mr. larson: yes. mr. johnson: mr. speaker, i would like to yield three minutes to representative ron estes from kansas. mr. estes: thank you, mr. speaker and thank you mr. chairman. americans charged with managing social security struggle to make the system work. i have heard stories of the burdensome process that can be involved with the representative payey program. that's why i urge my colleagues to support h.r. 4547 the strengthening protections for social security beneficiaries act of 2018. this important bipartisan piece of legislation reduces the burdens on families by eliminating the requirement to file a form for spouse is and parents who live with their children. the bill protects the most vulnerable beneficiaries through improved information sharing between the social security administration and their respective states' adult protective service in kansas. this will identify whether a beneficiary is in the foster care and reassess if it is appropriate and ensure the beneficiaries are provided for. the social

mr. harper: mr. speaker, a little more than three months ago you tasked the committee on the house administration with a great responsibility to undertake a comprehensive review of the training, policies, and mechanisms to guard against sexual harassment in the congressional workplace. i believe that the legislation we're considering today, h.r. 4924, the congressional accountability act of 1995 reform act, and immediately following that the house resolution together respond to this great task. at the outset i'd like to thank the speaker of the house, paul ryan, for his leadership on this issue and the trust he placed on our committee to conduct this important review. i'd also like to thank and work done the on the committee on the committee on house administration, thrick the ranking member, mr. brady, he has been a great friend and colleague over o the last decade and i appreciate being able to work closely on this issue with him. . both the c.a.a. reform act reflect the dedication and commitment o

mr. brady: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. brady: mr. speaker, since we began this process several months ago i met with experts, my colleagues and most importantly the survivors of sexual harassment and assault. their insight has formed this legislation today. by passing this proposal, the congress will take the much-needed first step in changing how we do business. we eliminate counseling. we eliminate the cooling off period. we make mediation optional. we change the system so we protect the victim and not the perpetrate overplet we require more transparency with regular reporting that has meaningful information. we change the confidentiality rules so the victim decides what to talk about and when. and we hold members accountable for their behavior by referring every case to the ethics committee. this is long overdue. there is one person that has been championing her work this entire career. that the gentlelady from

mr. langevin: mr. chairman, i'm offering this amendment with my colleague and fellow bipartisan disabilities co-chair, representative greg harper. i want to mention it's the only bipartisan amendment being offered to h.r. 620. and i think it's important to stress this point. mr. speaker, two members of congress, from different political parties, who represent a caucus that exists solely to inform, educate, and highlight issues impacted with the disability community have come together to say there is something gravely wrong with this bill. we're offering an amendment that would make it palatable. so the amendment would strike r. 620's notice and cure requirement. so as presently written the notice and cure section mandates that someone who claims discrimination on the basis of a disability relating to an architectural barrier must provide a written notice for -- in 60 days order to acknowledge receipt of the complaint and 120 days to demonstrate substantial progress at removing the barrier before burt l

mr. sessions: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, during consideration of this resolution, all time is yielded 2018.e purpose of debate only. mr. speaker, this two-year budget agreement begins to repair our military and freeze our armed services from the harmful spending caps, the devastating practice of funding our troops and stop gap funding bills. it raises discretionary funding levels by $80 billion and nondefense by $63 billion while raising fiscal year 2019 levels by $85 billion and $63 billion respectively. i've been told. thank this will move spending levels from 2009 spending levels to 2011 spending levels, consistent with what we had done during those periods of time. mr. speaker, i reserve my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentlelady from new york. ms. slaughter: thank you, mr. speaker. and, mr. speaker, i thank my colleague for yielding me the customary 30 minutes. and yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized

mr. nadler: mr. speaker, i now yield two minutes to the gentleman from georgia, mr. lewis. the chair: the gentleman from georgia is recognized for two minutes. mr. lewis: mr. speaker, i want to thank my good friend, the ranking member, mr. nadler, for yielding. mr. speaker, i rise in strong opposition to this bill. many of my colleagues may not remember when the civil rights act became the law of the land in 1964, but i remember. i was there. as a matter of fact, i gave a little blood during the sit-ins, during the freedom rides. i remember the struggle, the fight, and the sacrifice of so any to protect the dignity and words of every human being. i was here serving in this very chamber when the americans with disabilities act became the law of the land. 26 years later. . yet today it is unbelievable, it is unreal we're considering a bill that turns the clock backwards and strikes a devastating blow in the fight for civil rights. mr. speaker, i want it make it chris cal clear for the record, there is

mr. cornyn: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from texas. mr. cornyn: i ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding rule 22, at 11:30 p.m. this evening, the senate vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to concur in the house amendment to the senate amendment to h.r. 1892, with a further amendment. further, that if cloture is invoked, all postcloture time be yielded back and the senate vote on the motion to concur. the presiding officer: is there objection? mr. paul: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from kentucky. mr. paul: reserving the right to object, it seems like a lot of work for a trillion-dollar deficit, doesn't it? i object. the presiding officer: regular order is called for. is there objection? mr. paul: i object. mr. cornyn: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from texas. mr. cornyn: i ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding rule 22, at 12:00 p.m. this evening, the senate vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the house amendmen

mr. burgess: mr. speaker, i send to the desk a privileged report from the committee on rules for filing under the rule. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title. the clerk: report to accompany house resolution 736. resolution providing for consideration of the bill, h.r. 620, to amend the americans with disabilities act of 1990, to promote compliance through education, to clarify the requirements for demand letters , to provide for a notice and cure period before the commencement of a private civil action and for other purposes. providing for consideration of the bill, h.r. 3299, to amemmed the revised statutes, the home owners loan act, the federal credit union act, and the federal deposit insurance act, to inquire -- to require the rate of interest on certain loans remain unchanged after transfer of the loan and for other purposes. providing for consideration of the bill, h.r. 3978. to amend the real estate settlement procedures act of 1974. to modify requirements related to mortgage

mr. speaker, i have been asked to reply. my right honorable friend the prime minister is in china building on the existing strong ties between our two countries. and she's accompanied by the largest business delegation that this government has yet led. >> mr. speaker, a number of employees and former employees live in any constituency. and the company has an apprenticeship training center. they fearsome uncertain future. will the government act now to prevent similar corporate theft what should have been hundreds of millions of pounds in pension contributions and unearned corporate bonuses to themselves? exactly what does the government propose? >> first of all, mr. speaker, i completely understand the anxiety that must be affecting "the apprentice"s and their families and the honorable gentleman's constituency. he probably heard me say during last week's debate that the construction industry training board has taken responsibility for finding employers to enable all those apprentices to

mr. nadler: mr. speaker, i now yield two minutes to the gentleman from georgia, mr. lewis. the chair: the gentleman from georgia is recognized for two minutes. mr. lewis: mr. speaker, i want to thank my good friend, the ranking member, mr. nadler, for yielding. mr. speaker, i rise in strong opposition to this bill. many of my colleagues may not remember when the civil rights act became the law of the land in 1964, but i remember. i was there. as a matter of fact, i gave a little blood during the sit-ins, during the freedom rides. i remember the struggle, the fight, and the sacrifice of so any to protect the dignity and words of every human being. i was here serving in this very chamber when the americans with disabilities act became the law of the land. 26 years later. . yet today it is unbelievable, it is unreal we're considering a bill that turns the clock backwards and strikes a devastating blow in the fight for civil rights. mr. speaker, i want it make it chris cal clear for the record, there is

mr. president, my guest at the state of the union was a woman named stephanie keenan from putnam county. she was a brave mother of a veteran, the veteran got hooked on opioids in the depths of ptsd. he waited 16 months for his first appointment at the v.a. died of an overdose two weeks before he could get treatment. stephanie keenan has been fighting for this. she's a brave -- mr. shah: good afternoon, everyone. i want to start with a statement, then we'll take your questions. our normal policy, consistent with the policies of past administrations, is to not comment on background checks and security clearances. given the unusual nature of these circumstances, when a number of false reports floating around, we wanted to try to explain as best we can within our security limitations how the background investigation process works and then talk a little bit about rob porter and how the -- how his situation fits within that process. background investigation process is a process for evaluating a

mr. burgess: mr. speaker, we are here today considering a continuing resolution that will provide dollars for the federal government and our national defense. and it also finally accomplishes re-authorization of funding for several important health care programs. these extensions are long overdue and i urge members to support this legislation so that our nation's doctors, other health care providers will have stability to continue their normal operations. the house passed many of these provisions last november. that's when we passed the championing healthy kids act. however, since house passage, the legislation has been stalled without action in the senate. now fortunately, the children's health insurance program was re-authorized in the last continuing resolution. seems like a long time ago, but was three weeks ago. however, we did not complete the public health or medicare extenders. the continuing resolution we are debating today includes funding for other important health care programs such as com

mrs. roby: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks for what purpose does the and ie extraneous material to h.r. 1865. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. pursuant to house resolution 748, rule 18, the chair declares the house in the committee of the whole house on the state of the union for consideration of 1865, the chair appoints the gentleman from california, mr. denham, to preside over the 1865, the chair appoints the gentleman from california, r. the chair: the house is in the committee of the whole house on the state of the union for the consideration of h.r. 1865, which the clerk will report by title. the clerk: a bill to meand the communications act of 1934 to clarify section 230 of such act does not prohibit the enforcement against providers and users of interactive computer services of federal and state criminal and civil law relating to sexual exploitation of children or sex trafficking, an

mr. poe: mr. speaker, i object to the vote on the grounds that a quorum is not present and make a the requisite number of words. ---and and make a point of order a quorum is not present. the speaker pro tempore: the plemming pledge will be led by gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. costello. mr. costello: 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 pro tempore: the chair will entertain up to 15 requests for one minute speeches on each side of the aisle. for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania seek recognition? mr. costello: ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. costello: mr. speaker, i rise today to reiterate the critical importance of stabilizing the individual health insurance market. to be for tinues pennsylvanians to have access to affordable and quality health care. to end i

mr. alexander: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from tennessee. mr. alexander: thank you, mr. president. mr. president, the senator there delaware -- from delaware is somewhere in the neighborhood. and he has a train to catch in a few minutes. so i ask consent that after i make a few remarks about today's events, the voting today, that the senator from delaware be recognized and following his speaking, that i be recognized again. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. alexander: i thank the president. mr. president, today the senate voted on immigration. immigration is a passionate issue. it affects the lives of people. it affects the american creed which involves the rule of law, which involves the fact that we're a nation of immigrants. it goes to the heart of our country and we have very strong opinions about it. all of us know that. of course, mr. president, that's the reason why we have a united states senate. this is not an issue that the shreveport city council or the nati

mr. shah: good afternoon, everyone. i want to start with a statement, then we'll take your questions. our normal policy, consistent with the policies of past administrations, is to not comment on background checks and security clearances. given the unusual nature of these circumstances, when a number of false reports floating around, we wanted to try to explain as best we can within our security limitations how the background investigation process works and then talk a little bit about rob porter and how the -- how his situation fits within that process. background investigation process is a process for evaluating allegations about a white house staffer's conduct prior to joining the white house. it's run by the federal law enforcement and intelligence communities. it's used throughout the u.s. government. it's thorough, it's complex, and it takes time. it takes time because we want to get it right. it's also costly but it's absolutely worth it. over the course of any investigation, some

mr. smith: mr. speaker, the for what purpose does the gentleman from seek welfare system in america has a problem and the great majority of americans want to fix it. since 2000, the amount of federal dollars spent on medicaid that goes to able-bodied adults has increased 713%. the amounts on food stamps has increased nearly 500%. these figures do not include seniors or individuals with disabilities. every welfare dollar that is spent on able-bodied working age adults diverts resources from the very individuals the program was designed to help. the truly needy and other important priorities such as education and public safety. the solution is a work requirement. able-bodied adults on welfare should be required to work, get training, or perform community service to receive benefits. an overwhelming 90% of voters support this reform. which could move 10 million able-bodied individuals off of welfare. those who can work should. work is essential to helping individuals regain their independence and self-

mr. frelinghuysen: mr. speaker, for the fifth time since last fall, i rise today to present another continuing resolution. the house amendment to senate amendment to h.r. 1892, to fund the operations of the federal government through march 23, fund the department of defense for the rest of the fiscal year, 2018, and extend critical health care programs, including funding for community health centers. our current continuing resolution expires on thursday, and without this legislation large segments of the federal government will shut down again. of course, all of us are keenly aware more time is needed for our leaders in the house and senate and white house to negotiate overall funding levels for the 2018 fiscal year. this bill should allow that to happen. my colleagues, this continuing resolution also makes a very limited number of technical changes in funding levels for only the most essential needs to include, to prevent delays in preparation for the 2020 census, to assure that the judicial branch is able

mr. poe, for five minutes. thank you, mr. speaker. when anna first set foot on the campus of hobart and william smith college in 2014, she immediately fell in love with the school. nestled deep within the finger lakes, the small liberal arts college appeared serene and safe. on that beautiful campus, however, was hiding a much more dangerous reality. unfortunately, anna would discover the terrible truth just two weeks after she arrived. on the second saturday of the semester, anna was eager to go out and meet more of her fellow classmates. as the night went on, anna got separated from her friends. when they received a text from her telling them that she was cared of someone she met and didn't know what to do, they began frantically searching for her. it wasn't until the early morning hours they finally found her, bent over a pool table with a football player appearing to sexually assault her. her friends immediately took her back to the dormitory. na was very ill, pale, and disoriented. w

mrs. walters: mr. speaker, i rise today in support of my amendment to the allow states and victims to fight online sex trafficking act. i also want to thank my colleague, ann wagner, for her dedication to this issue and her efforts to bring this bill to the floor. the underlying bill will help crack down onion line facilitators of human sex trafficking to end this modern day slavery. my amendment will allow enforcement of criminal and civil sex trafficking laws against websites that knowingly facilitate online sex trafficking activities. mr. speaker, this issue is of significant local concern in the heart of my district in orange county. last year a major international sex trafficking ring was uncovered in a quiet irvine, california, neighborhood. young women from overseas were sold repeatedly through the website backpage.com. websites like backpage, which are essentially store fronts for the facilitation of sex trafficking, have been able to operate with impunity. my amendment, in conjunction with the

foxx: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, new boy scouts make a promise to do their best, to do their duty to god and country and to help other people at all times. mr. lewis wood of stokes county, north carolina, has not only fulfilled that promise, he fullest. it to the mr. wood joined the boy scouts of america in january, 1943. later he served as a volunteer and scoutmaster for troop 440 for 50 years. when mr. wood and his family were recently informed of his pancreatic cancer diagnosis, he was focused on living until this january, the 75th anniversary of his becoming a scout. what an admirable spirit and wonderful man. after a lifetime of service, mr. wood is now preparing for his next journey, mr. speaker. i commend mr. wood for his 75 years of dedication to the boy scouts and stokes county. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields. the chair recognizes the gentleman from new york, mr. espaillat, for five minutes. thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to express my concerns and my deep sh

mrs. lowey: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized for as much time as she may consume. mrs. lowey: it is a basic constitutional responsibility of congress to fund the federal government and republican majorities in the house and the senate are just turning the process into an embarrassing spectacle. running from one crisis directly into the next. it has been clear for nine tonight ins -- months that a bipartisan budget agreement would be needed to enact appropriations law. yet it has taken five continuing resolutions, two lapses in funding, countless hours of effort to take even this first step toward full-year funding bills. more than four months into the fiscal year. i am pleased with many aspects of the budget agreement. increasing statutory spending caps would allow the appropriation committees to write responsible, bipartisan spending bills that will invest in the nation's families, communities and national security. i'm als

mr. mcdowell: false alarm. mr. walden: well, i guarantee you a couple of things, one, you mentioned i'm an amateur radio operator, although i'm not active too much, and two, i have a wired in emergency alert system or two or three in radio stations because my wife and i ran radio stations for 20 years. i know a little bit about that and i go back far enough to remember when it was the emergency broadcast system and it was an orange book in the control room next to the operator, and inside was a pink envelope that had identification codes in case of a national emergency. and those got changed out i'll say every month, you got a new envelope, you destroyed the old one, you never opened it. i don't know what would have happened, it's like ripping the thing off your mattress, i think. [laughter] mr. walden: seriously, this was very well thought out. i cannot imagine a scenario where me sitting goes, hey, pushed the wrong button, and we have a nuclear attack coming. i just don't know how that would have happened. and so

mr. simons and mr. chopra, the american bar association antitrust law section issued a 60 -- page report in january of 2017 on the state of entrust enforcement. the antitrust section makes a number of religions recommendations for improving consumer protection issues, such as recommending that all consumer protection orders should sunset in five years absent extenuating circumstances such as fraud or insidivism. do you agree with this sunset? if so, will you seek to implement this reform should be you be confirmed? >> so, first let me say that the antitrust -- the aba antitrust section does a terrific job. they have a whole host of extremely thoughtful people. any time they make a recommendation, you want to think about it seriously, so that's what i would commit to do. i don't have a view -- conclusive view yet. i would want to talk to the staff at the agency before reaching any conclusions on that and, of course, i would like to talk to my fellow commissioners. >> senator thune, the report had a numbe

mr. steele gathered much of his information from russian government sources inside of russia. according to the law firm, perkins cory, mr. steele'slf efforts were funded by fusion gps on behalf of the democratic national committee and the clinton campaign. let's pause here. hillary clinton is paying steele to spread russian lies and russian propaganda. i'll read itse again because ths is important. much of the information from russian government sources inside of russia. isn't that with the media has been investigating for the better part of a year?he oh, so keep that in mind as we move forward. here's another keyno portion. it appears that either mr. steele lied to the fbi or to the british court that the classified documents reviewed by the committee contained materially false statements. and then the memo goes on to read, and response to the committee's inquiries, the chairman and ranking member received aiv briefing. march 15th, 2017, from man, director james comey, than them model go

mr. cornyn: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from texas. mr. cornyn: mr. president, i understand there is a bill at the desk that is due for a second reading. the presiding officer: the senator is correct. the clerk will read the title of the bill for a second time. the clerk: s. 2464, a bill to improve border security and so forth. mr. cornyn: in order to place the bill on the calendar under the provisions of rule 14, i would object to further proceeding. the presiding officer: objection having been heard, the bill will be placed on the calendar. mr. cornyn: thank you, mr. president. mr. president, as my colleague from connecticut is -- was here in the room and mentioned the bill we have been working on together, the fix nics bill, i want to remind all of us what the motivation was, at least on my part, what was the reason and i thank my colleague and the majority leader and those who cosponsored this legislation. it was just a few short months ago when someone murdered 26 people wo

mr. thompson: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, this morning i was at the central pennsylvania digital learning foundation in duncansville to speak about my work on the house education and work force committee. the central pennsylvania digital foundation charter school office a customizeable cyber education for students throughout pennsylvania. its learning experience engages and empowers every student to be successful in reaching their academic and personal goals for today and tomorrow. this school was developed from the ground up by the engages an superintendents in collaboration with intermediate unit eight. the iu- was furnished to provide a broad range of services to 35 public schools, two charter schools, and approximately 8 nonpublic schools. mr. speaker, we must understand that there are numerous educational environments and many students strive in a cyber school-style setup. the iu- has enjoyed tremendous work to ensure students who choose the education receive the same quality education as their peer who is atten

mr. hensarling: mr. speaker, pursuant to house resolution 736, i call up h.r. 3299 and ask for its immediate consideration in the house. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar umber 402, h.r. 3299, a bill to amend the revised statutes, the homeowners' loan act, the federal credit union act, and the federal deposit insurance act to require the rate of interest on certain loans remain unchanged after transfer , and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to house resolution 736, the bill is considered as read. the gentleman from texas, mr. hensarling, and the gentlewoman from california, ms. waters, each will control 30 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from texas, mr. hensarling. mr. hensarling: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and xtend their remarks and submit extraneous materials on the bill under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. he

mr. mcconnell: i ask consent that further proceedings under the quorum call be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: well, mr. president, i think it's safe to say it's been a disappointing week. i kept my commitment and set aside the entire week for a broad, productive debate over daca, border security, and other important immigration issues. everyone, my friend, the democratic leader, the assistant democratic leader, the congressional hispanic caucus, everyone agrees that i held up my end of the bargain. back in december i stated that if a bill withstood a chance of becoming law or ready in january, i would bring it to the floor. no such proposal was produced. then in january when democrats shut down the government over this issue, i offered to dedicate this week, this week that we've been in, to an immigration debate and a fair amendment process. i just did that. but the same democrats failed to produce a solution and instead spent the better part of t

mr. portman: mr. president, i'd like to talk today about two brave ohioans who were tragically killed while serving their community and all of us. on saturday, february 10, ohio lost two of its finest, when anthony morelli and eric durly were fatally shot while going to a 9 is 1 call. officer du ring was killed at the scene. officer morelli was a 29-year veteran. he leaves behind his wife and son. officer during was a k-9 officer and partnered with his dog sam. eric loved working with sam, but what he really loved was his kids and wife. his most important job, he said, was being a husband and father. he was survived by his wife and two daughters. both men are loved and respected members of the westerville community and both will be sorely missed. i had a chance to talk to their colleagues over the weekend and heard many stories about them and their bravery and commitment to service. i also had the great honor to meet with the families of both of these fallen officers over this past weekend in columbus

mr. fitzpatrick: mr. speaker, i rise today to recognize the retirement of donna, a constituent of mine from bristol borough, bucks county, pennsylvania, after a 42-year career of community service as an employee of the grundy foundation. starting in 1975, she worked at the grundy library, eventually assisting the foundation's executive director until she was appointed the grundy museum administrator. a position which she held for the past 12 years. as a museum administrator, she's credited with updating the museum's strategy plan, creating best practices for all of the museum's programs and services, and building up partnerships between the museum and the community. under donna's leadership, the number of visitors to the museum increased exponentially in the 40th and 50th anniversary events were great successes. i want to express my deep gratitude and the gratitude of our entire community for donna's commitment to preserving the history of our community. while her retirement is well deserved, her exit is

mr. durbin: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from illinois. mr. durbin: mr. president, i thank my colleague from delaware, tom carper. he and i came to the house of representatives together many years ago. he went off on another assignment, was governor of his state, and then came back and ran for the united states senate. we're lucky to have him. he is a great senator, a great friend, and a great colleague, and he takes on the important issues every day on behalf of his state and nation. i thank him for his support, for this conversation about daca and dreamers. i'd like to take a little different approach to this than i usually do on the floor, and i have come to the floor many times to talk about it. i'd like for everyone here who is listening to this debate to pause and think for a minute, what's the worst job you ever had? the worst job? maybe it was the worst job because it was boring, and boring jobs are terrible, but there are some pretty bad jobs out there. i could tell you my worst job. i was working my way through college, and i was working in what

mr. green: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, once again i'm honored to stand in the well of the house of representatives. i have been blessed and fortunate enough to stand here and to have the opportunity to vote on some of the great issues of our time. i'm proud to say that i was here to vote on the affordable care act. and i'm proud to say that i still stand behind the affordable care act. i was here to vote on the lily ledbetter fair check, or fair pay legislation. still stand behind what we did on that great occasion. i was here to vote on a good many pieces of legislation, but i must tell you, mr. speaker, i'm very proud to have been here today to see the honorable nancy pelosi as she took a stand for those who cannot be here to stand for themselves. e took a stand for the dreamers. and not only did she speak for them and stand up for them, she also literally took a stand on her feet for more than eight hours in heels. mr. speaker, that is a part of history that i will forever remember and i'm proud to have not in

mr. blunt: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from missouri. mr. blunt: i move we suspend the quorum call. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. blunt: mr. president, when the jobs act and tax cut bill was signed into law in december, we heard a lot of things about what was going to immediately happen. this was going to be a tax cut for the rich. corporations were going to use their money to buy back their stock and not share it with the people that worked for them. the senate, as divided on a partisan basis as the senate could be. every person in the majority who was here voted for the tax bill. every person in the minority voted against the tax bill. we heard from some of the leaders of the other side that it would be armageddon. we heard from president obama's treasury secretary that 10,000 people would die every year if the tax bill was signed into law. we heard that the average family would only get crumbs and scraps from the tax bill. it's turning out that that's not wha

mr. gianforte: mr. speaker, i rise today to highlight another example of federal overreach that threatens our montana and western way of life. unclear federal regulations could force millions of americans who recreationally compete in rodeos or participate in other equestryan events to get a commercial driver's license. but these are not folks competing for their livelihoods. in a recent story in the "billings gazette," andy, head conetcovep for the montana state rodeo team said, for the most part around montana i would say rodeo is a hobby for most people. and yet federal regulations could force these rodeo participants to wait through unnecessary, costly red tape for their hobby. that's why i recently led a letter which is a bipartisan group of 26 colleagues signed to the federal motor carrier safety administration. we urge the department of transportation to clarify how the c.d.l. regulations treat those who participate recreationally in rodeo events. mr. speaker, we must continue reforming, rolling

mr. biggs: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and tend their remarks and include extraneous materials on s. 772, currently under consideration . the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. biggs: mr. speaker, i'm honored to be the sponsor of the amber alert in indian country act in memory of the life of ashlynne mike. i want to thank the house leadership and chairman goodlatte for bringing this bill before the house for consideration. . 11-year-old ashlynn lived in navajo nation, the largest indian reservation in the united states, located in arizona, utah, colorado and new mexico. her favorite color was yellow and she enjoyed playing music for her friends and family. she was a kind hearted young girl who had enormous potential. after school on monday, may while ashlynn and her brother played near a bus stop, a man lured them into his car. he took them to a remote part of the reservation, used as 46rbings sk -- ashlynn, slallingtered he

mr. romney: i will let the states make that decision for what is best with their own state. i think that's the best way to deal with this. >> what about utah? mr. romney: i think each state including our state ought to consider the widest array of options. find out where there is common ground. do what they need to to protect their students. i have grandkids the go to school here in utah. i want to make sure schools are safe. i will not tell people what actions would be the most effective. i have not seen proposed legislation with regard to guns that would have prevented the attacks that have occurred. passing legislation that might make you feel better but does not do anything is not something i favor. i am not in favor of new federal legislation on the gun front. but let us have states look at protective measures, securing building signs, potentially police patrols or volunteer patrols or intervention teams to step in where there has been a setting where a student may have said or done

mr. phillips: i think it is important to extol the benefits of what happens or what the tax cuts and tax reform bill are doing for the country. and also, the positive impact of getting rid of so many of the obama-era and some bush-era regulations and red tape that stifled opportunity and growth. and frankly, they led to a decade in which we never had a year with plus 3% growth, which was devastating. ost: bill allison? bill: so at the donors summit, it was announced that charles and david koch, and the network they have put together will be spending $400 million in this cycle at all levels, and they have spent some money and your group has been out promoting things like the republican tax plan and some of the issues in washington. how much of that total has already been spent and how much are you going to be targeting house races in the midterms in terms of the dollar figure? mr. phillips: you make a great point. that number includes both 2017 and 2018. you are exactly right. and it also

mrs. murphy: thank you, mr. speaker. today i'm introducing a bipartisan bill that seeks to ensure that service members who are leaving the military receive the specific training they need to make a successful transition to civilian life. the battle for service members act will better prepare service members to attend college, to learn a technical trade or start a small business. all n and women in our volunteer military serve and sacrifice for this nation . when they decide to leave the armed forces, it is our nation's moral obligation to take all the steps necessary to help them thrive in the next stage of their lives. i want to thank the three original co-sponsors of this legislation. the first is congressman jack bergman, a retired three-star marine corps general who recently visited my district as part after program organized by center. tisan policy congressman bergman joined me on a visit to the local v.a. hospital and meet of my veterans advisory board. the others are congressman carlos curbelo, and kirs continue s

>> mr. chairman, interest on excess reserves is currently, as you know, the principal policy tool that we use to keep the federal funds rate in the range that we designate. and we have not made a decision in the longer are run whether that will continue to be our framework or whether we will return to something more like what we did before the crisis and i don't have a schedule for -- i don't expect to be returning to that decision in the near term. i would just say that our current approach seems to be working very well. it gives us control over rates and the market seems to understand it. >> so, it remains an open question? >> in the long run -- the long run framework, operating framework, does remain open, yes e. >> as you heard in my opening statement, it still remains a concern. you would be hard pressed to find in the congressional record or any testimony from members of the federal reserve at the time congress granted this power that it would be used to supplant open market operations

mr. cornyn: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator for texas. mr. cornyn: mr. president, i ask consent that the quorum call be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. cornyn: mr. president, all week i've been speaking about the impending deadline of tomorrow when the continuing resolution that we passed following the shutdown of the government over the daca issue. i've been talking about the importance of that deadline and the importance of meeting that deadline. you can imagine my reaction, my pleasure at hearing the announcement this afternoon by the majority leader, his hard work leading to this critical funding negotiation has led to an agreement that both sides should be able to get behind. one of these reasons these negotiations were so significant and why the announcement was such good news is because of the military. i happened to be raised by someone who was in the military. my dad was in the air force and a b-72 air pilot in the old air corps. those who have

mr. toomey: thank you, mr. president. i want to speak about our immigration debate and my amendment in particular. but first let me say, you know, we're going to find out just how serious our colleagues are about granting not just legal status to the dreamers, people who were brought here illegally when they were children and shouldn't be held accountable for that action, but the proposal that will be available for a vote later this week, will not just grant legal status but will grant a path to citizenship. it goes well beyond the legal executive order that president obama issued, and it will be available to far more people than those who took up president obama's illegal executive order. it will be an extraordinary moment. i hope we are able to reach an agreement on this because i think this needs to get done. but i want to first address an amendment that i have offered and is now up and pending and we will be voting on it, i think, at some point this week, which is about keeping our communities safer by addressing the

mr. chairman. and i just would like to say that i concur with everything that you've said in your remarks. and i would add that in 2009, former secretary shinseki pledged a commitment to ending homelessness among veterans. in 2014, former secretary mcdonald also committed to this pledge to end homelessness among veterans. between 2009 and 2016, veteran homelessness was reduced by 47%. in 2017, secretary shulkin shared his top five priorities for the v.a., and as many may be aware, ending veterans homelessness was not included in that list of priorities. i fear based on the actions of this administration thus far that in the coming years we will continue to lose ground in our fight against veteran homelessness. in 2017, hud's annual survey found that veteran homelessness increased by 1.5%. however, when you drill down into these numbers and look at specific communities, the picture is much more alarming. los angeles county, which i represent a part of, saw a 57% increase in the number of h

mr. lapierre: can we answer that question honestly? any of us, can we answer that question honestly, knowing that we surround and protect so much with armed security while we drop our kids off at school, that are so-called gun free zones, that are wide open targets for any crazy madman bent on evil to come there first? in every community in america, school districts, pta's, teachers unions, local law enforcement, moms and dads -- they all must come together to implement the very best strategy to harden their schools, including effective trained, armed security that will absolutely protect every innocent child in this country. [applause] mr. lapierre: and that has to happen now. evil walks among us. and god help us if we do not harden our schools and protect our kids. the whole idea from some of our opponents that armed security makes us less safe is completely ridiculous. if that is true -- just think about this -- if that is true, armed security makes us less safe, let's remove it from e

mr. neal, you're recognized. >> thank you, mr. chairman. mr. secretary, the overall budget framework which sinks the nation into deficits that will near unwith trillion dollars a year, recently estimated, $7 trillion over the next 10 years, certainly republicans moved away what they used to say about balanced budgets. in addition they decide they are going to make cuts to very important initiatives that many people here in america have come to rely upon, and they are, despite what is being said, making cuts to medicare. overall the budget proposes more than half trillion dollars, 532 billion in cuts to medicare over 10 years. $200 billion alone to our hospitals. these hospitals are the cornerstones of many of our communities and cuts of this magnitude will result in hospitals closing and losing jobs. reminder, for virtually every member of this committee, as well as members of congress the hospitals have become the biggest employers. i noted earlier in massachusetts, first-class health care. the budget proposes another $80 billion in cuts to po

mr.-- do you agree with commissioner rick. >> i share a lot of scept kism and concern and i would also add that given ongoing litigation and rule technician in the ninth circuit ftc may face unlevel playing field where some major parpghts are exempt from the commission's authority while others are subject to it. >> this assignment so you agree with mr. sweeney? >> thank you senator. my view if it gets back its authority in the internet space is going to be a vigorous enforcer and we're going to take the statutory authority and use it as best we can. i don't know exactly what types of competitive or deceptive unfair practices may come up if those come up we can reach them under our statute and if we don't i would certainly come to you in the committee to talk to you about -- legislative. >> federal trade commission lacks rule making authority in the federal communications does have rule making authority to prevent blocking, an paid prioritization so you do agree with that? >> we both have

mr. phillips: off-year elections, especially the first one for the party in power, are always tough. you know the numbers historically. obama lost 63 seats in 2010, clinton lost 54 house seats in 1994, even reagan lost 26 seats, and he started from a minority position. they are challenging, but yeah. a good economy, which we are starting to see, alleviates the dangers. but it is still a challenging environment for republicans. there is no doubt about that. steve and you now have more than : 40 house republicans who are either seeking another office or stepping down this year? mr. phillips: right. those are high numbers. you saw another one in from new jersey just this past week. it is a challenging environment. in some ways, having folks not tied to washington and the anti-d.c. sentiment that is out there right now could be a good thing in some of these districts, actually, because they are not tied to what is happening in washington and they can run as their own person. steve: what race

mr. kehinde wiley, portrait artist. [cheers and applause] mrs. michelle obama. [cheers and applause] president barack obama. [cheers and applause] ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the podium kim sajet, the director of the smithsonian national portrait gallery. >> good morning. kim sajet. it is my pleasure as director to welcome you to the national portrait gallery at the smithsonian institution. every commissioned portrait involves four people. the first person is the sitter, a person with a larger-than-life persona, who may be curious to see how his are her likeness will be captured in perpetuity. in a spirit of building anticipation, i bid a warm welcome to president barack obama and his wife, former first lady, michelle obama, who we honor today. [applause] the second person is the artist who tries in the face of public scrutiny to stay true to his or her own artistic style and still transmit a sense of the internal spirit to external audiences. in many ways, as much a reflectio

mr. shirley about the legacy of president reagan. be sure to watch c-span's washington journal live at some :00 eastern under morning. ♪ portrait, the national gallery unveiled the official ortraits of former president and former first lady, michelle obama. this is one hour. [applause] david skorton, the secretary of the smithsonian institution. [applause] ms. amy sherald, portrait artist. [cheers and applause] mr. kehinde wiley, portrait artist. [cheers and applause] mrs. michelle obama. [cheers and applause] president barack obama. [cheers and applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the podium kim sajet, the director of the smithsonian national portrait gallery. >> good morning. mu name is kim sajet and it is my pleasure as director to welcome you to the national portrait gallery at the smithsonian institution. every commissioned portrait involves four people. the first person is the sitter, a person with a larger-than-life persona, who may be curious to see how his are h

mr. lubin: what surprised me was how much impact the first world war had on american artists. the received wisdom has always been artists -- the war had very little impact. it had a huge impact on cubism. everything thought it bypassed the united states is doing to search, i found how extensively the range of artists, not only high artists but popular artists, commercial artists, we digesting the war. and actually after the troops came home. steve: you teach this attitude wake forest university. what drew you to this topic? mr. lubin: i knew the anniversary of american involvement in the war was coming up. i thought, we were living in a time -- this was the early 2000's. the war we were facing, in the middle east, a huge influence on the way we were thinking about things. it must have been the same back in the day a century early. it was more a question i had in my mind, why wasn't it similar? the rejection of anything to do with war. normal shows a desire for war. not for war. it roiled