, the air force is considering the complete retirement of entire fleet of aircraft including the a-10 war hawk. the a-10 is unsurpassed to provide support. the a-10 performs 1/3 of the combat soaredies. whenever they heard the wart hogs overhead, he knew is his day was going to get better. escorting helicopters through the toughest combat zone, its wings and electronic packages have been completely refitted so its mission can continue for at

least another 15 years. sequestration is a disgrace. i never supported it and i implore my colleagues to work with me to end it. our national security and the protection of our service members in combat areas must be paramount as we fund the department of defense. mr. speaker, we must stop the irresponsible sequestration cuts and keep the a-10 flying. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania seek recognition? >> permission to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. >> mr. speaker, under secretary kennedy made this statement at the house foren -- foreign affairs today. engagement with the congress on these issues, especially following the attack in benghazi. to date, the department has provided to the congress the classified a.r.b. report and more than 25,000 pages of

documents. secretary kerry testifying before the house foreign affairs committee in april pledged coordination with the benghazi investigation when he stated that i'm an accountable and we will continue to provide answers. so the question i have for each of them is this, why do i have to hold in my hands a handwritten transcript of an email? why isn't the congressional investigators must hand copy them from the other side? why can't we get the documents and copy themselves? why must we subpoena them and why do -- are they not in compliance with any of the subpoenas. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition? without objection is recognized for one minute. >> thank you, mr. speaker. mr. tonko: more than 30,000 families in new york's capital

region rely on snap benefits to put dinner on the table. nationally, 87% of families on food stamps include a child, senior citizen or a disabled person. these members of the american family are hungry. they are not criminals. yet house republicans are trying to cut $40 billion. senate the amount the has proposed. without first looking at closing tax loopholes for major corporations or cutting subsidies to oil companies. these benefits are not luxuries but basic sustainable meals that will keep our underemployed nourished until they find a job that will support themselves and families on their own. if house republicans want to reduce food stamp rolls and decrease how much our country spends, they need to join the democrats and get serious about finding well-paying jobs on the backs of our country's most

vulnerable. thank you, mr. speaker. nd i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman recognition? seek >> mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> mr. speaker, thank you for the opportunity to be here today. it's an honor for me as a new member of congress to sit here on the floor with my colleagues to actually honor all of our living congressional medal of honor recipients. i'm proud to work with my colleague from the great state of hawaii to work in a bipartisan way to make sure the heroes that protected our freedoms and our ability to stand here and debate the issues that we debate every single day, by their heroism and by their fight for this country. mr. speaker, we are going to begin this process through the one-minutes and have an hour and a half of a special order that

is going to be an unprecedented special order and i stand here to say thank you to each and every one of them. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? >> permission to address the house for one minute. mr. honda: i thank my colleague, for bringing everyone together to support immigration reform. constitution day, citizenship day and constitution week. from angel island to ellis island from the fertile earth to innovations of silicon valley, immigration and immigrants have impacted every corner of our nation. i have witnessed how the immigrant spirit is an entrepreneur spirit. 40% of the largest u.s.

companies have been founded by immigrants or their children. the silicon valley between 1995 and 2005, more than half of all the major technology engineering firms were founded by an immigrant. people to come our shores with different dreams, aspirations them. must support and support those who come to our country to seek education. we must support high-skilled immigrants as well as their families who will strengthen our work force. we must never turn our back just because they are above a certain age. thank you. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from virginia seek recognition? >> address the house for with you one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. >> i join with my colleagues to honor those recipients of the medal of honor. address colonel

wesley lee fox. he resides in blacksburg virginia. he was awarded the medal of honor at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. he came under fire from a well concealed enemy force. he was wounded with the other members of the command group. colonel fox neutralized one enemy position and ordered an assault against the hostile placements. he refused medical attention so he could assume a posture and supervise the preparation of casualties for medical evacuation. his courage, inspiring initiative and devotion to duty inspired his marines to aggressive reaction that they overcame enemy resistance and destroyed a large bunker

complex. i'm proud and honored to remember the actions of colonel ox and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from from hawaii seek recognition? without objection. >> i'm proud to stand here today to join congressman davis from illinois as we honor the 79 living medal of honor recipients which includes staff sergeant alan j. kellogg who calls my hometown as his home as well. under the leadership of sergeant kellogg, a small unit from company g was evacuating a fallen comrade when the unit came under fire. what he did is stuff of legends. after an enemy soldier hurled a grenade, kellogg forced the grenade into the mud and absorbed the full effects of its

deathonation with his body saving his unit. suffering multiple injuries, sergeant kellogg continued to direct his men until all reached safety. for his devotion to duty and his continued service to our country that i'm so proud to honor and remember the actions of alan j. kellogg here today. yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from alabama seek recognition? without objection, the gentleman s recognized for one minute. mr. brooks: i would like to recognize medal of honor recipient from the state of a ama and to honor colonel constituent of mine. colonel myes was in the united states army, third infantry division and awarded the medal

of honor for courage in 1953 in korea. his company was responsible for the defense of a vital position that was attacked by a well organized enemy force. colonel myes he rescued a friend who had fallen. following the successful rescue, he returned to his post and dug in. although under duress, he held the line fighting to keep his men safe. the colonel protected his fellow soldiers, called in artillery support and led a successful counterattract. for his courage and valor that i'm proud to honor and remember the actions of the colonel and the fourth district of alabama, the state of alabama and united states congress is very honored to recognize the work that he did in korea. i yield back.

. . the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i am proud to rise today to honor the heroic efforts in vietnam of two veterans of the united states marine corps who their ll san diego home. colonel robert joseph modriefski and colonel vargas. one was awarded the medal honor for conspicuous gallantry and action. though wounded, he refused to allow his men to be overrun during aan -- an attack on a well-fortified enemy in a superior position. although they sustained many casualties, colonel modriefski and his men were successful in propeling the enemy. colonel vargas was awarded the medal of honor for extraordinary heroism in action. although wounded, colonel

vargas and his men led an emboldinned attack on forces. on the second day, colonel vargas saw his commander battalion go down and carried him to safety. for that you are unparalleled heroism and gallantry in action, exemplifying the spirit of the marine corps, i am proud to honor and remember the actions of the two colonels. thank you, mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman rom kentucky seek recognition? without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> mr. speaker, i rise today to honor the heroic efforts of marine sergeant dakota mayer. sergeant mayer was a scout sniper with the third marine corps and while maintaining security at a patrol rallying point, an element of sergeant mayer's team was moving on foot through a village when they were ambushed.

sergeant mayor sergeant mayer and a fellow marine raced to provide additional support for he ambushed squad and helped remove them from the ambush. mr. whitfield: despite constant -- concentrated enemy assaults, mayer made two specific trips into the ambush area to evacuate two dozen afghan soldiers. he was then wounded by gun fire. after that he made additional trips into the ambush area to recover additional wounded soldiers and provided fire to help the remaining u.s. and afghan soldiers fight their way out of the ambush. for his heroic efforts, dakota mayer was awarded the medal of onor on september 8, 2009. when douglas mcarthur gave his farewell speech to west point, his speech was indicted "duty, honor, country." i think those three words reflect the efforts of dakota

mayor and his entire -- mayer and his entire team and today i pay tribute to dakota mayer of the first congressional district of kentucky. thank you. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from washington seek recognition? without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> thank you, mr. speaker. our of the 79 living congressional medal of honor recipients live in the congressional district that i have the great honor to represent. i will speak on three tonight. but i rise first to honor the incredible courage and outstanding heroism of staff sergeant ty michael carter. united states army. america's newest congressional medal of honor recipient. staff sergeant carter was a cavalry scout with bravo troop and was awarded the medal of honor for extreme bravery in action on october 3, 2009, in afghanistan. on that morning, sergeant carter's outpost came under heavy fire and intense fire from all sides. mr. heck: staff sergeant carter

charged to an exposed forward position and provided deadly suppressive fire into the oncoming enemy attack, stalling their advance. when the fellow soldier was critically wounded, staff sergeant carter, though wounded as well. courageously charged again through the enemy onslaught to provide aid to his comrade. sergeant carter's heroic actions and tactical skill were central to beating back the enemy offensive and saving numerous lives. it is for his incomprehensible courage that i am proud to honor and remember the actions of staff sergeant ty michael carter, a resident of yelm, washington. i yield back the balance of my time, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from florida seek recognition? without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to honor the heroic efforts of command sergeant major robert martin patterson of the united states army. command sergeant major patterson was a fire team

leader of the third platoon, 17th cavalry regiment, and was awarded the medal of honor for conspicuous gallantry in action on may 6, 1968, in vietnam. when the third platoon became pinned down by interlocking enemy fire and rocket-propelled grenades, command sergeant major patterson led two men in quickly silencing an enemy bunker with rifle and grenade assaults. mr. miller: when command sergeant major patterson noticed the enemy engaging his men from hidden spider holes, he entered the complex and single-handedly conducted an assault on their position. in so doing, the sergeant major successfully destroyed five enemy bunkers, killing eight and capturing seven enemy weapons. it is for his dauntless courage and heroism that i am proud to honor and remember the actions of command sergeant major robert martin patterson. mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for

what purpose does the gentleman from washington seek recognition? without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i also rise today to honor the heroic efforts of sergeant first class leroy arthur petri of the united states army. the speaker pro tempore: the entleman will suspend. the gentleman from minnesota, for what purpose does do you seek recognition? without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> mr. speaker, i rise today to honor the heroic efforts of lieutenant colonel alfred velazquez rezcon of the united states army. lieutenant colonel rezcon was

awarded the medal of honor for extraordinary courage and 1966 in march 16, vietnam. the following is directly from his commendation. disregarding heavy enemy fire, he rushed to the aid of the wounded machine gun canners and placed himself as a shield between them and the enemy. after saving two men, he re-entered the line of enemy fire to retrieve an abandoned machine gun, allowing for suppressive fire while he performed first aid on the wounded. mr. walz: he once again placed himself as a shield between the wounded man and the enemy. although sustaining multiple wounds and been given last rights himself, he refused to leave the field until every last man had been retreated and removed. lieutenant colonel rezcon came out of retirement and joined the united states army reserve and served this nation in both iraq and afghanistan in our recent conflicts. it's for his amazing valor and heroism that i am proud and humbled to honor and remember the actions of lieutenant colonel alfred velazquez rezcon

and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i rise today who honor the heroic efforts of marine corps sergeant robert emmett o'malley. sergeant o'malley was a squad leader with company i-third marines during the second world war and was awarded the medal of honor in 1965. his unit came under heavy enemy fire during operation starlight. disregarding his own safety, he charged forward, killing eight enemy soldiers, then he directed his men to fire on the enemy with deadly effect. mr. conaway: he also rallied his squad to help the adjacent marine unit suffering heavy casualties. although he was wounded, sergeant o'malley refused to allow medics to treat him, insisting instead on helping evacuate other wounded marines. even after being wounded a third time, sergeant o'malley refused to yield the engagement

until all of his men were accounted for. it's for his valor, leadership and courageous efforts on behalf of fellow marines that i am proud to represent sergeant robert emmett o'malley, to represent him in the 11th congressional district of texas and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from connecticut seek recognition? without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> i'm thrilled to join my colleagues in honoring these extraordinary men and women who have been awarded the medal of honor and i'm here to talk about captain paul william buka. captain, uka was awarded the medal of honor in 1968 in vietnam. for three days on a mission to seek and destroy enemy positions, captain buka led his 89-man unit through intense combat. on march 18, the north vietnamese battalion pinned down the forward units of his company. when the captain discovered the

origins of the heaviest fire, he maneuvered into position and single-handedly eliminated the enemy position. due to his exceptional leadership and guidance during the three-day engagement, captain buka's men held their position, refused to yield and inflicted considerable casualties upon the superior enemy force. it is for his extraordinary heroism and exemplary leadership that i am proud to honor and remember the actions of captain ball william buka. and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from alabama seek recognition? without objection, the gentlewoman is recognized for one minute. mrs. roby: mr. speaker, i rise today to honor lieutenant colonel james michael of the united states army. raised in alabama, he joined the army in montgomery, alabama, in 1967. lieutenant colonel sprayberry was just 21 years old and serving in vietnam when on april 25, 1968, he engaged in

extraordinary acts of heroism for which he was awarded the medal of honor. on that day his company commander and many of his fellow soldiers were wounded and separated from the unit. when its daytime rescue attempt was deterred, the lieutenant organized and led a nighttime patrol to eliminate the enemy fire and rescue his fellow soldiers. when the rescue pacrol came under intense enemy machine gun fire, he single-handedly conducted multiple attacks against bunkers and eliminated them one by one with hand grenades. after destroying the bunker he was able to direct the isolated men to safety. the operation was a resounding success and resulted in the safe return of many fellow soldiers. it is for his conspicuous gallantry and indomitable spirit that i am proud to honor the actions of lieutenant sprayberry. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from new mexico seek recognition? without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one

minute. mr. lujan: mr. speaker, i rise oday to honor the efforts of hirosih mayamura of the united states army. the sergeant was a third infantry division and was awarded the medal of honor for extreme bravery in action from . ril 24, 25, 1951, near korea staff sergeant's company was holding a defensive position when a strong enemy force launched a surprise attack to overrun them. understanding the very certificatity of the situation, the staff sergeant hustled to the line, plunged into the oncoming enemy forces, killing 10 of the attackers. during the second assault, he used his machine gun, taking out the enemy. he insisted that his men pull back while he covered their withdrawal. while covering his men and unloading his ammunition on the enemy's advance, staff sergeant killed at least 50 and provided a safe withdrawal of his unit.

it is for his heroism and distinguished service that i am proud to honor and remember the ctions of staff sergeant hiroshi mayamura. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from north carolina eek recognition? without objection, the gentlewoman is recognized for one minute. mrs. ellmers: mr. speaker, i rise today to honor the heroic efforts of corporal rodolfo rudy perez hernandez of the united states army. corporal hernandez was company g, 187th aybar regmental combat team, and was awarded the medal of honor for visible gallantry in action on may 31, 1951, in korea. his platoon was in a defensive position on hill 420 when it came under heavy attack by enemy forces. although his comrades were forced to withdraw, corporal hernandez stood his ground. when his machine gun jammed, he valiantly charged with rifle

and bayonet straight into the attacking force where he was seriously injured by a grenade blast. due to his charge, the menmy advance was stalled long enough for them to retake the hill. it is for this extraordinary courage in action that i am proud to honor and remember the actions of corporal hernandez. thank you, mr. speaker, i yield back the remainder ifment for what purpose does the gentlewoman from arizona seek recognition? without objection, the gentlewoman from recognized for one minute. ms. sinema: i rise to recognize major kurteson of the united states army. major ferguson was awarded the medal of honor on january 31 of

1968 in the republic of vietnam. today, he lives in chandler, arizona, in the district i have the honor of representing. major ferguson was the commander of a helicopter monitoringing an emergency call of a downed helicopter under heavy attack. without hesitation, major ferguson responded to the call despite warnings to stay clear. major ferguson displayed skill by landing his aircraft under heavy fire. although the aircraft sustained heavy damage, major ferguson flew his aircraft to safety. that day, major ferguson saved e lives of five fellow servicemen. for his outstanding display of bravery, i remember the actions of major ferguson. thank you, major ferguson. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman

from ohio seek recognition? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. >> i rise today to honor the heroic efforts of frank a. heard. he was with company a 506th infantry of the 101st airborne infantry and was recognized on january 29, 1968 in vietnam. when five enemy soldiers charged e position, one of the grenades landed. without hesitating specialist hurta smeeleded the blast with his body. his selfless actions saved the lives of his two comrades. for his bravery and commitment, i'm proud today to honor the actions special lit frank a.

hurta. back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from illinois seek recognition? without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> mr. speaker, i rise today to honor staff sergeant salvatore augustine gunta of the united states army. he was with the 173rd airborne brigade combat team and awarded the medal of honor for action on october 25, 2007 in afghanistan. staff suggest gunta were ambushed by heaven my fire. after sprinting for cover, staff sergeant gunta raced to his squad leader to assist him while disregarding the enemy fire, staff sergeant gunta continued to assist the wounded and link

up with men separated from his unit. when he observed two insurgents, the staff sergeant charged their position killing one enemy and wounding the other. he carried his comrade away and began to administer first aid before his squad caught up to provide security. for his extreme heroism and valor i'm proud to honor and remember the actions of staff sergeant salvatore gunta. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from tennessee seek recognition? >> address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. >> mr. speaker, i rise today to honor the heroic efforts of signal mountain, tennessee resident, charles henry coolidge of the united states army. technical sergeant was with the 36th infantry division and awarded the medal of honor for nearn on october 24, 1944,

france. as coolidge led a platoon to cover part of the third battalion they engaged in a fierce firefight. technical staff sergeant assumed command and led his man through three days of hard fighting. he advanced within 25 yards of the tanks before it failed to function. then gathering as many hand grenades as he could, he inflicted heavy casualties upon the enemy. it is for his superior leadership and bravery that i am proud to honor and remember the actions of technical sergeant charles henry coolidge. yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from alabama seek recognition? without objection, the gentleman

s recognized for one minute. >> mr. speaker, i rise today to tell the story of a courageous recipient living in alabama's 5th district. a mission over north vietnam lost his wing man. as the two members parachuted, mig-17. el destroyed a he went in severe of a refueling tanker and upon hearing that the do you understand men were threatened, they immediately returned to their aid. low on fuel, close to crashing himself, colonel forceness attacked the four migs saving the downed men and their rescuers and he flew further afield to refuel. lieutenant colonel frsness extraordinary heroism and

personal bravery saved many lives and our nation is forever grateful for his service. mr. speaker, i yield. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman rom arkansas seek recognition? without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> mr. speaker, i rise today to honor the heroic efforts of john phillip baca. he was a member of the first cavalry division, the first team. medal of honor was awarded for extraordinary bravery and action on february 10, 1970 in vietnam. on that february day, a platoon came under enemy fire. upon realizing his team could be of assistance, he jumped into action. he led his unit through enemy fire to a position in the patrols defensive perimeter, but before they were able to attack, an enemy grenade was thrown

directly into their unit. he covered the grenade with his helmet and fell on it. his quick action bravely saved eight of his soldiers from death or serious injury. for this brave act and his courage that i'm proud to honor the actions of specialist fourth class john phillip baca. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from north dakota seek recognition? without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. r. cramer: i rise to recognize staff sergeant romeshai awarded the medal of honor for his acts of gal and try at the risk of his own life in afghanistan on october 3, 2009. attacked by 300 taliban fighters, staff sergeant moved

uncover to recover the reckon aceance. he took one out team and was wounded to take out a second. despite his wounds he continued fighting and resulted in the elimination of over 30 enemy fighters. clint and his wife and three children live in my district and are the pride of our state. for his extraordinary heroism and commitment to his fellow soldiers, i am proud to recognize him. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from utah seek recognition? without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> i rise today to honor the heroic efforts of corporal wayne dewey. he was with the first marine division and awarded the medal

of honor for gal and try in tion on april 6, 1952 in korea. while receiving medal attention r his own wounds after a attack after an enemy grenade landed near him and his fellow soldiers. disregarding his own safety and intense pain, corp. tral dewey shouted a warning and covered the grenade. absorbing the explosion and saving his comrades from possible injury or death. it is for his heroism and devotion to duty that i'm proud to honor and remember the actions of corp. tral duane edgar dewey and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house.

the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> this is a nice evening what i call roll call of heroes. mr. carter: yesterday, i dropped nto the hopper a bill entitled fort hood heroes act h.r. 3111, this bill was introduced with 119 original co-sponsors on a bipartisan basis. this bill declares the shooting that took place at fort hood an act of terrorism that should have been prevented and calls hasan an islamic extremists and award purple hearts to the soldiers that were killed or wounded in the attack and award the secretary of defense medal of freedom to civilians who were killed or wounded in the attack. this bill would provide benefits to victims of the attack that

were killed or wounded to their families that occurred at fort hood and would declare that they are soldiers in the combat zone at the hands of the enemy of the united states. while serving along side the armed forces. possible benefits they will receive will be special compensation, maximum coverage under servicemen's group insurance, tax breaks after death in combat zone or terrorist attack, special pay for subjecks to hostile enemy fire and honorable portions. thank you, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman rom colorado seek recognition? >> permission to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. tipton: i rise today to

honor the heroic efforts of major drew dennis decks who hales from the hometown of heroes, public although, colorado. he was a military adviser and was awarded the medal of honor for gal and try in action on january 31, 1968. major dicks led a force to lead trapped citizens. they were greeted with automatic gun fire. ajor dicks killed six viet cong. following day, he assembled a 20-man force. the group captured 20 and attacked several who entered the residence of the deputy province chief, successfully rescuing the chief's wife's and children. i'm proud to honor and remember the actions of major drew dennis

dicks. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from florida seek reckniss? >> address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> mr. speaker, today i rise to honor the heroic efforts of lieutenant colonel ronald ray of the united states america. mr. bilirakis: lieutenant colonel ray who lives in florida was a platoon leader in the 25th infantry division and was awarded the medal of honor for profound bravery in action on june 19, 1969 in vietnam. when one of his patrol teams was ambushed, lieutenant colonel ray set up a defensive perimeter hile eliminating multiple viet conk. he lieutenant colonel ray then began directing aid and medical

support. when grenade fell between two of his men, he threw himself upon it shielding them from the blast but sustaining multiple shrapnel wounds himself. though wounded, lieutenant colonel ray remained on the field and provided effective fire support until the last of his men were safely extracted. it is for his courage and commitment to his men that i'm proud to honor and remember the actions of lieutenant colonel ronald eric ray. and i yield back. . the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> mr. speaker, i rise today to honor the heroic efforts of specialist fifth class clarence eugene sasser of the united

states army. a native texan, specialist fifth class sasser was with the ninth infantry division and received his medal of honor for actions of immense gallantry on january 10, 1968 in vietnam. while his company was making an air assault, they were surrounded at the landing zone and suffered 30 casualties in the first few minutes. in order to assist the wounded, specialist sasser ran through open fire several times. he ignored his own need for medical attention in order to provide care to his fellow man. when both of his legs were mobilized, sergeant first class sasser dragged himself into a position to assist others and it encouraged soldiers to crawl to safety where he tended their wounds until evacuation. it is for his upholding of the highest military values that i am proud to honored actions of specialist fifth class clarence eugene sasser. mr. webster: i'm randy webber and that's the -- mr. weber: i'm randy webber and that's the the way it is in

america. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman rom kentucky seek recognition? without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> mr. speaker, i rise today who oner -- honor the heroic efforts of earnest edison west of the united states army. private first class west served with company l., 25th anfantry division, and was awarded the medal of honor for conspicuous gal can antry in korea on october 12, 1952. private first class west's patrol was ambushed, he ordered his fellow men to withdraw while he braved enemy fire to reach and assist patrol leader. in the evacuation process, he and his wounded leader came under intense enemy attack. rivate first class west used his body to shield the wounded officer and killed the attacking enemy. mr. massie: although he lost i had eye and was seriously wounded, he returned again through intense fire to help evacuate more wounded soldiers. because of his valiant efforts

and extraordinary military spirit, i am proud to honor and remember the actions of private first class earnest edison west of kentucky's fourth district. mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from north dakota seek -- south dakota seek recognition? without objection, the gentlewoman is recognized for one minute. mrs. noem: thank you, mr. speaker. today i rise to honor a hero of our country and the state of south dakota. specialist michael john fitzmorris of the united states army. specialist fitzmorris, serving in the three deep -- 3-d platoon, was awarded the medal of honor on march 23, 1971 in vietnam. when three enemy explosive charges landed in their bunker, special fitzmorris -- specialist fitzmorris quickly removed two, he smothered the other charge with his body. despite his injuries, he charged the enemy, engaging at times in hand-to-hand combat. fitzmorris refused medical evacuation and continued

fighting. it is because of his extraordinary bravery and devotion to duty that i am proud to honor the actions of specialist michael john fitzmorris today. and with that i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from kansas seek recognition? without objection, the gentlewoman is recognized for one minute. ms. jenkins: mr. speaker, i rise today to honor lieutenant colonel charles hagameister of the united states army. he was with the first cavalry division and watts awarded the medal of honor for conspicuous gallantry in action on march 20, 1967, in vietnam. when the lieutenant colonel's platoon came under attack, he disregarded his own safety and raced through deadly fire to provide aid to two of his wounded comrades. he then crawled forward to assist and encouraged the platoon leader and other soldiers.

while under fire at close range, the lieutenant colonel took a rifle from a fallen soldier, killed a sniper, three advancing soldiers and silenced an enemy machine gunner. unable to move the wounded, he again braved enemy fire and returned with help. lieutenant colonel then continued to administer aid and help remove his wounded brothers. it is for his extraordinary bravery and selflessness that i am proud to remember and honor the actions of lupet colonel charles chris hagaeister. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> mr. speaker, i rise today to honor the valiant efforts of private first class arthur j. jackson of the united states marine corps. private first class arthur j. jackson was awarded the medal of honor for conspicuous gallantry and intrep its above

and beyond the call of duty in action against the enny japan. when private first class arthur j. jackson was held up by the fire of japanese troops, private first class jackson charged a large pill box housing, approximately 35 enemy shoulders. mr. valadao: pouring his auto fire into the opening of the fixed installation to attack the occupying troops, he hurled grenades and explosive charges demolishing the pill box and killing the enemies. he advanced two smaller positions and stormed one gun position after another until he succeeded in wiping out the total of 12 pill boxing and 50 japanese soldiers. his gallant initiative and heroic conduct in the face of extreme peril reflects the highest credit upon private first class jackson and the u.s. naval service. it is for his currently and unwaivering devotion to duty that i am proud to honor and remember the actions of private first class arthur j. jackson.

i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from kentucky seek recognition? without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> mr. speaker, i rise today to honor medal of honor recipient john j. jenkins for his brave service in vietnam. under heavy crossfire, don jenkins began placing suppressive fire on the enemy. he exposed himself to extremely heavy fire when he repeatedly ran and crawled across open terrain to attain resupplies of ammunition until he had exhausted all that was available for his machine gun. displaying tremendous presence of mind, he then armed himself with two antitank weapons and by himself maneuvered through the rapid, hostile fire to within 20 meters of an enemy bunker to destroy that position. mr. guthrie: after moving back to the friendly defensive perimeter lock enough to secure he had another weapon, a grenade launcher, he moved forward to a position, provided no protection, and resumed

placing accurate fire on the enemy until his ammunition was again exhausted. it is for his courage and unweavering devotion to duty that i am proud to honor actions of private first class don j. jenkins. i had the great privilege of knowing him personally and i'm proud to call him my friend. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. veasey: mr. speaker, i rise today to honor the heroic efforts of master sergeant richard allen pitman of the united states marine corps. master sergeant pitman was with company i, first division, and was awarded the medal of honor, consummate gallantry and action, on july 24, 1966, in vietnam. when company fell under intense enemy fire, master sergeant pitman grap grabbed a machine gun and rushed toward the front to provide support. through enemy fire, he rushed

to the front of the patrol and eliminated multiple enemy positions. master sergeant pitman then charged an additional 50 yards to retrieve three downed marines. and established a defensive position, he was able tone gauge and inflict heavy casualties on an enemy force of 40 and ward off their advance, saving the lives of many of the company's men. it is for his bold fighting spirit and extreme devoigs to -- devotion to duty that i am proud to honor and remember the actions of master sergeant richard allen pitman. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman rom illinois seek recognition? without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> thank you, mr. speaker. it is with great pride that i rise today to honor a true american hero. sergeant allen james lynch of gurney, illinois. he received the medal of honor in the rave actions vietnam war where he risked his life to save three of his

comrades. lynch, serving as a radio telephone operator for the united states army, ran through open enemy fire to rescue three wounded soldiers. as the rest of the company withdrew, he stayed behind and single-handedly defended their position for two hours until reinforcements could be sent to see vack -- evacuate them. mr. hultgren: he was just 22 years old at the time. his actions extend far beyond his service in veetnament nam. he continued to serve as a staunch advocate for disabled veterans and remains an inspiration to the community, often visiting with local schools and challenging students to be the next great leaders of america. i commend his actions and his continued service to my community and to our country. a true inspiration. i'm proud to honor sergeant allen james lynch and his outstanding courage. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one inute.

>> mr. speaker, i rise today to honor the efforts of major james allen taylor of the united states army. i've personally known major taylor in the north state for about a decade. through personal involvement with veterans issues and events in the north state. i also wish to extend my heartfelt thanks to my colleague, representative huffman, whose district major taylor actually resides in and also major taylor had been a constituent of mine for several years when i represented trinity county. mr. la malfa: major taylor's with the first cavalry regiment and awarded the medal of honor for gallantfully 1969 in vietnam. his men were engaged in attack when a cavalry assault vehicle was hit and all five troop members were wounded. major taylor extract the wounded despite heavyenmy fire. when a second vehicle was hit, major taylor moved forward again to rescue the wounded. while evacuating the wounded, major taylor engaged the enemy,

killing several. at the evacuation point, a final vehicle was hit, again, major taylor assisted in removing the wounded men and made sure all were safely evacuated. i've met and known major taylor again for several years and it's my privilege to call him a friend. it is through his selfless spirit that i am proud to honor and remember the actions of major taylor. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. brady: mr. speaker, i rise today to honor the heroic efforts of lieutenant michael edwin thornton of the united states navy and montgomery, tick. lieutenant thornton was a senior advisor to vietnamese navy s.e.a.l. patrols and was awarded his medal of honor for bravery and action on march 6, 1976 in vietnam. lieutenant thornton and his team snuck behind enemy lines,

they made contact with an enemy force, engaged in a fire fight with the enemy, inflicting many casualties before withdrawing. when some of the men were caught off from the team, lieutenant thornton went back in through enemy fire to find the wounded men and carry them to safety. in killing several enemy combatants and hauling the wounded out, lieutenant thornton saved the life of his superior officer and it is for this heroic spirit that i am proud to honor and remember the actions of lieutenant michael edwin thornton. mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman rom ohio seek recognition? without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> mr. speaker, i rise today to honor the heroic efforts of specialist fourth class gary george wetsle of the united states army. he served in the 173rd assault helicopter company and was awarded the medal of honor for

his extreme heroism in action in vietnam on january 8, 1968. while going to the aid of his aircraft commander, specialist wetzel became critically wounded. although his left arm was severed, he held his position and engaged the enemy. mr. owens: after eliminating three -- mr. wenstrup: after eliminating three, he refused treatment. due to the severity of his wounds, he lost consciousness. once he regained consciousness, he persisted in his efforts to drag himself to the aid of his fellow crewmen and assisted in bringing the commander to safety. because of his valiant efforts toward his fellow crewmen, i'm proud to honor and remember the actions of gary george wetzel. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one inute.

>> mr. speaker, i rise today to honor the heroic efforts of a man from annville, texas, and an american hero, colonel james fleming of the united states air force. colonel fleming was a pilot of a helicopter, the 20th special operations squand ron. he was awarded the medal of honor for gallantry in action on november 26, 1968, in vietnam. mr. olson: on that day, colonel fleming was ordered to rescue a six-man special forces patrol that was pinned down by enemy fighters. already aware of one downed helicopter in the area, colonel fleming dropped his helicopter into the combat zone. despite a failed first attempt and low fuel, colonel fleming

did what every member of the u.s. military's trained to do, he left no man behind. he came back and hovered with .n open car-go door the six green berets jumped into his helicopter with the enemy 10 feet behind. thanks to his heroic efforts, the six green berets made it out alive. i'm proud to honor and remember the actions of colonel james fleming. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from north carolina seek recognition? >> permission to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. >> i rise to honor the heroic marm. of colonel walter he demonstrated courage and

awarded the medal of honor. as his company was moving to a iendly unit, his platoon was receiving intense fire. he deliberately exposed himself to draw its fire. he charged 30 meters across open ground and hurled grenades. although severely wounded, he counted his assault on the position and killed the remainder of the enemy breaking the enemy assault. for his gallantry on the battlefield and his extraordinary bravery at the risk of his life that i'm proud to honor and remember the actions of colonel walter joseph marm junior. thank you, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from illinois seek recognition? >> wish to address the house for one minute and revise and stepped my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> i rise todd to honor lieutenant colonel fritz and resident of the 18th district of illinois. lieutenant colonel fritz served in vietnam and awarded the medal of honor for gallantry in action on january 11, 1969. while in vietnam, lieutenant took a fritz's unit direct hit. he ran from vehicle to vehicle positioning, providing aid and resupplying his men. the enemy attackers charged twice but under lieutenant colonel fritz's leadership, they stood its ground. he led an offensive forcing the enemy to withdraw. he selfishly made sure his men were cared for before allowing his own wounds to be cared for.

i recognize lieutenant colonel fritz for his undaunted courage, bravery and leadership. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman rom colorado seek recognition? >> ask unanimous consent to address the house. yoifment without objection. mr. lamborn: i rise today to honor specialized fourth class petter c. lemon. he was awarded the medal of honor for gallantry above and beyond the call of duty against the enemy in vietnam. when the base came under attack, he engaged a superior enemy with machine gun and rifle fire from his defensive position until both weapons malfunctioned. he used hand grenades to fend off the enemy attack launched in his direction.

after eliminating all but one of the enemy soldiers in the vicinity, he pursued and disposed of the remaining soldier in hand-to-hand combat. aid.rried a comrade to disregarding his personal injuries, he moved to his position through a hail of small arms and grenade fire. sergeant lemon immediately realized that the defensive sector in in danger of being overrun and assaulted the enemy soldiers by throwing hand grenades and engaging in hand-to-hand combat. wounded a third time but his efforts drove the enemy from the area. it is for his courage and his devotion to duty that i'm proud to remember the actions of specialist fourth class peter c. lemon. thank you, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from florida seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i ask unanimous

consent to address the speaker and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. >> i rise today to recognize the efforts of colonel ballard. colonel ballad was with the third marine division and awarded the medal of honor for action on may 16, 1968 in vietnam. his company was ambushed as they were evacuating a landing zone. upon seeing wounded marines, he rendered medical assistance as they prepared to move the marine, an enemy soldier hurled a grenade. after shouting a warning, he threw himself upon the grenade to protect his soldiers against the blast. colonel ballard saved countless marines. for his courage and devotion to

duty that that i remember the effort of colonel ballard. >> the chair lays before the house the following personal requests. the clerk: leaves of absence requested for mr. rush from thursday friday september 12 until friday. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. he request is granted. the speaker pro tempore: under the speaker's announced policy of january 3, 2013, the gentleman from illinois, mr. davis, is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.

mr. davis: i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of my special order. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. davis: it is an honor to be here to honor the 79 living congressional medal of honor recipients and continue what i started earlier, i would like to recognize my colleague from the great state of illinois, mr. shimkus. mr. shimkus: i thank my colleague and friend for the recognition and the opportunity to recognize captain howard e. lee from virginia beach, virginia. captain lee was awarded the medal of honor for gallantry above and beyond the call of duty against the enemy in vietnam. when lee realized the unit suffered numerous casualties

depriving of effective leadership and platoon was under more heavy attack by the enemy, major lee took seven men and proceeded by helicopter to reinforce the platoon. major lee got out of the helicopter with two of his men and braving enemy fire led them into the perimeter where he moved from position to position directing and encouraging the overattacked troops. although painfully wounded by fragments from an enemy grenade in several areas of his body including his eye, major lee continued throughout the night court -- coordinate supporting fire. the next morning, he collapsed from his wouppeds and forced to relinkish the command. for his courage and devotion to duty i'm proud to remember the

actions of captain howard d. lee. sempe fi. mr. davis: i would like to recognize migrate friend from new york, mr. tonko. mr. tonko: i thank the gentleman from illinois and the gentlewoman from from hawaii for bringing us together in a bipartisan spirited way to recognize the living medal of honor winners who are much applauded and much recognized and deeply loved by this nation. i rise this evening to honor the heroic efforts of sergeant first class fran is sherman curry. he was with the 30th infantry division and served with that division and awarded the medal of honor for gallantry on december 21, 1944 in belgium. while defending a strong point,

sergeant curry's platoon was overrun by german tanks leading to the withdrawal of his platoon, he was able to obtain a trymen. and infan he eliminated one tank and cleared three german soldiers from a house. discovering five trapped american soldiers, sergeant curry acquired several anti-tank grenades. in driving the tank from their vehicles, he provided enough cover fire to free the five soldiers. t is for his heroism and devotion to duty that i'm proud to honor and remember the actions of sergeant first class sherman curry. and i thank you for the opportunity to share with you this evening on behalf of this wonderful gentleman. mr. davis: thank you sir.

true hero. i would like to now recognize my colleague from florida, mr. uchanan. >> mr. speaker i rise to rise capria was awarded for his action in korea on november 28, 1950 while serving with the first marine division. as the only unwounded member of his squad, he single hand he hadly engaged the enemy while under heavy fire from machine guns and hand grenades. over seven hours he fended off wave after wave enemy attacks until reinforcements arrived. he moved in as an enemy grenade

landed in his trench. the private grabbed the grenade and threw it from the trench before it deathon ated. though wounded, he saved lives of his men. it is for this supreme bravery and courageousness that i'm proud to honor and remember the actions of private first class junior.lbert capria i yield back. mr. davis: thank you. i would like to recognize my colleague, mr. heck, from washington's 10th district. mr. heck: thank you, and i would like to add my expression of gratitude to the the gentleman from illinois and the gentlewoman from from hawaii. i rise now to acknowledge the gallantry of a couple of more residents of washington state's 10th congressional district who are recipients of the congressional medal of honor and i had the privilege to meet

these gentlemen. i rise to honor sergeant first class leroy arthur petri. he was with the 75th ranger regular meant and awarded the medal of honor in 2008. though seriously wounded following an enemy attack, sergeant first class petri moved himself and communicate the situation. when another ranger moved forward, a grenade fell between the men. he sprang forward and attempted to throw it away. although he saved the lives of the two men with him, the grenade exploded and seriously wounded sergeant first class petri. he lost a good part of his right hand. his right hand is a prosthetic.

i have shaken that hand on multiple occasions and i cannot explain the magic that it is the warmest handshakes i have ever experienced. it is for his heroism and devotion to duty that i'm proud to honor and remember the actions of sergeant first class leroy arthur petri a resident of my district. and i rise today to honor master sergeant will burn kirby ross of the united states army. master sergeant ross was with the third infantry division and awarded the medal of honor for ction on october 30, 1944 near st. jac qeus, france. he placed his machine gun in front of their line to absorb the initial impact. with sergeant ross fired

deadly effect on the assaulting force. he continued to man his machine un holding off six more german attacks. master sergeant ross killed 40 and wounded 10 of the enemy. broke the assault single hand he hadly and forced the germans to withdraw. he remained at his post that night and following day for a total of 36 hours and to his story, he was a careerist in the united states army and shipped to korea after world war ii which was against department of defense. his commanding officer asked him what he was doing that he said i can hardly swim back. on the very first day of korea, sergeant ross was wounded again for which he received the purple heart. it is for his extraordinary bravery i'm proud to honor and remember the actions of master sergeant will burn ross a resident of dupont, washington. thank you, mr. speaker and i

yield back. >> i now recognize mr. lance. mr. lance: thank you very much, mr. speaker. i rise this evening to honor the military service record of colonel jack h. jacobs of far hills, new jersey. colonel jacobs was awarded the u.s. army's medal of honor for conspicuous gallantry above and beyond the call of duty and action against the enemy in vietnam. under intense heavy machine gun and mortar fire from a vietcong battalion, colonel jacobs called for and directed air strikes on the enemy positions to facilitate a renewed attack. due to the intensity of the enemy fire and heavy casualties to the command group, including

the company commander, the attack stopped. although wounded by mortar fragments, colonel jacobs assumed command of the allied company, ordered a withdrawal from the exposed position and established a defensive perimeter. he returned under intense fire to evacuate a seriously wounded advisor to the safety of a wooded area where he administered life-saving first aid. he then returned through heavy ooth automatic weapons fire to evacuate the wounded company commander. it is for his courage and unweavering devotion to duty -- unwavering devotion to duty him. am proud to honor i yield back the balance of my time. >> thank you, mr. lance. mr. speaker, since the first medal of honor was given on

3,461 men 63, only have also earned it and today, as has been mentioned, only 79 living recipients remain. mr. davis: in order to properly honor these heroes, as you know we've invited our fellow members of congress in bipartisan fashion to come to the floor and speak on each one of the living recipients of this great medal of honor. but i'd first like to thank, personally thank my colleague, congresswoman gabbard, for joining me in this effort, across the aisle. as a veteran and current member of the hawaii national guard, tulsi exemplifies the values and discipline of our armed services. i would also like to recognize garret anderson, my district staffer, who handles veterans issues and who was able to join me tonight for this special occasion. garr set a veteran of the iraq war -- garret is a veteran of the iraq war and has become a leader for wounded warriors throughout our nation.

representative tulsi gabbard and garrett anderson are not nly role models to young folks across this country but to my own children as well. i'm honored to have their support tonight and right now i'd like to recognize my colleague, tultsy gabbard -- tulsi gabbard. ms. gabbard: thank you very much, mr. speaker. i am so proud personally to be able to join with my friend and my colleague, representative rodney davis, as we lead this bipartisan special order to remember and to honor the extraordinary sacrifice anddy place -- displays of true love of -- and displays of true love of country that have been exemplified by the proud war orse who served in conflicts past and present. president kennedy once said a nation reveals it self not only by the men it produces but also by the men it honors. and the men it remembers. i had the privilege last year as the reunion was held in hawaii for these remaining living medal of honor

recipients, we had a dinner on the bow of the mighty mo at pearl harbor. and it was so incredible and moving to be there in the presence of people i had read about, been inspired by and been motivated by. as a child but throughout my time training, as well, when those days felt dark and you felt tired and you felt like do this, it an't was these men who truly exemplified and gave us energy to move forward. each of these 79 living veterans has been awarded the congressional medal of honor, our nation's highest military decoration for valor in combat. and for us to stand here this evening, we represent our constituents, the sentiments and appreciation of a grateful nation. a select few, like staff

sergeant allen j. kellogg from my state of hawaii, who also lives in my hometown, consciously made the decision at the point when it mattered most to do an extraordinary thing. that if need be, they would give their lives for others and what's soin credible about all of these men -- and what's soin credible about all of -- what's so incredible about all these men is they'd do it again if necessary. they made tremendous sacrifices, protecting our ideals and freedoms, to keep our nation safe. and it's because of their sacrifice and their service that we can be here today to speak our minds. sometimes agreeing, sometimes disagreing, where we can practice our faith and pursue our dreams. that's the reason we gather today. members of congress from both parties and from across the country, to stand in awe of their sacrifice. and to pay tribute to their heroic actions. we also remember the parents

and the community that raised these heroes, the families that stood behind them, the military that trained them and their battle buddies the, the men and women who served by their side. i think i can safely say that i speak for all americans when i say that we are incredibly grateful for what they have done for us and what they have done for our country. the courage they've shown, the examples they have set for us is truly special. and none of the words that we can say will ever be truly worthy of their sacrifice or their service. but we do our best to pay our tribute and express our gratitude. while tonight we are honoring the remaining living veterans who have been recipients of medal of honor, i would like to take a moment to remember a medal of honor recipient who is near and dear to my heart, to the state of hawaii and to the country and who is no longer with us. senator daniel enlisted in the

u.s. army at age 17, just after he attack on pearl harbor. at a time when our country was putting japanese americans in concentration camples. in -- camps. in 1945, senator inouye lost his arm and suffered multiple injuries as he charged a series of germen machine gun nests on a hill in italy. his selfless acts during this battle later earned him the medal of honor. continuing his lifelong commitment of service to hawaii and the nation, danny inouye was hawaii's very first congressman and served in the senate since 1963. senator inouye was an american hero of the highest order and he continues to be an inspiration to me and countless others around the world. congressman davis and i now

have the honor to be joined by some of our colleagues as we continue to honor these courageous heroes. . yield back mr. davis: thank you, tulsi. it's an honor to be standing here with you. great chamber to honor our heroes. now i'd like to recognize my good friend, mr. kilmer from the great state of washington. ms. kilpatrick: thank you, mr. speaker. i'd -- mr. kilmer: thank you, mr. speaker. i'd like to thank the representatives for organizing this important time. it's my honor to stand on the floor and recognize the heroic actions of two distinguished recipients of the medal of honor that i have the pleasure of representing. crandall. nd bruce

while manning a light machine gun, sergeant hawk successfully pushed back the infantry forces with his machine gun fire. when an artillery shell knocked out his gun and wounded his thigh, sergeant hawk secured a bazooka and pursued the remaining tanks, forcing hem into -- them into a wooded section. while organizing two machine gun squads and facing intense enemy fire and with tanks in close proximity, sergeant hawk repeatedly climbed to an exposed normal in order to direct fire until two of the tanks were knocked out and the third was driven off. even while suffering a painful wound, sergeant hawk continued to direct fire until the enemy surreynoldered. he showed that day -- surrendered. he showed that day fearless initiative and heroic conduct. the heroism was also displayed by lieutenant colonel bruce crandall of the united states army.

assigned to a company 229th assault helicopter battalion, lieutenant colonel crandall was awarded for his actions in vietnam. on november 14, 1965, then major crandall led the first major air division of air mobile troops into landing zone x-ray, bringing ammunition and supplies and evacuating the wounded. flying more than 14 hours in a single day, in unarmed helicopters, major crandall and his team rescued more than 70 wounded soldiers. under the most extreme fire, his brave decision to land under fire instilled in the other pilots the will to continue. and assured the ground forces that they would be resupplied. it's for his indomitable her women that -- heroism that i'm proud to honor him. let me stay in closing, our nation is stronger for the service and sacrifices of these distinguished medal of

honor recipients, for all of the recipients of the medal of honor and for all of those who serve our country. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back. mr. davis: thank you. i'd like to recognize my colleague from the great state of california, mr. mcclintock. mr. mcclintock: i thank my friend for yielding. mr. speaker, i rise today to honor the courageous act of rgeant major john r. cavaiani. he earned his medal in veat nam. in 1973 cavaiani's camp came under intense enemy fire. repeatedly exposing himself to that enemy fire in order to move about the perimeter, cavaiani was able to direct the platoon's fire in a desperate fight for survival. when the platoon was called to be evacuated, sergeant major

cavaiani volunteered to remain on the ground and direct the evacuation. the following morning the enemy attack continued. unable to slow down the assault, sergeant major cavaiani ordered his platoon to escape while he stayed behind to protect the men of his platoon. on bf of a grateful nation on a respectful and loving community, i am proud to absolute the heroism and to recount the actions of sergeant major cavaiani of columbia, california, and i yield back. mr. davis: thank you, mr. mcclintock. now i'd like to recognize my good friend from indiana, mr. esser. mr. messer: mr. speaker, i rise to honor the heroic efforts of a great hoosier, sergeant sammy l. davis of the united states army. sergeant davis, then private

first class davis, distinguished himself while serving at a remote support base in vietnam. november 18, 1967, sergeant davis' support base came under enemy mortar attack. and he was also threatened with a ground assault from across the river. detecting a nearby enemy position, sergeant davis seized a machine gun and provided cover for his gun crew. . but the enemy managed a direct hit. ignoring warnings to seek cover, sergeant davis returned to the howitzer which was burning furiously. though he was painfully injured by enemy mortar, davis continued fire, disregarding his injuries and inability to swim, he crossed the river on an air mattress where he aided

in returning three soldiers to the support base, refusing medical attention for his own wounds, he joined another gun crew, firing at the enemy until they fled. i am proud to honor and remember the extraordinary heroism of sergeant sammy l. davis. thank you. yield back. >> thank you, i'd like to recognize my colleague from the great state of texas, ms. jackson lee. ms. jackson lee: thank you for llowing me to join you in this portant time, i want to make reference to to my friend, clarence sasser who received a medal of honor for actions in the vietnam war, he has now

passed and i know those who live recognize their fellow recipients for their heroism. but we are honoring tonight those who live. it is my privilege to absolute sergeant major kenneth e. stump -- kenneth e. stumpf of tomah, wisconsin. he received the medal of honor for gallantry in action on 1957. 5, bets -- our vietnam vets came home their response as not a welcome response.

through the honoring of this great medal of honor winner comes to the full attention of america where we will never, ever welcome our soldiers home in any manner than to say thank you. ergeant major stumpf's company approached a village and fortified bunker complex. three men were wounded. the sergeant major and his squad successfully eliminated two bunker positions but one remained a serious threat. armed with hand grenades, sergeant major stumpf ran through enemy fire and as he reached the bunker he pulled the pins on two grenades and directed them into it. with the bunkers eliminated, serblingt major stumpf was able o rescue the three wounded

soldiers. it is for this bravery and heroism in rescuing his fellow soldiers i am -- i honor kenneth edward stumpf. wars have agreements and disagreement bus no one in america ever disagreed with the service, the sacrifice, the love, the valiant effort of the men and women in our military, sergeant major kenneth edward stumpf, medal of honor winner, we salute you. >> thank you -- mr. davis: thank you to the gentlelady from texas. i'd like to begin where ms. gabbard and i will read the speeches about the other living medal of honor resip yepts. i'd like to go through a few for my colleagues who are going to submit them for the record, unable to be here tonight.

my good friend bill young from florida is submitting a -- submitting for the record a speech in honor of sergeant littrell of florida who was awarded the medal of honor for valor above and beyond the call of duty in vietnam in 1970. he was assigned to the united states systems command and distinguished himself serving s a light infantry weapons advisor. i'd like to recognize and submit for the record from my colleague, lyn jenkins of the ate of kansas to honor donlon of charles

11 worth kansas. also submitting for the record on behalf of my colleague, lamar smith, we're going to honor major general patrick henry brady, major general brady was awarded thed me oofl honor for extreme heroism onian 6, 1968, in vietnam as a member f the 54th medical detachment. he rescued dozens of enemy held men in an area blanketed by fog and braved enemy fire to save his colleagues. on behalf of ander crenshaw of florida i'd like to honor petty of cer roger ingram florida. he was awarded the medal of onor for conspicuous gallantry beyond the -- above and beyond

the call of duty in north vietnam as he accompanied a platoon as it engaged an outpost of a north vietnamese battalion. he was able to -- mr. ingram was table -- was able to move from a ridge to a rice paddy and then the tree line while it exploded with a hail of bullets from 100 north vietnamese regulars. the platoon ranks were decimate bud he proceeded to collect ammunition if the dead and offer aid to the wounded. i'd also like to recognize my colleague from the great state of hawaii to honor more of our eroes. ms. gabbard: thank you. i would like to submit for the record on behalf of chris van hollen of maryland i'd like to nor first lieutenant brian

thacker who received his medal of honor for various in vietnam he remained in position when it became apparent that the evacuation of the base was necessary he organized and directed the withdrawal of the remaining friendly forces with complete disregard for his personal safety he remained inside the perimeter alone to provide covering fire until all friendly forces had escape. due to his selfless act he remained trapped behind enemy lines for eight days before he was finally rescued. also on behalf of my colleague congressman rahall of west virginia, i with great pleasure honor -- rise to honor hershel woodrow williams and his heroic efforts and service. i had the honor of meeting hershel last year when he and the other medal of honor recipients were in hawaii, an heard from him, even as he sat

in a wheelchair, his courageous spirit was alive and wellism asked him for his autofwraff. he was with the third division when he was awarded the medal of honor for his gallantry in 1945 on the island of iwo jima. went d by two riflemen he in to wipe out enemy positions with a flame throwing. -- thrower. he naved way for his fellow soldiers. truly his unyielding demmingsened extraordinary heroism are legendary hism devotion didn't end there. back home, upon returning to his family, he served as a civilian counselor and volunteer in his church, community, and with veterans' organizations and continued to dedicate his life to repay those who gave all so he and countless others could come home, resulting in a lifelong

commitment to service. i'm is valiant commitment, honor -- i'm proud to honor hershel woodrow williams. mr. davis: i would like to rise to recognize the efforts of private kinsman. he was awarded the medal of conspicuous valor above and beyond the call of duty in vietnam. as his company was proceeding up an a narrow canal it came under sudden and intense rocket attack, automatic weapons and other weapons. the enemy began assaulting them, as they were moving thru enemy fire, an enemy soldier in a concealed position hurled a grenade in their midst. mr. kinsman immediately alerted

his comrades of the danger and threw himself on the grenade and blocked the explosion with his body. as a result of his courageous action he received severe head and chest wounds. through his indomitable courage, complete disregard for his personal safety and profound concern for his fellow soldiers, prives first class kinsman averted the loss of life and injury to the other seven men of his element. it is for his courage and unwavering devotion to duty i'm proud to honor and remember the actions of private first class thomas kinsman. was bbard: joe jackson atwheard medal of honor for valor above and beyond the call of duty in vietnam. he attempted the rescue of a three-man combat control team. hostile forces had overrun the forward outpost and established gun positions on the airstrip. the camp was engall ofed in flames and ammunition dumps

were continuously exploding and littering the runway with debris. to further complicate his land, the welcome was deteriorating rapidly permitting only one air strike prior to his landing. though fully aware of the extreme danger and likely failure of such an attempt, lieutenant colonel jackson elected to land his aircraft and attempt the rescue, displaying superb airmanship and extraordinary heroism, he landed near the area the team was reported to be hiding. once they were on boarding her succeeded in getting airborne despite hostile fire. it is for his courage and unwavering devotion to duty i'm proud to honor and remember the actions of lieutenant colonel joe m. jackson. mr. davis: i rise to honor the tion of chaplain angelo j. litke. as he was par to pis pating in

a search and destroy operation when company a came under fire. observing two wounded men, the chaplain moved within 15 meters of an enemy machine gun position to reach them, placing himself between the enemy and the wounded men. inspired by his courageous actions, the company rallied and began placing a heavy volume of fire on the enemy's position. in a magnificent display of courage and leadership he began moving through the the enemy fire, administering last rites to the dying and evacuating wounded. in 1967 it was discovered that despite his painful wounds in the neck and foot the chaplain had personally carried over 20 men to the landing zone for evacuation during the savage fighting. through his indomitable inspiration and heroic action he is sthaved lives of a number of his comrades and enabled the company to repulse the enemy. it is for his courage and

unwavering devotion to duty that i'm proud to honor and remember the actions of chaplain litke and for reasons unnonse to many of us, the chaplain has renounced his medal of honor but still on the floor of this house deserves to be honor for the heroism he demonstrated that day in 1967. ms. gabrd: master sernlt nicholas enresco was atwheard medal of hon nor for his action on january 23, 1945, in while company c was conducting an attack it came under heavy enemy fire from its flanks, pinning the unit down. the master sergeant moved forward alone, engaging the first bunker at point-blank range and eliminating the enemy. despite being wound head pushed forward and eliminated a second bunker with a grenade, clearing

the remaining enemy with rifle fire. he refused to leave the field until the mission was complete. it's for his quick thinking, indomitablity courage and devotion to duty that i'm proud to honor and remember the actions of master sergeant nicholas iresco. mr. davis: i rise today to submit for the record on behalf of my colleague from the great state of wisconsin, mr. duffy, in honor of the valiant efforts ingman. nt aydar his company was penned -- pin down then he assumed command, reorganized and combined the two trapped squads and proceeded to charge the enemy machine guns alone he took out one crew with a grenade before being hit with a second machine gun. seriously injured and with incredible courage and stamina,

the corporal rose and killed the entire gun crew using only his rifle before falling unconscious from his wounds. as a result of this singular action, the defense of the enemy was broken, his squad secured its objective and more than 100 hostile troops abandoned their weapons and fled in disorganized retreat. it is for his courage and unwavering devotion i'm proud to honor on behalf of my good friend and colleague from wisconsin mr. duffy and remember the actions of sergeant ingman. gab gab -- ms. gabbard: he was awarded the medal of honor for extreme gallantry on october 29, 1944rks in france. during the devastating assault sakato atoon, private

helped. private sakato charged forward and encouraged his squad to advance as well. during the maneuver, private sakato's squad leader was killed. in taking charge, private sakato relentlessly pushed his men forward. private sakato and his unit were ultimately victorious in halting the enemy's attack. he managed to kill 12 enemy soldiers while wounding two others. it is for his gallant courage and fighting spirit that i am proud to honor and remember the actions of private george sakato. mr. davis: mr. speaker, eye rise today to honor the heroic efforts of lieutenant thomas norris on behalf of my colleague from idaho. -- during the

three-day period, lieutenant norris established a forward operating base, deep within heavily controlled enemy territory to conduct a rescue of several downed pilots. although the first pilot was located and rescued on the evening of the first night, a second pilot was still missing. on the last day, lieutenant norris and one vietnamese dressed in finisherman disguises traveled in a river and located the last pilot. lieutenant norris and his companion were then able to safely return the pilot for medical care and evacuation. it is for his outstanding display of leadership and courage that i am proud to honor and remember the actions of lieutenant thomas nor ills. ms. gabbard: private first received his medal of honor for korea. when his unit came under attack by mortar and small arms fire, this private displayed an enormous level of commitment to

his fellow troops by throwing himself on a grenade that was hurled in the midst of his unit. although sustaining serious ounds, private first class simanek saved many lives. i am so proud to honor the actions of private first class robert earnest simanek. davis mr. speaker, i'd like to now recognize -- mr. davis: mr. speaker, i'd ike to now recognize mr. sanford. mr. sanford: there are many heroes from across this country. most recently we've seen them here in the capitol with the tragedy of the naval yard. but i think that you all are doing something very special by recognizing military heroes in their different acts of heroism and courage over the years. and i'd like to single out a resident from my home state of south carolina, major general

james everett livingston. his story is an interesting one as are so many of the stories that you've read. back in may 2 of 1968, he found himself as a young captain in the most unenviable of positions, in the marine company had been basically petitioned and were separated and he and other men courageously went in to basically extract that marine company. in the process, he was hit twice by grenade shrapnel, but he himself declined on medical help until they were able to go in and extract those marines and get them out. i think it's in keeping with the military tradition of never leaving a man or a woman behind and it says a lot about his personal courage that he would again keep in the fight even after with standing personal injury until those marines were again up, out and extracted. with that i would simply like to single out his 33 years in the marines, single out his wife, sara, and his daughters,

melissa and kimberly, for what they know, which is that they have a here o'for a dad and indeed a recipient of the medal of honor. thank you again for what you recall doing and i yield back. mr. davis: thank you, mr. sanford. ms. gabbard: lieutenant joseph kerry of the united states navy was awarded the medal of honor for conspicuous gallantry in taking action against the enny vietnam. he led his seal team on a mission to capture important members of the enemy's area political caddying ray known to be located on an island. splitting his team into two elements and coordinating both, lieutenant kerry led his men in the treacherous downward descent to the enemy's camp. just as they neared the end of their descent, intense enemy fire was directed at them and lieutenant kerry received massive injuries from a grenade which exploded at his feet and threw him backward onto the jagged rocks. utilizing his radio man, lieutenant kerry called in the

second elements fire support, which caught the confused vietcong in a devastating crossfire. lieutenant kerry resolutely directed his men, despite his near unconscious state, until he was eventually see rack waited by helicopter -- he was eventually evacuated by helicopter. it is for his currently that i'm so proud to honor and remember the actions of joseph r. kerry. mr. davis: mr. speaker, on behalf of my colleague from the great state of idaho, mr. labrador, i rise to honor the heroic efforts of colonel bernard francis finisher of the united states air force and of idaho. colonel fischer was with the first air command squadron and awarded the medal of honor for his conspicuous gallantry in the republic of vietnam. hostile troopeds had positioned themselves he reserved a fellow airman crash. in belief that that airman was injured, he decided to land and attempt to rescue. directing his own cover, he

landed and tax idea the full length of the runway to rescue the pilot. colonel fisher's aircraft was struck 19 times. in the face of fire, he applied power and took off at the overrun air strip. it is for the risking of his life above the call of duty that i am proud to honor and remember the actions of colonel bernard francis fisher. ms. gabbard: lieutenant thomas g. kelly was awarded the medal of honor for going above and beyond the call of duty against the enemy in vietnam. he was in charge of a column of eight river assault aircrafts which were extracting one company of u.s. army infrantry troops on the east bank. when one of the armored troop carriers reported a mechanical failure of a loading round. at approximatelyy the same time, vietcong forces opened fire from the opposite bank of the canal. after issuing orders for the crippled troop carrier to raise its ramp manually and for the

remaining boats to form a protective cordon around the disabled craft, lieutenant commander kelly, realizing the extreme dangers to his column and its inability to clear the site, bold lima nufered the monitor in which he was embarked to the exposed side of the protected cordon in direct line with the enemy's fire and he ordered the monitor to commence firing. sustaining serious head wounds from the blast, which hurled him to the deck of the monitor, lieutenant commander kelly disregarded his severe injuries and attempted to continue directing the other boats. it is for his currently and unwaivering devotion to duty that i am proud to honor and remember the actions of lieutenant thomas g. kelly. mr. davis: mr. speaker, i rise today and also ask to submit this for the record on behalf of my colleague, mr. stivers from ohio, to honor the heroic efforts of master sergeant ronald eugene rosser of the united states army. master sergeant rosser was

serving with the second infantry division and received his medal of honor for conspicuous gal abilityry in action on january 12, 1952, in korea. when master sergeant rosser's platoon came under heavy fire from two sides, he charged the enemy's positions, taking the hill and killing seven. master sergeant rosser then descended to rearm and retake the hill once more while eliminating enemies along the way. after he had taken the hill a third time, and killed at least 13, master sergeant rosser helped retrieve the wounded men and make a successful withdrawal. as for his gallant actions and courageous and selfless devotion to duty that i am proud to honor and remember the actions of master sergeant ronald eugene rosser. ms. gabbard: it is on behalf of my colleague from california, allen lowenthal, that i am proud to honor two of his constituents who have been recipients of this press teengous meda -- prestigious medal of honor.

the first is sergeant ruben who received his medal of honor from his actions on july 23, 19 50, to april 20, 1953, in korea. while the regiment was withdrawing, corporal ruben single-handedly held off enemy charges, allowinging the eighth cavalry to complete its withdrawal. on october 30, a number of chinese forces mounted an assault on corporal ruben's unit. he maintained his firing position until he had exhausted all of his ammunition. although inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy, corporal ruben was eventually captured. while in prison camp, however, he continued his resistance and selflessness by caring for his sick comrades. also from congressman lowenthal's district, is one of our heroes, sect lieutenant walter david he willers. he served with the first infantry division of the united states army and was awarded the medal of honor for his service in france. second lieutenant ellers was part of the second wave on

d-day when the first wave became pinned down. his unit was sent forward to assist. on june 9, he led his unit's attack against german forces and defeated several enemy machine gun nests. the next day his platoon came under heavy fire and he single-handedly diverted enemy fire so his fellow servicemen could withdraw. despite being wounded, second lieutenant ellers carried another wounded rifleman to safety. even after he was treated, he refused to be evacuated so that he could return to leading his squad. it's for his display of indomitable currently that i am so proud to honor and remember the actions of second lieutenant walter david ellers. mr. davis: mr. speaker, i rise on behalf of my colleague from the great state of oregon, mr. walden, and ask that this be submitted for the record. on behalf of him. to honor technician fifth grade robert dale maxwell of the united states army. technician fifth grade maxwell

was in third infantry division and was awarded the medal of honor for supreme bravery in action on september 7, 1944, in france. technician fifth grade maxwell and three others armed only with 45-caliber sidearms defended the battalion headquarters against an overwhelming onslaught against an enemy platoon. he fought off the advancing enemy and inspired his fellow soldiers to continue. when an enemy hand grenade landed among the squad, mr. maxwell unhesitatingly hurled himself upon, it using his blanket and body to absorb the full force of the explosion. the act of incredible heroism permanently maimed technician fifth grade maxwell but saved the lives of his comrades and enabled vital commune casings -- communications to continue during the withdrawal from headquarters. it is for his valiant efforts and relentless spirit that i am proud to honor and remember the actions of technician fifth grade robert dale maxwell.

s. gabbard: captain thomas hudner. when his wingman was shot from the air and crash left-handed behind enemy lines, he courageously circled his comrand in an attempt to fight off enemy advancing on his wingman's position. upon noticing that his wingman bass -- was stuck in his burning plan, he crash landed his own plane into the rough mountains and in close proximity of the enemy's position in an attempt to save his buddy. captain hudner ran to his wingman's position and attempted to free him from the burning wreckage. en able to free him, he returned his aircraft to call in a rescue helicopter and support personnel. it is for his exceptionally valiant actions that i am proud to honor and remember the actions of captain thomas hudner jr. mr. davis: mr. speaker, i rise today to honor the bravery and courage of sergeant gary

1970, kirch, april 1, in vietnam. wh an enemy launched an attack, the allied deend fathers suffered a multitude of fatalities. ergeant be kimbings -- beikirch treated the wounded servicemen. sergeant he charged through enemy fire and carried the soldier to safety. instead of allowing his own wounds to be treated he wan continuously from the field of battle to the aid station to help his fellow soldiers. it is for these reasons that i'm proud to honor the actions of sergeant gary beikirch.

on november 5, 1966 in the republic of vietnam, while moving to aid a ejieged unit, lieutenant jeb's foaly's company was attacked, he was able to attend to wounding soldiers while dvancing them. he continued to advance after being evacuated. after being struck by a grenade, he refused medical aid and led an assault to destroy three enemy positions. it is for his outstanding leadership and selflessness i'm proud to honor and remember the actions of lieutenant general robert franklin foaly. honor s: i rise to

colonel harvey bar numb of the third marine corps. he's honored his his valor in 1965 in vietnam. his company became pinned down by enemy fire. upon discovering the company mmander and radio man were injured, he took delofle radio. he began identifying targets to engage. behind his leadership, the units maintained composure in the face of extreme danger and positional disadvantage. colonel bar numb took point and led the platoon on a successful counterattack, eliminating key positions. courage that i'm proud to honor the abs of colonel harvey c. barnum jr. ms. gabbard: colonel roberts'

platoon was sent to provide assistance to a sister company. when they became pinned down by heavy gun and grenade fire, colonel roberts charged forward beyond the perimeter and safety of his unit. without fear or concern, colonel roberts eliminated four enemy positions and linked up with the imperiled company he assisted with evacuating the wounded and supervised withdrawal from the position before returning to his own unit. it is for his gallant and selfless actions contributing directly to saving the lives of his fellow soldiers that i'm proud to honor and remember the actions of colonel gordon ray roberts. mr. davis: i rise to honor lieutenant james mcginty iii of the united states marine corps. he was with company k and was awarded the medal of honor for his gallantry in action as a platoon leader on july 8, 1966

in vietnam. while providing rear security, his 32-man platoon came under heavy fire. during the baranl two-his squads became separated. disregarding his own safety he ran through automatic weapons and mortar tire convene with the separated squads. upon arrive, he found 20 men wounded and a medical corpsman kill hesmed reloaded ammunition r the wounded man and though wounded conned to encourage his troops and direct their fire. he was table adjust artillery and effectively fight off the enemy. it is for his indomitable heroism and devotion to duty i'm proud to honor and remember the abs of lieutenant john james mcginty iii. mr. speaker, i want to recognize ms. gabbard for some closing comments. ms. gabbard: thank you. it has truly been a privilege

and a high note of my service as a member of congress to be able to stand here with my friend and colleague, congressman davis, to be able to read the highlights of the courageous actions of heroes whose service has allowed us to be here today. s that moment that i will never forget -- this is a moment i will never forget, a moment i look forward to sharing with many of my battle bud dis, my service members back home and it's a time for us to reflect, as we've heard through reading through these courageous actions it's like reading thru a storybook. these are the actions of heroes and legends that maybe we imagined as children but to know that these are living heroes, who not only put their lives on the line in the service of our country overseas but have come home and continued that service, who have only accepted this medal of honor in a humble way and to

honor those who did not make it home. i look forward to us in our work here in congress to be able to live up to the standards that they have set and to honor their service and sacrifice as we do our best working in the people's house to serve our country. i yield back. mrs. davis: thank you. this would not happen without great people helping to put this information together to honor these true heroes. i want to thank some folks who ve worked with me, nick, katherine, jenny, drew collins, frank santana and osborn crosby, among many others that i'm sure i'm going to forget to mention tonight but remember, this is an honor tonight where we are not republicans, we are not democrats, we are americans. coming together to honor in a bipartisan fashion 79 individuals who fought to protect the freedoms we enjoy to be able to stand here on

this house, to stand here in freedom to be merps and to govern. it is with great pride i was able to be joined tonight by my colleague, my friend, tull see gabbard, as a member of our military today. thank you for your service, thank you for your service to your country here and thank you for your service to our country as a member of the hawaii national guard. it is with great privilege i was honored to stand here tonight to recognize so many true american heroes and it is a privilege i will never forget throughout my career. i yield back the balance of my time if i have any. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair lays before the house the following message. the clerk: to the congress of the united states, section 202d of the national emergencies act provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless prior to the anniversary date of its declaration the president

transmits to congress a notice stating the emergency is to continue in effect beyond the anniversary date. in accordance with this provision i have sent to the federal register for publication the enclosed notice stating the emergency with respect to persons who commit, threaten to commit or support terrorism declared in executive order 13224 of september 23, 2001, is to continue in effect beyond september 23, 201234e678 crisis constituted by the grave acts of terrorism and threats of terrorism committed by foreign terrorists including the terrorist attacks on september 11, 2001, in new york, pennsylvania, and against the pentagon and the continuing and immediate threats on united states nationals or the united states that led to a declaration of a national emergency on september 23, 2001, has not been resolved. these actions continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary

threat for the national security, foreign policy and demoif united states. for this reason, i have determined it is necessary to continue the national emergency declared in executive order 13224 with respect to persons who commit, threaten to commit or support terrorism. signed barack obama, the white house. the speaker pro tempore: referred to the committee on foreign affairs and ordered printed. the chair lays before the house the following message. the clerk: to the congress of the united states. i am pleased to transmit to the congress consistent with sections 123 and 144b of the atomic energy act as amened the text of the agreement between the parties between the north atlantic treaty regarding important information including a technical annex and security annex hereinafter referred to as the atumal agreement a proposed agreement for u.s.

restricted data and formerly restricted data within the context of the north atlantic treaty organization, nato, between the united states of america and the following ember of nato, the republic of croatia. in addition i'm pleased to transmit my written approval concerning the agreement with respect to the new party with a copy of the memorandum of the secretary of defense with respect to the agreement. the agreement entered into force on march 12, 1965, with respect to the united states and the other nato members at that time. the czech republic, the republic of hungary, the republic of hoe poeland, spain, the republic of bull gare ark the republic ofest tone ark the republic of latvee ark the republic of lithuania, romania, the slovak republic and the republic of slovene in a became parties to the agreement.

the new party has signed the agreement and indicated its willingness to be bound by it. it meeses -- meets the requirements of the atomic energy act of 1954 as amended. though the amendment continues in force with respect to the united states and the other current parties to it, it will not become effective as an agreement for cooperation authorizing the exchange of atomic information with respect to the new party until completion of procedures prescribed by sections 123 and 144-b of the atomic energy act of 1954 as amended. the 60-day continuous section period provided for in section 23 begins upon receipt of this submission. signed, barack obama, the white house. the speaker pro tempore: referred to the committee on foreign affairs and ordered printed. under the speaker's announced spoil of january 13 -- january

, 201234erk gentleman from california, mr. cardenas, is recognized for 30 minutes as the designee of the minority leader. mr. cardenas: thank you, mr. speaker. it is an honor to be here on the foor to speak to america and those who try to understand all we try to do in this congress. it gives me great pleasure and honor to speak tonight about a very important issue that faces america but is just as important to people from all over the world. the united states of america is the country where dreams come true. nd it's not hard to see that citizenship is a cornerstone of that american dream. we're a nation of immigrants and immigration remains one of the great strengths of our great nation. yesterday, we celebrated citizenship day and were reminded of the important contributions immigrants made to america. immigrants from all over the

world. as congress continues to delay the passage of comprehensive immigration reform, we're again reminded that the inclusion of a pathway to citizenship is essential to ensuring that all immigrants are able to fully contribute to our economy, work force, to and our communities. one of the major reasons we have so many undocumented workers in this great nation is because our legal immigration system is broken. we should work as hard as possible to ensure that hardworking men and women who simply want to live the american dream can do so. and that they can do so as american citizens. what happens when immigrants are able to become citizens rather than just seing their immigration status legalized. the answer is simple. we, all of us in america, will have a stronger and more

integrated nation. a stronger economy and stronger communities. the economic benefits of citizenship are undeniable. research shows failure to include a path to citizenship would have significant economic costs. in terms of lost opportunity for growth, earnings, tax revenues, and jobs for americans. providing only legal status with no pathway to citizenship would result in $568 billion less in national productivity. and $321 billion less in total income. 820,000 total fewer jobs would be created and federal and state governments would lose out on $75 billion in additional tax revenue according to outside estimates. refusing immigrants the opportunity to become u.s. citizens hurts america, it

hurts americans as well. it hurts our economic interest as a country. i want to fix our immigration system and to give those who are willing to work hard for this nation and sacrifice of themselves an opportunity to do so as americans. this is why i will continue to work with democrats, republicans, and anyone willing to listen to pass an immigration reform bill that is comprehensive and includes a path to citizenship. at this time, i'd like to take the opportunity to introduce congressman steny hoyer, the minority whip from maryland. maryland is one of the earliest states where immigrants landed, even your state, congressman hoyer, has a flag that represents two of those immigrants and their contributions to maryland, correct? .

mr. hoyer: the maryland flag, which i think is one of the more distinctive state flags, has ur quad drants, two of which represent the baltimore family tworwo represent the other families which was the wife of lord baltimore. so i appreciate the gentleman referring to that. all of us live in states that ere started by immigrants. mr. speaker, i rise to join my iend, representative car den as, to pay tribute to the immigrant heritage of our country. from her beakon hand glows world

wide welcome. lands your, keep old oried palm, cried she with silent lips, give me your tired, poor, your huddled masses to be free. the refuge masses of your tired shore, send these the homeless, tempest tossed to me, i lift my lamp beside the golden door. that, that iconic image we see so often is a symbol of america's welcome to those who would participate in making it better. but the poet was wrong. it was not the refuge of the teaming shores that came to america, it was some of the most risk-taking, courageous, entrepreneurial people. it took courage to leave their

land, leave their language to come to america. but because they had ambition, vision and hope, they came. and they helped to build the greatest nation the world has ever seen. those words engraved in the statue of liberty are the creed which our nation must always keep faith. for americans, citizenship is more than belonging. it represents a sacred bond to those not only who carry it but those who want to earn it to share our liberty for justice for all. yes, those immigrants. they believed that declaration entoning pursuit of happiness. what a wonderful concept that we hold these truths to be self-evident.

pursuit of happiness is one of those values that we hold forth to all the world. you know, we hear a lot of talk, mr. speaker, on this floor and in our until discourse about what makes america exceptional, about what makes us unique and special among the nations of the world. the answer, i believe, is that we have brought together the best of all the nations of the world. those who come seeking shelter on our shores do so because they want to work hard to succeed. they are willing to take the risk all that they know just for a chance to make it in america. that is why the congress must pursue, mr. speaker, comprehensive immigration reform, that includes a path to citizenship. that includes a path to

citizenship. mr. speaker, 40% of all the nobody ell prize winners in america -- nobel prize winners in america were born on foreign shores, contributed here, exceled here and those who have brought here as children have known no other home, deserve a chance to keep contributing to this country through their hard work and their service to our communities. mr. speaker, i'm a son of an immigrant, an immigrant from denmark, serving with me in this chamber are the sons and daughters, grandsons and granddaughters, great-grandsons and greatgranddaughters and even more generations before. grandsons of immigrants from

mexico, from italy, from china, from africa, from eastern europe, from the caribbean, from asia, indeed, from every land in this world. in marking citizenship day, which was yesterday, it is up to us to make sure that our exceptional american idea of citizenship continues to manifest itself as an extended hand to all who love freedom. are committed to justice and wish to build a strong america for all its people. comprehensive immigration reform will enable us, as it has in the past, to keep that hand extended and bring into our society and economy those who believe in the power of the american dream. mr. speaker, let us work together, not as democrats and

republicans, but as fellow immigrants, first, second, third, fourth, fifth, however many generations, we are the children of immigrants. let us work together to fix our immigration system and ensure that the lamp beside the golden door continues to shine its light to enrich our nation and continue to offer hope and inspiration for all the world. i want to thank my colleague, tony carden asfrom california. he is a new member, but an extraordinarily experienced member. i want to thank him for taking this special order, because it is important for america to keep that lamp lifted. and to do so, mr. speaker, we a as mr. cardenas to pass

comprehensive immigration bill, and mr. speaker, we ought to pass it this year. i thank the gentleman for yielding me the time. and i yield back the time to the gentleman. mr. cardenas: thank you, congressman hoyer. and i appreciate those eloquent words and the fact that you pointed out that you are definitely a proud american, yet at the same time, you are the son of an immigrant and that is a beautiful thing to embrace in this country and i hope we do pass immigration reform. and i thank you for your leadership. i would like to share a few words with all of us, my colleague from texas, congressman veasey. i know texas is a poud operate and must have been very proud when we read from the

constitution earlier this year at the beginning of this session. that document is the basis of what makes our country so appealing to those people from all over the world who want to come here and contribute to this great nation, isn't it? mr. veasey: absolutely. mr. cardenas: tell us what it .eans to be a citizen mr. veasey: congressman, i thank you very much for doing this. i would like to thank my friend from the golden state of california for leading this important discussion. i'm very proud that this is a very diverse group that is here today to talk about the importance of citizenship and diversity, as was pointed out by steny hoyer, our whip, he is -- talks about his background and him being a first generation

american and so many of the contributions and so many of the things that make america what it is today. it is because of immigrants. and this session is very important. and congressman hoyer is right. we need to pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill because it's the right thing to do. when you talk about the growth, and you look at the growth domestic product, u.s. personal income, i can tell you in my own personal state of texas, what immigrants mean to our vibrant economy. we have so many people moving into our state every day, and much of that success that we are experiencing in texas, the lone star state, particularly in dallas-fort worth is because of immigrant growth. this week, we celebrate 226 years since the u.s.

constitutional convention was signed into law. since that time, america's constitution has been seen as the backbone for the rights and freedoms of all u.s. citizens. the u.s. constitution is the apit mimi of what it means to be an american citizen. september 17, the day it was adopted is a day to celebrate with the document means for those who have become or those aspire to be u.s. citizens. americans have embraced liberty and equality and justice for all. the founders built a stronger republic. the founding fathers felt that the people who emgrated and spent years building lives deserved citizenship. we should have that same spirit today in this body. they were keenly aware making immigrants wait a long time

denied them the very rights that americans just fought to claim for themselves. by guaranteeing a uniform rule of naturalization, it is an immigrant nation. we should defend the constitution and the laws of the united states of america. each year during the following citizenship day, we recognize the newest members of the american family as they pledge allegiance in naturalization ceremonies. this week, they will welcome over 18,000 u.s. citizens during 180 naturalization ceremonies hailed across the country. as they take their first step towards the american dream, we must recognize the obstacles that exist for so many others that long to contribute to america's next story.

they are riddled with difficult, confusing and very, very expensive hurdles. in addition to the costs and bureaucracy, there are some individuals in the community preying on immigrants, taking their money and telling them they are guaranteed citizenship. our national economic, social and cultural vibrancy are the direct result of labor and efforts of generations of immigrants. according to the center of study r immigrant income rises 18.11% when immigrants become citizens. delaying and ignoring real problems in our broken immigration system for political purposes has not brought solutions, only brought heartache to the many families who wish to assimilate and make america stronger. i stand with my colleagues to recognize the many benefits that immigrants bring to the united

states of america. ms. velazquez came to this country and became a citizen. her son sam works in the office of a member of the united states house of representatives. in fact, he serves the constituents of the 33rd congressional district in the congressional office that i represent. he is a truly -- a living person that can tell you the benefits of immigration. he and his family and i believe that there is a level of optimism because i see it in sam and i see it in so many others who reside in the 33rd congressional district, the level of optimism that immigrants have brought to this country and to our state. when you bring new people into the american people, you energize and get others involved. we must focus on the urgency of helping the almost 9 million

legal permanent residents. help them take the final steps towards the american dream so they can become a part of the democratic process. that's what it's all about. today we must rededicate ourselves to pass comprehensive immigration reform. this system would include a pathway to citizenship, a family reunification system and protecting both the interests of american workers and industry. as a nation of -- as a nation of immigrants, let us celebrate the long line of citizens who have had a positive impact on our history. immigrants have enriched our character, contributed to our economy by founding businesses and creating jobs and sacrificed their livelihoods so they can defend our freedoms and secure a better future for our children. the man who signed our constitution 226 years ago, 226 years ago envisioned the united

states as the land of opportunity. today as legislators, we are charged with building on that same vision and our nation will be stronger for it. i yield back and thank my friend from california for using this time to talk about something that is so important to our country. can no longer wait. the time is now. mr. cardenas: i'd like to introduce kyrsten sinema of california she know what is dream os made of and what it takes to make those dreams come true. ms. siman: thank you, mr. speaker, and thank you, mr. cardenas for hold this event this evening. i appreciate the time. many others speaking this evening will spend time talking about the numbers or the benefits of changing our immigration laws in our

country. i'm going to tell just one brief story about my district. when i was elected to congress earlier this year, i was invited, as many members of congress are, to address and welcome newly sworn in citizens and as the -- at the swearing in -- as the swearing in ceremony was happening on a day i was in washington, a member of my team back in phoenix joined that citizenship ceremony and spoke on my behalf. after the event was over i asked her how it went. it was her first time speaking publicly on behalf of ours after and i asked her what it was like. and she answered by telling me about her experience. you see the staffer who went to the citizenship ceremony on my behalf is a young woman, erica andiola. she's a dreamer. she was born in mexico, brought here as a young person. she went to junior high and high school in phoenix,

arizona, and went to arizona state university and graduated with high honors. and she now works for me in my office as an outreach director. erica spoke to the individuals who had just become citizens at the citizenship ceremony and welcomed them as new zit zens to our country and what she said to me afterwards was that one day she hopes to sit in that citizenship ceremony herself and become a citizen of the united states. mr. cardenas, members of the ninth district, fellow citizens of this country,s the reason we must get to immigration reform. young people like erica have lived in the united states for almost their entire lives and know no other country. while they watch others become citizens they dream of that day for thems. mr. cardenas we must make that happen for erica. thank you. mr. cardenas: thank you, congresswoman sinema. next i would like to invite

congressman o'rork of texas. a lot of us -- o'rourke of texas. a lot of us talked about citizenship and what it means when you raise your hand and swear allegiance to this -- and what it means. but i hear there's a new american citizen in your district. can you share with us that story? r. o'rourke: mr. cardenas, thank you. i'm here to speak about immigration reform, reform that's humane, rational, and to be doing so with the guidance and leadership of congressman cardenas mitigating circumstance friend from california who despite his short tenure in congress has emerged as a leader on this important issue, important to me, important to the community i represent in el paso, texas,

important to our state and mportant to our country. and frankly just to extend it one more time, important to the world. i think the world's eyes are on us today, they're on us as we decide how we're going to respond to this opportunity, this once in a 20 or 30-year opportunity to make meaningful, positive changes in our broken immigration system. because as steny hoyer said earlier, we are proudly a nation of immigrants. and i'm sure it is this way for the gentleman from california but for me, the moral and ethical reasons are the most compelling. to do the right thing for those people who are already in our communities, for the people who have so much to offer who have yet to come to our shores and will add to the economy, to the civic strength of our communities, and make the places that we live in and the

country we call home a better place. i think of edgar falcon a constituent of mine a u.s. citizen, who is working, and while he's working he's also going to nursing school to improve his life, his ability to compete in the marketplace, his opportunity to contribute back to the community that we live in. and to complete his life beyond his education and his work and everything that he's done in the community, he wans to marry the woman of his dreams a woman named mari cruz who lives in durango in mexico, who would love to be here with the man she loves but unfortunately, because of our current broken immigration system, she's unable to live here in the united states with the man that she loves, he's unable to bring her here because when she was a child, her sister, while they were crossing into the united

states, falsely claimed citizenship for the both of them. under our current broken immigration system, that has earned her a lifetime ban on re-entry to the united states. despite the fact that an american citizen, someone i represent, who pays taxes into our government, someone who is by all measures doing everything he can to make our community and country a better place, he cannot be with the woman he loves because of what i think to be a very arbitrary and unhelpful law that is separating two people who deeply love each other. what we need to do is correct this through comprehensive immigration reform and through a measure we'll be introducing this week, the american families united act that will allow judges some level of discretion in cases like these where we have someone who poses no threat tour country, who can pay a fine, do some sort of penance for a mistake they made or a family member made on

their behalf and then if it makes sense for our community and our security is secured, they are able to join our community, the person that they want to marry a u.s. citizen. so i hope that we'll have others who will join us in co-sponsoring this legislation that will introduce this -- that we'll introduce this week because there are literally thousands upon thousands of american families, families of u.s. sints affected negatively by this immigration law. and as i said earlier, we want to do the right thing for the right reasons, for the moral imperative, coming from el paso, texas, we have been the ellis island for much of latin america, including mexico. so the people who came through our ports of entry ended up in los angeles, ended up in california, they went to chicago, they went to new york, they went to all points east, west, and north and in many tens of thousands, hundreds of

thousands, chose to stay in el paso. it is because of those immigrants, both legal and unauthorized immigrants, i would argue, that peal sew today is the safest city in the united states. it was the safest city last year as well. it was the safest city the year before that. and for the last 10 years, el paso has been one of the top five safest cities in the united states. when we hear people who, i think out of ignorance, say we need to secure the border before we move forward with comprehensive immigration reform, i tell them that today we're spending $18 billion on border security, more than we're spending on all other federal law enforcement agencies combined. we've built hundreds of miles of fencing. that net migration last year from mexico was actually zero. that el paso is the safest city, san diego is the second safest, the u.s. side of the u.s.-mexico border compared to the rest of the country is far

safer. we do not have a border security problem today. the border has never been more secure or more safe. for all of those reasons, all the moral once, all commonsense ones i just cited, we should do the right thing. that is not enough for some people. so i will conclude by saying this. it is in our moral interests as a country that wants to do the right thing, it makes all the commonsense in the world to do the right thing, but if we look at our economic self-interest, today it's already proven that immigrants, including unauthorized immigrants contribute far more to our economy, they contribute far more to our tax base, they contribute far more to job opportunities and quality of life than they take in benefits. that is i think, been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt. what we also know is some form of the current proposal for

comprehensive immigration reform pass the c.b.o. has scored it such that within the first 10 years, these new immigrants to our country who will be on a path to citizenship will be able to reduce our deficit by more than $150 billion. in the next 10 years, those same immigrants will reduce our deficit an additional $800 billion to $900 billion. they'll also be contributors into social security. ne of the pillars of our social safety net, one that is unable to meet its obligations in the not too distant future. this is surely going to help us to shore up social security as well. so whether we look at the moral dynamic, whether we look at what makes commonsense for our communities and our country, or whether we look at our economic self-interest, comprehensive immigration reform that's rational, that's humane, and that is fiscally responsible

makes sense for this country. with that, mr. speaker, i yield back to the good man from california. mr. cardenas: thank you, congressman o'rourke, we appreciate the opportunity to hear your perspective from your part of texas and our great country. next i'd like to welcome and talk a little bit with congressman bill foster of illinois, a little bit right now. congressman foster, part of the american dream is owning a home. i myself was a real estate broker before getting involved in elected office and i know that it's tough for those people who want to own a home if they don't have their documentation in order or their citizenship in order an we have a lot of vacant homes around the country and i know we have some in your district and my district. do you think that more american sints working hard and contributing to our economy would help our home buying market? mr. foster: thank you and mr. speaker i'm pleased to rise today to highlight the many important contributions that

immigrants make to our nation and our economy to our scientific progress, and to say a few special words on the positive impact that comprehensive immigration reform will have on the real estate market in our country. we are a nation of immigrants. many of us are second or third generation americans and we have all benefited from the sacrifices that our ancestors made in search of a better life in america. in fact, my wife is a first generation asian american who came to the united states to pursue her education and was table become a legal immigrant and citizen and a ph.d., in fact. but who knows that even our legal immigration system does not work as well as it should. every day families come to this country in search of the american dream, better jobs, better education, better life for their families. and i'm proud to represent many of these families but would like to share just one incredible story of one of my constituents.

growing up, he lived on a farm in mexico with his parents and six brothers and sisters. their home didn't have lights or electricity and they worked long hours on the family farm to make ends meet. when he was 17, his stepbrothers encouraged him to come to aurora, illinois and told him about the wonderful opportunities that awaited him in america. he was able to get a job with his stepbrothers at a packaging company and by 1986, juventino not only held a steady job and learned english but opened his own company in illinois. and what started with a single machine and three employees has grown into a company with over $20 million a year in annual sales. not only is juventino the president and c.e.o. of his country he serve os the board of directors of the united states hispanic chamber of

commerce and president of the aurora hispanic chamber of commerce. his company has been named the minority manufacturer of the year by the united states department of commerce in 2007. the city and the economy of aurora, illinois, have greatly benefited from his many contributions to the community. his story reminds us that immigration reform is good for economic growth. more than 40% of fortune 500 countries were founded by immigrants or children of immigrants. these american companies represent seven of the 10 most valuable brands in the world and collectively employ more than 10 million people and generate annual revenue of $4.2 trillion, a quarter of our economy. additionally, immigrants have a huge impact on our housing mark and passage of comprehensive immigration reform will have a huge impact on our still-recovering real estate markets. a study from harvard university

found that foreign-born households accounted for 30% of the overall growth in the housing sector. according to the 2012 state of hispanic immigration reform would generate three million hispanic home buyers over the next several years. every day that we fail to pass immigration reform, we are forfeiting millions of economic growth and tax revenue and slowing the recovery of our housing markets. if we pass i will gracious reform, it would include increase state and local tax collections by $150 million in illinois. if unauthorized immigrants were emoved, the state would lose $25.6 billion, 11.4 billion in gross state product and 120,000

jobs. as a scientist, i have seen the valuable contributions that immigrants make. for 20 years, i worked as a scientist in illinois and the flags from dozens of countries flew outside the facilities representing the nationalities at the the facilities. thousands of students have come to the u.s. to get their training at our research facilities and it has been the policy of our country to turn most of them away when the work is done a and the education is complete. while this may have made sense after world war ii when we were trying to avoid the brain drain, times have changed. the economic winds are blowing in both directions and we need to stop pushing our accomplished scientists and researchers out of our country and instead encourage them to stay here and build businesses, expand their research and help grow our

economy. the comprehensive immigration bill passed by the senate does exactly that. it encourages the best and better scientists and researchers to stay here to add to our economy and r&d capabilities. as we consider reforming our legal immigration system let's remember the contributions they have made. our nation has a long and proud history for immigrants, but our current immigration system is broken. and we now have historic opportunity to bring 11 million people out of the shadows. we have to remember that at any moment, we are just five days away from passing immigration reform and having it be the law of the land. speaker boehner needs to wake up and listen to the voices of his church and the chambers of commerce and businesses and

ordinary people and decide to bring the senate immigration bill up for a vote where it will passed and be signed into law by the president. this would be a historic moment and exactly the kind of bipartisanship that people expect from their elected republic representatives. if and when speaker boehner allows to act and allow the house to vote, we would boost our economy including our real estate markets and reduce our national debt and bring 11 million people out of the shadows. we cannot let this opportunity pass us by. thank you and i'm happy to yield back. mr. cardenas: thank you very much. i would like to invite to say a few words congressman lois capps. both of us are from california and we have seen the incredible impact that immigrants have made in our great state of california. recognizing those contributions is not a partisan matter for us

in california, is it? one thing i would like for you to share with us is your perspective on whether or not this is a partisan issue. mrs. capps: thank you, colleague. and i have a letter that i will share but i want to discuss the matter in general first and i thank the speaker for convening this hour and thank my colleague for addressing the topic of central importance to our state of california, several of us here, but to the entire country. i join my colleagues in strong support for comprehensive immigration reform. we honor the many contributions that immigrants have made to our country during citizenship day this week, but we cannot forget the millions of immigrants left behind by our broken immigration system. these are the immigrants who contribute to key sectors of our economy. they are such a vital part of

agriculture, of housing, of manufacturing, retail, hospital, tourism, technology, and on and on. these are hard-working people. immigrants who often face separation from their families. lower wages, and face the fear of deportation. forcing -- and this forces them to take their skills often to our competitors at great disadvantage to our own economy. we can agree that our current immigration system is not working and it's holding back our country and our economy and now, now is the time to fix it. well, i have been traveling in my congressional district and i have heard from business sectors of our economy on the central coast of california hurt, hurt on a daily basis by this broken imoperation system. there are high-tech companies in california frustrated by seeing

santaf our brightest u.c. barbara.-- i have met with growers in california's ag tra -- agriculture industry who struggle to find a stable and consistent work force. this threatens the sustainability of our crops. met with work force and labor organizations to make sure they earn wages and contribute to our communities. we must establish a fair but tough way to citizenship to provide the stability that our economy needs and i refer again to the charts which indicates so graphicically the difference between the path to legalization only and the strong advantages of that pathway to citizenship.

comprehensive reform would boost california's economy alone by $3.7 billion and create 77,000 new jobs in our state of california just next year. this should be one of our nation's top priorities. mr. speaker, i would also note for the record that while members of my party are most enthusiastic, are very enthusiastic about advancing comprehensive immigration reform, this is an issue with strong bipartisan support. for example, the senate passed comprehensive immigration reform on a strong bipartisan vote not too long ago. and just last week, a number of republican members of the california state legislature made their voices heard on this issue and that's the letter to which you referred. they sent a letter to their federal counterparts urging us to take action in the house.

these are republican legislators from california on comprehensive immigration reform. i ask unanimous consent to have this legalitier placed in the record -- letter placed in the record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mrs. capps: this outlines comprehensive immigration reform that we agree needs to be included. that is undocumented residents to earn their way to citizenship. the california state representatives legislators republicans wrote and this is a quote from their letter, there is no policy debate more important to the future of california and of america than passing come prepares i have immigration reform. i couldn't agree more. mr. speaker, my colleagues, it is time that we have the opportunity here on the floor of the united states house of

representatives to debate and to finally have a vote on comprehensive immigration reform. our country, our economy simply cannot wait any longer. and thank you for the time, my colleague from california. i yield back the balance. mr. cardenas: thank you very much, congresswoman capps. next, i would like to invite to share a few words with us, the representative from the southern part of california to express some of his understanding of why comprehensive immigration reform america.or mr. ruiz: immigrants from all over the world have made contributions to our society and economy since the birth of our nation. our immigrant families are an invaluable part of our country.

for far too long, congress has failed to act on a comprehensive plan for immigration reform. i believe that any immigration reform plan must be bipartisan, secure our borders, uphold the immigration laws we already have, protect our workers and businesses and include a pathway to citizenship to those who work hard and play by the rules. assing a commonsense comprehensive reform bill would lead to an economic boon in my valley and across the country. nonpartisan, independent studies have shown that comprehensive immigration reform will reduce the deficit by nearly $850 billion over the next 20 years and reduce our federal debt. it will also increase economic growth and strengthen our economy by expanding our labor force, increasing investments

and increasing overall productivity and it will provide a significant boost to our tourism and agricultural sectors, two of the top industries in my district. in the valley, industries will benefit substantially from some of the provisions in the bipartisan senate bill, like the visa waiver program. additionally, our u.s. agriculture output and exports will grow once our farmers have access to the stable work force they need. come puerto ricans i have immigration reform means more act, i stand if we ready to work with democrats and republicans towards a comprehensive immigration system that is rooted in common sense. it is time to put aside the political gain s and work together in a bipartisan effort

to address this critical challenge. thank you, congressman, for this session. mr. cardenas: thank you. before i call up our next congressman from florida, i would like to share a story with everyone, mr. speaker, about a story of economics and innovation. cease air melan was born in 1969 in mexico and grew up with working on his grandfather's farm. melan crossed the border in the u.s. without a visa at the age of 21 and spoke no english and did not know anyone. he first worked in a dog grooming store working with aggressive dogs. he became a permanent resident in the year 2000. he was focused on rehabilitating

the aggressive dog and found the dog psychology center in los angeles and it was a business. he started television series the dog whisperer, which was broadcast in more than 80 countries around the world in 2004 and 2012. the show became "national geographic's" number one show during the first season. starting in january, 2013, he has hosted another series, "leader of the pack." he has written three books, all of which became "new york times" best sellers. he launched a magazine in the united states and canada which combines advice from him and articles about his relationships between dogs and humans. it is the number one-one selling dog magazine in north america. in 2007, he created a

foundation, a not-for-profit to aid and support the rescue, rehabilitation and placement of abused and abandoned dogs. he has supported other projects including pups on parole and it gets better. i was present in 2009 and it was a proud moment for me and a proud moment for him and his family when he raised his hand and sworn in as a united states citizen in 2009 in los angeles, california. and i can tell you, his efforts and his contributions to this nation go much further. while watching television, my wife looked at the tv and said, tony, you need to meet him, he looks like a good man and someone who can help you create good legislation for the city of los angeles when i was on the

city council. i invited him to my office and he said he would be more than happy to help me and as a result of that one meeting, he helped me create the first spay and neuter program in the largest spy and it is the model for other cities and it was his advice and expertise that allowed me to do that. in addition to that, we were able to start the first los angeles for over 20 years had not prosecuted one person for cruelty to animals and it was says ar who urged me to put an end. nd i was able to pass an i was able to pass an ordinance that allowed taos prosecute 1,200 individuals with cruelty to animals. it was animmigrant who came to

country who taught me, an american-born citizen, how i can take my craft as an elected official to a level i had never done before. and it's that kind of example that i believe we have example after example after example in this couldn't -- in this country that immigrants who come to to this country, documented or undocumented, seize the opportunity of the atmosphere we created in this great country and they are tremendous contributor, not only to our economy but to good legislation and making our communities a better place. and now i'd like to invite to speak a few words, congressman joe garcia of florida, to share what his perspective on comprehensive immigration reform means to this country and why it's so important to our great nation. congressman garcia. mr. garcia: thank you, mr. cardenas. mr. speaker, i have the great opportunity to come from a community that in large part is

built by immigrants. i am a son of refugees to this great country and here's what we know. we know that immigrants add to america's way of life. they create more opportunities for all. they make our country better. they make american citizens richer. here's what we know, we know in the next 10 years, if we find a pathway for legalization, over $100 billion of capital will be added to our country. what we know is in the next 20 years, that will be over $870 billion. in fact what we know is that they will almost provide $1 trillion of economic growth over the next 20 years. it's important to understand that immigrants bolster our country, make our country better, and they add to it. south w, i -- i lived in florida during very tough times for immigrants.

i remember as a young man seeing bumper stickers on the ck of cars that said, when the -- with the -- would the last american leaving miami please bring the flag. what i know is the flag still flies high in miami. it is a leading beacon for work and opportunity in our country because people didn't give up on the dream of our country. they continued to work and they continued to make a difference. that is exactly what we have to understand is that immigrants bolster our country. they bolster america's prives sector by consuming more goods, more services prorkviding increased income. all this in turn creates more jobs and greater income for all americans. what we know is that by 2022, over 820,000 more workers will e created because of the need.

$321 billion of increased income for all americans. the g.d.p. increases by $568 billion if all noncitizens, undocumented and legal residents in the country were to be legalized. this is a boon for our country. it creates opportunity. it makes for a better america. you know, i thank the gentleman from los angeles for doing this, the gentleman from california for doing this because of course what he's doing is trying to save this country to make it better. there has never been a great country, a great nation in the history of the world that is shedding its citizens. all great countries welcome opportunity. they welcome those who come to provide. we need a comprehensive immigration system not only

because we need more workers but we need the intellectual capital they wring. we need that drive that vigor that they add to our country. and the fight for comprehensive immigration reform is one that makes all americans -- makes all americans better, make ours country richer, and makes creed ity for all, the and motto that lives in our country. i want to thank the gentleman from california for his efforts. he's one of many in the house and what we do know is that if a bill came to this floor it would have majority support. the senate passed it and this house could pass it if the leadership would allow it to get to the floor. more than enough of the members of this chamber understand the benefits of immigration, understand that it is necessary for our country's greatness and understand that it is what we will do, inevitably. let's do it now.

let's do it right. let's get it done. thank you, mr. cardenas, and i yield back. mr. cardenas: thank you, congressman garcia, appreciate that perspective in sharing with america those perspectives. i'd like to share another story of someone that i'm friends with and someone who has a business in my district and also lives in my district. he was born in 1966 in mexico and came to america with his mother, stepdad and brother. his family settled in huntington park where his father worked in a factory job and his mother sold goods. he had to withdraw from high school because of the family's economic hardships and began working to help support his family but he had a passion for learning and was determined to get an education so he completed high school by taking night classes while working full time and went on to take

courses at junior college and continue his education. in 1986. he got married and when he found out his wife was pregnant a couple of years latering her began to re-evaluate his life and what he was going to do next for his family he joibd the air force in 1988 where he won the airman of the quarter award three time rerks seved a commendation medal, he was granted permission to take lasses at eastern new mexico university near where he was stationed and he learn -- earned a bachelor's degree in physics and masters in mathematics. he was granted citizenship which opened the door for his future career he began trading at ucla to become a raid nation -- radiation medical physicist while working part time at a cancer research center. he works at a private hospital. in addition, he owns and runs a

restaurant and he's planning on opening up another business, creating jobs for americans, creating jobs in our community, our corner of america. i think it's important for people to understand that immigrants have such an insatiable appetite to appreciate their surrounders, appreciate their opportunities, just like alonzo who had to get out of school at the 10th grade, who worked full time and went to night school to get his education, went on to get a bachelor's degree, mast every's december, and is contributing in a health care facility for patients with cancer, who is contribute big a opening several businesses where he employees american citizens. i want to thank my colleagues for joining me tonight on this floor to share the stories of truth and the story about how important comprehensive immigration reform is to the economy of america. one against -- once again, 82,000 more jobs if we allow these new merps to become citizens. $568 billion more growth in

g.d.p. to the united states economy if we allow them to become citizens. $75 billion more in revenue to local states and governments if we allow them to become citizens, $321 billion of growth in dollars in the pockets of american families spent throughout our communities in america. as i close, i would like to business, speaker, chamber, civil rights and other organizations, individuals continuing to push for the truth, to push congress, to please have comprehensive immigration reform, make the floor of both houses so we can reconcile this, fix our broken immigration system and put it on the desk of the president of the united states and we'll see an economic boon that this country has not seen for decades. americans deserve for us to operate in thees chambers the way we should. to -- in these chametpwhers way

we should. to put aside partisan bickering, to look at the mick bickering of every part of our country, to live the spirit of what the united states of america portends to be around the world, we need to start at home and realize we have 11 million hardworking people in this country doing the toughest jobs. changing the diapers of our children. working in the kitchens of every nice, wonder of -- wonderful restaurant in america, people who are working with our grandparents, to help them live a better life. many of those individuals deserve the opportunity come out of the shadows and not only come out of the shadows but to contribute to this great nation with more economics that we need to see. we have an alien economy -- an ailing economy, ladies and gentlemen, and with that, mr. speaker, we will see growth in america, we will see more americans go to work if we do the right thing and pass comp rerehencive immigration reform.

thank you, mr. speaker, it's been a wonderful hour of truth and message to the american people and i hope and pray that in these chambers we have the opportunity to vote for comprehensive immigration reform. i yield back my time. thank you, mr. speaker. coip the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. under the speak ear's announced spoifl january 3, 2013, the chair recognizes the gentleman from georgia, mr. collins, for 0 minutes. mr. collins: thank you, mr. speaker. it is good to be back here working on the floor of this house as we have gotten back started, there's a lot of issues, there's a lot of things being debated even here tonight and spoken of from a factor of truth and the things i believe the american people sent us here to do. they sent us here to look after the people's house. to do the business of america and make sure that the

important interest that they care about, which is their lives, their businesses, their families, those are the things we need to be about and i know from our prospects on the republican side that is exactly what we're looking at to foster jobs and create growth and do the things that matter. while i was home over the august work period, i got a lot of questions from longtime friends and also folks i had not met. we spoke and over the time frame we spoke to more groups than i could count. we talked to individuals whether they be in the kroger shopping center, whether they be in a coffee shop, town hall meet, all over, we experienced the ninth district again as we went out and listened to our constituency. what i had learned about the first few months was a lot of things they wanted to ask me about. i got questions about the budget, i got questions about taxes, i got questions about how we were going to prevent obamacare from going into effect and i'm glad to stand

here tonight and say that this friday we're living up to the promises. we've already worked to repeal obama -- to repeal parts of the legislation and put this back on a foundation which the president can no longer just do by executive order whatever he would like even in contradiction to black letter law. when we look at the issues of obamacare going forward on friday on this house floor we'll move forward with a continuing resolution to keep this government functioning while at the same time protecting americans from a bad health care law. do not let anyone if you're watching tonight, do not let anyone tell you any different. republicans want taupe -- want to keep the government functioning and protect americans at the same time. we can do that. that's why we were sent here. all those things that we're asked questions about from obamacare to taxes to budget, but also benghazi and i.r.s. and a little over a year ago on the floor of this house and all

over america, we were horrified at the sights of benghazi and to know we're continuing to look and find the truth. so not just to look ba backwards and remember but look forward and put into place things that matter and would help those from the foreign service so when they go overseas to serve they will know if trouble cops we have their back. those are the things the ninth district were talking to me about and those are thing this is congress and this republican majority are putting a priority on. but while i was at home, i was also fortunate enough to get to talk to people who don't have time to focus on inside the beltway issues. in fact, they really don't look to inside the beltway to determine how they're going to get up and live each day. in fact, when i go home and visit constituents at hardware stores and pharmacies and businesses where americans go on a daily basis, i'm