Federal lands to state and local governments and legislation naming a post office in bakersfield, california after singer and songwriter merle haggard. Live coverage now on cspan. The house will come to order. The chair lays before the house a communication from the speaker. The clerk the speakers rooms, washington, d. C. July 11, 2017. I hereby appoint the honorable james comber to act as speaker pro tempore on this day. Signed, paul d. Ryan, speaker of the house of representatives. The speaker pro tempore pursuant to the order of the house of january 3, 2017, the chair will now recognize members from lists submitted by the majority and minority leaders for morning hour debate. The chair will alternate recognition between the parties. All time shall be equally allocated between the parties nd in no 70 shall debate continue beyond 150 p. M. Each member other than the majority and minority leaders and minority whip shall be limited to five minutes. The chair recognizes the gentlewoman from north carolina, ms. Foxx, for five minutes. Ms. Foxx thank you, mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today i rise to honor Franklin Hobson for 60 years of service in the fall creek volunteer Fire Department. Franklin was a young man of 21 when he became a charter member of the Fire Department in 1957. Since that time, he has been a dedicated leader in both the department and his community, including service servicing as the fire marshal. Still active in the fall creek Fire Department today, he will celebrate his 82nd birthday on september 27th. It is volunteers like Franklin Hobson who help our nation thrive. Through the generous example he has set, franklin inspires others to think about ways they can give to their local community. Thank you, franklin, for all of the good that you do for your community and for being a great example for all of us. Mr. Speaker, today i rise to recognize the 60th anniversary of the fall creek volunteer Fire Department. The first meeting of these dedicated citizens was held on june 13, 1957 at fall creek elementary school. As 12 local men worked to establish the Fire Department. Its charter calls for 60 members and its membership ranks have remained nearly full for 60 years. A pillar of the community, members have been awarded north carolinas order of the long leaf pine on three occasions. Helping others is one of the most honorable activities anyone can engage in. And this kind of selfless dedication to ones community is critical to the wellbeing of our country. I thank the members of the fall creek volunteer Fire Department for the selflessness and bravery they demonstrate as firefighters. America needs more courageous individuals like you to give of their time and talents to keep our community safe. I yield back, mr. Speaker. The speaker pro tempore the chair recognizes the gentleman from north carolina, mr. Jones, for five minutes. Mr. Jones mr. Speaker, thank you very much. Today i have the front page cover of douglas book funding the enemy, how u. S. Taxpayers bankroll the taliban. A few years ago i had the pleasure of meeting with douglas in my office here in d. C. To discuss his book. One of the analyses of this book by the publishers weekly, and i quote, funding the enemy is sober, sad, and important. It peels back the layers of american engagement in afghanistan to reveal its rotten core that United States dollars meant for that countrys future instead fund the insurgency and support the taliban. It assures americas ultimate defeat and the book tells the story. Mr. Speaker, i am reminded of this book as we recently President Trump talk about that he would allow general mattis to recommend troop levels increases in afghanistan. Im disappointed for many reasons. Im disappointed because Congress Deserves a debate and a vote. Im disappointed because we continue to lose american lives. Mr. Speaker, i would like to remind the administration of comments that President Trump made a few years ago regarding afghanistan. One, in august of 2011, he said that the United States was wasting lives and money in iraq and afghanistan. In 2012 President Trump referred to afghanistan as a complete waste and also declared it was time to come home. Then again the next year he made many comments on a twitter feed first saying, i do not allow our very stupid leaders to sign a deal that keeps us in afghanistan through 2024 with all costs by u. S. A. He further tweeted, lets get out of afghanistan, our troops are being killed by the afghanis. We train and waste billions there. Nonsense rebuilding the United States of america. Thats what President Trump said and i agree with President Trump. Returning to the book, funding the enemy shows that, and i quote, with a vague intention of winning hearts and minds in afghanistan, the United States government has mismanaged billions of dollars of development and logistic dollars, bolstered the drug trade and dumped untold millions into the talibans hands. President trump and douglas clearly agree. Afghanistan is a failed policy. Mr. Speaker, that is why congressman John Garamendi and i have introduced h. R. 1666 asking for a debate on afghanistan and a new aumf. You can vote against the bill, but the discussion is still needed. Were joined by at least 13 of our colleagues in support and i hope more members of both parties will join us. All were asking for is a debate. Mr. Speaker, the week before the fourth of july i handed a letter to speaker ryan asking for a debate which i ask unanimous consent to submit hat letter now for the record. I said that if he doesnt read my letter, at least read the comments from the 31st commandant of the United States marine corps. My friend and unofficial advisor, general chuck crew lack and i quote him, this is what i wanted paul ryan to read and hope he did. No one has ever conquered afghanistan and many have tried. We will join the list of nations that have tried and failed. How prophetic is that, mr. Speaker, that we will continue to go down this road and see this country spend and waste lives for absolutely nothing known as afghanistan. I yield back the balance of my time. E speaker pro tempore without objection, the chair recognizes the gentleman from kansas, mr. Marshall, for five minutes. Mr. Marshall mr. Speaker, this saturday my staff and i finished our 34th town hall in the home of one of americas greatest citizens, my mentor, my hero, bob dole. At every location we go most 20 e ask me about the trillion this country has in deficit, we have every year. Americans work too hard and there are too many worthwhile functions of government for the federal government to irresponsibly spend taxpayer dollars. From the time i started thinking about running for office, it has been a priority of mine to help create a fiscal responsible plan to reduce our annual deficits and national debt. Yet again this year, 70 of our budget is mandatory spending. Of our budget is mandatory spending. Therefore spent before the annual appropriations discussions even begin. If we hope to eliminate the deficit, we of our must address mandatory spending programs and be willing to engage in tough conversations. This administration and congress have taken steps to limit bureaucracy, rein in the size and scope of the federal government. We Hope Congress takes true this objective as we debate the upcoming budget to ensure our limited taxpayer dollars are spent where they are most needed. Mr. Speaker, i rise today to bring up to date my colleagues on my last visit to clark county, kansas. My colleagues may remember that earlier this year wildfires consumed a vast sum of clark county. The wildfires wrought havoc for many ranchers, farmers, families, and landowners and across much of southwest kansas not to mention parts of texas, colorado, and oklahoma. Besides the lives lost, including one in kansas, thousands of livestock, 650,000 acres, and many Family Properties had been passed down through generations burned in this disastrous blaze. Through the perseverance kansans living in this region a considerable amount of progress has been made since and when i visited after the fires in march. Thanks to so many people throughout the country who have donated hey and personal Services Helping tree build the hundreds of miles of fences burned down. After visiting with family, the giles family and others, both impacted by the fires, their resilience of strength and faith was made clear. These are the type of folks who are now working day in and day out to restore this section of the heartland. Im delighted now to see the green rising in the pastures which was once earth scorn burnt to the ground grass. Im again reminded of the honor i had of working to represent some of the most hardworking americans in the world, the kansas agriculture, the kansas farmers, and the kansas ranchers. With that, mr. Speaker, i yield back. The speaker pro tempore pursuant to clause 12a of rule 1, the chair declares the house in recess later in the week, the house takes up the 2018 defense programs and policy bill. We could see several late nights in the house this week as they take up dozens of amendments to that authorization bill. Live house coverage when they return here on cspan. In other news today, President Trumps son donald trump jr. Posted today on twitter emails he sent about his meetings with the russian lawyer during last years president ial campaign. The Associated Press reports the emails are the first documentary evidence that a top trump associate took a meeting to hear damaging information about clinton with the understanding that it was connected to a russian government effort to help trump in the 2016 election. Trump jr. Writes the Associated Press, in addition to being the president s son, was deeply involved in his president ial campaign. You can see those emails tweeted out by donald trump jr. Linked on our website cspan. Org. Cspan, where history unfolds daily. In 1979, cspan was created as a Public Service by americas Cable Television companies and is brought to you today by