mr. clarke: thank you, mr. speaker. i ask -- ms. clarke: thank you, mr. speaker. i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous materials on this measure. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. clarke: mr. speaker, thank you once again and i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the honorable woman from new york, ms. clarke, is recognized. ms. clarke: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today in strong support of h.r. 3969, the covert testing and risk mitigation improvement active 2019. before i begin, i'd like to take a moment to recognize my dear friend and colleague, chairman elijah cummings, who sponsored this legislation. less than two months ago, the house lost a great leader. chairman cummings dedicated his life to fighting for justice and democracy for his constituents in his native city of baltimore and for the american people. today the house will honor his legacy in the best way we can, by passing a bill he wrote to ensure that t.s.a. do

mr. speaker, now, mr. speaker, i now move on to what i think is one of the most appalling and what f this bill the prime minister has presented to us this morning. make it clear that i see the government's removal of the protections of this bill for unaccompanied children seeking asylum is nothing short of an absolute disgrace and a piece of dishonesty towards those people who at the moment are clearly very, very concerned. so after last parliament, i was night, my hip last good friend, lord dubs, has to ensure lessly by the worst t bed aspects of global injustice can be given sanctuary. in its first t week in office has ripped up commitments. this is a move, safe passage as quote, as trulyi shocking, saying it could have nd i quote again, potentially tragic consequences. i think they say this, mr. speaker, coming up to christmas, hame on this government for abandoning children in this way. mr. speaker, on the environment food safety standards this deal points to a complete realignment towards the far prot

thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i rise today to recognize the well earned retirement of north hampton township chief of police mike clark. chief clark has served the people for 47 years. as our chief of police since 2013. for the first 26 years of his service, chief clark served on the patrol division, on swat, and detective department giving him a wide range of experiences within the police force. earlier this year under the leadership of chief clark the department earned an accreditation from the pennsylvania learment accreditation commission, an achievement realized by just 10% of the state's 1,200 police departments. chief clark works to make the department more active in the community, to increase his officers' interaction with the people they work to protect. his coffee with the cops initiative created personal connections between the police officers and public. under his leadership the department created a facebook page to kept public informed. mr. speaker, we want to thank chief clark for his hard w

mr. morelle: thank you, mr. speaker. there is a saying in albany when things go on for a while that everything's been said but not by everybody. apparently maybe everything has been said and apparently everybody doesn't feel the need to weigh in. i'm prepared to close if my friend, the gentleman. mr. cole: i do have a speaker. you want to yield. mr. morelle: i'll reserve my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from oklahoma is recognized. mr. cole: thank you very much, mr. speaker. i yield two minutes to my friend from texas, mr. roy. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas is recognized for two minutes. mr. roy: thank you, mr. speaker. i thank the gentleman from oklahoma and gentleman from new york for yielding time. i respect the amount of work they have put into this legislation. i rise without surprise to anyone in this room at opposition to the legislation. i keep hearing that this phrase, this bill provides. i keep hearing my colleagues

thompson: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, yesterday i was pleased to join 158 of my colleagues in sending a letter to speaker pelosi highlighting the critical importance of the usmca trade agreement. tates been nearly 400 days since president trump sipped the agreement with our two closest trading partners, at long last it seems a vote may finally be in the future. with less than two weeks left in the legislative calendar, a vote is long overdue. farmers, ranchers, manufacturers, and everyone in between will benefit from the passing of usmca. usmca will help increase market opportunities, keeping trade free and fair and the projected impact on our nation's agricultural industry is staggering. nder this new revamped agreement, u.s. agricultural exports will increase leading to an estimated 325,000 additional jobs here at home. that's good news not just for our local rural communities but each and every american. usmca will help bring u.s. trade policy into the 21st century. each day that passes without a vote is leavi

mr. cole: thank you, mr. speaker. first, mr. speaker, i would ask unanimous consent to submit a statement of administration policy on this particular bill for the record. just noting that the president's advisors would advise him to veto this bill were it to pass. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. cole: thank you very much, mr. speaker. nobody i like better than my friend from new jersey, quite frankly. we are very good friends. we have worked together on a lot of good things. i got to tell you on this one we just disagree. the middle class is going to benefit from this bill? let me go through the figures again. the top 1% of income earners in america get 56% of the benefits in this bill. the top 5% get 80%. the bottom 80% get 4%. this is not a middle class bill. this is not even an upper middle class bill. this is a bill for pretty wealthy people. 96% of the benefits flow to people that make -- households that make more than $200,000 a year. that's just -- won't yield. i want to yield to another speaker in a momen

nadler: mr. speaker, i -- mr. nadler. mr. nadler: mr. speaker, i yield to the gentleman from georgia, mr. johnson. the speaker pro tempore: gentleman from georgia, mr. johnson, is recognized. mr. johnson: thank you, mr. speaker. i was not among those who supported impeachment before ukraine, but i called for impeachment today because our president is, as we speak, abusing his power and placing himself above the law. president trump's attempt to sabotage the 2020 election is a clear and present danger on our democracy. we the people know this and more americans support impeachment today than at any time since richard nixon's final weeks in office. we know that it's wrong to enlist the help of foreigners in interfering in our elections. we know it's wrong to cheat. and we know what's at stake. it's not just that our elections were attacked, our elections are under attack right now. the very day the judiciary committee voted out articles of impeachment, president trump welcome rudy giuliani back to the white house. president trump is still

the speaker pro tempore: -- mr. doyle: mr. speaker, we have no more speakers. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from pennsylvania reserves. the gentleman from ohio is recognized. mr. latta: thank you, mr. speaker. we have no other speakers. i'm prepared to close. mr. speaker, it's absolutely important that we have rural broadband access. it's not only to help our citizens but our students. we have to make sure that our businesses, our farmers all have the access they need to survive in this world we live in today. so i highly urge our members of this house to support this bill. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from ohio yields back. the gentleman from pennsylvania is recognized. mr. doyle: thank you, mr. speaker. as fcc commissioner said at our last oversight hearing, we need ackcra maps before we spend money and we need better data if we want good deployments. more than that i would like to add the fcc needs to fix the maps they have before they go out spending billions of dollars on broadband deployme

mr. green: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, and still i rise with love of country at heart and my notes in hand. mr. speaker, i rise today with the present imminent privilege d singular honor of paying tribute to a great institution. do so with h.res. 76 on commemorating houston methodist hospital, 100 years of saving lives, 100 years of ground-breaking research, hospital, ti organ ranked onary buypass, number one hospital in texas. a national honor roll hospital by "u.s. news and world report." t employs more than 23,000 persons. 1.3 million patients last year alone. acknowledged for their outstanding specialty in ureling, newero surgery, ort though speedics, cancer, i'm sogy, heart surgery, proud to say that all of my colleagues in the houston area are co-sponsors of this resolution. this would include the honorable sheila jackson lee, the honorable lizey fletcher, the honorable ete olson, michael mccaul, honorable brian babin and honorable dan crenshaw and honorable kevin brady. it has a great president that respond

mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from california. mr. schiff: madam speaker, i'm proud to recognize the gentlewoman from washington -- the gentleman from washington, mr. heck, for two minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for two minutes. mr. heck: madam speaker, this week americans are busy finishing up their christmas shopping, mostly for their children, or if they're lucky enough to have them, their grandchildren. in high school and college -- and high school and college students are taking final exams and sweating out the results. and that got me to thinking about those who follow. and what our obligation is to them. that got me thinking about those who came before and how they might have seen their obligation to us. people like my grandfather, whom our family believes literally was born on the boat on the way over here from germany. or my father, who fought in world war ii against the very people tha

mr. thompson: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, recently i had the pleasure of traveling back to pennsylvania's 15th congressional district to celebrate the careers of three dedicated public servants in centre county. last month centre county treasurer and the controller served their last day at the center counttry courthouse and began their much deserved retirements. rick began his term as treasurer in january of 2000. has worked diligently over the past two decades overseeing every penny received and disbursed by centre county, including hunting permits and fishing licenses, as well as overseeing bids for county contracts. chuck has spent 15 years in public service in center cort county having worked as a deputy controller for under four years before being elected as county controller. he's exhibited fantastic leadership that includes overseeing the county ledger, seeing the budget is adhered to and completing the audit and more. this week clerk of course deborah will be serving her last day at the white house as well. s

mr. nadler: thank you, mr. speaker. this bipartisan legislation provide greater flexibility and support to those who have dedicated their careers serving our nation when they have children born abroad. i, again, thank my colleagues bipartisan nature -- of the working and support of this bill. i urge all my colleagues to bill and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york yields back. he question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the 4803, as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed, and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from rhode island seek recognition? mr. cicilline: mr. speaker, i suspend the rules and act.h.r. 565, the amigos the speaker pro tempore: does the gentleman wish to call up amended?as mr. cicilline: yes. thank aker pro tempore: you. a

the speaker pro tempore: mr. speaker, one -- mr. zeldin: one point to clarify about this resolution as the bill author, my friend from queens, we should say, even though he has a new district these days, about this not being a partisan resolution. this debate and this vote, this resolution is going to end up being and is the most partisan resolution that this house has ever taken up on israel. and i will look forward an opportunity to work with the bill's author -- i believe strongly in the need to strength yield back the balance of my time the us us/israel relationship. -- in the u.s.-slrl relationship. i feel strongly to the opposition of this bill as many of my colleagues do. it actually is quite partisan with regards to the text. the debate, and the ultimate vote. i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york. mr. engel: one minute to a distinguished member of the house foreign affairs committee, the gentleman from virginia, mr. connolly. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. connolly: i tha

mr. rouda: thank you, mr. speaker. i appreciate the opportunity to speak in strong support of the traced act. the bipartisan provision i co-led with representatives clark, van drew, foxx and others to address one ring scams will make the finances of vulnerable american, especially senior, more secure in the lives of all people in orange county and across the country a little more peaceful. we can all agree it's time to provide americans with a greater sense of security when it comes to our phones. we shouldn't have to worry about unsolicited robocalls and the vast array of tactics bad actors are using to target our pocketbooks and privacy. this bicamera and -- bicamera importantisan bill is to addressing robocalls. i urge strong support of this bill, thank the chairman and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from new jersey reserves. the gentleman from oregon is recognized. mr. walden: it is now my opportunity to recognize the top repub

mr. collins: thank you, madam speaker. i yield a minute and a half to the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. joyce. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for a minute and a half. mr. joyce: i rise on this dark day in the united states house of representatives to voice my opposition to the shameful impeachment process that has occurred in the people's house. some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle do not like president trump. we know this because they proudly boasted about their intention to impeach our president before he was even sworn into office. out of disdain for the president and for those of us who elected him, the house of representatives is considering two articles of impeachment that are so very weak that they even fail to include specific crimes. the people that i represent in south central and southwestern pennsylvania know the truth. the american people know the truth. this impeachment circus has never been about the facts. this process has always been about seeking revenge for the pr

you know -- upup thank you, mr. speaker -- mr. upton: thank you, mr. speaker. the president acknowledged that the ag community in his words, needs people to help with the farms. that's what this bill does. as much as most of us would like to wave a magic wand and fix a very broken system, you know what, we failed. but it's not for the lack of trying. we simply haven't had the votes, whether it's more or less, border security, whether it's too comprehensive or too less, we can't even fix the dreamer issue. come on. this ag bill, it's going to pass, thank goodness. and i want to thank jimmy panetta and dan newhouse, other members of the bipartisan problem solvers caucus, particularly chair lofgren, who helped deliver legislation here to the house floor this afternoon. would i like to do more? you bet. but you know at the moment this is -- but you know, at the moment, this is the only step we can do on a bipartisan basis this year. let's just face it. if we can't pass a narrow bill, when is it going to happen? this is the first step. so let's get it done. this bil

scarborough: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i rise today to honor commander david wheat, a vietnam veteran and former prisoner of war from minnesota's eighth congressional district, who is about to celebrate his 80th birthday on december 16. david grew up in duluth, minnesota, and graduated from the university of minnesota, duluth, before entering the naval aviation officer candidate program and earning the commission of ensign. in april of 1965, he received his naval flight officer wings and was deployed to vietnam. flying in an f-4-b phantom as a radar intercept officer. in october of 1965, david was shot down and captured by enemy forces. he spent the next seven years and four months as a prisoner of war in various camps, including the infamous hanoi hilton. despite the cruel torture and inhumane conditions, david endured at the hands of his captors. they were never able to rob him of his resilient american spirit. following his release from prison, david vowed that he would be happy for the rest of his life. he wen

thank you, mr deputy speaker. i wanted my first formal comments in this chamber to be in irish, to reflect the shared heritage of the language across all of the traditions in northern ireland. he too turned to brexit. the challenge of brexit is that if we don't go for a soft brexit — as defined by the uk as staying inside the customs union and the single market — then we are facing a situation where northern ireland will be confronted with some form of border, boundary, interface, and a degree of friction. and that is a very regrettable situation. any perception of a border creates the feeling of winners and losers. and in the context of a place like northern ireland — where we are inching slowly towards a better more reconciled and integrated society — that has the potential to be very damaging, and, indeed, destructive. the snp‘s alyn smith and was — until the election — a member of the european parliament. this is a momentous day for some in this house. it is a day of deep sadness for many of us.

no, mr. speaker. my fellow republican colleagues and i won't be remembered in history for doing any of those things because we know this is far too great of a matter for subversion such as these of our democratic republic. we should all be better than this. i yield back. >> reserve. >> gentleman reserves. >> mr. speaker, may i inquire how much time remains on both sides? >> mr. nadler, you are advised so that you have 156 and three-quarter minutes remaining. the gentleman from georgia has 157 minutes remaining. divide that by 60. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i now yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentle lady from texas. >> our country faces a great tragedy and moment of truth. we have witnessed the president of the united states abused the public office for personal political gain and invite foreign governments to interfere in our elections, putting the integrity of a government of, for and by the people at great risk. the evidence is overwhelming and clearly shows that president trump will continue

mr. collins: thank you, mr. speaker. i wish, as the gentlelady just said, i wish they would examine the factual conduct but i guess that's not going to happen. i yield to the gentleman from louisiana, mr. johnson. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. johnson: thank you, mr. speaker. the founders of this country warned us against a single party impeachment, because they ar it had would bitterly and irreparablely affect our nation. in the years of this republic, there has never been a single impeachment than the one being used today. our colleagues have weaponized to nullify the votes of 63 million americans who elected president donald j. trump this is not about a phone call or ukraine or use of executive privilege. you have to remember that 95 of the democrats on this floor today voted to impeach donald trump before the july 25 phone call ever happened between president trump and president zelensky and not only is this a single party impeachment, it's also evidence-free. after all their herculean eff

speaker. mr. speaker, i rise today to highlight the department of agriculture's dairy margin coverage program. mr. thompson: the dairy margin coverage program, d.m.c. program, is a relatively new voluntary risk management tool for dairy pr deucers authorized in the 2018 farm bill. it replaces the margin protection program for dairy. as everyone knows, the industry is judget to -- subject to many unpredictable or uncontrollable factors. weather has left a sizable impact on production this year. he d.m.c. program exists for times like this. when factors outside of our control impact agriculture yields. the enrollment period for d.m.c. program is extend through the ecember 20678 usda website has a lot of information on the program. agriculture is pennsylvania's number one industry with dairy being the largest sector. with just a few days left to enroll i'd like to encourage our hardworking dairy farmers to take advantage of the tools at their disposal like dairy margin coverage. thank you, mr. speake

mr. davis: thank you, mr. speaker. h.r. 4 is the fourth partisan attempt by this majority to federalize our elections. they all have good titles. in october, the majority jammed through the shield act to federally hijack campaign finance law. in june, the majority jammed through h.r. 2772, the safe act to hijack federal infrastructure. and in february, the majority jammed through h.r. 1, the for the people act, a piece of legislation as introduced that would fund all of our campaigns with tax dollars from hardworking americans. the facts are that these four bills are bad partisan policy that would negative affect the american people. when the democrats proposed h.r. 1, i could hardly believe. the match program would create a mandatory donation from the american taxpayer to a political candidate. that means for every $200, donated to a cam paper, the federal government on the backs of taxpayers -- the speaker pro tempore: the house will be in order. the house will be in order. . . that means the federal government on th

mr. speaker, i do not believe the president's actions meet this test. the penalty for his misconduct should not be exacted through impeachment, but through our criminal court system and stern censure by this congress. >> gentleman from illinois. >> mr. speaker, i'm pleased to yield two minutes to the distinguished gentleman from louisiana, mr. livingston. >> gentleman from louisiana is recognized for two minutes. >> without objection? >> mr. speaker, i rise with the fondest hopes that the bitterness engendered in this debate will, at its conclusion, be put aside, and all members will return to their families for the holidays, mindful to what has been done here as agents of principal. we have fulfilled our duty to our magnificent constitution. yes, our young men and women in the uniformed armed services in these last few days set about the task of ridding the earth of the threat of weapons of mass destruction in the hands of an enemy of civilization, saddam hussein. and they have performed their tasks with valor and fortitude, that we may freely engage i

mr. thompson: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, food banks and food pantries play a valuable role in year long.ties all around the holiday season, the in need is milies magnified. 1 million children were food insecured. food insecurity is, quote, a lack of consistent access of active healthy life, end quote. access to quality food and nutrition is necessary for families. as former chairman of the agriculture subcommittee on nutrition, this is an issue i passionately about. we can all help our neighbors in need by contributing to our food banks and food pantries by making a donation or time.eering our just a small contribution and a few hours out of our day can ake a big difference in our communities. during this holiday season, it is especially important that we who have fallen on hard times. thank you, mr. speaker, and i ield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman sorry -- new jersey seek recognition? i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and to revi

mr. gaetz: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from louisiana seek recognition? askscalise: mr. speaker, i unanimous consent to speak out of order for the purpose of from the majority leader the schedule for next week. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, mr. scalise: and i ask unanimous consent to revise and remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. scalise: thank you. with that, mr. speaker, i would friend, the gentleman from maryland, the majority leader, for the purpose of asking what the schedule will next week. mr. hoyer: i thank the gentleman for yielding. r. speaker, on monday mr. hoyer: the house will meet monday at 12:00 p.m. for morning hour debate, 2:00 p.m. for legislative business. no votes are expected in the house on monday. again, no votes on monday. but we will do legislative business. we will be debating suspension bills. and the votes will be rolled to the following day. on tues

mr. green: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, and still i rise with love of country at heart and my notes in hand. i rise today, mr. speaker remembering something from my childhood. my grandfather was a minister. and he reminded the grandchildren that there is no one so blind as he who chooses not to see. 0/20 vision but the person who chooses not to see is the blindest of all. no one so blind as those who choose not to see. ofring this to the attention those who are listening for specific reason. i cannot impose understanding, i cannot cause people to say that they understand that which they already understand but choose not to acknowledge, but what i can do is this. i can encourage us to open our eyes and see what is happening to our country, the country that i assume we all love. i can encourage us to see what's happening to public discourse, to pay attention to things that are happening in the public arena that are greatly different than the things we have been acclimated to. different -- dear friends, i don't believ

>> mr. speaker? >> -- as the judgment of the house? >> mr. speaker? >> the majority leader. >> i move to lay the appeal on the table. >> the question is on the motion to table. all those in favor will say aye. >> aye. >> all those opposed no. the chair,opinion of the ayes have it. >> mr. speaker, i demand a roll call vote. >> we will have a 17 minute vote followed by 15 minute votes thereafter. one 17 minute vote followed by 15 minute votes thereafter. arehe yays and nays ordered. this will be a vote by electronic device. steve: you have been watching part of c-span's coverage from the house of representatives december of 1998, the impeachment of president bill clinton. two votes, two key votes. alexis simendinger what were the , totals? alexis: i will read from my notes. the first article on perjury, the vote was 228-206. the second article embraced by the house was obstruction of justice, 221-212. steve: and again, if you could set the tone? we are a week before christmas. the house has voted to im

wilson: thank you, mr. speaker. over a month ago on november 14, i spoke on the impeachment hoax with points true then and still today. after over a month of secret investigations into the democrats have now decided to open these controlled hearings to the public. the deception by democrats to mislead the american people. it's insulting. no republican witnesses, no counsel by the president to and full e, exoneration by courageous president zelensky of ukraine. it's said instead of focusing on funding our military through the national defense authorization only last week or pass united states-mexcio-canada to create jobs that democrats have millions on the russian hoax now proceeding with a ukrainian hoax. partisan witch-hunt diverts the president's successes. there is record job creation. the stock market, again, today, that iving, showing president trump keeps his promises. in conclusion, god bless our forget nd we will never september 11 and the global war on terrorism. the peaker pro tempore: gentleman from georg

mr. neal: thank you, mr. speaker. gladly will i yield one minute to the very capable gentlelady from california, congresswoman davis. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. mrs. davis: thank you, narmecheal. mr. speaker, trade negotiations are not for the faint of heart. few votes have generated more passion in this chamber than votes on trade agreements. that is why i'm so glad that we finally have an agreement that members from both sides of the aisle can support. and it's no secret why that is. this is an agreement that sets up for the first time the facility level inspections to ensure workers' rights are being honored. and it removes the onerous provision that is have made their way into far too many trade agreements in recent years. and finally as a member of the san diego region it is important to have an agreement like this which boasts preserves and improves the binatural partnership that defines a larger community. this agreement lays the groundwork for the federal government to finally addre

mr speaker... old habits die hard, mr speaker! could i also say this is an unusual statement of affairs. you have been generous to the government in order for this debate to go ahead tomorrow. this is what it has been all about for the last three weeks, ensuring they get their disastrous, dismal but exit. scotland opposed it in 2016 and opposed it last week and we will vote against it tomorrow. notwithstanding the standing order and the practice of the house at this day city may discuss the european withdrawal bill and this house will sit on the 20th of december 2019. are those of that opinion say i. to the contrary, no. i think the ayes have it. just to say for the record, i did negotiate to ensure we weren‘t coming back after friday. i wanted the house to be in the right place. that is part of my duty. we now come to presentations of bail. the european union with the role bail. second reading tomorrow. i have to acquaint the house that the house has they tended to her majesty in their majesty was pleased to make the most graci

mr. latta: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today agreeing with americans that drug prices are too high. congress must act and we have done so in the energy and commerce committee by passing bipartisan solutions. h.r. 3 is bad policy, a partisan sham, and will result in more than 100 fewer cures. plus it is dead on arrival in the senate. what if that one new drug is the cure for alzheimer's or cancer? under the leadership of ranking member walden, we have solutions that deliver lower costs and more cures to americans. our bill is entirely bipartisan. h.r. 19 lowers the cost of prescription drugs and caps seniors' out-of-pocket costs. it encourages innovation and will increase competition while enhancing transparency and getting more generic medicines to market faster. the american people deserve solutions that will be signed into law. i encourage my colleagues across the aisle to deliver the american people more cures, not fewer, and support h.r. 19. thank you, mr. speaker, and i yield back the balance of my time. the ch

mr. collins: thank you, madam speaker. at this time it is my pleasure to yield two minutes to the gentleman from ohio, mr. chabot. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for two minutes. mr. chabot: madam speaker, today is a sad day in our nation's history as house democrats are poised to approve on a strictly party-line vote arkteles of impeachment based on what constitutional kohl lar jonathan turley called wafer thin evidence. this will set a dangerous precedent where impeachment becomes the norm rather than the exception. that's not what our founding fathers intended. they wanted impeachment to be rare. they set a high bar for impeachment, treason, bribery, high crimes and misdemeanors. alleged abuse of power, the first article is not a high crime and misdemeanor. in fact, it's not even a crime. since there is no concise legal definition of abuse of power, the majority party in the house can designate nearly any disagreement with the president from now on an impeachable offense. the second article alleged

thank you, mr. speaker, and i yield back the balance of my time. tempore: the o gentleman yields back. pursuant to clause 12-a of rule 1, the chair declares the house until 2:00 p.m. tmbassy in washington. chalupa explained how the ukrainian embassy worked

thank you, mr speaker. thank you, mr speaker. thank you, mr speaker. thank you, mr speaker elect and an behalf of the democratic unionist party i want to associate ourselves with the demands of the prime minister. from northern ireland we know all too well the impact terrorism can have and the devastation it reaps on families and our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims of that atrocity. could i congratulate you, mr speaker elect com on your re—election a speaker, we regard you as someone re—election a speaker, we regard you as someone who is fair and upholds the rights of all members in this house and we look forward to working with you. could i also congratulate the prime minister and the conservative party on their victory in the election and we look forward to working with them going forward. and in particular in relation to the matters the prime minister spoke of, the union of our united kingdom of great britain and northern ireland. as the prime minister takes forward his proposals on brexit we want to ensure northern ire

>> mr. speaker? >> the gentleman will suspend. the house will be in order. the gentleman may proceed. >> i'm even more depressed today than i thought i would be yesterday. i believe bob livingston's resignation, while offered in good faith, was wrong. it is a surrender -- [applause] it is a surrender to a developing sexual mccarthyism. are we going to have a new test? someone wants to run for public office, are you now or have you ever been an adulterer? we are losing sight of the distinction between sins, which should be between a person, his family, his god, and crimes, the concern of the state and society as a whole. [applause] rep. nadler: on one level, we could say you reap what you sowed. that gives us no joy. it gives me no joy, and i wish mr. livingston would reconsider, because i don't think on the basis of what we know, he should resign. but i don't think -- [applause] >> the time of the gentleman has expired. >> i yield the gentleman and additional 30 seconds. >> the gentleman is recognize

. >> thank you, mr. speaker. at this time, i yield one minute to the gentleman from south carolina. >> gentleman from south carolina is recognized. >> thank you, mr. speaker. over a month ago, on november the 14th, i spoke on the impeachment hoax with points true then and still true today. after over a month of secret investigations into the administration, democrats have now decided to open these controlled hearings to the public. this continues the deception by democrats to mislead the american people. it's insulting. no republican witness, no counsel by the president to participate in full exoneration by courageous president volodymyr zelensky of ukraine. it is said that instead of focusing on funding our military through the national defense authorization act passed only last week or pass the united states/mexico/canada agreement to create jobs. democrats continue, having wasted $30 million of the taxpayers' money on the russian hoax, now proceeding with a ukrainian hoax. this partisan witch hunt, diverts att

>> mr. speaker? >> the question is, shall the decision of the chair stand as the judgment of the house? >> mr. speaker? >> majority leader. >> i move to lay the appeal on the table. >> the question is on the motion to table. all those in favor will say aye. those opposed no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. a rollspeaker, i demand call vote. >> we will have a 17 minute vote followed by 15 minute votes thereafter. one 17 minute vote followed by 15 minute votes thereafter. this will be a vote by electronic device. >> you have been watching part of c-span's coverage from the house of representatives december of 1998, the impeachment of president bill clinton. two votes, two key votes. what were the totals? >> i will read from my notes. the first article on perjury, 228-226.was the second article embraced by the house was obstruction of 221-212. >> could you set the tone? we are a week before christmas. the house has just voted to impeach a sitting president. only the second time in history

mr. brady: thank you, madam speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. brady: this bill is a tax cut for the wealthy and a green light for state and local politicians to raise taxes on local families even higher. the center for american progress and center for budget policy priorities are two liberal organizations. i don't againly agree with. today i have -- generally agree w today i say i do. the center for progress made it plain repealing the salt cap shouldn't be a high priority. in fact that this is overwhelmingly a tax cut for the rich. the center on budget and policy priorities agrees they have said repealing the salt cap what democrats are proposing to do today is regressive and overwhelmingly benefits high income households. they go further. and say this is little help to the middle class. it's a sad day when it's obvious to everyone but democrats they are championing a huge tax cut for millionaires and billionaires while the middle class in ameri

>> mr. speaker? >> the question is, shall the decision of the chair stand as the judgment of the house? >> mr. speaker? >> majority leader. >> i move to lay the appeal on the table. >> the question is on the motion to table. all those in favor will say i, those opposed no. in the opinion of the chair the ayes have it. >> mr. speaker, i demand a roll call vote. >> we will have a 17 minute vote followed by 15 minute votes thereafter. by 17 minute vote followed 15 minute votes thereafter. this will be a vote by electronic device. >> you have been watching part of c-span's coverage from the house of representatives december of 1998 and the impeachment of president bill clinton. two votes, two key votes. what were the totals? >> i will read for my notes. the first article on perjury, the vote was 228-206. the second article embraced by the house was obstruction of justice, 221 to 212. >> could you set the tone? only the second time in history the house proceeded with about like that just prior to christma

mr. brady: yes, madam speaker. pleased to yield two minutes to a key member of the ways and means committee who hails from a huge trade state, ohio, dr. wenstrup. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from ohio is recognized. mr. owens: thank you. madam speaker, -- mr. wenstrup: thank you. madam speaker, for other over a year the administration and republican members of congress have emphasized the urgency of passing this agreement. the usmca. with this bipartisan vote, and with the hard work from both sides of the aisle, we finally have the opportunity to rebalance north american trade. in spite of delays, this opportunity that exists for all americans is finally here today. it's been 25 years since our north american trade agreement was established and it has not been updated to reflected modern economy. under this new trade agreement, our farmers, manufacturers and workers will finally have a deal that modernizes north american trade, boosts our economy and strengthens our nation's role in the global trading ma

mr. barr: thank you, mr. speaker. tonight we find ourselves at a crossroads in the history of our great nation. a nation founded upon the simple self-evident truth that we are endowed by our creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. and that to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. with those words the declaration of independence gave birth to a new nation rooted in the principles of limited government, individual freedom, and the rule of law through self-government. and it set into motion the greatest experiment in human freedom and prosperity the world has ever known. that is largely because our constitution protected those principles through separation of powers, federalism and the bill of rights, and just as the constitution protected political freedom, it also protected our economic freedom. and enabled the american people to flourish through entrepreneurship, business

mr. cole: thank you, madam speaker. madam speaker, i thank my good friend, the gentleman from massachusetts, chairman mcgovern, for yielding me the customary 30 minutes. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. mccole: thank you, madam speaker. madam speaker, today is a very sad day for all of us. for me personally, for the rules committee, the entire house of representatives, and most importantly for the american people. for the second time in my life the house of representatives will be voting to impeach a president of the united states. but unlike in 1998, the decision to have this vote is not the result of a bipartisan process nor an open or fair process. instead, it's going to be a deeply partisan vote coming at the end of an unfair and rushed process prescribed solely by democrats to ensure a predetermined result. impeachment of a president is one of the most consequential acts the house of representatives can undertake. it should only be done after the f

mr. nadler? >> mr. speaker, i now yield t two-minut two-minutes, mr. jeffery. >> george washington and his farewell address to the nation counc counseled america that the constitution is obligatory on all. it is the spirit that we proceed today. donald trump pressured a foreign government to target american st citizens for political gain. he withheld $391 million in military aid to a vulnerable ukraine as part of a scheme to solicit foreign interference in an american election. that's unacceptable. that's unconscionable. that's unconstitutional. there are some who cynically argued that the impeachment of this president will further divide an already fractured union. there is a difference between division and clarifications. slavery once divided the nation but emancipated rose up to clarify that all men are created qualitily. suffra equ equally. jim crow once divided the nation but civil rights rose up, all are entitled to equal protection under the law. there is a difference because division and clarification. we'll hold this president accountable for

that meant five department heads have gone. >> thank you, mr. speaker. my question is for the prime minister. can the prime minister confirm that he has cut five departmental secretaries? >> the prime minister has the call. p.m. morrison: i am happy to address the first part of that question. the second part of that question is another ugly smear from the opposition. [crowd shouting] they today have shown themselves to be angry. they have remained angry since the 18th of may. the people they are most angry at are the australian people, because the australian people rejected them at the last and their soft policies on border protection, and their lack of faith in the australian people to keep more of what they earned. what i did today in announcing a restructured australian public service is to make sure the public service is focused on australia. that they are focused and have a between what sight they do and the needs of those on the ground. it is true, i reduced the number of departments from 18 down to 14. they are the source of reforms this country n

if i may continue, mr speaker. i would also like to pay tribute to those members who lost their seats in the general election because to serve in parliament and fight an election and then not be returned is an amazingly traumatic experience. when they put such huge amount of work into the campaign and the work they have done and the trauma they must all feel is something that i think everyone in this house should just think about on the human side of what it is like to go through that experience. so i pay tribute to them and thank them all. he reminded mps there'd been another queen's speech just a few weeks ago. it is just two months ago that the prime minister made the queen come here in the rain as part of a pre—election stunt. since then, he has made many promises to many different parts of the country. he has promised to address problems that are a result of his own party's action in government and their political choice to impose austerity cuts on this country. and there can no longer be any doubt that aust

mr. speaker, approximately 209,000 e.u. citizens live in scotland, bringing in new skills and expertise. itills and expertise absolutely vital to our industries and to the local economy. now, mr. m speaker, let me -- [inaudible] an intervention from my honorable friend, the issue of unaccompanied minors was raised. and i have to say that on the basis of the response of the prime minister, he clearly hasn't read his own bill -- [inaudible] because let me just read what it said. [inaudible conversations] 37 amend subsection 1 of section 17 to the move, mr. speaker, the obligation to seek to negotiate an agreement and -- [inaudible] requirement to make a statement to parliament. that is the harsh reality x. i say to right honorable members opposite, think very carefully. think very carefully as to what you're about to do. because you're just about to bring up the drawbridge. bring up the drawbridge and stop that right for unaccompanied minors coming to the united kingdom. [inaudible conversations] who are the real separatists,