approved. >> it's really a feeling that big is bad. that large companies are abusing competition or consumers. i don't think that's true. many antitrust enforcers don't think that's true. large companies who are large because they are efficient and bringing great services, popular services to consumers. >> sally and brent tonight at 8:00 eastern on "the communicators" on c-span2. >> visit c-span's new online store at c-spanshop.org to check out the new c-span products. and with the17th congress -- 117th congress in session, we're taking preorders for the congressional directory. it supports c-span's nonprofit operations. shop today at c-spanshop.org. >> and the u.s. house meeting now to open the day's session.

debate on bills will start in about 45 minutes. lawmakers considering 13 bills today, including awarding the congressional gold medal to capitol police and others who protected the u.s. capitol against the januaryattacks. -- january 6 attacks. take you live now to the house floor.

the speaker: the house will be in order. the prayer will be offered by chaplain kibben. chaplain kibben: would you pray with me. loving god, we come to you on this international women's day in gratitude for the care and example you have lifted up before us and the women whose lives in some way have touched our own. and those whose virtue in the face of untold and inconceivable challenges has provided fortitude and faith. rahab and deborah challenged expectations and changesed the course of a nation. for countless and hidden figures who continue to challenge institution national norms, influencing and advances in

technology, social sciences and the arts. for the unheralded mothers who challenges the hours in a day and manage households and nurture young leaders, for the faithful like mary, ruth and esther, who in the face of cultural challengeses yielded to your will and affected your loving plan. as we go about our business and address the concerns of these days, may we hear from the which is zom, the teaching of kindness. may we learn from their live's work the importance of courage and be inspired by the strength and honor of these women that our conduct would be worthy of their history. like them, almighty god, choose to challenge the limiting

expectations and destructive norms of injustice and overwhelming crush of daily living that in facing these challengeses would prove faithful to honor the gift of life you give us day. we pray in the abiding love of your wholly name, amen. -- holy name, amen. the speaker: pursuant to section 5-a 1-a, the journal is approved. the pledge of allegiance will be led by the gentlewoman from district of columbia, ms. norton. ms. norton: 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 15 requests for one -minute speeches. for what purpose does the

gentlewoman from district of columbia seek recognition? >> i request unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker: without objection. the gentlewoman is recognized for one minute. ms. norton: the final passage of president biden's america rescue plan expected tomorrow, the priorities are pressed for including $1400 indirect payments per person and $26 billion in rental assistance makes the rescue plan live up to its name. the rescue extends to the district of columbia, which

receives $755 million taken from the district when republicans treated the district as a territory in the cares act. instead, the new bill treats d.c. as a state as usual, because d.c. residents pay full federal taxes and it funds d.c. for city, state and county levels because d.c. provides services at all three levels. this bill resisted the republican plan for less money because the american people want to be rescued now, not later. the american rescue act will hasten doing our business together again on this house floor and getting the american people back to business and to schools. i yield.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from florida seek recognition? >> i request unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. >> thank you, mr. speaker, over the past 10 years, we made a lot of progress in making congress more transparent and accountable. after years of persistence, i was pleased to see that the house finally adopted to compare the text rules that i proposed. the comparative text rule made it possible for members of the house and the public to actually see and understand exactly what a bill changes. every legislature in the country does that. but sadly, boom, in an instant, this year, the house abolished that rule, even though it was a top priority with the bipartisan government efficiency,

accountability and reform task force for commonsense solutions to a better government. mr. speaker, that is shameful. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from virgin islands seek recognition? ms. plaskett: i request unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection the gentlewoman from virgin islands is recognized for one minute. ms. plaskett: the covid pandemic and economic crisis are destroying the lives and livelihoods of tens of millions of americans across the country and our most vulnerable communities are bearing the brunt. thankfully, help is on the way. the american rescue plan will save lives and livelihoods by putting vaccines in harms and putting children back in school and putting money in people's pockets and finally putting

people back in jobs. i'm proud to note the inclusion of provisions in this bill for the virgin islands and other territories that we have been fighting for. this plan creates equality in the child tax credit and earned income tax credit in 2021. the child tax credit provision in the bill will be transformational in the lives of hundreds and millions of children, lifting them out of poverty. this is generational change thfment will reduce poverty and improve the economic standing of americans throughout our country. we are grateful for this bill. thank you. and i yield back the remainder of my time. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from ohio seek recognition? >> i request unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the gentleman from ohio is recognized for one minute. >> two weeks ago, our country witnessed the marvel of american

ingenuity when nasa landed recover on mars laying the groundwork for the next generation of space travel. perseverance has four goals, to determine if life ever existed, understand the climate of the planet, characterize the geology of mars and make any preparation necessary for human exploration. these goals are crucial not only for our mission to send humans to mars but for the continued advancement. before making its journey, perseverance sent time in ohio. and cleveland's nasa glen center that oversaw testing the parachute needed to land safely on mars. mars is the next frontier in spation exploration. northeast ohio has added another chapter to our state's rich history of space travel and exploration. i look forward to what perseverance can teach us and what our new endeavor will be. i yield back.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentlewoman california seek recognition? the speaker: i ask unanimous consent and have my statement placed in the record. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. the speaker: thank you very much. today is international women's day. a day to recognize the great michiganments of women and the great possibilities that lie ahead. in the course of the day, we will be having some recognitions, but one very important one as we speak here now, on the senate side, they are finishing up of the engrossment of the american rescue plan. this plan, as my distinguished colleague from the virgin islands pointed out, there are so many great things for america's children, america's

families and america's women. if you are a caregiver that is for a child or senior or whatever, child care is substantially supported in this legislation. if you are a teacher, schools will be able to be open more safely with increased funding to do so with ventilation, separation and the rest to have our children and teachers return. the chilede tax credit, refundable tax credit as was mentioned by the distinguished chairwoman on the ways and means committee which was largely responsible with representatives delauro and we will be having discussion on this bill. but it is important to acknowledge international women's day the connection between the advancement of

women, the recognition of the contributions of women and the needs that are met in the american rescue plan. as president biden said, help is on the way and that promise is kept to all americans and i wanted to acknowledge the women of america. with that, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from florida seek recognition? ms. frankel: i request unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the gentlewoman is recognized. ms. frankel: i join madam speaker in celebrating international women's day. today i rise in support of the

v.a. vaccines act, a bipartisan bill that will expand the v.a.'s ability to provide covid-19 vaccines to all veterans and their caregivers regardless of whether or not they are enrolled in the v.a. health care system. mr. speaker, the v.a. should not turn away any veteran who wants this life-saving vaccine. where i live in florida and i'm sure it is like in most places, it is like playing the lot erie to get a vaccine and this vaccine is paid for by tax dollars. in my opinion, mr. speaker, our veterans who have selflessly served our country, we should honor their service with easy access covid-19 vaccines. there are no people more deserving. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back. for what purpose does the

gentlewoman from georgia seek recognition? >> i request unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. gentlewoman georgia is recognized. >> on international women's day, i would like to discuss the equality act. the equality act has completely destroyed women's rights. mrs. greene: it has taken women's rights in sports and completely canceled women and i think it's a terrible thing that has happened to the women in america who have come so far, our mothers and grandmothers work so hard toll achieve our right and with the passage of the equality act, they have put men in our little girls' bathrooms, soccer fields and seem to careless of women's rights whatsoever and destroyed religious freedoms and violated our freedoms and rights in every single way. the equality act is atrocious and evil and erases gender that

god created us male and female. women deserve our rights and deserve our rights and privacy and should not have the invasion of biological men in any of these areas. thank you. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from montanan seek recognition? >> thank you, mr. chair. i request unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman from mop tanya is recognized for one minute. mr. rosendale: just wanted to on this national day of women to remind everyone that the first member of this body, that was a woman, was jeanette rankin, she was elected from the state of montana in 1916 and again in 1940. she reserved us well. she served us admirably. i just wanted to remind everyone that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle do not have a monopoly on having women

represent them. thank you so much. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the chair lays before the house a communication. the clerk: the honorable the speaker, house of representatives, madam. pursuant to the permission granted in clause 2-h of rule 2 of the u.s. house of representatives, the clerk received the fog message from the secretary of the senate on march 8, 2021, at 9:10 a.m. that the senate passed senate 164. senate 578. senate 579. senate 590. signed, sincerely, cheryl l. johnson. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to clause 12-a of rule 1, the chair declares the house in recess subject t

>> search c-span's coverage of news conferences as well as remarks from members of congress. use the interactive gallery of maps to follow the cases in the u.s. and worldwide. go to c-span.org slash coronavirus. >> tonight on the communicators, antitrust analyst, sally hubbard and brent, talk about the efficacy of antitrust laws and

they should be reformed. >> we have these antitrust statutes were passed, the sherman act passed way back in 189 o. the clayton act in 1914. the sherman act makes it illegal to monopolize. the clayton act says any merger that may substantially lessen competition or tend to create a monopoly is illegal. but meanwhile we have watched while hundreds of these mergers that would be illegal under that standard have been approved. >> there is this argument that i think underline a lot of criticism of today's antitrust is really a feeling that big is bad. that necessarily large companies are abusing competition or consumers. i don't think that's true. and most any forces don't believe that's truce. large companies abusing the process and they are large because they are efficient. bringing great service, popular services to