Transcripts For CSPAN Washington Journal 20140612

The Party Divided . These are the numbers you can also send us a tweet or join the conversation on facebook or email us. The majority leader held a News Conference yesterday in the late afternoon, talking to reporters about whats next for him and what happened on tuesday. Here is what he had to say about whether or not the party is divided heard while i will not be on the island in november, i will be a champion for conservatives across the nation who are dedicated to preserving liberty and providing opportunity. Republicansdivides pales in comparison to what divides us as conservatives from the left and their democratic authority. Republicans will put minor differences aside and help elect a Republican House and senate so that we may all benefit from a proper check and balance that leaves our nation more secure, more prosperous, and freer. Host we will get to your thoughts from republicans and Tea Party Members is the Party Divided . Cameron joseph joins us on the phone. Is the Party Divided on capitol hill . Guest its very divided and i think it will be interesting to see how it plays out. Eric cantor was wellliked on a personal level across the party. The folks were looking at his job right now. He has a popularity that goes beyond ideology. There is serious ideological divisions between the republicans. It will be very interesting to see how this plays out over the next week. Host could that division play out for this leadership race and when will that take place . At junee are looking 19, week from today, they will have the actual elections for this. It will be very interesting to watch. Kevin mccarthy is currently the number three republican whip who has made it clear he will run for eric cantor spot and has his blessing. He will have his backing and a lot of establishment support. The big question is who will be facing him . . It will be alike texan but which texan . Pete sessions was texting people within minutes of eric cantors announcement. The big question is what Jeb Hensarling does. He is closer to the conservative movement. He has been a little bit more coy about it and has talked about how he is interested in it but its a question as to whether he will do it but his name was being brought between more conservative folks in the party. The texas delegation already met but did not come to any conclusions. They will meet again today. The big question is who pops out of there. The texas delegation is very tightknit. I would be surprised to see both of them running. That is kind of a mystery right now. Depending on who runs for that, it will impact who runs for mccarthys current position which is the whip which is a powerful position. There is a lot of chaos. Depending on who it ends up facing mccartney, it will be a very different race. Conservativeery and has been doing this a while. They will find out who knows each other best. Host what is it about Jeb Hensarling and to the outside groups like the tea party and the heritage foundation, those type of conservative groups, are they backing Jeb Hensarling . Guest they have not really gotten involved yet. Blindsided everybody so much that folks are still trying to get their heads around what is going on. It was pure chaos on the hill yesterday. In the not even sure early afternoon if eric cantor was stepping down. It remains to be seen. Week fore a very busy many folks on the hill. This is not something people were scheming for. People were expecting the next leadership battle would come and ask congress. Question was whether john banner would be there, not eric cantor. Just john boehner. We have to keep an eye on the Heritage Action and the two most our full conservative groups. These groups have been more focused on policies over the years and the have unnecessarily gotten involved in the personal fights. I dont know they actually will get involved in the situation. Heritage has been acting differently since jim demint took over than they have in the past. Its a mystery to see how this will play out in the situation and what side they decide to be on. Host when the republican Conference Goes to vote next week, will they possibly also try to vote for another speaker or get the current leadership out and put new faces in . Guest i think that is unlikely. I feel there is enough opportunity for the folks who are excited about what they will be doing for that not to happen. On john a serious push boehner and the next couple of years but not now. Expecting there to be a leadership change at all. Foring the number two slot the folks who are more activistconservative will be plenty and will make them happy. That, b they might makeoehner more likely to run for another term as speaker. He and cancer had their differences but they get along pretty well over the last couple of years. Willt think john boehner have a problem running. There are conservatives within the conference that dont like john boehner, they will put up someone against him. It will not be immediate. The number two and three spot are the ones that are in flux right now. Host . Thank you theturn to all of you republican and folks, what do you think . We go to hillsboro, new jersey, a member of the tea party. Is the Party Divided . Caller i dont think so, good morning. I am the intern who spoke with you back in january when you covered the Chris Christie issue. Host ok, yes. Caller i think the party is only divided because i say this because i feel that we dont stay true to the constitution and core conservative principles of limited government and living within our means and the social issues and other fiscal and Foreign Policy issues. It more or less has to do with the fact that we are not staying true to core principles. I think thats why mr. Cantor lost his race the other night because he did not stay true to those principles. Is this effort by those within the party to get out those that dont stick to the constitution . Is that helpful to the Overall Party . Caller i think it can be. Elections, if you dont have a clear independent independence makeup president ial elections and that there is not a clear contract between a liberal democrat and the conservative republicans, independents would not have the desire to maybe vote for a conservative republican as well as the base coming out as well. I think that would affect it. Thing tots a good push out the old and bring in some new. I am also not a huge fan of john boehner. I dont think he has stuck to core principles. Host randy in williamsburg, virginia, calling on our republican line. Do you think the party is divided . Caller yes, i do. Good morning, america. We are a little fed up. Virginia. We have seen little outcomes from our republican veteran. I consider myself a republican of one. Tommy norman gets for cover and paychecks. Government paycheck. It is hard for us to believe he wants Less Government when he takes that kind of money. Host you are calling on the republican line. Are you not part of the tea party . Caller i consider myself a republican. I have demonstrated in my professional life and private life that i can reduce costs and improve services that i offer to children, families, and my neighborhood. These are the kind of leaders we want. We dont know any of that type anywhere in the state of virginia. I cannot point to one republican , democrat, or independent that has done anything at the local level for health, education, or safety. Have donelot of them little to improve circumstances for the wealthy and the poor in virginia. We want everybody to have a fair shot here in virginia. Our present does dont do that. Host but your message sounds similar to the tea party movement. How do you view those who say they are part of the tea party . Caller i say they are latecomers. Far too often, i find myself being the only person on the only person on a School Board Meeting or a Council Meeting and lights,d it is all camera, action. Unless you do something on the block, we dont need to hear from you. You need to demonstrate all Virginia Political parties and persons. You need to demonstrate that they really do care about their neighbors, their neighborhood, and their state. We dont know anybody, no one in the state of virginia, that has done that. Host we are going to jerry in houston, mississippi. 9122009 i thank god for cspan. I live in gods creation. Im not preaching, i am teaching. Im out here in the woods but i know where i am qualified and i was there in front of the white house in 2009 and i got down on my knees. I did not bow before nobody. Thats the peoples house. Host is the republican Party Divided . They need to stop drinking out of the potomac. Will go to russ in richmond, virginia. He is calling on the republican line. Caller good morning, this is a signal. I have called eric cantors office several times on issues. The gentleman before the motorcycle guy made a good point. Politicians get elected and they dont care a thing about their constituents or our country. They care about their own bank accounts. They leave washington rich and go in with these promises. This is a message to all of these people. Eric looked out for eric. He did not care about his constituents. There are young and old people who need help. He forgot all about us. Host do you believe it was an immigration issue . Thats coarse manure. Horse manure. Our country is going toward revolt. I think barack obama is the only man in washington that i know of or woman, maybe a couple of others, but i think he cares about me and my family and the welfare of them and this country than anyone else and im a republican. ,y grandfather was republican born in 1860. I was born in 1960 and we are tired of the games. We are tired of the lies and we need to get down to business. And ied cantors office told him to discuss problems with the v. A. And obamacare. There is nothing like that going on. Host you obviously voted for dave pratt yesterday . Caller yes, he makes sense. Host what did he say that makes sense to you . Caller he is just realistic. The tea party is a joke. Us andits just inviting splitting the parties up. Host we are listening. Dave brat is very informed and i think he speaks more for the way i feel where the changes have to be made. Weve got a lot of issues. We dont have as many jobs in this country. There are people not even supporting themselves. That has to be addressed. People are working on thin ice are walking on thin ice. They wont say if you cannot support yourself, you will have to take up earth control shot. A Birth Control shot. Was not doingtor things for main street for people like you . Is this piece in usa today he was at the forefront of this type of effort. Caller he was against over time. He was against anything to help the working family. He was behind banking and oil and energy and coal. The people with the money. This country was supposedly founded on certain values but now its all about the almighty dollar. Host who in congress right now i know you voted for dave brat who in congress do you think is not bought off who could replace eric cantor as the number two in the house . Caller its early in the morning and i cannot recall her name. She is the lady that really brings and Bernie Sanders he isan independent an independent. Caller im an american. Ive may register republican but im an american and that should come before republicans. The problem with the country as we are splitting ourselves and committing suicide. You andt me show viewers the idea that someone mentioned that eric cantor was closed was too close to wall street and that was one of the issues that play a role in his defeat. If you go to open secrets. Org this is who could replace him. Jeb hensarling is a possibility. You can see who are the top five contributors to his election cycle. Rentacenter, the industries that are the top insuranceibutors, companies, commercial banks, securities and investment, real estate and miscellaneous financial groups. Those of the folks contributing to jeff have to Jeb Hensarling. Take a look at pete sessions, republican from texas. You also have talk about tom price who is a republican from georgia. He also could be a contender in leadership. His top five contributors are that gives you an idea of the folks that could replace majority leader eric cantor in leadership and become the number two in the house. We can also take a look at the Kevin Mccarthy numbers he, too, wants to move up in currently he is the whip, the number three in the house. Look at who is contributing to his funds there you have some numbers for you to chew on. We are asking republicans and Tea Party Members only this morning is the Party Divided given what happened in the seventh Congressional District in virginia in that primary tuesday night . We will go to joseph in roanoke county, virginia, where is roanoke . Caller i am in bedford, virginia, about 20 30 miles east of roanoke. People trying to divide the gop and its in the medias interest to do that because they want to favor the democrats. The lady from new jersey nailed it. Its all about the constitution. The United States federal government has no business meddling in the affairs it is trying to get itself into health care, aside from the veterans, the reason eric cantor lost his race im not even in his district but i am close to his district he tried to get all the chairman from the various districts around the state to go along with immigration policies. Host so you think immigration was the issue. Wants to allow more voters into the United States so that they can elect more democrats into office. Its all about communism. And socialism. Its the bottom line. Host let me ask you about immigration. This is from the Washington Times what do you think . Compromise goes against the constitution. I would love to get Republican Tea Party thoughts on rand paul if he runs in 2016 should he look at Immigration Reform. Weighsll street journal in on the leadership race in the house that was in the wall street journal this morning. Todaynion page of usa this is the opposing view there is some backing bear from the Heritage Action from our firm and who they think represents their conservative views. We are talking with republicans and Tea Party Folks only. Is the Party Divided . This is from illinois on the republican line. Caller good morning. I believe the gentlemen who just called from virginia was most accurate. In his comments. Everything he said, i second. I also would like to mention that when i called your live answering service, it asked me if i were a republican or member of the tea party. I called on the republican line. I responded to the gentle man that i dont believe there is a difference. Host ok. That not to be disingenuous because i dont believe i am but obviously, there are serious differences between the socalled establishment wing of the Republican Party and the tea party wing. I would like to comment in to onelar with respect of the fine, as the gentleman from virginia made with respect to the media and the left, frankly. The left portion of the medias the majority portion. As onee styling particular congressman, javier bacherra, has been repeatedly for weeks referring publicly to Tea Party Members as being unamerican. I think that is outrageous. I think its mccarthyism in reverse. I think it should not be tolerated. We have free speech in this country and rightly so. I believe in the bill of rights. Host from twitter we will keep taking your thoughts with republicans and Tea Party Members only this morning. Is the Party Divided . A little more from the majority leader eric cantors speech last where press conference he talked about this issue of immigration and if it played a role in the primary lost. Ismy position on immigration not change. It did not change from before, during or after the election. I have always said the system is broken and needs reforms. I think it is much more desirable and frankly doable if we did it one step at a time, working towards where we have Common Ground. In my way or the highway approach the president has laid out and i continue to take deposition. I said there is Common Ground that the border. I would like to see the issue of the kids who did not break any laws and came here unbeknownst to them. I have always said that there should be and is Common Ground if we would allow ourselves to Work Together. Host that was the outgoing majority leader eric cantor yesterday talking about itigration and the role played in his primary loss on tuesday night to dave brat who will be facing Jack Trammell in the general election this november. Both of them are professors at randolph macon. The Senate Majority leader harry reid, democrat from nevada on capitol hill yesterday also talked about the prospect for immigration. Heres what he had to say. [video clip] the outcomelieve in of the primary in virginia is essentially a death knell for immigration this year . My personal feeling is no. I think there is such wide support for this legislation and it is white. In the district that leader cantor lost, there is heavy support for immigration. All over the country, its the same thing. The majority of republican support Immigration Reform. Has an easy decision to make. John mccain yesterday came out and said unless we do Immigration Reform, what tom donahue said, need to run anybody on the republican side. I believe the glass is more than halffull. Host Senate Majority leader harry reid yesterday on the prospect for Immigration Reform in this congress after eric cantor loses and some say it was due to immigration. We want to hear from republicans and Tea Party Members but lets show you other news that is the headline in many of the papers this morning. Yesterday, the Senate Passed a Veterans Affairs legislation and the fbi announced it would be investigating the scandal starting in phoenix. The bill that passed yesterday in the senate would boost access to medical scare boost medical care. The Veterans Health issue continues to be debated on capitol hill on cspan3, live coverage this morning, chuckdefense secretary hagel was on capitol hill yesterday testifying before the House Armed Services committee about the release of captured andeant Bowe Bergdahl thisis the Washington Times headline also another headline on this we cover that hearing so euphemistic, go to www. Cspan. Org. Here is a little bit from the hearing were the defense secretary was asked if soldiers died in search for Bowe Bergdahl issue, thesettle one loss of soldiers who may have been involved in searches for Sergeant Bergdahl . Soldier is af any terrible loss to their families and their country. I think we should note that. First. Second, it your question has been asked a number of times. I have personally gone back and asked that question inside the , in the army and all our reports. I have seen no evidence that directly links any american to the rescue or finding or search of Sergeant Bergdahl and i have asked the question. We have all asked the question. I have seen no evidence, no facts presented to me when i asked the question. Secretary jack Hagel Chuck Hagel theront page of Washington Post take a look at the picture of a bag containing a variety of items including his journal that was sent to his friend kim harri son. Inside the journal, he was quoted as saying i am worried, e closer i get to shift day. If you are interested, this is an indepth piece in the Washington Post. We are asking republicans and Tea Party Members to weigh in on the defeat of eric cantor in the primary race on tuesday and dozens mean the Republican Party is divided . Bill in pennsylvania on the republican line, go ahead. Caller good morning. Dont cut me off. Democrats and the publicans want to get in there and forget about the American People and forget about everybody except themselves to become millionaires. I dont want to go further than that. The American People need to wake up and smell the american coffee. Tough for all of us. I am a republican all my life. O i believe the Republican Party should stick together and stop playing games. Is the mosts disgraced things these politicians have next to them and for the American People. The American People in the dont blame the politicians lame yourselves because you keep voting these people back in for 30 years. They are not worth it. The guy who won in virginia yesterday did the right thing. Eric cantor was such addicts grace was such a disgrace for the party. People should wake up and listen to this. We should stick together as americans because these guys are dividing us everyday america country. Host from the Washington Times mr. Cantors ties to wall street is a story this morning a look at mr. Cantors ties to wealthy individuals in this country and the Financial Times also looks at that politico of the top five contributors to eric cantors campaign coffers. We told you about that yesterday. Take a look at the reaction on capitol hill yesterday to the loss of eric cantor and the prospects of legislation going forward. Chuck schumer weighed in on immigration also, the Tea Party Patriots said then you also had on twitter, laura ingram, conservative radio talkshow host who campaigned in the seventh Congressional District for his opponents it does not sound like she is in favor of Kevin Mccarthy taking over as number two. Here is francis underwood. The names from is from house of cards. Speaker john boehner had this tweet yesterday we will go to charlie in new york, tea party member, go ahead. Caller good morning, here is the problem john boehner is a liberal. Eric cantor is a liberal. Principaladers of a party and the leadership of both parties are liberals. Thats why this country is in such a mess. Liberals destroy everything that they touch. Host why do you say those folks are liberal . Caller in 2010, didnt they promise to defund obamacare . Have they done that . No, of course not. If we had true conservative leadership in the house, they would defund obamacare, the department of education, the department of energy, the epa have they done any of that . No, because they are liberals. Ynn in houston, texas, on our lines for republicans. Caller i agree with the caller who just called him. I my lifelong republican and have always voted that way. I am a tea party leaning republican. The man who just called them is absolutely right. Now looksican party more and more like the democratic party. We are skipping all over the page in regards to many topics. I would like to say a few things karl rove is a democrat in disguise. It is very much a rino republican and we need to get back to our conservative roots. Regarding Jeb Hensarling, i am in favor of him over Kevin Mccarthy. Host what do you know about him . Caller i know that he is very conservative. I dont know all the issues he has taken votes on but i know he is conservative. On the issue regarding immigration, let me give you an example of. How that lays out in texas our borders are absolutelyporous and their school taxes are funded mainly by property taxes. Every time we have all of these Young Children and illegal families coming here, we have to educate them. Our property taxes are absolutely astronomical here. In fact, i am downsizing my house and i will be saving an enormous amount of money. My daughter works for School System here in houston, texas. There are some schools here that are 99 hispanic. Americans need to know that we are absolutely being invaded here. Host we know that so let me ask you this what does that mean for a republican candidate running in 2016 for president . You got rand paul who was on a phone call with folks that support Immigration Reform. Does that eliminate him . No, the use of the term reform is kind of a red herring. We need to and force the laws that we have on the books. We dont made reform, we need to enforce the laws we have on the books. We need to build a berlin wall of necessary along the border. We need to bring the troops home. We need to put the troops along the border to stop this flood of immigration. Its going to kill this country. These people will take jobs. We already have underemployment. These people will take jobs. They become drains on the society. The people here in texas will be killed by this because they will have to educate them. Host i will limit their, you and others might be interested to know that georgia will in the Washington Post get a up, we will lawmakers reaction to House Majority eric cantors riemer defeat, democratic congressman peter welch and later we will talk to tony perkins, president of the Family Research council about what is next for the Republican Party. We will be right back. We will need to learn again how to Work Together, how to compromise, how to make pragmatic decisions. Midtermpcoming elections, americans will have choices to make about which path they want to go down and whether we will make the investments we need in our people. I will leave that discussion to others. Us, in theot of private and nonprofit sectors, we have work to do, too. Government does not have a monopoly on good ideas, obviously. Even if it wanted, it couldnt and shouldnt try to solve all the problems by itself. We have responsibilities to do what we can. Hillary clintons latest book is called hard choices, as are time as secretary of state and our experiences shape your vision of the future live friday on cspan two. Watch coverage starting at 6 p. M. Followed saturday morning with a book signing in arlington, virginia live 11 00 a. M. Eastern. Booktv, television for serious readers every weekend on cspan two. For over 35 years, cspan brings Public Affairs events from washington directly to you, putting you in the room at congressional hearings, white house events, briefings, and conferences and offering complete gaveltogavel coverage of the u. S. House all as a Public Service of private industry. We are cspan created by the cable tv industry 35 years ago and brought to you as a Public Service to your local cable or satellite provider. Watch us in hd, like us on facebook, and follow us on twitter. Washington journal continues. Host we want to welcome back peter welch from vermont. Let me show you the Washington Times editorial. Guest there really was probably a lot of anger in the Republican Base in that district and they express it against eric cantor. Verycantor was a constructive member of congress. We disagreed, obviously, but he had a tremendous step in i saw the way he treated them. He was helpful to vermont when we needed to get federal Emergency Management agency since. He had the best interest of the country and frankly his party at heart. I was sad to see him thrown out. It was like the chicago bills not resigning Michael Jordan because they only won four championships. He was for the Republican Base and for that district. They made the decision zero have to respect the voters. I think it spoke to an enormous amount of frustration that a lot of people have about their economic circumstances. I heard the caller from texas and she expressed a feeling that an awful lot of folks have that they are falling behind. The middleclass is not keeping up. Profits are back, wall street is back but wages, people who punch a clock or get a salary, they are still where they were 10 years ago. There is a lot of economic anxiety out there. A lot of that, anxieties misplaced print this is not a function of immigration were giving relief to the dreamers or having us embrace has always been a strength of this country, our ability to incorporate people into our country who have the goal to achieve the american dream. Believe that its consistent with their history and is good for our economy to have comprehensive Immigration Reform. A lot of the impediment is because many folks people feel that someone who comes in as a dreamer and wants to get ahead will be treated special and its a feeling in part because they are not making ends meet and they are having a tough time themselves. My view is we need Immigration Reform but also policies to revive the middle class and help hardworking americans who feel they are not keeping up. Host is there a lesson here for democrats as well . Guest yes, you got to stay connected with your voters. Eric cantor lost but Lindsey Graham one. Thats no disneyland for democrats in south carolina. Lindsay graham is full on into the Immigration Reform initiative. Having thes is just individual connection that a member of congress or the senate has to constantly nurture and maintain. One of the challenges of anybody isleadership on either side there is a suspicion and skepticism that are voters have. Forgetting us are about them and would have to demonstrate in every way possible at every moment possible that we know we work for those people who sent us to congress. I think that was a bubbly a challenge for mr. Cantor who had a lot of leadership responsibilities and traveled the country. You pointed out how much money race for the party and networks for the party but it does not necessarily work for him in his district. Whats that got to do with me is what voters asked. Thats a fair question. Host here is the politico headline from yesterday think this changes the equation for democrats taking back the house . Guest its too soon for me to tell. I think there is a lot of dynamics here that are at play that are more within the Republican Party. What you are seeing for both is [inaudible] its not about Immigration Reform but eric cantor was the vehicle were folks who are frustrated had it been ability to express their anger. I see in vermont where we have a low Unemployment Rate, a lot of folks have two jobs, trying to make ends meet. Some families have three jobs. Insecure andirly the cost of Higher Education and health care continues to be a big cost and property taxes there is an enormous challenge for all of us in public life to try to get policies back to reviving the middle class. Host here is the upshot column in the New York Times. Guest its a pretty pessimistic view of human nature but there is some truth in it. Here weve got a job to do in politics to move the ball forward and make progress. Why is it that with something were both sides know weve got potholes in our roads across the country, we dont pass a transportation bill . We will have a highway fund that will be bankrupt by the end of the summer. Thats just irresponsible. Aconfident country and competent political system understands it has to solve problems. We did that, things about infrastructure or Immigration Reform and we did it together, a lot of people who are divided, their fears about what we were going to do would be mitigated enormously by taking concrete steps on infrastructure or Immigration Reform would create a bounce in our step and help us move forward. Whatever the differences, we have to find a way to Work Together. Host one issue democrats are pushing as their Campaign Strategy is Student Loans. In the senate yesterday, elizabeth warrens bill dealing with Interest Rates of Student Loans installed. It did not get the 60 votes required to have it considered on the floor and another vote would be required to end debate and vote on it. Whats your reaction . Guest its disappointing. The cost of college has gone up 1000 in the last 20 years. Incomes have not kept up with that. Students are graduating, as we know, with a mountain of debt and thats a hard way to start your young professional life. 50,000 dollars in debt that stuff on the young people but its tough on the economy because those are people who in the past were starting to save money to put a down payment on a condominium or starting to buy furniture. They were starting to be consumers in the economy which had a benefit of helping boost demand and create jobs for other people. This challenge is really important. Weve got to provide really particularly where he cut when it comes to Interest Rates. The federal government is borrowing a 2. 8 , why are we charging middleclass families seven or eight percent . We should not make money off of them when they are financing their kids education. Host lamarr alexander, the former education secretary was on the floor arguing against the legislation and explained why. [video clip] it does not one thing for current or future students. If you are in college today or going tomorrow, this does not do anything for you. Dont let the red are full you. Number two, what does it do for people who used to be in college , who might have a loan to pay off . Heres what it does according to data supplied by the Congressional Research service it will give you one dollar per day. This is for about half the people, for students, who have loans. A taxpayer subsidy of one dollar per day to help you pay off your student loan. How big is that loan . 85 undergraduates which is of all the loans, is 21,000. For graduates with a fouryear degree, its 27,000. 27,000 probably the best investment youll ever make. The College Board says if you have a fouryear degree, your lifetime earnings will be 1 million more, 27,000 when you have no Credit Rating and you have a right to get it and earns you 1 million . Thats a pretty good deal, i think. Its about the exact amount of the average car loan. What are we going to next week . Instead of dealing with lines of veterans at clinics, somebody going to come on the floor haver loan, lets raise taxes and raise the dead and give them a dollar a day to pay off the car loan. Host he is saying he does not agree with the policy. Guest it will not help a lot of people. This will help 5 million new students who get some relief on their loans. For those 5 million, this is going to be helpful. There are millions more not affected by that. The president is doing it under executive authority. If were going to do more for the other people that senator alexander is talking about, it takes legislation. Congress has to participate. We should be doing more to help those folks. I disagree with senator alexander. You want to get a college education. If you talk to recent College Graduates and see what their Unemployment Rate is, it is high. It is tough in the job market. I am running into people who are theting to question whether proposition that senator alexander spoke about is it still true today . It is a challenge. That is old school thinking. What is worse . Students College Loans or the inability to learn to live within their means . They are both true. We know if we want to get ahead, we want to be meeting society. We have to educate people we have to give them a shot at going to school. They have to graduate with a mountain of debt and then they have to live within their means, but we have made it difficult for that to happen, then we have a problem with the funding of Higher Education. We have to live within our means, but lets make it possible for people to do that. Host lets get to phone lines. I am calling because of the Immigration Reform. We talk about reform. We had reform in the late 1980s. I was in favor of the amnesty. Voted, promised when we we gave our ok for that, that the people who are working here illegally, these people and the companies they are working for, we have no way of knowing they should not be working here. That was before they came up with the everify and then they made it voluntary. This country is going down hill. Whotched debates on people were going to be working and bringing people onto Nuclear Power plants. Down all attempts at making those people use easier five. Use everify. It is becoming the party of the illegals. Host let me have the congressman respond. Guest i do not agree with you. This country has been built on immigrants. On new people coming in. Earn citizenship and that they should pay their bills and employers should be required to obey the law. There are strict responsibilities for employers. If there is a failure to implement a legitimate basis for criticism. That is not a basis to deny necessity. All of these people, as eric cantor said, through no fault of their own, have nothing to say about becoming an american citizen. Caller thank you for the opportunity. I wanted to get back to eric cantor. Coined the phrase. Eric cantor and the leadership on the hill on the republican side, they have done absolutely nothing tosolutely help this president or nation. They never considered him as president. Arrogant in the way he walked through those , setting upgress hearings and gathering people to come after the president of the United States. Inwe do not get out and vote this off year, they are going to try to impeach that man. Theyre going to try to impeach him. There has been opposition hasverything the president been trying to do. I agree with you on that. We have the republican majority in the house that can stop anything the president wants to do. Repealed the healthcare bill 55 times instead of focusing on whether some of the billems the health care has. In the senate, we have the filibuster rule that is harmful. The minority and republicans have it near a veto power over president ial appointments. Carol on twitter. What does the guest feel is the answer to the mess due to the thousands of illegal now children crossing our borders daily . Parents are putting kids unescorted on the trains to come up to the United States in hopes they will have a better life. How desperate can you be . Caller thank you for taking my call. Ought tocan people wake up. Andrid of the sore heads put someone in there we know and do the work. Thank you. You give me the name of that person and i will be with you. Right tohas a criticize us. We are not getting things done that need to be done. So much to gost to college . Why have we not been able to simplify the tax code . Why cant we have an Energy Policy . Obviously it has to do with members of congress who have to come together to compromise. Beenpediment to that has the gerrymandering of our districts. The last time there was gerrymandering, it was largely the republicans who chose it. Member is concerned only about the primary and not the general elections. That gets in the way of having reasonable cooperation. In your everyday life, you make compromises. You listen to another person. Host the Washington Times says key legislation is now in jeopardy. Every bill is in jeopardy. It will make it much more legislative advance agenda in a bipartisan way. Tria. Them is the highwayplenish trust fund and the reauthorization of the exportimport bank. Guest it will be tougher on the republican side. Their leader was defeated in the primary. Everyone is going to be apprehensive about what was the reason for that. Are going tongress be hesitant to make a decision. ,hose of us in congress including those on the republican side, we cannot accept that. We have a job to do. America is moving. Fail to make decisions that will result in america being stall speed. We have to fix our potholes. I am trying to encourage my colleagues we do some of these things and we do it together. People will forgive us that it is not perfection. We rarely achieve it. Not be an excuse for us to fail to move forward. He is serving in his fourth term. Go to jeff, orlando, florida. The congressman asked us why we cannot pass the transportation bill. Here is an example. You are talking about you listed about five things that are important as it relates to transportation. You pack it with all sorts of other things that have nothing to do with transportation whatsoever. When we passed the health care law, what did the Student Loans have to do with the health care . Nothing to do with it. That is one problems you have in congress. If you listened to cspan the other day and you listen to the voters who want to justify their existence, he was never in the district. Many complain about we do not voters will decide. You come on and have the audacity to compare cantor to Michael Jordan. I get the point you are making, but respect the voters and the decisions they make, whether you like those decisions are not. I do respect you and i like the fact that you try to be a little fair, although you are liberal. I wanted to make those two points. Guest they decided and said that is the lesson because we work for them. Areof the reports we reading indicate the voters have questions about that. It with not have respect to Lindsey Graham. You have a point. The second point you make, i also kind of agree with. We should not have bills be what they are about and not be vehicles to load Everything Else on the train. That has gotten better because of the reaction of people like you. , let is a student aid bill it be about student aid. Then you get to decide whether you agree with me. The potholes do not fix themselves. Have a transportation fund. Voteme point, we have to to fund the infrastructure. If we vote on that, then you get to know where i stand. Yesterday, the first phone call came from a voter who voted for it dave brat. He felt like eric cantor was out of touch. The New York Times has a frontpage story. Roots, votershis contend. If you missed that yesterday, go to cspan. Org and you can watch that. Chuck, democratic caller. That theyhave an idea should just ban all of the one year. For i do not think they are crooked, but can sway their views. I would be ok with that. It isot sure constitutional. They want to have their issues considered. We saw an enormous amount of money that cantor raised. The money and the gerrymandering are two huge problems that face. S we have boutique districts designed to have a guaranteeing guaranteed democratic or republican candidate to win. There is no incentive for that member of congress to reach across the aisle to find legitimate Common Ground. Gerrymandering and the money are two major problems getting in the way of us making progress. Coming, but saw it they should have. When virginia districts were in 2010, they moved heavily democratic precincts from the richmond area area. Cantor had misjudged where his real threat would come from. A threat was growing within his own party, in which some Tea Party Members had begun to conclude he was not conservative enough. He performed worse in new count new kent county. Guest it was designed to have it be safely republican, but it became the real threat to eric cantor. There are two things about politics. One is aspiration. What are our ideals . People engage in these debates and run for office because they want to make this a more perfect union. The reality is you have to make concrete decisions. It you cannot fund the programs you want. You may not be able to cut taxes as much as you want. Cooperations some and compromise. It requires goodwill and mutual respect. We get these districts where the politician is trying to make that step is going to be thrown out of office because there is such a narrow definition in the electorate. That is not good in the long run. On the money spent and how much money eric cantor spent versus his opponent, he spent producing and airing television ads. Buy inn with a small late april. Ads repeated brats name again and again, alerting many voters to the fact that he existed at all, and that was the threat to cantor. Guest they are running ads promoting mr. Bratt. I dont know who his consultants were, but whoever they were, they were paid way too much. I have so many issues now. Mr. Welch onwith one thing so far. That is the gerrymandering. Chicago, i am a republican. I do not have a vote. Every district is divided. They are like snakes and lizards that you look at. Host what should be done about it . Done aboutt can be it . We can divide it up into squares. Not a bad idea. In california and iowa, they have a nonpartisan commission. They take the authority away from the politicians and design their own districts and they put it in the hands of a nonpartisan or Bipartisan Commission and they do it more like squares, or the districts are contiguous and it has to do with the community of interest rather than the convenience of the politician. You have a good point there. Fda cheese comments raises a new stink. There is a warning about bacteria from aging on wood that is alarming our tees and all makers. Guest the fda was going to prohibit cheesemakers from aging their cheese on wooden boards. We have been aging cheese on wooden boards since we made cheese. You cannot understand how they do this. Of money for a lot our cheesemakers and it would set off a trade war. We have a bipartisan bill. We are asking me cheese lovers of congress to unite to stop the takerom requiring us to our tees off of cheese boards. It is an example of what frustrates people. You have to have Clean Services when you manufacture cheese. Aluminum, stainless steel, plastic, it is about whether it is clean, not what the surfaces. The fda is going overboard. Host have you heard from them yet . Guest they are starting to back day after back down. These are young people who are , they back to agriculture are disciplined, they are entrepreneurial. Jobs. Ates good give them a helping hand. Host thank you. We appreciate it. Coming up next, we are going to talk with tony perkins. First, news updates from cspan radio. New survey, polarization of American Opinion has flowed out of the voting booth to affect peoples choices and where to get information. The share of americans who hold oss the board conservative or liberal views has doubled in the last decade. The resumption of u. S. Drone strikes in pakistan has drawn renewed condemnation from the pakistani government. Strikes yesterday and today killed a suspected 13 militants. On the economic fund, the Labor Department will release the jobless claims numbers. From may and the April Business inventories. Freddie mac will report Weekly Mortgage rates. Is celebratingh his 90th birthday today at the seaside grade. Cluedsys at eight in david wood. Something drives them to this idea of service. So many people i know who served theis the density intensity of the experience, the intensity of the relationships they had with their combat buddies. It is so strong and pure and true that they look back on those times with morning. Mourning. Wouldd if they wish it never have happened and they said they would do it again any heart. In a heart beat. There is Something Else that goes on. Going through a neardeath experience seems to give them so much strength and courage and that is one reason they would do it again. More in cspans sundays at eight from a Public Affair books. Washington journal continues. Welcome tony to perkins. Thank you for being here. Tuesday nights. It sounds like you were having dinner in virginia when you got news about what was happening. Was interrupted by an earthquake, politically. Earlier ined about some of the Political Fund and its saying they should have anticipated this, we have seen these trends. Thad cochran is going to run off with a tea party candidate. There is a concern within the republican establishment, or there should be. Conservatives are upset with what they are seeing. Host as cantor was defeated, andy roth, jenny beth, tony perkins were dining in Northern Virginia celebrating. Eric is a friend of mine. I have worked closely with him on a number of issues. Many have been disconnected with the conservative base. Part of that is traveling the country, advancing. I have told him this. I think the republicans were theting to be swayed by media on taking on issues that were totally inconsistent with the Party Platform and with the republican and conservative base. Host what were some of those issues . Guest top of the issue is the issue of immigration. They wereat promoting . Not necessarily. In the dialogue, that was the perception many had. The Biggest Issue is the sense of lawlessness that is coming from washington, d. C. We were discussing how the republicans have been in have obstructingting the president. Immigration is crisis on the border. That is a reflection of the lawlessness. Host rand paul is taking up Immigration Reform. He was on a Conference Call in favor of Immigration Reform in an effort brokered by antitax activists. Potential 2016 contender. Issue up . Take this guest there is an issue that needs to be addressed. What does the reform look like . In ao you communicate it way that is not overshadowed by amnesty . When you have family separated by immigration, it does need to be addressed. Lets address that first. Lets address the Border Security issue. Look at marco rubio. I appreciate the work he does. When he got out front too far in the immigration issue, it hurt him. Cantor, this is a big part of what happened on tuesday night. Talked to rand paul. I have no idea what he is thinking. Do you disagree with george will . If his defeat reinforces the perception that republicans are hostile regarding immigration and immigrant, ripples might swallow attempts to align republican policy with the 51 of republicans nationwide who, like 62 of americans, favor for the 11 million a pathway to citizenship. It is an issue that must be addressed, but it is how you address it and it is the priority upon which you place upon it. Address thee to issue of Border Security, the issues that are hindering legal immigration. There are people trying to come to this country and play by the rules and the way the rules are structured, it is easier to avoid the rules. It is easier to come across illegally then come in and play by the archaic rules. Let me go back to the dinner on tuesday night. How did all of those groups come together . Just having a casual dinner to discuss a number of issues. It was unconnected with the election. We were getting together. We do it regularly. It is not the vast right wing conspiracy that we have heard about. Large number of conservative leaders who work closely together and we have a discussion. We were discussing the future in terms of gop leadership. We did not know it would be as imminent as it turned out to be on tuesday night. You had tony perkins, Richard Norman was there as well. Who did you discuss as the future of gop leadership . Would not be a private meeting if i talked about that. The message sent on tuesday wast and the message that sent earlier in mississippi and will be sent in about 11 days when the runoff is held in mississippi, when i believe Chris Mcdaniel will win that race, that look, the republicans are out of sync with their base. It in 2012 and in 2008. If they will stick to the Party Platform and what the party has stood for historically, i think they will find success. Especially in these conservative states. Host republicans will be voting on who takes over number two. Do you have names . Guest we are watching this closely. Tuesdayto this before night, there will be new leadership after the election. John boehner will likely not be the speaker and eric was positioning himself to be speaker. There are others that we are that were working on it. Kevin mccarthy. I like jim jordan. I think he would make a great leader. He has done a great job of building coalitions. A lot of the conservative leadership trust him because he has been consistent. He has been a reagan republican. That is what people are looking like. Someone like dave brat who understands the Winning Coalition for republicans is that. It is a coalition of all of them all of those in the conservative movement. Caller i am calling because i am watching and have been watching for some time, since i retired. Have been parte of our country and community in tune with the fact that we are spending way more money than we should peak then we should be. Where the tea is party came from. Our Democrat Party decided to go on a spending spree. Becauset is insulting this country has spent so much money that we are in oblivion. It is not going to be one party that goes down. People who do not Pay Attention to follow the pundits who say things that sound good and the people who versus the people who are a little smarter for whatever reason or Pay Attention more, this makes them the enemy. I have listened for several years. I have listened to many democrats. It is always democrats. They hate people they do not know. Host i will have mr. Perkins respond. Guest it is not a single party issue. Arespending problems we seeing is not just the democratic problem. It goes back to republican administration. That is why you see a number of these Establishment Republicans being defeated. Parties is a description of the conservative movement. These candidates are aligned with that agenda. Office atnt time in the state level working on these issues, i am disturbed by what i have seen in the decade i have been here in washington, d. C. Not gridlock. I think here in washington, gridlock is a good and. Stability k of we used to disagree. In part, it is driven by a very polarized political environment and has become a winner take all. Host democratic caller. Family before i am a political party. You have not mentioned the true academic. The young generation. You cannot go to a Piggly Wiggly without people saying i am going to carry my rifle. Stand up to the gun epidemic. Guest i am not sure where that was going. Host i will have you weigh in on the issue about young voters. Sayt i dont think you can with a broad brush that every young voters for this. Demographic shifts . Absolutely. Tory young generation tends deviate away from their parents and oration. There is a turning point. Arents generation there is a turning point. N they become the first when they buy the first house, they become economically conservative. That is true. It is beyond dispute. Marriage and childbirth is being delayed much later in life. Part of the reason we are seeing , decline in the fertility rate down 1. 8 , is because women are getting married later and not able to have as many children. Those trends are there, but they are not your reversible. What should be the platform of the Republican Party . What are the first three to five issues they should focus on . Guest i think they have a good form. Free economy, Less Government. They are not antiimmigrants. They are procivil order. If you want to come to the country, you play by the rules. Everybody here came as immigrants at some point in their family tree. It is not an issue of antiimmigration. That do it in a fashion upholds the law. What is happening at the border is a reflection of this lawlessness that seems to be nominating dominating policy in d. C. The libertarians want Less Government. You will never have Less Government until you strengthen the american family. Children born out of wedlock are more likely to go to a home that is impoverished with a single mother. Be successful and avoid poverty, the best way is Sexual Activity until youre married, finished high school, get married, then have children. The chances of being in poverty dropped dramatically. Caller it is not only people from mexico coming over here. It is companies down the road making a long, difficult travel. These are children. In the this lady earlier army came back and enforce the law. Than theigger problem president. These countries have terrible problems. It is a bigger problem than what you are saying. There is a supply and demand this side of almost every issue. Of what is happening in central and south america and there. Tability i am glad people still want to come to america. Economy, we are better off than a good portion of the world. The reason these folks want to come is not a bad reason. Are we doing it in a way we can assimilate them into our culture so they become part of the fabric of america and not pulling at the fabric. It is not just those from central and south america. There are those from other parts of the world that are using forest borders to come in that want to do harm to this country. That should be incentive for us to secure the borders. Are only economic platform is cutting taxes for the top 1 , not fixing immigration of restriction immigration infrastructure, v. A. , Student Loans, guns. Guest i am for smaller government, more Efficient Government that moves to the state level where we have the states administering many of the federal programs that are out of control and increasing personal responsibility for how we conduct and care for our lives. I am interested in what is happening in the v. A. I served six years in the marine corps. The way wenedy said treat our veterans is an indication of the character of our country. Treated ourave veterans coming back from afghanistan and iraq is unacceptable. Clinics, people 120 daysing 90 to to be seen, i am concerned about that. We are moving towards a singlepayer system of health care in this country. If we want care for our veterans and we cannot administer a program that cares for them, how can we do that for the rest of the society . Who do you want to win in the primary . Guest mississippi is a conservative state. Highest Church Attendance per capita rate in the country. Taking onniel is cochran. Cochran barely made it into the runoff with chris. That comes up later this month, i believe on the 24th. I am watching that closely. It will be another catalytic event like we saw tuesday night in virginia that will springboard into the next state. The state of louisiana, where you have an established candidate. The primary is being challenged by a two party establishment. You have a couple of conservative candidate, a retired air force colonel that is challenging him. It will spill over into louisiana. Host what about kansas . Are you looking at that race . Guest it is interesting to see how incumbents are taking notes and working diligently to be home. One of the elements that was a factor in erics, when i was elected, i took out a 20 year political. Took out a 20 year political veteran. Part of the reason is sometimes politicians are taking positions inconsistent with the values of their constituents. They do not want to face the music. Every incumbent in this environment is vulnerable. There are some i would like to see gone more than others. Host is pat roberts one of them . Guest pat is ok. Who were they being challenged by and what does that challenger have to offer . It is not indiscriminate. It is what is the alternative . Lamarr is one that should being worried. That he the positions has staked out are inconsistent with a lot of tennessee voters. Tennessee is a pretty conservative state. I think he is one that needs to be i think he is good. He came very close. He was watching what happened in his state prior to his real act. He was aggressively working. Senators have the benefit of having a sixyear term in the midst of their turn to get ready for reelection. With two years, it is harder to do that. Host mark, republican caller. Republicanm on the primary ballot for governor here in massachusetts. It is republicans like david brat that we need to solve our problems. Change nowhis will that cantor is out and david bratt has a chance to win. I dont think it is going to change. The establishment sees the tea party as a threat. The conservatives were a threat before the tea party existed. Ive been involved nearly 20 years now. I came to the city in 1996, working with a conservative senate candidate. In the back door meetings. There was an antagonism against a prolife, proSecond Amendment conservative candidate who did not mind talking i remember the key platform issue was abolishing the irs. How things never change. Problems remain consistent. The establishment was against it back then. Host you feel you have alreadys always been viewed as a threat . Guest the conservatives, social conservatives are more consistent in their fiscal conservatism. The reality is, we come here with a set of principles that are nonnegotiable. People say you have to compromise. You do not compromise on principle. You are an antitax, antibig government candidate and you come here and all of a sudden you start voting for taxes and you start justifying those votes, you are inconsistent with the principles you light out you laid out with the voters. I think we are at a very sick this weekend moment in the history of the conservative movement. That is why i think this leadership election is so important. I am pretty certain the leadership is going to become more conservative. The question is, how much more conservative. Will they embrace a ronald republicanism . That is the question. How im how aggressive will they be in building a Winning Coalition . If the republicans win the election, they will have to find a candidate that will do that. They have been on sick this fall in the last two cycles. Unsuccessfulbeen in the last two cycles. Almost the conservative movement has been a victim of its own success. Multitude of conservative candidates that fit the description. One or two moderates. Aey were able to consolidate plurality of the support and get the nomination because the conservatives divided. Be able tovatives get behind a solidly conservative candidate early enough so the candidate emerges and gets the partys nomination. Host doesnt it Say Something about our government that pays so much attention to illegals and a nor why cantor lost . You are prolife, so why not come out [indiscernible] support the snap program. Come out for obamacare. I think that is an inconsistency and hypocrisy. Let me take the first one. The Second Amendment. I spent about 10 years as a police officer. I have been at the scenes of crimes where innocent people have been attacked and have been who pay noriminals attention to the wall. I am a Second Amendment defender. Have ave americans responsibility to diss to defend themselves and their families. I would challenge people to look at the history of Law Enforcement and its origins and what it did. The fact is, the Second Amendment is not the problem. When we see the growing violence, we see this recently. It was not guns. It has been nice, cars. It is not the instruments. It is the environment that is creating young people who will take the lives of their classmates and their friends. Something has gone wrong. It is a much broader discussion that needs to take place than simply the instruments that are used to take the lives of innocent people. Host randy, iowa. So many thingsre i would like to address with you. Ically, this is a comment i have a short comment. Talk about immigration, you have to talk about what free trade and globalization has done to these other countries. United states did it. Big business did it. The people that support you and pay your way. If you want to research something, search researched free trade. And the repercussions of that. I amhing on eric cantor, sorry for being longwinded. In 2001, when eric cantor, which you and your people supported eric cantor, he went to washington to support george bush in 2001. 2001 was the last balanced budget that george bush sought. ,n 2002, he put everything every piece of legislation from 2002 to 2008 on the credit card. He voted for all of that. Not have heard me earlier. Our fiscal problem is not a democratic problem alone. I fully acknowledge and agree with you that the republicans were spending like drunken sailors. Like john mccain said, that is an insult to sailors and how bad these ending problem was. It is a bipartisan problem. By the idea that washington can solve all of our problems. It cannot. Were seeing states that are stepping forward with conservative leadership that are providing solutions at the state level. You mentioned kansas. Rick perry in texas, a fibrin economy there. Jobs are growing and the are going to the states because of a much more friendly environment. Asn you look in washington the place where jobs are created and problems are solved, you have the wrong idea of what washington is about. Host the caller said you are supported by big businesses. Guest we are supported by families all across this country who give small donations to us. Big business does not like us because we do not go along with them in terms. For free and fair trade. Big business has gone too far and it does control, i believe that was part of tuesday nights referendum. Eric had been listening too much to the big business lobby. Host what about the other candidates . When you look at the people they are mentioning who could be the hensarling, it appears he has ties to wall street as well. Business is about covering their bets. They are to put money on a democratic side, on the republican side. You look at democratic leadership and you will see the same individuals and entities even money on the democratic side. It is about power. The difference with us, we are not here representing the big is this interest. We are not here with the big money. Many voiceless people and families across the country who feel disconnected, as evidenced by tuesday nights election. Into had to get someone the number two spot that you do not feel is beholden to wall street . Guest it is a difficult challenge. You have to find somebody , pretty much everybody takes money from business interests and others who are offering campaign contributions. You have to find someone willing to take someones money and vote against them if it is an issue they disagree with. Host maxing waters is maxine toprs take a look at the five industries that contribute to her coffers. Andrance, securities investment, miscellaneous issues, counts, lawyers and law firms. There are people out there like my children and. Randchildren they are only high school graduates. Some did not graduate. They areot, right now having problems with their jobs, but with all these illegals coming in, they are going to have a tremendous job of getting a job. Host do you agree . Guest we hear that frequently. Host where is the evidence . Guest you have a large unemployed population. Are these jobs that folks want . Are focused on college, graduate school, Higher Education. Not everyone in america goes to college. Not everyone has a college degree. , my homenothing wrong state of louisiana and other states have been more aggressive in providing people Technical Skills so they can go into the workforce and work with their hands. We need those people. We need folks who can work with their hands. We need skilled laborers. That is an issue we hear. How much of the unemployed workforce is affected by that. That is a draw. When you have some big businesses that have been exploiting Illegal Immigrants in this country, using them, especially along the border in the border states. Host memphis, tennessee. Good morning, wesley. Caller i would like for mr. Thatto comment on goes on in the Republican Party. How the Tea Party People and grassroots people have they have had it with that stuff. It is the same old people. They have been there for 40, 50 years. They want to keep they do not want the Tea Party People in there. They want to go on with their thing and blow us off. I would like to hear guest i am not familiar with the term you used slating. Where the regular people who have been there for years, like 40 and 50 years, Lamar Alexander in tennessee. You are saying they are being slighted by the establishment . Caller they are elitists. They do not want to hear from the tea party. They do not want us to have a seat at the table. Incentive, there is more of a seniority you work your way up. The house has been interesting. I have a masters in public administration. I thought i understood how the system works. It actually works much differently than it is supposed to. Current,use, under the and i do not think this is an anomaly to what has happened with current leadership. Those that advance or raise money to give to the party to elect other candidates, you essentially have given a bill, this is how much you have to raise if you want the key slot on that committee. Party voice inea the gop in the leadership house or the senate . Not in the formal leadership that i can point to. Leehave ted cruz, michael in the senate. They are providing more leadership than the formal leadership. A threat to the establishment. That is why they are popular. In the house, you have a number of conservative voices. Michele bachmann, steve king, not in official leadership positions, but they have a lot in official leadership positions but they have a lot of influence. Mark meadows has been driving a lot of the agenda issues. He has a lot of influence. Tony perkins, thank you very much for joining us this morning. Talking to our viewers. We are cutting this short because the houses is coming into session an hour earlier today. Thank you very much, appreciate your time. The houses is about to come in for their morning session here this morning on cspan. Live coverage. The speaker pro tempore the house will be in order. The chair lays before the house a communication from the speaker. The clerk the speakers room, washington, d. C. , june 12, 2014. I hereby appoint the honorable Virginia Foxx to act as speaker pro tempore on this day. Signed, john a. Boehner, speaker of the house of representatives. The speaker pro tempore the prayer will be offered by the guest chaplain, reverend dr. Onnie floyd, cross church, springdale, arkansas. The chaplain let us pray. Our god as your prophet, daniel, spoke to the king in his day with humanity and honor. As recorded in the book of daniel in chapter 4 verse 37, the god of heaven has given you sovereignty, power, strength and glory. Lord, as these gifted men and women serve the people of the United States, may they know that you had them here by divine appointment, giving to them the influence, strength and recognition they receive. As they make decisions that influence the entire world, i pray that you will fill them th supernatural insight, compassionate sensitivity, convictional kindness and abounding wisdom. The needs are many and the tasks are overwhelming. They need you and they need each other in order to provide hope for the American People and the entire world. So use them today to change the world for your glory and for your name, i pray. Amen. The speaker pro tempore the chair has examined the journal of the last days proceedings and announces to the house her approval thereof. Pursuant pursuant. Pursuant to clause 1 of rule 1 the journal stands approved. The pledge of allegiance will be led by the gentleman from georgia, mr. Barrow. Mr. Barrow thank you, madam speaker. 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 without objection, the gentleman from arkansas, mr. Womack, is recognized for one minute. Mr. Womack thank you, madam speaker. It is a personal honor this morning to welcome to the House Chamber the reverend dr. Ronnie floyd. Elected this week president of the Southern Baptist convention in baltimore. Dr. Floyd is the Senior Pastor of cross church in northwest arkansas, a multicampus ministry in one of americas Fastest Growing regions. His commitment to evangelism, discipleship and the advancement of the gospel to america and the world is remarkable. He has authored a number of books, founded and hosts a business persons luncheon called the summit. Hes been a strategic leader in the Southern Baptist convention for decades. His lovely wife, gina, joins us in the gallery today as does his son, nick, himself an associate pastor at cross church and his beautiful wife, meredith. His other son, josh, is a championship football coach who just took the head coaching position with hewitt trustville high school in birmingham, alabama. Hes a dynamic leader, a dynamic visionary and minister. Im proud to call him president of the Southern Baptist convention, but more than anything, madam speaker, im and to call him my pastor friend. And i yield back my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentlemans time has expired. The chair will entertain up to five further requests for oneminute speeches on each side of the aisle. For what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania seek recognition . Mr. Thompson madam speaker, i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend. The speaker pro tempore without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. Mr. Thompson madam speaker, i rise today to recognize june as National Dairy month. As a means to promote increased milk sales and consumption, the dairy industry began National Milk month in 1937. Over the years, National Milk month have all been in order to recognize the importance of all americanmade milk and dairy products. The dairy industry has had Great Success with just promotions. Particularly with the got milk campaign over the years. With over 8,300 dairy farms throughout the commonwealth of pennsylvania, dairy production remains the single largest sector of pennsylvanias agriculture industry. The number one industry in pennsylvania. This makes pennsylvania fourth in dairy production nationally. The 2014 farm bill makes numerous positive changes to the former dairy programs. The new law repealed a number of outdated programs and replaced them with a free market margin insurance program. I was proud to support this. Madam speaker, i ask all my colleagues to support our nations dairy industry and celebrate june as National Dairy month. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentlemans time has expired. For what purpose does the gentlewoman from illinois seek recognition . Without objection, the gentlewoman is recognized for one minute. Ms. Kelly thank you, madam speaker. In the past three weeks, our nation experienced three shootings in california, nevada and oregon, for which we remember the victims with a moment of silence. These shootings that resulted in 14 senseless deaths received National Media coverage and sparked a National Discussion on the need for Better Mental Health policy. But Mental Health is a factor but only one factor in the gun epidemic violence. In the same three weeks, 175 people were shot on the streets of chicago with a number of deaths. None of these shootings made national headlines, sparked a National Debate or received a congressional moment of silence. As a nation weve become unphased by urban violence. But im not asking for more silence. Weve been silent enough. Ive introduced three bills that promote commonsense gun reform that doesnt infringe on Second Amendment rights. It deals with the help Consumer Product safety commission, set gun Safety Standards and prohibit highrisk individuals from possessing guns. I urge my colleagues to be a voice for american safety. Gun violence is more than mental, and americans can no longer afford our silence. Lastly, i want to know just who and how many more must die or be shot before we take action. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman yields back. For what purpose does the gentlewoman from washington eek recognition . Without objection, the gentlewoman is recognized for one minute. Thank you, madam speaker. Over a century ago spokane dodd thought nora a way to honor her dad. Mrs. Mcmorris rodgers little did she know that her thoughtful idea would one day become a national holiday, honoring fathers from across the country. A sense of pride for spokane, her vision for celebrating her dad and all dads will continue this sunday as we take time to celebrate fathers day. As families in Eastern Washington and all across our nation recognize the role fathers play in our lives, i celebrate the impact my own dad has had in shaping who i am today. I celebrate him and all dads for their sacrifices, their guidance and their support. Our sons and daughters learn so much from their parents, and it is fit we honor all dads who have devoted time to be with their children. Parenthood comes with its own unique set of challenges. My husband and i know this firsthand. But fathers play an essential role in making our families and our communities strong. Dodd i honor sonora smart for her vision. From that first one in 1910 to this sunday, lets celebrate fathers. Thank you so much. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewomans time has expired. For what purpose does the gentleman from georgia seek recognition . Mr. Barrow to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend. The speaker pro tempore without objection, the gentleman from georgia is recognized for one minute. Mr. Barrow thank you, madam speaker. Madam speaker, this is National Mens health week. Each year for the last 20 years weve used the week before fathers day to encourage men of all ages to play an active role in living healthier lifestyles. The important thing for men to remember, not just this week but every day, many of the illness that affect us can be prevented or successfully treated. Im living proof of that. Thanks to Early Detection, i was able to beat Prostate Cancer, which used to be one of the diagnosis a guy could get. This week members of the Congressional Health caucus are encouraging men, boys, families to combat illness and do your best to lead healthy lifestyles. I know the importance of early prevention and Early Detection and how they can mean the difference between life and death. As a leader in the Prostate Cancer task force, i ask men to know your number, know your condition and stay healthy. With that i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentlemans time has expired. For what purpose does the gentleman from rhode island seek recognition . Mr. Cicilline madam speaker, i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. The speaker pro tempore without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. Mr. Cicilline madam speaker, this week the republicancontrolled house of representatives approved their version of the fiscal year 2015 transportationhousing and urban Development Appropriations bill. Instead of investing in americas future, this legislation slashes investments in our nations transportation and housing infrastructure. Funding for amtrak is cut by 200 million. Funding for the Public Housing capital fund is cut below sequester levels. And funding for Home Investment Partnership is cut to its lowest level in its history. Sadly it gets worse. The bill practically eliminates the tiger Grant Program that funds innovative highway, port and rail projects. At a time when americas infrastructure is crumbling, why on earth would congress slash funding for Critical Infrastructure investments that support jobs . To compete in the 21st century economy, we must bet on americas future and dedicate resources to Infrastructure Projects that support jobs in the construction sector, grow our economy and rebuild america. Our competitors are investing in infrastructure. Its time we do too. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back. For what purpose does the gentleman from illinois seek recognition . Request unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend. The speaker pro tempore without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. Madam speaker, as a scientist, its not often i come to the floor to speak out on works in Science Fiction but i rise today to recognize the fifth annual Star Wars Day, hosted by Joliet Public Library. The event not only brings the Community Together in the historic and welcoming streets of downtown joliet but it has a fun and exciting atmosphere that captivates young minds. Thanks to the librarys Star Wars Day no jedi mind tricks will get children to read over the summer. It has grown to over 7,000 attendees thanks to the hard work of many people. Mr. Foster and as the star wars parade march proudly down ottawa street, id like to especially recognize the sand people who, of course, march single file to hide their numbers. Mr. Speaker madam speaker, i ask my colleagues to join me today in recognizing the Joliet Public Library for their efforts to promote library services, literacy and Stem Education with their fifth annual Star Wars Day. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back. For what purpose does the gentleman from washington seek recognition . Madam speaker, i ask unanimous consent to revise and remarks. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized for one minute. Mr. Mcdermott madam speaker, i was a Navy Psychiatrist during the vietnam war. I treated men who believed they were doing the right thing but who, having witnessed the war, came home shaken, brutalized and lost. These men were demonized for their experience. Today were making the same istake with sergeant Bowe Bergdahl. They attacked a u. S. Citizen to volunteered to serve his country. In my time in congress i have never seen a more disgraceful, more politically attack on a u. S. Soldiers. How many times have we heard from our generals and admirals that we never leave a warrior behind . We sent Sergeant Bergdahl to war. We gave him his gun and his orders. We must bring Sergeant Bergdahl home and take care of him. I yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back. For what purpose does the gentleman from North Carolina seek recognition . Madam speaker, i ask unanimous consent that it be in order at any time on the legislative day of june 12, 2014, to consider House Resolution 617 in the house if called up by the chair of the committee on Foreign Affairs or his designee. That the resolution be considered as read, that the previous question be considered as ordered on the preamble and he resolution to adapt without intervening motion and pursuant to the order of the house of today, i call up resolution 617. The speaker pro tempore the clerk will report the title of the resolution. The clerk House Resolution 617, resolution condemning the be a duppings of female students from armed mill stands from the terrorist group known as boko haram in northern provinces of the federal republic of nigeria. The speaker pro tempore pursuant to the order of the house of today, the resolution is considered read and the previous question is ordered on the resolution and on the preamble. The question is on the adoption of the resolution. All those in favor say aye. Those opposed, no. Ms. Wilson madam speaker. The speaker pro tempore for what purpose does the gentlewoman from florida seek recognition . Ms. Wilson i ask for the yeas and nays. The speaker pro tempore the yeas and nays are requested. Those favoring a vote by the yeas and nays will rise. A sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed. For what purpose does the gentleman from North Carolina seek recognition . Mr. Holding i ask unanimous consent that the chair may postpone further proceedings today on the motion to recommit as though under clause 8 of rule 20. The speaker pro tempore without objection. The speaker pro tempore for what purpose does the gentleman from washington, mr. Reichert, seek recognition . Mr. Reichert madam speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 616, i call up the bill h. R. 4453 s. Corporation permanent tax relief act of 2014 and ask for its immediate consideration. The speaker pro tempore the clerk will report the title of the bill. The clerk Union Calendar number 317. H. R. 4453, a bill to amend the i ternal revenue code of 1986 to make permanent the reduced recognition period for builtin gains of S Corporations. The speaker pro tempore pursuant to House Resolution 616 , in lieu of the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the committee on the ways and means printed in bill, an amendment if the nature of a substitute consisting of the text of rules Committee Print 11346, is adopted and the bill as amended is considered as read. The gentleman from washington, mr. Reichert, and the gentleman from michigan, mr. Levin, each will control 30 minutes. The chair recognizes the gentleman from washington. Mr. Reichert. Mr. Reichert thank you, madam speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and and to heir remarks include extraneous material on h. R. 4453. The speaker pro tempore without objection. Mr. Reichert madam speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from washington is recognized. Mr. Reichert madam speaker, i rise today to urge support for h. R. 4453, the s. Corporation permanent tax relief act of 2014. Since we started the tax reform process in january of 2011, one of the main themes coming up again and again is the need for certainty for individuals to plan and businesses to thrive. Nowhere is this more true than for Small Businesses. Passthrough businesses like S Corporations account for more than half of all jobs in the United States. In my home state of washington, they are particularly important providing 1. 4 million jobs with S Corporations providing more than one in four private sector jobs. Permanence in the tax law is especially important for these privately held businesses because they cant go to the Public Markets every time they want to invest in new equipment or hire workers. They need certainty, plan how to most effectively deploy their capital. A perfect example of the tax code that is ripe for performance so S Corporation businesses can plan to access and redeploy their own capital is the builtin gains tax, or big relief provision before us today. The big tax, as its called, is a double tax on S Corporations at that want to sell their assets after converting from c. Corporation status. Currently s. Corporations have to wait 10 years after converting before selling their assets to avoid the punitive double tax. Traditional yeartoyear tax, tender legislation has reduced to Holding Period to five years. Holding the original antiabuse of the rule, providing significant relief businesses nationwide. H. R. 453 would permanently reduce that Holding Period to five years. As we have heard from jim redpath, one of our Small Business witnesses who is an accountant, who testified before one of our ways and means hearings several weeks ago, the big tax causes s. Corporations to hold on to unproductive or old assets that should be replaced. He gave that example and example of the road contractor that is holding on to old equipment and trucks that just are sitting in the junkyard that he cant sell, cant even sell them for parts. Rather than selling them, if he did, they would be subject to the big tax, the double tax that i talked about earlier. The other impact here is that if businesses are allowed to sell these assets and used equipment, it would benefit other Small Businesses, startup businesses, for example, that may not be able to afford the newest an latest equipment and technology, but they can start their businesses with used equipment. Instead of selling the assets and using the proceeds to hire new workers or invest in new equipment, the Business Owners sit on the sidelines. This is a perfect example of a tax code influencing Business Decisions and this needs to stop. According to the i. R. S. Tens of thousands of corporations convert to C Corporations each year. We cant continue to leave this capital locked up. We need to give it back to the Small Businesses that make this country thrive. The second part of this bill is also a commonsense provision that will give S Corporations certainty in the value of their charitable donne nations. The S Corporation charitable basis add adjustment prosignificance simply ensures provision stment simply ensures that they are treated the same. This will give S Corporations the certainty they need to create jobs and grow our economy in this country. Madam chair, i reserve my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from washington reserves. The gentleman from michigan is recognized. Mr. Levin thank you, madam speaker. I yield myself such time as i may consume. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Levin the text extenders being considered today are important to Small Businesses. And have been supported by democrats. The first two bills impacting S Corporations regard the gain on the sale or distribution of appreciated assets, and how charitable contributions of an S Corporation are taken into account by shareholders. Over the years we have modified these provisions and extended them on a bipartisan basis. The section 179 expensing provision, which we will consider second, has been in the tax code since 1958. It was expanded and nearly quadrupled to a maximum expensing allowance to 100,000 n a temporary basis in 2003. In 2008, as another recession took hold, that allowance was increased to 250,000. In 2010 we again expanded the provision, this time to 500,000, as we continued action to spur the economic recovery. This level was in effect through 2013, and this bill before us would make the significant expansions permanent unpaid for. When these expansions were first enacted in 2003, House Republicans noted that these expansions, and i quote, reflected the need for an economic stimulus and growth package, end of quotes. Republicans want to talk about certainty. Well, this much is certain, the expanded 179 provision will be extended again. Our economy still needs it. And if republicans had any interest in working in a bipartisan basis on comprehensive tax reform, we could discuss how best to make a stimulus effort, a longterm part of the tax code. The opposite is being done today. Its tax reform in reverse. And the s. Corporation provisions also surely will be extended. But in reality we are not here to make law. I think thats evidenced by the provisions ashese we take them up today. The president has indicated he will veto the approach, permanent, unpaid for tax cuts taken in the republican bills before us today. And importantly the Senate Finance committee has approved on a bipartisan basis legislation to extend all tax extenders for two years, the total inability of the House Republican majority to take action to help our recovery, to bolster Small Businesses, and to grow our economy has resulted in smoke and mirror votes like the ones before us today. They want to signal that they support Small Business, but their action is so inconsistent with their past positions that it is rendered hypocritical. Ways and means republicans put forth a comprehensive tax reform proposal and received accolades, the chairman did, for making it revenue neutral. And chairman camp included these extenders in his comprehensive tax reform proposal fully offset , the opposite of today. The measures in front of us day add up to 75 billion in deficit increases. 75 billion more. When you add in the r d credit that passed the house last month, and the eight other provisions that have moved through ways and means, it adds up to now everybody take notice 614 billion, unpaid for and permanent. And there are still more than 40 tax provisions left unaccounted for. When all is said and done, republicans are well on their way to increasing the deficit by 1 trillion. And we all know where it would lead. To future republican demands, to cut vital domestic priorities that have been on the chopping block for the g. O. P. Funding for education, public health, and transportation as we aw yesterday, to name a few. Chairman ryan put forth a republican budget resolution which the republican majority passed through this house. That budget that youall here today voted for on the republican side sthrates that any stimulates that any change in tax law must be offset. These bills today shred that principle. Youre shredding it. Youre inconsistent. You moved in one direction with youre ise, and now essentially moving in the opposite. The final hip hip is one that really hypocrisy is one that really hits home for three million unemployed americans, i must say for their families and for millions of americans who care, the republican majority insists that Unemployment Insurance be paid for, but when it comes to tubblingts, they can simply be added tshtax cuts, they can simply be added to the deficit. The bill before us today is seven times more expensive than the cost of extending federal Unemployment Insurance for the remainder of the year, and i should note that we have simply we have already agreed to offset the cost of such unemployment extension. Democrats stand ready, more than ready to extend these provisions for Small Businesses. We stand ready, more ready to act on all of these expired tax provisions, and we stand ready, more than ready to act on comprehensive tax reform. And we certainly stand ready, more than ready to extend Unemployment Insurance for three million job seeker americans and be paid for, but we will not be silent in the face of the republican hypocrisy on display today. What they are doing today is once ss and irresponsible again. Here they go again. I reserve the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from michigan reserves. The gentleman from washington is recognized. Mr. Reichert mr. Speaker, i yield as much time as he may consume to the distinguished chairman of the ways and Means Committee, mr. Camp. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from michigan is recognized. Mr. Camp i thank the gentleman for yielding, and i would just say to my friend from michigan, yes, there is a senate bill. It is a bipartisan bill that extends many tax policies. And guess what. Its not offset. Because its never been offset. And i would just remark that my good friend from michigan has voted to extend this exact unoffset for 12 years. I know the gentleman talked about hypocrisy. Lets talk about honesty. Lets be honest about this. This policy will not be offset. Lets give some certainty to the Small Businesses in america. Let me just say i appreciated his comment that the economy needs help. With negative g. D. P. Growth in the last quarter, a contracting economy, certainly we do. With more kids living at home with their parents than ever before rather than pursuing their careers, with median incomes declining, yes, we do. Small businesses and their workers, theyre hit hardest by the burdens and and overregulations of the tax code. It is 65 higher for Small Businesses than for large businesses. Costing them 19 billion a year. We need Small Businesses doing the best they can, creating jobs, growing our local economies, not buried under mounds of paperwork. The bill we have before us today is the right step forward to level the Playing Field between Small Businesses on main street and big businesses. If a Small Business chooses to operate as an S Corporation for tax purposes, we should ensure that they have the ability to access certain capital without penalties. Under current law, an S Corporation is subject to an entity level tax at the highest corporate rate on certain builtin gains of property. The tax applies to gain recognized within 10 years from the date that the C Corporation elected to be an S Corporation. And in the past, congress has shortened this period to five years. This bill would make permanent the fiveyear period, eliminating a significant deterrent that often discourages closely held C Corporations from electing the S Corporation status, thus subjecting them to a double tax. So additionally, we should ensure that S Corporations receive the same treatment as partnerships when it comes to charitable donations. By achieving parody between different businesses, we can encourage Small Businesses to continue their generous support of charitable activities. This legislation is supported by 35 groups representing thousands of Small Businesses and their workers who wrote that this legislation will allow Small Businesses to make decisions based on what is best for the Company Rather than the dictates of the tax code at a time when our economy badly needs increased investment, allowing more companies to access their own capital is an important step. Additionally, they write, this legislation would allow americas S Corporations to be more active and supportive of muchneeded charitable activities. This is a bipartisan, commonsense bill that will give Small Businesses some muchneeded relief from the burdens of the tax code and allow them to make new investments and create new jobs and i urge its support and i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from washington reserves. The gentleman from michigan is recognized. Mr. Levin i yield myself one minute. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized for one minute. Mr. Levin let this be very clear to our distinguished chairman. These bills being brought up here unpaid for come to 75 billion. The total of the bills that have come through ways and. Ans come to 614 billion , we had lion today 300 billionsome a week or so ago and the train is on the track, as you have positioned. , 614 billion just to start the senate, to extend these rovisions for two years is 3. 4 billion. Thats why its irresponsible to simply go off into the wild deficit irresponsible yonder. Thats where you are. I yield myself an additional minute. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Levin theres a tremendous difference between 3. 4 billion and 75 billion in these bills and 614 billion when you add this together with more to come. It also means it gives us time to look to see whether they ould be permanent under what conditions. So thats where its reckless, its irresponsible, its contrary to your tax reform bill where you laweded that and we applauded that aspect that you paid for. You called it revenue neutral. We wanted something beyond that. E didnt want deficit wild i yield now three minutes to the gentleman from washington, mr. Mcdermott, an active member of our committee. The speaker pro tempore members are reminded to please address their remarks directly to the chair. The gentleman from washington is recognized for three minutes. Mr. Mcdermott i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. The speaker pro tempore without objection. Im cdermott madam chair, here today to speak for the citizens of florida, texas, washington, tennessee, nevada, alaska, south dakota, wyoming and New Hampshire. These are states without an income tax. They do not have a state income tax. They are allowed to deduct their sales tax that they pay from their federal income tax and receive a credit for it. This year. Now, the chairman of the ways and Means Committee spent three years working on putting a bill together, and in that bill, thats called tax reform, it repealed it didnt just sort of leemb unmentioned or anything leave unmentioned or anything else it directly repealed that provision in the law. Were out here today nobody denies that Small Business needs some help. We are we certainly think thats a good idea. But where are the priorities of the ordinary taxpayers in florida, texas, washington, tennessee, nevada, alaska, south dakota, wyoming and New Hampshire, do they not deserve to be theyre going to pay an extra 1,000 next year in taxes. Theyre going to get a tax increase from the republicans by failing to give them this deduction. It cost 6. 5 billion. Were going to spend 75 billion or 71 billion or whatever it is today. 1 would cover the Tax Exemption from the people in these states, the people theyre worried about, the middle class, the middle class thats struggling in this society. But this congress says, no, we got to take care of business. And thats all weve taken care of is business so far. But when the chairman had the possibility, he repealed this. Now, hes from michigan. Why not . Who would care . It wouldnt affect his state. Whats hard for me to understand is how anybody can come out here and not defend the interests of their own citizens. If you represent florida, texas, washington, tennessee, nevada, alaska, south dakota, wyoming and New Hampshire and you vote for these tax bills today and say to your people back home, we dont care what happens to you, that ought to be an interesting experience to go on the stump running for election this year. Everybodys talking about taxes, but were taking away a Tax Deduction for the people of these states. And why . I guess we havent got the money or maybe the chairman doesnt live in one of those states or im not quite sure how all this works. But im here to say that people from the state of washington need to have a Tax Deduction for the sales tax they pay in lieu of an income tax. And i yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentlemans time has expired. The gentleman from washington is recognized. Mr. Reichert madam speaker, i yield as much time as she may consume to the gentlelady from kansas, ms. Jenkins, whos also a member of the ways and Means Committee. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman from kansas is recognized. Ms. Jenkins thank you, and i thank the gentleman for yielding and for his leadership on this very important issue. Every dollar washington takes from Small Businesses is a dollar they dont have to invest in new equipment, expand operations, hire a new employee or provide higher pay and better benefits. And particularly in the obama economy, businesses are already pinned down by uncertainty and need all the flexibility they need to grow. This bill will spur our economy and spur greater investment by permanently giving Small Businesses organized as S Corporations the ability to Access Capital without tax penalties. As noted at our Committee Hearing earlier this year, a permanent fiveyear builtin gains period would provide greater flexibility in the daytoday operations of S Corporations that have builtin gains assets in order to make new investments and create jobs. I urge support for h. R. 4453, the S Corporation permanent tax relief act, so we can create america that works by fixing the tax code to provide permanent tax relief for Small Businesses. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from washington reserves. The gentleman from michigan is recognized. Mr. Levin i now yield three minutes to another member, distinguished member of our committee, mr. Davis. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from illinois is recognized for two minutes. Mr. Davis i thank the gentleman for yielding. Madam speaker, im a longstanding supporter of S Corporations. Pass throughs and Small Businesses. In my state as well as around the country, S Corporations are the cornerstone of the business community. These corporations span a broad range of industries, employ a large percentage of our countrys work force. In my state alone, there are more than 235,000 S Corporations providing more than 1. 5 million jobs and bolstering the illinois economy through their taxes paid. In the name of fiscal responsibility, the Republican Leadership has justified refusing to help three million americans, including 116,000 illinoisans who were unemployed through no fault of their own. Yet, the Republican Leadership abandons fiscal responsibility to balloon our deficit to 614 billion for permanent tax breaks for corporations while refusing to aid hardworking, struggling americans in the name of fiscal responsibility. My track record is very clear on my strong support of Small Businesses. My track record is also very clear that i cannot and will not prioritize over half trillion dollars in deficit spending for business tax breaks and tell struggling americans that theyre not worth the expense. I very much want the Small Businesses in my state to benefit from the tax benefits ontained in h. R. 4457 and h. R. 4453. However, i cannot support republicans approach of unpaid for permanent cuts for businesses while the needs of our unemployed and working poor go ignored. I thank you, mr. Speaker, and yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back. The gentleman from washington is recognized. Mr. Reichert mr. Speaker, i yield myself as much time as i may consume. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Reichert i ask unanimous consent to insert a letter of support siped by 35 different organizations in support of this legislation. These signees include organizations as diverse as the National Grocers association, the National Electrical contractors association. The association for manufacturing technology. Small businesses across the economy recognize just how crucial it is to give access to capital to businesses in this struggling economy today. I reserve the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman reserves. The gentleman from michigan is recognized. Mr. Levin its now my pleasure to yield five minutes to the Ranking Member on the budget committee, the gentleman from maryland, mr. Van hollen. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from maryland is recognized for five minutes. Mr. Van hollen i thank you, mr. Speaker. I thank my kwleeg, the Ranking Member of the ways and Means Committee colleague, the Ranking Member of the ways and Means Committee for all his work on this. The bills we are seeing today on the floor of the house are part of a series of bills that have come out of the ways and Means Committee from our republican colleagues that run up our National Debt by putting hundreds of billions of dollars on a credit card by permanently extending a number of business tax credits. And in the process they are actually violating their own budget that they had on the floor just a few months ago. Thats why, mr. Speaker, this is not a serious attempt to help Small Businesses by bringing these msh sure up one at a time, mr. Speaker if i could ask for order in the house. The speaker pro tempore gentleman may resume. Mr. Van hollen by bringing these up one at a time in a rifle shot fashion, our republican colleagues are abandoning what they said we should do, which we agree we should do on a bipartisan basis, which is to tackle tax reform in a fiscally responsible way. After all, mr. Speaker, we are not helping Small Businesses by running up our National Debt. It was just about a month ago when our republican colleagues told us that the biggest threat to future Economic Growth in this country was projected deficits in the out years. We have said to our republican colleagues, we need to Work Together to reduce that longterm deficit. Its not a question about when we should do it whether we should do t. Its a question of how we should do it. But this bill and these bills on the floor today take us in the opposite direction. Together they are going to add over 614 billion to our credit card. If you add up all these rifle shot bills that have come out of the ways and Means Committee. Mr. Speaker, what happened to all the rhetoric about fiscal discipline . About getting our deficits in order . Out the window. And just to put these numbers in perspective, that 640 billion on the credit card is 30 times what it would cost to extend emergency Unemployment Compensation to three million americans who are out of work today through no fault of their own. So contrasting these bills with the budget rhetoric we heard a few months ago about reducing our deficits is to thal doublespeak. Our republican colleagues know it doesnt meet the laugh test. And when we had our debate on this very floor about the republican budget, we pointed out that the claim that had balanced in 10 years was based on all sort of enronlike accounting gimmicks. For example, they assumed all the revenues that would come in offer the next 10 years from the Affordable Care act, at the same time they said they were repealing the Affordable Care act. Both things cant happen at the same time. At the same time. Yet today even if you take the republican budget gimmicks, as at the would have us do, even if you to that, their budget no longer balances. Balances in 10 years. It no longer balances in 10 years. In fact, if you look carefully at the rules governing this debate, our republican colleagues had to change their own rules to allow this bill to be on the floor today because otherwise it would have violated their claim of a balanced budget. Thats the kind of gimmickry we have going on here. Now, if our republican colleagues are really serious about reducing the longterm deficit, as they claim to beed claimed to be a month ago, they would be willing to close some of those special interest tax breaks if order to help reduce the deficit. And yet their budget doesnt close a single special interest tax break. It keeps the big subsidies for big oil companies. It keeps tax breaks for hedge fund owners. And the bills before us today are under a rule that doesnt allow us to pay for them by closing some of those tax breaks. Mr. Levin and i would have loved to have had the opportunity to say lets pay for this business expensing provision by shutting down some of the unproductive tax breaks, tax breaks are there, that are there not because they have economic value, but because a powerful political interest got that tax break in the code. And yet our republican colleagues have a rule that says, we cant touch those. If i could have another one minute. Mr. Levin additional three minutes. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized for an additional three minutes. Mr. Van hollen i thank my friend. I really think this goes to the heart of the matter. Because whether it was the r d tax credit, the research and Development Tax credit, or business expensing provision, i support those provisions, but i support doing them in a fiscally responsible way. That doesnt add over 600 billion to our deficit and debt. How can we do that in a fiscally responsible way . By shutting down some of the unproductive special interest tax breaks in the tax code. And yet the rule before us says, we are not allowed to do that. We cant even have a vote, mr. Speaker, on shutting down some of those special interest tax breaks. Thats how far our republican colleagues are willing to go to keep those special interest tax breaks. Not even allowing a vote to close one of them to pay for an r d tax credit. Whats this roolly all about . By running up our National Credit card with these business tax provisions, you add to the deficit. And then our republican colleagues will be back here with their budget saying, you know what, now that we have this big deficit, you got to cut funding for our kids education, which is what they did in their budget. Youve got to voucherize medicare, which is what they did in their budget. We are not going to have enough funds for our National Infrastructure in the Highway Program which under their budget goes dry in september. People out of work. So by providing permanent unpaid for tax extenders in the business area and running up that deficit, theyll come right back to us and say, you know what, now we care again about the deficit and heres what we want to do about it. Cut early education, cut the National Institutes of health, research into finding cures and treatments for diseases. Thats why, mr. Speaker, this is not a serious effort. The chairman of the ways and Means Committee made an honest effort at tax reform. I dont agree with a lot of whats in the tax reform bill, but it was an honest professional effort. Thats not coming to the floor today. In fact, this bill before us runs directly counter to the chairmans own tax reform effort, just as it violates the republicans own budget. Lets get serious, mr. Speaker. Lets deal with these in a manner that provides the incentives we want to businesses. We can do that by extending these on a shortterm basis while we Work Together to come up with a reasonable tax reform plan in a way that is responsible from a budget perspective. Thats the way we should be doing the peoples business here in the house. Because we are not doing it that way, i urge our colleagues to vote no on the provisions that are before us. I thank my colleague, the Ranking Member of the ways and Means Committee. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from washington is recognized. Mr. Reichert i yield myself as much time as i may consume. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Reichert the gentleman from maryland spoke very eloquently on this topic. I just want to note that his past action shows something a little bit different. Hes voted for this provision three times in the past. Im sorry, i will not. Mr. Van hollen mr. Reichert will yield . Because im in favor of a shortterm extension. Mr. Reichert i will not yield time. Mr. Van hollen point of order, mr. Speaker. Point of order, mr. Speaker. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman will state his point of order. Mr. Van hollen my point of order is this, the gentleman said that i had voted on this measure before. That is not true. And so im asking what my recourse would be. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman has not stated a valid point of order. It is a matter for debate. Mr. Van hollen parliamentary inquiry, mr. Speaker. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from washington controls the time. Mr. Vn parliamentary inquiry, mr. Speaker. The speaker pro tempore state your inquiry. Mr. Van hollen the gentleman from washington, who is a friend, made a statement that is inaccurate. He stated that i had voted for the provision in this bill before. This bill provides for a permanent unpaid for extension of business expensing. I have not done that. My question to you is, what recourse do i have to set the record straight . The speaker pro tempore previously stated, that is a matter for debate. The gentleman from washington controls the time. The gentleman from washington is recognized. Mr. Reichert mr. Speaker, i would still say that the gentleman from maryland has to clarify my point, has voted for the extension of these policies three times. For a total of eight years. And thats a fact. Those are part of the voting record. Mr. Van hollen mr. Speaker, parliamentary unchoirry. Mr. Reichert reclaiming my time. The speaker pro tempore does the gentleman from washington yield . Mr. Reichert i do not yield. Mr. Van hollen parliamentary inquiry. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from washington is recognized. Mr. Van hollen mr. Speaker, parliamentary inquiry. I have a parliamentary inquiry on this. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from washington is recognized. The gentleman must yield for parliamentary inquiry. The gentleman from washington is recognized. Mr. Van hollen mr. Speaker, point of order. When i ask the speaker pro tempore the gentleman will state his point of order. Mr. Van hollen my point of order now is i asked for a parliamentary unchoirry to make it absolutely clear that i have not voted for a permanent unpaid extension of the business expensing provisions in the past, which is what this bill does. Which is the root of my objection. Objection to it bill that it runs up the deficit in the way it does. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman has not state add point of order. The gentleman is engaging if debate. The gentleman from washington controls the time. The gentleman from washington is recognized. Mr. Reichert i would just reiterate that the gentleman has voted for this extension of this policy three separate times for a period of lasting eight years. I yield back my time. Reserve my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from michigan is recognized. Since we stated how many times i have voted to extend temporarily, i will now yield some time to mr. Van hollen and then i will continue. I yield as much time as he shall consume. You dont think it will take very long to refute the statement made by the gentleman from washington. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from maryland is recognized. Mr. Van hollen i thank my colleague, mr. Levin. As the gentleman from washington knows, these issues come up every. As to whether or not we should extend certain tax provisions, in this case the business tax provision. Earlier the r d tax provision. Those are provisions that we support. But we support doing them in a fiscally responsible way. And in fact, the motion to recommit we will have will also say we should extend them for one more year while we get our act together here, mr. Speaker. And to it in a way that doesnt run up the credit card by 600 billion, which is what the ways and Means Committee has done in the period of two weeks. Two weeks. After spending days on the floor of this house a few months ago saying that the biggest threat to Economic Growth in the future was our budget deficit. They said that two months ago, and then they waive their own rules to bring up these bills that increase our Credit Card Debt to the tune of 600 billion total from what came out of the ways and Means Committee in violation of your own budget, thats what i object to. I thank my colleague, mr. Levin. Mr. Reichert id like to reserve. I have another speaker. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from washington reserves. The gentleman from washington is recognized. Mr. Reichert mr. Speaker, id like to yield as much time as he may consume to mr. Camp, the chairman of the committee. The speaker pro tempore