A defense spending bill to provide 659 billion to the pentagon for the current fiscal year, 2018. Votes later this afternoon. Now live coverage of the u. S. House on cspan. [captions Copyright National cable satellite corp. 2018] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. Visit ncicap. Org] the speaker the house will be in order. The prayer will be offered by our chaplain, father conroy. Chaplain conroy let us pray. We give you thanks, o god, for giving us another day. As you make available to your people the grace and knowledge to meet the needs of the day, we pray that your spirit will be upon the members of this peoples house, giving them the richness of your wisdom. Bless the members of the Majority Party as they prepare and gather these next days. May they, with those who accompany them, travel safely and meet in peace. Bless also the Minority Party as they prepare for their own gathering. May these days be filled with hopeful anticipation. Bless also the president as he visits the peoples house to address the nation this evening. May all that is done this day be for your greater honor and glory, amen. The speaker the chair has examined the journal of the last days proceedings and announces to the house his approval thereof. Pursuant to clause 1 of rule 1 the journal stands approved. The pledge of allegiance will be led by the gentleman from california, mr. Panetta. Mr. Panetta i pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of america and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. The speaker the chair will entertain up to 15 questions for oneminute speeches on requests for oneminute speeches on each side of the aisle. For what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition . Without objection, the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Smith thank you, mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the differences are stark between president obamas first year in office and President Trumps first year in office. If you just listen to the liberal media, would you think our country is worse off under President Trump. However, if you follow the facts, americans are far better off. In 2009 four million jobs in 2017, 1. 7 million jobs were created. Gross domestic product in president obamas first year went down 2. 8 . It was up 2. 3 last year. Unemployment in 2009 increased from 7. 8 to 9. 9 . Fell in 2017 from 4. 8 to 4. 1 , a 17year low. The Standard PoorsStock Market Index was at 1115 president obamas first year. 673. Ent recently hit 2 President Trumps policies are helping more americans get back to work, pay less in taxes and build their retirement and savings accounts. These are the facts. Americans can accurately say they are better off today than they were eight years ago or even one year ago. The speaker pro tempore for what purpose does the gentleman rom new york seek recognition . Without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. Mr. Higgins madam speaker, 2017 was a year marked by division and distraction, a disservice to americans seeking solutions to real challenges facing our nation. My hope is the new year provides an opportunity to move away from divisive discourse and toward constructive dialogue and real outcomes. This year we can take real steps to strengthen medicare and Social Security as well as ensuring access to Quality Affordable Health Care for all americans. This year we can promote job growth and success for all americans by making smart targeted investments in education and Scientific Research as well as preparing our work force for the 21st century. This year we can commit ourselves to building a foundation for a stronger america by making investments in our nations roads, waterways, infrastructure and communities. Mr. Speaker, as we consider the state of the union, this congress has two choices. Build walls or build bridges. Bridges lead to Better Health care, to a better economy, to make America Great again and again and again. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania seek recognition . I ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. The speaker pro tempore without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. Madam speaker, today is state of the union day and its an opportunity for the nation to hear from the president on the progress we have been making and the challenges that lie ahead. Mr. Rothfus one thing i am looking forward to is hearing how the tax cuts and jobs act and the regulate reforms we have seen over the past year are causing our economy to roar back to life, creating more jobs and putting more money in peoples pockets. 55 years ago, president kennedy delivered a state of the union that recognized the power of tax cuts, that put money back in the private sector. To achieve greater gains, president kennedy said, in talking about the economy, quote, one step above all is essential. A substantial reduction and revision in federal income taxes. Im glad President Trump and congress have followed president kennedys and president reagans model. The economic reviseable is helping us meet the challenges that lie ahead. Thats something for all americans to celebrate. I thank the speaker and yield back. The speaker pro tempore for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition . Thank you, madam speaker. To address the house for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks, if necessary. The speaker pro tempore without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. Thank you, madam speaker. I rise today to recognize and remember darby werth, an activist, Community Members of my hometown and most importantly she was one of the teachers at my elementary school. Mr. Panetta she worked 20 years at the school where i went and my daughters go to. Now, i didnt know that at the time but many years ago before she was a teacher she was well versed in environmental and social activism. By the time she did take up teaching she had already traveled to San Francisco many times to protest the vietnam war. Well after she retired from there, she was unrelenting in her commitment to social justice, womens rights, challenging corporate and, yes, fighting climate change. She had many movements that she was behind and its understandable that she felt everything was interconnected. Thats why at 90 she was planning and fighting the county be to be buried in her front yard. Now, i am not sure if she was laid to rest in that location but i know mrs. Werth will be remembered not only because of teaching children, but shes somebody we all learned from. Thank you. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore for what purpose does the gentleman from indiana seek recognition . The gentlelady is recognized. Mrs. Walorski i congratulate maple leaf farms on celebrating 60 years. This familyowned operation has been a staple in indiana and a u. S. Duck industry since 1958. While 60 years of successful operations is a tremendous accomplishment, maple leafs expansion, newest Global Ventures speaks volumes to the didcation and ingenuity of the tucker family. Im proud to learn of the strong Business Model and outstanding leadership of the uckers that led maple leaf farms have 10 million demucks supplies worldwide. s an honor to represent the tuckers. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of Second District hoosiers, i want to thank maple leaf farms for strengthening indianas Farming Community and wish them all the best in the next 60 years. Thank you and i yield back. The speaker pro tempore for what purpose does the gentlewoman from hawaii seek recognition . The gentlewoman is recognized. Ms. Gabbard too often when we think of Human Trafficking as a tragedy, we think it goes on in someone elses country, in some other place other than our home. Most people are surprised to learn that thousands of men, women, and children right here in the United States are enslaved by Human Trafficking every year. In my home state of hawaii, an estimated 1,500 to 2,500 victims are impacted each year with girls as young as 10 and 11 years old recruited and kidnapped from malls, beaches, and schools. As we work to confront and stop perpetrators of Human Trafficking, we also need to change the way that we treat survivors of this heinous crime. Because even after the horrors that these individuals go through of rape, physical abuse, kidnapping and so much more, these survivors are too often charged as criminals themselves, thrown in jail and shackled with a criminal record that follows them wherever they go. We need to end this cycle of criminalization and give survivors an opportunity to heal and move on with their lives by passing the trafficking survivors relief act. As Human TraffickingAwareness Month comes to a close, i urge my colleagues to join me. Pass this important legislation and empower change for those who need it the most. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewomans time has expired. For what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition . Mr. Poe 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 inute. Mr. Poe madam speaker, tonya was 13 years old when she met eddie. They struck up a relationship and the two moved in together in dallas, texas. But what seemed to be a normal relationship turned out to be it was not. Eddie turned tonya into a sex slave. Eddie sold tonya to men for money. She was the victim of sex trafficking. Night after night, tonya was forced to be with potential suitors. With her body being used for profit and no escape in sight, tonya had almost given up hope, but help arrived when Homeland Security special agent keithoens received a tip and the out keith owens received a tip and the outlaw was arrested. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison. She was free from the shackles of human slavery. Our fight for tonya and others is not over. We must remain vigilant. Society has to rescue the victims, restore them and put the slave masters in the jail house. And thats just the way it is. Ill yield back. The speaker pro tempore for other purposes the gentleman from maryland seek recognition . Massachusetts, sorry. I ask unanimous consent to revise and extend and to address the house for one minute. The speaker pro tempore without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. Mr. Mcgovern madam speaker, last week Human Rights Watch reported that the Chinese Government has imposed laws. An new cadres are taking on finance, ministry, the choice of textbooks. This follows last years demolitions and expulsions. China says it protects respected religions. Thats a lie. When you put aethists in law, thats not. When the state tells you what to teach and students must honor the communist party, that is not religious freedom. Sadly, the white house has been silent as human rights abuses in china worsen. Enough is enough. Congress must pass the reciprocal access to tibet act. If the president wont act Congress Must ensure there are consequences for chinas egregious actions to destroy tibetan buddhism. I yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore for what purpose does the gentleman from South Carolina seek recognition . Mr. Wilson madam speaker, i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. The speaker pro tempore without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. Mr. Wilson madam speaker, the pic times this month presented an expose that cuba shows why communism doesnt work and will never work. Uba was one of latin americas wealthiest countries when the communists took power. Now its a machine of squandering subsidies. Between 196 1990 and 1990, cuba received more than 65 billion from the soviet union and hundreds of millions of dollars from international organizations. Despite this, the nation master ranking ranks cuba last, 176 in the world with an average salary of 25. 05 per month in 2014. The only way cuba can catch up with other developing countries is by ridding itself of communism. Former british Prime Minister margaret thratcher said the trouble with social thatcher said the trouble with social mple is it will run out of money. Our sympathy to the people of afghanistan and the global war who have suffered mass murder by taliban, reaffirming we must defeat terrorism overseas. The speaker pro tempore for what purpose does the gentlewoman from the virgin slands seek recognition . Ms. Plaskett i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. The speaker pro tempore without objection, the gentlelady is recognized 1. Ms. Plaskett thank you, madam speaker. I recognize extra youth from the virgin islands. Want to talk about rose cleger and nancy. Of the nearly 3. 6 Million High School seniors graduating this year, rose and nancy are among the 4,500 students named as candidates for the 2018 president ial scholars program. In the world of athletics, Alabama State sophomore and st. Croix native jack was third at the 50meter dash. Nd at the same meet fellow coixan maya ran fourth overall in the womens 400 meters and led the womens 1,600 meter relay team. In Arkansas State invitational, one won his 400 meter mens meet. I want to congratulate these scholars and athletes coming from the virgin islands. Despite the profound devastation of hurricanes this year demolishing our territory, the delay in funding to rebuild our islands, you are examples of the strength and resilience excel in islanders, to no matter what. Thank you for your excellence. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore for what purpose does the gentleman from montana seek recognition . Mr. Gianforte mr. Speaker, i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. The speaker pro tempore without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. Mr. Gianforte madam speaker, because of the tax cuts passed by Congressional Republicans and signed by President Trump, Small Business owners in montana are expanding their businesses and giving raises and bonuses to their employees. An Insurance Broker in harlem is giving a pay raise to all his employees and hiring another staff member. A Small Business in stevensville is giving pay raises to all of their employees, and a local grocery storeowner is giving employees a raise, increasing the starting wage and providing his workers with a bonus. The leader on the other side of the aisle may deride these bonuses, raises and investments as crumbs, but they make a real difference to the folks i represent back in montana. I look forward to sharing more good news about how tax cuts Congressional Republicans tax cuts, congressional tax cuts Congressional Republicans and President Trump enacted last year are benefiting montana. Thank you, madam speaker, and i yield back. The speaker pro tempore for what purpose does the gentlewoman from wyoming seek recognition . Without objection, the gentlewoman is recognized for one minute. Ms. Cheney madam speaker, i rise today to honor a Great American on his birthday. My dad, dick cheney. I can imagine no better role model than this good and great man. He loved his time serving in this chamber as the gentleman from wyoming, and throughout a career spanning decades, including during some of the most challenging times our nation has faced. He was a steady and wise hand who has always led with the courage of his convictions. No matter the burden he carried, he has always been there for us. As a listener and teacherest. Taught my sister and me to love teacher. He taught my sister and me to love our country, to read history and learn from it, to listen more than you talk, that mans words should be his bond, and that we owe all we have as americans to the brave men and women in uniform who fought and died to keep us free. Madam speaker, the gratitude i have for my dad as an american is surpassed only by my love for him as his daughter. Happy birthday, dad. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore for what purpose does the gentleman rom illinois seek recognition . Without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. Mr. Davis thank you, madam speaker. I rise to pay tribute to a dear friend, Justice William cousins, who passed away a couple days ago at the age of 90. Bill was a former member of the chicago city council. Called an independent alderman. A Circuit Court judge. And an Appellate Court justice. Who always sought fairness. He was a gentleman, a scholar, a harvard graduate. We commend him for his public service. I thank you very much, madam speaker. And i yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore for what purpose does the gentleman from illinois seek recognition . Madam speaker, i ask to address the house for one minute, to revise and extend my remarks. The speaker pro tempore without ob