show. host: the house gaveling in early this morning for their legislative session. they are trying to conquer this short-term spending bill as well as tax extenders and criminal justice reform, also on the table before they head out for their holiday session. we are expecting the house any minute to come through those doors and gavel in. representative jodey arrington, republican of texas, you can follow him. he serves on the budget committee. we want to thank our viewers for watching this morning. we will be back tomorrow morning with more of your phone calls from 7:00 to 10:00 a.m. eastern time. theill be here through weekend, christmas eve, christmas day and new year's day

as well. here is live coverage of the house. [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: the house will be in order. the prayer will be offered by our chaplain, father conroy. chaplain conroy: let us pray. gracious and merciful god, we give you thanks for giving us another day. as the 115th congress draws near a close, we're reminded by scripture that for everything there is an aa pointed time. a time to weep and a time to

laugh. a time to mourn and a time to dance. a time to embrace and a time to be far from embraces. a time to be silent and a time to speak. in the people's house there is also a time to win an election and time to lose. a time to be sworn in and a time to retire. while it may be difficult to go through such transitions, we now as did the author that the time does say goodbye to those who will be missed dearly, for indeed in electoral politics that is just the way it is. may all that is done this day be for your greater honor and glory, amen. the speaker: the chair has examined the journal of the last day's proceedings and announces to the house his approval thereof. "new england journal of medicine." -- pursuant to clause 1 of rule

1, the journal stands approved. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? mr. poe: mr. speaker, pursuant to clause 1, rule 1, i demand a vote on agreeing to the speaker's approval of the journal. the speaker: the question is a greigg to the speaker's approval. journal. so many as are in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes have it. the journal stands approved. mr. poe: mr. speaker. the speaker: for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? mr. poe: i object to the vote on the grounds that a quorum is not present and make a point of order a quorum is not present. the speaker: pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question are postponed. the pledge of allegiance will be led by the gentlewoman from california, mrs. torres. mrs. torres: i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. the speaker: the chair will entertain up to five requests for one-minute speeches on each side of the aisle.

for what purpose does the gentlelady from -- the gentleman from texas seek recognition? mr. poe: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. revise and extend my remarks. the speaker: without objection, the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. poe: mr. speaker, it has been the honor of my life to serve in congress. today i am reminded of why i came here in the first place. thomas jefferson said it quite well, we hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights. among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. and that government, that would be us, are instituted among men to secure those rights. mr. speaker, that is our mission statement. congress is to be the protector of freedom and liberty. congress must make sure that the bell of liberty rings loudly strong for the american bright star is the beaming beacon of hope. the hope that all oppressed peoplesern to possess -- people yearn to poe possess.

as my final words in this congress and house of representatives, congress must hold fast to these truths that in god we must trust and be faithful servants of the sacred constitutional principles of freedom of religion, speech, press, and assembly. for this is our eternal duty. happy trails. that's just the way it is. i will yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas yields back. for what purpose does the gentlelady from florida seek recognition? ms. ros-lehtinen: i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentlelady from florida is recognized for one minute. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you so much. mr. speaker, i rise to congratulate my constituent helen biddy on being named the national president of mother's against drunk driving, madd. helen along with her husband experienced the ultimate tragedy when their 16-year-old

daughter, helen, shown in this photo with her brother, john, as killed by a young drunk driver while she was rollerblading on a bike path near her home in pine crest in june of 2000. it was not long after that nightmare that helen joined this magnificent organization where she was able to channel her unbearable loss into a forward-looking outlet where she could be a champion for her daughter's legacy while also making an effective and positive impact on society. although 18 years have passed, it seems like just yesterday that we lost our bright, beautiful, palmetto high school honor student who became a beloved treasure in our hometown and still widely talked about and referenced throughout our community. helen, congratulations on this incredible achievement and this

opportunity is rightfully deserved to spread your message that this is a crime to drive drunk and drugged. thank you for doing that. south florida is fortunate to have you as a leader and i'm confident that helen marie is looking down from heaven and could not be any more proud of you. thank you. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back the balance of her time. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i would ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman from texas is recognized for one minute. mr. doggett: mr. speaker, millions of american families will be enjoying the bounty i of our great nation at this very special time of the year without realizing that their tax dollars are going to subsidize saudi war crimes in yemen. it's estimated that every 10 minutes another yemeni child die from starvation or disease

or bombs made in america. president trump has basically dell kated his policy in this region to the saudis. even after the murder and dismemberment of an american resident directly linked to the crown prince. that's not been enough to alter americanpolicy. today once again a number of us are calling directly and respectfully to speaker paul ryan to stop the blockade on behalf of president trump and allow this house to vote, to vote now on what has already been approved by the united states senate on a strong bipartisan basis, a resolution to withdraw u.s. support from the saudi forces in the murderous war in yemen. let's stop america's role in the worst humanitarian disaster in the world today. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? >> unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. revise and extend my remarks.

the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman from texas is recognized for one minute. mr. smith: mr. speaker, it's not easy to summarize 32 years in congress, but i'll try. politics comes from the greek word politese meaning citizens. they are the source of our country's strength. what i remember most, what was especially meaningful, what made me feel fortunate why the colleagues i served w. the people i worked w. and the constituents we helped. to my colleagues, thank you for your public service. you didn't have to leave families behind or spend extra hours every week in a car or on a plane, but you did it with a genuine desire to advance america's worthy interest. to my staff members, past and present, in the d.c. and texas offices and on the committees i chaired, thank you for your dedication and for advising me on legislation and votes and for assisting thousands of constituents. and to my constituents, thank

you for trusting me to represent you-all these good years. it has been a wonderful honor. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from south carolina seek recognition? mr. wilson: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman from south carolina is recognized for one minute. mr. willson: the "wall street journal" last week reported that the baghdad blast wall's come down. explained that the iraqi government marked the first anniversary of the islamic state's defeat monday by reopening parts of the baghdad green zone. iraqi forces along with support from the u.s.-led alliance reclaimed the last of islamic state territory last december. the article notes that the changes at the green zone reflect declining violence across iraq and particularly tangible in baghdad and further notes that over 1,000 streets in baghdad have reopened during the past two years with 70,000

segments of the concrete blast wall removed. the number of civilians killed across iraq by terrorism, violence, and armed conflict in november fell to the lowest level in six years according to the united nations. as a grateful dead who has had o of my military sons -- grateful dad who had two sons serve in iraq. i am grateful. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from south carolina yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentlelady from pennsylvania eek recognition? >> this past weekend volunteers across the country honored fallen service members on national reach across america day. while the focal point of this national day of remembrance is the laying of wreaths at arlington national cemetery, ceremonies also take place at local cemeteries across the country. i had the honor of

participating in a wreath laying ceremony in prospect park, pennsylvania, a tiny area, on a raw and rainy saturday two weeks before christmas, nearly 50 community members turned out to lay wreaths upon veterans graves at a historic cemetery. among those honored was george wood, a soldier who lost his life at gettysburg on july 7, 1863. as we stood in the drizzle listening to taps i thought about the many ways people serve their communities. obviously those who serve in our armed forces commit to providing the ultimate service, but on that hill top last weekend, there were so many others willing to spend the time to step up with their neighbors, honor the sacrifice of others, and bring a community together. the nurse ecognize who learned about the program and brought her neighbors together to have it in prospect park. i want to recognize reverend, the pastor of the church which

hosted the event. tu but it wouldn't have been the success it was without the participation of other volunteers. ms. scanlon: the members of the council, the volunteer fire department, and local veterans and their families. there was also great support from the local elementary school principal and students at prospect park elementary. many of whom helped lay wreaths. i want to thank all these community members for allowing me to participate in their ceremony and thank them for their service. thank you. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from arkansas seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman from arkansas is recognized for one minute. >> mr. speaker, today i rise on the house floor to object to president trump's decision to withdrawal all u.s. troops from syria. i encourage the president to remember the poor decision of the obama administration in 2011 when the united states announced its withdrawal from a, "stable iraq." isis is not defeated and may

have as many as 30,000 fighters remaining in syria, atrocities being committed in syria by the brutal dictator, assad, and his henchmen, including russia and iran l. continue with impunity. mr. hill: this opens the door for iran to consolidate gains. i'm concerned with the pradge particular consequence this is will have months and years down the road. the united states policy in syria must ensure the lasting defeat of isis, roll back iranian influence, and achieve a political solution to the crisis. i ecothe late john mccain and his message from 2011 as it applies today. this decision is a sad case of political expediency, supplanting military necessity. thank you, mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from arkansas yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? mr. sessions: good morning. by the direction of the

committee on rules i call up house resolution 1180 and ask for its immediate consideration. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the resolution. the clerk: house calendar number 197, house resolution 1180. resolved that upon adoption of this resolution it shall be in order to take from the speaker's table h.r. 88 to modify the boundary of the shiloh national military park located in tennessee and mississippi to establish parker's crossroads battlefield as an affiliated area of the national park service and for other purposes with the senate amendment thereto and to consider in the house without intervention of any point of order a motion offered by the chair of the committee on ways and means or his designee that the house concur in the senate amendment with an amendment consisting of the text of rules committee print 115-87. the senate amendment in the motion shall be considered as read. the motion shall be debatable for one hour equally divided a and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the

committee on ways and means. the previous question shall be considered as ordered on the motion to its adoption without intervening motion. section 2, on any legislative day of the second session of the 115th congress after december 23, 2018, a, the journal of the proceedings of the previous day shall be considered as approved. and b, the chair may at any time declare the house add journeds to meet at a date and time within the limits of clause 4, section 5, article 1 of the constitution to be announced by the chair in declaring the adjournment. section 3, the speaker may appoint members to perform the duties of the chair for the duration of the period addressed by section 2 of this resolution as though under clause 8-a of rule 1. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas, mr. sessions, is recognized for one hour. . mr. sessions: thank you, mr. speaker. during time of debate on the

resolution, i yield the customary 30 minutes to my friend, the gentlewoman from california, ms. toreress, pending which i yield myself such time as i may consume -- mrs. torres, pending which yumeds. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. sessions: mr. speaker, merry christmas. it's also merry christmastime, mr. speaker, as congress moves to its final resolution for this term. but, mr. speaker, we can't forget that there's important work that's still to be done. the american people sent us here to do work and expect us to do that. today, i lay before the house the rules committee print, the text of the house amendment to osenate amendment to h.r. 88. now, that may sound pretty pro forma. just like a normal bill. but, mr. speaker, what's in here is not a normal bill. in fact, it is a compilation of

things which we do every year that are called tax extenders because we've been unable, necessarily, to agree on them for a longer term. so one year to the next year to the next year we gather together before we leave and we normally come to an agreement. we've done this virtually every year i've been in congress, and we say, on a bipartisan basis, in a bicameral basis, let's make sure we take care of the things that have not been taken care of on a longer basis now. what might that mean, mr. speaker? well, that means that we, as a body, need to be responsible and understand that during the year there have been a number of circumstances, also, that contributed to people needing tax help. some of them are fires. some of them are earthquakes. some of them are the changing

of the circumstances back home where we are trying to make sure that the tax code is updated in this tax year now so that someone, for instance, if they are in a california wildfire, lose everything they got, they need to know that congress has passed laws that help them as they move forward to rebuild their home, to make decisions about their future. it could be, mr. speaker, that a lot of work that the gentlewoman from kansas, member of the ways and means, one of your colleagues on that committee, had done work to make sure that any whistleblower who saw something that was going wrong at work for tax-related matters is protected. these are important issues. but they're also important because there are broader activities and they deal with

taxation that was put in to the affordable care act. it's called obamacare, but it's the affordable care act from years back. and what this republican congress has done is shielded, protected the american people from many of the devastating effects, notwithstanding that this congress and the president, president trump, signed the law that takes away the individual mandate. not the business mandate, but the individual mandate. but mr. speaker, there are still three hugely onerous provisions that still lag on from that piece of legislation. embedded in that is something called the medical device tax. the medical device tax is a tax on the newest technology.

not, mr. speaker, on the sale of that where, ok, uncle sam wants a little bit more of that. but the onerous part, it's on the manufacturer. and when you put a tax on the manufacturing piece, that means that that product is not produced in an effective, efficient way. that means they are produced one at a time because upon that manufacturer, the tax has to be paid, not upon the sale. something we fought on i thought on a bipartisan basis, but seems like today it's simply partisan, simply only republicans really, when it comes down to it, are for doing away with the medical device tax. there's something called the cadillac tax. that is the democratic party's and president obama's idea of you really shouldn't have better health care than somebody else. if you do, we're going to tax that asset. it's at the heart of the

ffordable care act, comrade. and this cadillac tax has been every single year defered, stopped, agreed to, we're not going to apply that cadillac tax because it's on people, many of them who work for unions, people who've earned the right to have the health care that they have but the democratic party wants to tax it. lastly, the health care tax. that's a tax on every single person that has a health care policy. it's about $70. that means that every single american is going to pay an extra tax because they have health care. these are things that the republican party had worked on and we thought we were on a bipartisan basis going to take

care of these issues. we find out, really today, that's not true. but i think we found out around election time the real effort for the democratic party. it's called h.r. 676, medicare for all. mr. speaker, to those of us who have looked at the bill, section 102 lays out every single piece part of health care you could think of. from an audioologist to a dentist to a person who may provide massage therapy. section 104 in that bill outlaws all private health if a piece america part that was in section 102 is provided or paid for by a health insurer. it outlaws all private

insurance. what does that also mean? that means employer-provided insurance under h.r. 676, section 104. so mr. speaker, sometimes you got to read to the end of the book or watch the end of the movie to see exactly what the plot and the theme is. mr. speaker, we have for the last eight years been going down a pathway of thinking that what we were doing was really bipartisan, that our colleagues on the democratic party were really opposed to the cadillac tax because they consented and agreed to, voted for it. that the medical device tax was something that they understood would cause great harm and increase prices and deny people to get the best technology. we thought they were going along with this. we thought they understood how

important it was not to tax medical devices, the latest technology that saves lives. and we thought that they understood that the health care tax of $70 on every single health insurance plan in this country was probably a bad idea after we already had the affordable care act signed into law. wrong. ut now i was i was wrong and i think the american people were fooled. medical device tax, the cadillac tax, and the health care tax are in this package, along with the ability to help the people in california and the west coast and other people who were part of natural disasters, people who are seeking help where they are finding an employer doing something wrong to give them

that needed opportunity to protect themselves, a safe harbor. so much is being done in here at the end of the year, but that's not what the story that was told at the rules committee. the story that was told was, , this is just about the top 1%. this is just about a special deal. mr. speaker, that's a long way from not just the facts of the case but the truth. so i am here as chairman of the rules committee bringing to the floor an opportunity to once again do as we have done in the past to say, the health care tax, the medical device tax, the cadillac tax, we're asking my colleagues to join with us. it's a very genuine offer. it's an offer that's been extended and accepted for the past few years, since the affordable care act passed.

it's the right thing to do, so i will ask each of the members of this body to pay attention, to see what's in there, help the people who've been a part of natural disasters this year, let's get this package done, it's the right thing to do, and i can sincerely look at you, mr. speaker, and say thank you. thank you for your years of service, but thank you for making sure that we were faithful to the end even though it's starting to look a lot like christmas, we still have to do our work. i reserve my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas reserves. the gentlelady from california is recognized. mrs. torres: thank you, mr. speaker. i thank the gentleman from texas for yielding me the customary 30 minutes. and i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. mrs. torres: mr. speaker, this rule represents many of the

failers of the 115th congress. to put it succinctly, the legislation before us is a bill which has absolutely no chance of passing into law. and a bill that will add billions, billions of dollars to our national debt. i guess this is a merry christmas to those who hold our national debt, but this is not what our constituents sent us to do here. they sent us here to work together and find compromise in order to make our communities, their lives better. this rule makes in order the senate amendment to h.r. 88, shiloh national military park boundary adjustment, and parkers crossroads battlefield designation act. but it's more accurate to say

this is the g.o.p.'s second tax scam. instead of taking this opportunity to use our remaining time here to actually accomplish something, our vote today on this rule will prove to be meaningless. the senate is leaving town and has left us just a few items that we can accomplish. and this isn't one of them. however, one item that is ready for passage is savannah's act. native american women face a murder rate 10 times higher than the national average. with 84% experiencing some form of violence in their lifetime. violence against women re-authorization act of 2013 and the tribal law and order

act have helped bring attention to the high rates of violence against native women. however, there is still no reliable way of knowing how many native women go missing each year. because the databases that hold statistics of these cases are extremely outdated and in need of reform. congress hasn't paid attention to the lives of native american women. that is why i join senator heitkamp in introducing savannah's act earlier this year. named after savannah gray wind, a pregnant 22-year-old north dakota woman and member of the spirit lake nation who was murdered in 2017. savannah's act would require the department of justice to finally keep a nationwide

database of missing and murder native women. this commonsense -- this is a common sense, it passed the senate unanimously last month but one member, one member of this body has decided to prevent us from passing savannah's act and the rest has can pitch -- capitulated. one member standing in the way of finally doing the right thing for native women, american women, women who are victims of crime. shameful. . shame on this body for allowing this and not taking this last week of the 115th congress to finally bring about some ustice to these cases. now, one thing that this body,

the 115th congress, has been really good for, in the face of tragedy, has been moments of silence. and that is why today i want to take some time that we have left to have a moment of silence. mr. speaker, i would like my colleagues to join me in a a oment of silence for savannah.

hank you, mr. speaker. instead of taking action on savannah's act, we're asked to vote on this rule to pass a tax bill which has been crafted in secret and has no chance of becoming law. when we could be doing something for justice, for truth, for victims of crime. . is is the 115th congress good riddance. with that i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves the balance of her time. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. sessions: mr. speaker, thank you very much. i would also ask at this time unanimous consent that all members may have five

legislative days to revise and extend their remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. session: mr. speaker, the argument that we're involved in today is whether we're going to , as this body on a bipartisan, bicameral basis, understand that it is about hundreds of billions of dollars. it's about hundreds of billions of dollars that the american people have been spared from. mr. speaker, we're not undertaxed. we spend too much money. but that's not what this is about. what this is about is control. this is about the control that some in this body want over eople's lives. this is not about whether we're going to arbitrarily cause the

federal government to be in trouble over a cadillac tax, a medical device tax, a health care tax, and blame that on greedy people back home. who, by virtue of them wanting to have health care and robust health care and better health care, but somebody in washington does not want them to have it and blames them on being greedy for what might be billions of dollars when you add up everybody across the country. this is about control. this is about controlling people's lives. i will once again once again say it, i had thought during these years we came to an agreement that the cadillac tax, the health care tax, things that happened during the year whether they be tornadoes, whether they be wildfires, whether they be other circumstances would still be

able to be reached on a bipartisan, bicameral basis. after all, president obama signed these into law. after all, the american people understood that their gift for being gracious and working and doing the right thing shouldn't be an onerous tax. after all many people who lives, as an example, in minnesota could look up and see where their two democratic senators fought hard to make sure this medical device tax for tens e linchpin of thousands for tens of thousands of jobs and medical innovation, that we could get together and work together. now we find out, no, that's wrong. that's wrong. at we want is we want that

$180 billion. we want that. you can't have that. and we're going to tax you. because we can. because we can control your life and the outcome of your health care. because actually those that have great health care, yours is greedy. so we're going to tax it. mr. speaker, that's why the republican party and the house of representatives is here today. as stalwarts of not just the middle class of this country, but stalwarts of people who understand people get up, go to work. yes, the union worker, too. that union worker will find out loud and clear the party that was for taxing their health care, their working health care. the people in these states where medical devices are robust and made america at the

top of the world, they will understand. and the people who are average families like those in dallas, exas, of which i proudly represent, they will understand somebody was for taxing you further and somebody tried to continue what we have done now for the years and not tax you on your health care. so it's about control. and i'm sure we'll find out as the new year comes around about h.r. 676, medicare for all, that will outlaw all employer provided and private health care in this country. that's what the bill says. it's very plain. section 104 gets right to it. that's what this is about. i reserve my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas reserves. the gentlelady from california is recognized. mrs. torres: mr. speaker, does the gentleman from texas have any more speakers?

mr. sessions: i thank the gentlewoman. i do not. mrs. torres: mr. speaker, i'm prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. mrs. torres: mr. speaker, it's just about time to finish up here and return home for the holidays. time to see our loved ones and give them a hug. but for savannah's family and the countless other native american families destroyed there of this violence, will be no return home for them. and we will have failed these families by not passing savannah's act today. instead, we're here because of a wall. not the wall that you are assuming, not talking about our southern wall. i'm talking about the wall of

debt. a massive wall of debt that this republican congress has built. trillions. trillions of dollars of debt towering over our children and grandchildren's future. this rule will build it even higher. that is why i urge my colleagues to oppose the previous question and the rule. and with that i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back the balance of her time. gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. sessions: mr. speaker, thank you very much. i appreciate the distinguished gentlewoman from california not only her comments and her ideas. i know they are well represented by the democratic party. i would say to her that people

who vote against this bill will turn their back on the people who had the wildfires in california. the tornadoes in georgia. the opportunities to help provide proper, instructive help on their taxes this year as they enter next year. after all it did happen this year. but perhaps more than that, mr. speaker, that we recognize now more about shifting the blame from eight years and $9 trillion worth of spending. they called it investment. this republican congress one year ago, almost to the day, passed a tax bill that has created the greatest economy in the history of this country. more revenue is coming in today than has ever come in in the

history of the country. more people are working today because of that tax bill done one year ago. more people, more african-americans, more women, more families have an opportunity to enjoy the benefits of a job and the creation therein that they come home at night a little bit more satisfied. and their children and the next generation sees work as a positive attribute. and communities are turning the corner. mr. speaker, gas is $1.8 in dallas, texas. -- $1.82 in dallas, texas. what a far cry when it was almost $5 in the midst at the same point in president obama's administration when the democrats were, quote, running

the place. the house, senate, and presidency. oh, mr. speaker, we have not forgotten what a difference it makes, but the finger pointing still continues. mr. speaker, let the record reflect itself that we have more revenue ever coming in. more people working than ever. more opportunity for people. and part of that success has been because republicans chose not to have a health care tax, a medical device tax, a cadillac tax. chose not to make in or h.r. 676, medicare for all that would outlaw all employer provided health care in this country. mr. speaker, the differences between our ideas really find themself at the center point of what we do today. last night the rules committee,

the distinguished gentleman from lewisville, texas, dr. michael burgess, a retired physician, who has delivered some 3,000 babies, said that he had sat through for years these arguments that the energy and commerce committee and he lamented how the sorry -- story really is not 20e8d about some three million people that now have jobs in this country that a number of them that is un defined also got employer-provided health care. and that a while there may be a million out of that three million that went to a larger company, it is their families that benefited because there was maybe a spouse behind that and a child or two. who had previously been without employer-provided health care. now we're going to find out that grinch showed up at christmas. this rush to get out the door where we failed to secure the

door. where we were so eager to get home rather than doing our work. mr. speaker, i can't imagine that somebody would just want to say it's ok, it's christmastime, let's get home. and then stick coal in each of the stockings of the american people that have health care. that stick coal in the medical device employees and employers. that stick coal into the medical community for doctors who had been providing these leading-edge ideas and medical devices. to stick coal in the workers of america who might have great health care only to find out that somebody who voted for it for years turned their back. so that's why we're here. mr. speaker, here's the bill

right here. pretty easy to do. we have seen it a number of times. nobody complained they didn't have time to read the bill. they actually know what's in it this time. they actually know what they would not be supporting and they are going to put their vote and be on the line and we're going to find out where people really are. so, mr. speaker, that's the debate. . whether we are going to step up and do our job, whether we're willing to complete the task, whether we're willing to be consistent in the things we've stood for or whether we're willing to make excuses about, well, it's just christmastime, and we got to get home. mr. speaker, i want to say that my party believes that we should not have a white flag in our backpack, that we should not yield and just say, well,

timing was difficult. we should stand on our two feet, not beg on our knees. we should move forward and do our job for the american people , and that is what i am proud to say my party and myself and the rules committee stand for. we are men and women who can stay to get the job done, not want to get home and not have performed our duties. so that's the story. that's the story that we're going to tell. so i urge my colleagues to support this rule and i yield back the balance of my time and i move the previous question on the resolution. the speaker pro tempore: all time having expired, without objection, the previous question is ordered. the question is on adoption of the resolution. all those in favor say aye. all those opposed, no. the resolution is agreed to and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the

table. mr. sessions: mr. speaker, i would ask for the yeas and nays. mrs. torres: mr. speaker. does eaker pro tempore: the gentleman ask for the yeas and nays? mr. sessions: did i. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. a sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on the uestion will be postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman from oklahoma seek

recognition? mr. cole: mr. speaker, by the direction of the committee on rules, i call up house resolution 1181 and ask for its immediate consideration. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the resolution. the clerk: house calendar number 198, house resolution 1181, resolved, that the requirement clause 6-5 of rule 13 for a 2/3 vote to consider a report from the committee on rules on the same day it is presented to the house is waived with respect to any resolution reported through the legislative day of december 24, 2018. section 2. it shall be in order at any time through the calendar day of december 23, 2018, for the speaker to entertain motions that the house suspend the rules as though under clause 1 of rule 15. the speaker or his designee shall consult with the minority leader or her designee on the designation of any matter for consideration pursuant to this section. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from oklahoma is recognized for one hour. mr. cole: mr. speaker, for the

purpose of debate only, i yield the customary 30 minutes to my good friend, the gentleman from massachusetts, mr. mcgovern, pending which i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. cole: during consideration for this resolution, mr. speaker, all time is yielded for purposes of debate only. i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. cole: mr. speaker, the resolution before us is a very simple one. it provides the house with the maximum flexibility to expeditiously move important legislation before the end of congress. the resolution allows the house to suspend the rules to consider bipartisan pieces of legislation, including the senate-passed criminal justice reform legislation, which we'll consider later today. it also allows for the house to quickly -- excuse me -- to quickly consider measures to

fund the government. as we are up against the deadline, it's important we have the ability to quickly ensure that the government does not shut down. mr. speaker, i urge support of the rule and the underlying legislation and with that i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from oklahoma reserves. the gentleman from massachusetts is recognized. mr. mcgovern: well, thank you, mr. speaker. i want to thank the gentleman from oklahoma, my good friend, mr. cole, for the customary 30 minutes and i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks and i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized. mr. mcgovern: mr. speaker, the gentleman from oklahoma made such a compelling argument for this rule, i can't believe i'm saying this, i am going to vote for this martial law rule. it's a shame that we're at this point, rushing to meet deadlines that have been staring us in the face for weeks and hurrying up to finish important legislative business in the waning days of this congress but we are where we are and we need to be responsible. when it comes to something like funding the government, it's appropriate to use all the tools in our toolbox to keep the lights on.

so while i think rules granting same-day authority should be avoided whenever possible, times like this is why they exist. and there is also suspension authority in this rule that would allow this house an opportunity to take up criminal justice reform, a bipartisan first step that our republican president has already promised to sign. so with so much work in front of us today i am not going to waste time on process. i won't belabor the president for his words and tweets which made completing our business tougher than it needed to be. i will spare my friends in the majority for their conversation about how i wish we weren't once again standing on the brink of another shutdown. so consider it my gift to them for this holiday. this house needs to move quickly and responsibly. everyone understands that so i will simply say that i will be voting for this rule. i urge my colleagues to do the same so we can finish our business and prevent another government shutdown. with that i reserve the balance of my time.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from massachusetts reserves. the gentleman from oklahoma is recognized. mr. cole: i'm prepared to close. mr. mcgovern: mr. speaker, i have nothing else to say. i yield back my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from oklahoma is recognized to close. mr. cole: thank you, mr. speaker. i want to thank my friend. i will certainly accept the gracious gift he's offered me and i learned a long time ago when you win an argument you shut up and sit down so i want to applaud my colleagues for their work and with that, mr. speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. i move the previous question on the resolution. the speaker pro tempore: all time having expired, without objection, the previous question is ordered. the question is on adoption of the resolution. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the resolution is agreed to. without objection -- mr. mcgovern: mr. speaker, i ask for the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. those favoring a vote by the yeas and nays will rise. a sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postpones ponde.

- will be postponed. pursuant to clause 12-a of rule 1, the chair declares the house in recess subject to the call of

>> the president tweeting this morning this, the democrats who know steel slats wall are necessary for border security are putting politics over country. what are they just beginning to realize is i will not sign any of their legislation, including infrastructure, unless it has perfect border security. that from president trump. the house out for a short period of time we expect subject to the call of the chair. and while we wait for them to return, part of this morning's "washingn