the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the order of the house of january 8, 2018, the chair will now recognize members from lists submitted by the majority and minority leaders for morning hour debate. the chair will alternate recognition between the parties. all time shall be equally allocated between the parties and in no event shall debate continue past 11:50 a.m. each member other than the majority and minority leaders and the majority whip shall be limited to five minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. thompson, for five minutes. mr. thompson: i want to recognize one of my constituents. she began her career as an administrative assistant. seeing -- soon she became executive director. since then susan has championed numerous initiatives for the hardwood industry including curriculum, the wood product curriculum for high schools and other forest related products. they joined forces successfully to expand and diversify the wood product industry while sustaining a high yield forest within a four-county region in northwestern and north central pennsylvania. known for the quality and quantity of its hardwoods, the region of commonwealth contains some of the finest forestry sources in the world. with a really developed primary processing industry and experienced work force in place, the area has excellent opportunities for investment. ahug has been leading this cause since the inception in 1984. they promote the expansion of existing industries and foster the creation of jobs. at the same time the group recognized the need to promote safe logging and processing practices while maximizing -- maximumization of prudent and sound forest management. ahug is the lead organizer for the logger safety committee which hosts the longest running safety meeting for loggers in the united states. in conjunction with the safety meeting, susan initiated the women in timber ladies luncheon which is also held annually. mr. speaker, it's clear susan has left a lasting impression on ahug and the industry itself. she said, and i quote, pennsylvania hardwoods have long been recognized around the globe for the premiere quality hardwood allegheny region. this does not happen by accident but because we take the time to manage our forest resources for optimum production for today, sustainability for the future generations and unequaled environmental consciousness, end quote. i know susan has left ahug in a place to accomplish its goal for a thriving forest industry for northwestern and north central pennsylvania. she has partnered with other organizations and entities in the delivery of services to the hardwood industry such as work force initiatives, training, and professional forestry development, all which have been important for the industry's survival. mr. speaker, i wish susan the best as she enters her well-deserved retirement. she gets to spend more time with her -- she'll get to spend more time with her husband who is a proud pennsylvania logger, her three grown children and grandchildren. her impacts on ahug will last generations and we're grateful for her leadership, dedication to the pennsylvania hardwood industry. mr. speaker, i rise today to congratulate the alliance -- lions club in northwest pennsylvania. the warren's lion's club is a fellowship of community oriented and service minded men and women dedicated to helping citizens of their nation, world realize their full potential. they provide assistance to who people are are challenged by sight or hearing impairment as well as economic related issues. the warren's lion's club meets for fellowship, lunch, dinner, business, projects, discussions. they host several projects and fundraisers including an annual turkey dinner, car show for sight and hearing impaired, assistance. lions clubs have inspired many generations dedicated to using their talents and ambitions to improve their communities without financial reward. mr. speaker, lions clubs around the globe serves millions annually and wholeheartedly congratulate the warren's lion's club on its 95th anniversary of being a powerful force for good in the world. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back the balance of my ime. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from illinois, mr. gutierrez, for five minutes. mr. gutierrez: mr. speaker, i'm a member of the judiciary committee in this body and unfortunately the framers of the constitution didn't give my committee or this chamber of vetting the president's nominees to the supreme court. but in the house we pride ourselves of being the people's house because we're in contact with our constituents. so while i do not have a vote in the process, i do have a voice. as an elected representative, i feel a sacred responsibility to raise my voice. first of all, i don't care when the allegations of sexual assault came forward, i don't care about whatever schedule senator chuck grassley thinks is more important. i don't care about the impending fall term of the court or the timing of robert muler's next indictment in his -- muelle's next indictment. in the case of judge brett kavanaugh, we should listen to the women. we should always listen to the women, but in this case, multiple women have come forward to risk their lives and reputations because they believe the truth about judge kavanaugh must come out before he's confirmed or rejected by the senate. women in this country should know that if you come forward to make credible allegations against anyone, anyone, you will be respected and you will be heard. you want to know why so few sexual assaults are reported in this country? well, it's unfolding on the national stage. why didn't she report it? why didn't she do something more? why didn't she say something earlier? it's always she, she, she. when we know that sexual assault is not her fault and fear of coming forward is not her fault either. they didn't believe bill cosby's accusers until they did or harvey weinstein's or speaker hastert's or a hundred other people i could name here today until we did. when the stakes are this high, we shouldn't be imposing deadlines or ultimatums or requiring victims to conform to our timetables as republican senators have done. and by high stakes i just don't mean the lifetime appointment of a judge, but this is an important moment for young men and young women in this country , they're watching and they're learning. we should be leading by example and allowing victims to come forward, be respected and be heard. do i want my grandson to learn a lesson that sexual assault while he's in high school could follow him for the rest of his life? you're damn right i do. do i want young men to learn that behavior that hurts other people, no matter how drunk or how high they are is unacceptable? you're damn right i do. do i want young women to not be afraid to come forward no matter when they are ready to? you're damn right i do. look, i'm not saying you need to believe judge kavanaugh's accuser but as a congress and as a country, we need to listen to women. now, i'll admit that i would not vote for judge kavanaugh whether or not the current allegations are true or republicans steam rolled the victims to fast track his appointment. i believe in a woman's right to control her own reproductive system regardless of what men think so, yeah, you can bet i will vote against him. i believe in freedom of religion should extend to all, including those of the muslim faith who should be able to worship and move around just like everyone else so you bet i'd vote against kavanaugh. i believe people should marry whoever they want whoever they love. i oppose a judge who thinks a sitting president is above the law right now when we need as a nation an independent judiciary to hold politicians, even the president, accountable, which is another reason why i wouldn't vote for judge kavanaugh. but what is important right now is not how i feel about judge kavanaugh. what is important is that we lead by example. we need to be clear that the days of boys will be boys or it was just locker room talk are over, and the senate should take as much time as is needed to take the very, very seriously the situation and they should take it seriously for our daughters, for our ons, for you and for me too. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from washington, mr. newhouse, for five minutes. mr. newhouse: mr. speaker, i rise today to recognize mark galloway from sela middle school from being named the association of washington's school principals middle level principal of the year. a life-long washingtonian, mark earned his bachelor's degree from central washington university and his master's degree from heritage university . he worked as both a special education teacher and a baseball coach before he came to work at sela junior high school in 2005. mr. galloway has served as principal what is now sela middle school for the past 14 years, and every day mr. galloway nurtures a culture of positivity and teamwork among students and staff. i want to honor mr. galloway for empowering students and teachers to embrace the viking way and thank him for the positive influence he's had on students in central washington. this award is something that mr. galloway, his students and fellow faculty and staff should be very proud of. i urge my colleagues to join me in congratulating mark galloway on this significant achievement. mr. speaker, september is national hispanic heritage month, and i am proud to represent central washington where hispanic heritage and culture tell the story of many of my constituents in my communities. i have witnessed firsthand how hispanic americans contribute to our communities through entrepreneurship, military service, and cultural diversity. i am proud to recognize my hispanic american friends and neighbors in washington's fourth congressional district. i'm also proud to support national appreciation of hispanic american and latino leadership and heritage as an original co-sponsor of the national museum of the american latino act. i support the establishment of a smithsonian museum to recognize latino contributions to american history, life, art, and culture. in the united states, our shared values bring us together and we cherish our nation's diverse history. i urge my colleagues to join me in celebrating national hispanic heritage month. mr. speaker, i rise today to recognize cathy anderson for the compassion she demonstrated aboard a flight from nevada to central washington. cathy did not think twice before springing into action when she noticed a man in his 70's who was traveling alone. he appeared confused and then lost consciousness. cathy recognized the signs of a seizure and she took the initiative to help. she and two other nurses administered medical treatment until the flight landed and they were greeted with medical crews upon arrival in yakima. cathy is a registered nurse and the occupational health supervisor at energy northwest. she was awarded the c.e.o. lifesaving award for her actions. to cathy's family and friends, her quick action was not a surprise because it wasn't the first time she comforted a stranger in distress. thank you, cathy, for your willingness to help others around you everywhere you go. please join me in recognizing cathy for receiving this prestigious award. thank you and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair now recognizes the gentleman from minnesota, mr. paulsen, for five minutes. r. paulsen: mr. speaker, thousands of unnecessary amputations are conducted each and every year as a treatment for those who have peripheral artery disease. they suffer from poor blood circulation which often results from amputation and higher mortality rates and other complications that comes with it and it doesn't have to be this way. minnesota is the epicenter for groundbreaking innovation and new treatment. a doctor is helping spread the word about revascularizations instead of amputations. the university of minnesota and the mayo clinic are also at the forefront of thess new procedures and i'm work -- of these new procedures and i'm working with donald payne to help improve access to care to different therapies so patients don't have to go unnecessary amputations and this means better health care outcomes as well as higher quality of life for thousands of americans coping with p.a.d. every year. . mr. speaker, i want to speak in favor of h.r. 6766, the american innovation act, which will spur innovation by helping start-ups survive the first few years of their existence and access the capital they need to grow and expand. this bill also includes a key provision that i authored to help entrepreneurs, not only survive but thrive. entrepreneurs and start-ups are the key source of innovation and job creation, particularly in minnesota. but the tax code today puts them at a disadvantage. it makes it it harder for them to access new capital. and it disadvantages them as they struggle through the hardest mart of their -- part of their existence, which is the very first few years of profitability. this bill changes that. it brings tax regulations for governing start-ups into the 21st century so entrepreneurs and capital intensive sectors like medical devices can make the necessary investments in research and development and manufacturing to grow and hire more people. ultimately this means more jobs and more flexibility for minnesota entrepreneurs. to not just come up with the next big idea, but actually make it a reality. i hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this legislation. mr. speaker, i rise in support of h.r. 6757, the family a savings act, which includes a provision i author that improves 529 college savings plans. we all know they are a popular savings tool that help families save for college costs tax free, but today student loan payments are not a qualified expense. withdrawing any funds from the 529 for any other reason results in those funds being taxed as ordinary income as well as a 10% penalty. that's why i authored legislation to solve an address this problem and it was included in the family savings act. by expanding the list of 529 qualified expenses to also include student loan payments, this will allow a 529 savings plan to be used to pay up to $10,000 in student loans. it will certainly help making it easier now to pay off o loans and mitigate the anxiety that comes for new graduate who is starting a career. with that, mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair now recognizes the gentleman from louisiana, dr. ralph abraham, for five minutes. thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i rise today to recognize the incredible life of lieutenant colonel adolph russell halt who as a child was one of 11,000 german americans placed in internment camps during world war ii. you see his picture to my left. he was born to germany immigrants in chicago in 1936. when he was 7, his family packed what few things they could and were taken to crystal city, texas, to a detainment camp built there for german, japanese, and italian immigrants. just a year later in 1944, his family packed up once again and was sent to new york city to board the s.s. gripsolm headed to portugal where the family and 633 other german expatriate and repatriots were exchanged for american prisoners of war and then sent back to germany. once back in germany, they lived in the town of hamburg with his grandparents. unfortunately, hamburg was one of the centers of allied bombings during world war ii. he has vivid memories from the bombings, seeking shelters in bunkers with his family. despite those experiences, wes remained a true american patriot and he was committed to coming back home to the united states of america. after the war ended, wes and his family moved to constance where he finished school and worked manual labor jobs to save money for a return to america. he stayed in touch with the american consulate in stuttgart, riding his bike taw days each way, most, until finally in 1958 the consulate informed him he could return home. he bought the cheapest passage to the united states. upon arriving in new york, he went straight to the recruiting office to enlist in the united states air force. wes served 22 years in the air e.c. 121 ars and b-52's during the vietnam war. he's a a patriot who never gave up on his country. his service to his country as well as the horrors he and his family suffered in germany will never be forgotten. america is better because of people like wes, those willing to give up everything to serve the american cause. thank you. i yield back, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from ohio, mr. ryan, for five minutes. mr. ryan: i ask unanimous consent to address the house for -- five minutes and revise and extend. thank you, mr. speaker. there is a crisis brewing in america. 27 1/2 million workers face -- 2 1/2 million workers face the challenge of losing their pension through no fault of their own. these are the folks who get up every single day, they work hard, they play by the rules, and all they want is a fair shake, some decent health care, and the retirement that they earned and that they paid for. one of these people is ed barker, iii, from youngstown, ohio. he worked for 45 years driving a truck. he worked 60 to 70 hours a week. six to seven days a a week. cut in his a 50% pension. he missed baseball games. he missed birthdays. he missed family events because he was driving truck with the promise that at the end of his career that there would be a solid pension. and now him and his wife are taking care of their 96-year-old father. they try to babysit for their kids when they get deployed to try to help out with the grandkids. and they try to help their kid through grad school. make a better life. all based on the promise they were given. but now they face the horrendous situation where they may lose half of their pension. and cuts to health care and all the rest that come with that. they did nothing wrong. and this is going to cost money. let me share with the american people and remind some of my colleagues that we had no roblem in this congress giving $142 bailout to bank of america. $280 billion bailout to citigroup. $25 billion to the auto industry. $180 billion a.i.g. $400 billion to fannie mae and freddie mac. $30 billion to bail out bear stearns. $18 billion for the airline industry. and $300 billion to bail out the savings and loans. mr. speaker, if we can bail out corporations that have done everything wrong, we can bail out the workers who have done everything right. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the chair now recognizes the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. fitzpatrick, for five minutes. mr. fitzpatrick: mr. speaker, i rise today to recognize a nonprofit organization in bucks county, pennsylvania, that actively seeks to improve the lives of disadvantaged youth in our community. the r.j. leonard foundation based in dolphinstown was founded in 2008 to assist adolescence who transition out of the foster care system once they turn 18. oftentimes many of these young people lack the resources they need to live self-sufficient lives once they have aged out of the system. that is where the r.j. leonard foundation comes in. awarding young adults, fellowships that provide individualized grants to further their education or career. they assist not only with book and tuition costs, but also provides transportation support and social and cultural enrichment opportunities. to provide stability and encouragement, each fellow is matched with a mentor who provides support and guidance. i'm proud of the work that r.j. leonard foundation does for our community. we thank them for their 10 years of service to our community. i'd also like to commend founder joe leonard and executive director for their outstanding eadership. mr. speaker, i rise today to recognize an individual in bucks county, pennsylvania, whose decades of service to our community were recently honored with a meaningful tribute. tom busby, who served the people of hilltown township for 46 1/2 years, most recently as director of public works, retired earlier this year. whether plowing the roads in wirnt or moag grass in the summer, tom spent hits career improving and beautifying our community's infrastructure and recreational facilities. tom's over four decades on the job touched countless families in bucks county. and to show their appreciation, township officials recently named the baseball field at civil park, the tomorrow mast a. busby baseball field. this worth dedication a was unveiled on september 12. i would like to extend my gratitude to tom for his years of service to hilltown township and our o entire community i also want to recognize the supervisor, manager, for their work as well. and i wish tom all the best in his retirement and successor, om, success in his new role. . mr. speaker, i rise today to recognize an individual in bucks county, pennsylvania, who has dedicated her career to the safety and well-being of our community's children. pennsbury school district, transportation director, charlie williams, recently named jean as the 2018 school bus driver of the year. for the past 14 years, jean has transported students who area schools, including pennsbury high school, william penn middle school, and quarry hill elementary school. during this time she cultivated strong and inspirational relationships with her students and their families. jean says she streets all children on her bus as if they are her own. a statement that i think puts into context her dedication to the job. her job driving does not stop with pennsbury. in the summer she also transports summer campers who participate in programs at the lower bucks family ymca. i would like to congratulate jean on this much deserved recognition and charlie williams for his dedication to transportation safety in our community in bucks county. mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from tennessee, mr. kustoff, for five minutes. mr. kustoff: mr. speaker, i rise today in support of families and children everywhere who have been afflicted by childhood cancer. this month, september is childhood cancer awareness month. as i think about the meaning behind this month, i realize the childhood cancer has had a significant impact on my district in west tennessee. according to the american childhood cancer organization, more than 15,000 children under age 21 are diagnosed with cancer each year. it's heartbreaking that any family must endure the pain caused by childhood cancer. now, thanks to the countless efforts by doctors, by nurses, researchers the childhood cancer survivoral rate has reached over 80%. back home we're fortunate to have state-of-the-art facilities dedicated to childhood cancer research with personnel working each and every day to see that our children are receiving the best possible care. st. jude children's research hospital in memphis provides topnotch cancer treatment to nearly 7,500 patients from all over the world each year. from medical personnel to volunteers to families sharing their testimonies, my area's filled with many who have dedicated their lives to the pursuit to end childhood cancer. here in congress i supported numerous initiatives to fight so that children have a chance of survival. most recently i co-sponsored and voted for the childhood cancer star act, which was signed into president trump this past summer. the great danny thomas, the founder of st. jude, believed that no child should die in the dawn of life. we come so far to increase the odds of survival and recovery, but we won't stop there. . i feel fortunate that each day we will find a cure and that every child has a chance to live. hank you and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from kentucky, mr. comer, for five minutes. mr. comer: mr. speaker, i rise today to recognize kristen hill taylor who received recognition as a 2018 angels and adoption honoree and who i'm honored to have with me in the gallery today. this is the second time i had the privilege of nominating a deserving individual for their outstanding work in the adoption community. kristen is a resident of murray, kentucky, along with her husband, greg, ander that three children they adopted as newborns, kate in 2007, ben in 2009, and rachel in 2015. a compassionate adoptive mother, kristen is an advocate for the adoption community and has created a great platform for sharing stories about adoption, family, and faith on her blog, kristenhilltaylor.com. she also self-published her family's story in a book entitled "peace in the process: how adoption built my faith and my family." kristen's advocacy and platform for story sharing have helped grow and empower many members of the adoption community both near and far. we have an active adoption and foster community in the district of kentucky, which i represent. and i'm proud to recognize adoptive families and individuals like kristen who paved the way for countless works in the adoption community. on behalf of the first district of kentucky, i congratulate kristen on all she does for children in need of loving homes and for families who want to grow through the adoption process. thank you, mr. speaker, and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: members are reminded to avoid making reference to occupants in the gallery. the chair now recognizes the gentleman from nebraska, mr. bacon, for five minutes. mr. bacon: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i rise today to commemorate hispanic heritage month by honoring one of our ch treasures of the midwest, almuzao latino. opened may 5, 1993. as the first latino art and history museum in the midwest. today it is only one of 17 latino museums in the u.s. it is a nonprofit organization with a mission to collect, exhibit, interpret latino arts of the americas. this commitment to strengthening the artistic and creative culture of the greater omaha area. it accomplishes this by providing direct support to local artists, increasing visibility of latino art forms and fostering appreciation of art for the benefit of a diverse audience. el museo latino creates exhibitions year round and recognizes national and international latino arts. exhibits range from pre-colombian and also has permanent displays. they have educational programs that are created for each of the exhibitions including bilingual guided visits, lectures, presentations, workshops, demonstrations and classes. the jaquesal programs are designed for children, teens and adults and folks on the visual performing arts. the art classes offered throughout the year include traditional art form and most featured in the museum's exhibits. it highlights special events mayo, many nco de holiday celebrations. other special community events include the presentation of films throughout the year as well as summer and outdoor screening of latino movies. magdalena garcia is passionate about the arts. prior to creating el museo latino, she volunteered many museums, including the museum of fine arts in houston and the art museum in erie, new york. after completing her arts egree in syracuse, she went to omaha. she had the support of community leaders including activists, educator, jim ramirez. through years of hard work, perseverance, passion, her dream became a reality. the museum officially opened on the help of with many volunteers. she has -- the mexican government honored her lifetime of achievement. over the past 25 years, the museum has had more than 150 exhibitions. without this treasure, much of the hispanic culture would be lost. thanks to ms. garcia and her board and the many contributions to the communities over the past 25 years, we look forward to many more years of hispanic heritage the ulture on display at latino museum. mr. speaker, i rise to honor my mom, my sister during this breast cancer awareness month which will be in october. while my mother survived this terrible disease, my sister lost her battle at the young age of 39. i also want to recognize the millions of people every year who are affected by cancer. breast cancer, along with ovarian, prostrate, pancreatic, colon, gastric, melanoma cancers are all he had red tear cancers that can be passed down from parents to children through their genes. thankfully there is a test -- there's testing that can make a significant and positive impact in identifying he had red tear cancers before they emerge. last month i took the test to determine if i had the genetic mutationes that could develop into any of these he had read tear cancers. while genetic mutations are thought to play a role in 5% to 0% of cancers, the chance of getting to is 50% if your parents have. i decided to be tested to see if i have that mutation. it's not only women who are victims of breast cancer but men as well. only only one in 1,000 men will get breast cancer it's still not something to ignore. the genetics markers, brca-1 and 2 and the chance to develop these cancers skyrocket by as much as 87%. the test was simple. the staff drew my blood and collected my family history including grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins on both sides, my mom and dad. it included the types of cancers, treatment given and age of diagnosis or as close as known. there are many organizations out there that offer information about genetic testing and including the american cancer society and in my district, the founder of the organization, brandy preston, joined me to offer support and guidance. the foundation not only provides emotional support but financial support for those testing that may not be covered. going public with my test i hope to encourage others who have a history of cancers in their family to go get tested. now early detection, there are too many tools. mr. speaker, i yield back. thank you. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from wisconsin, ms. moore, for five minutes. i rise : mr. speaker, today to encourage my colleagues to join me on a bipartisan basis as co-sponsors of scarlett's sunshine on sudden unexpected death act. this bill is intended to help us better understand why infants die between birth and age 4 so that we can take preventive action that is effective. mr. speaker, i have had the unfortunate experience of walking into the home of parents who are grieving and that grief doesn't just begin when their infant dies but goes on for a lifetime wondering, was it my fault, could i have done something, am i a bad rent, and they never get the answers. currently, we have no national guidelines for death scene investigations to follow when responding to an infant death. this means different states, different municipalities, all over the country collect inconsistent and often incomplete data on these unexplained sudden deaths. if we can't even collect good and consistent data, how can we expect to reverse this trend or even to prevent it. and i am ashamed to say, mr. speaker, that the infant mortality rate in the united states is 5.8 deaths per 1,000 live births. this is really unacceptable. and when you disaggregate these numbers for native american babies, black and white babies, we find that black babies die at a rate three times the national average. according to the centers for disease control and prevention, that really means that 23,000 infants have died of sudden infant death syndrome. in about 2015, about 3,700 infants died sudden. 23,000 deaths and parents who spend a lifetime in grief wondering why. this is a public health crisis. when you consider that in developed countries we are number 19 for preventing these kinds of deaths. my bill not only provides resources to invest in the c.d.c. and health and resources administration to train first responders, to improve death scene investigations, to do hild death reviews, to promote safety practicing but provides educational opportunities for parents as well. mr. speaker, these deaths are preventable, and we need to do everything in our power to give parents the knowledge and tools they need to achieve healthy outcomes and educating them on safe methods for handling their children. i encourage my colleagues to imagine how many babies' lives we can save by simply investing in the right programs to prevent their deaths. please join me in co-sponsoring this bill and supporting its swift enactment into law. with that i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from missouri, mrs. wagner, for five minutes. mrs. wagner: i thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today in support of working families across the country who are trying to make ends meet. as a mother, a grandmother and someone who employed moms and dads, i know raising a family is a great joy but can also be a great source of anxiety. children are a blessing, but raising a family introduces serious challenges and costs. in missouri, the average annual cost of center-based infant ,632. s estimated to be $8 that's $719 a month. infant care in missouri cost $634 more per year than in-state tuition at a four-year public college. and it is unaffordable for so very many families. according to a study published by the economic policy institute, a daycare center for two children, infant and, say, $17,940. ld, cost that's 102% more than the average rent in missouri. a typical family in missouri has to spend a shocking 30% of their income on daycare for their two children. in fact, it's estimated that the cost of childcare for two children exceeds annual median rent payments in every state. paying for childcare is just plain hard for every working family i've spoken with in the state of missouri. in the 1970's, congress heard america's families loud and clear and created the dependent care flexible spending accounts. these accounts allow parents to contribute pretax dollars to pay for qualified out-of-pocket dependent care expenses. they are not only for children. these accounts can also be used to pay for adult dependents who use adult daycare, elder care, or similar services. it's a great program, but it has not kept up with the needs of today's families. despite rising childcare costs, congress has not raised the .s.a. contribution cap since 1986. that's why this week i'm introducing the child and dependent care modernization act. this bill will modernize the maximum amount of family can contribute to dependent care flexible spending accounts to track with the real cost of dependent care today. it will also index the maximum contribution limit so that the value of an f.s.a. will increase in the future as dependent care costs increase. another challenge that many families enrolled in an f.s.a. experience is the use it or lose it rule. if parents don't use the full balance in their f.s.a. before the year ends, they forfeit their unused money, limiting the ability of parents to save for ongoing care and though costs. my bill will allow unused funds to roll over into the next plan year and return a little more freedom and flexibility to america's families. . this bill is part of my legislative work to make the lives of missouri families a little ease aier. i look forward to introducing this legislation and working with my colleagues to make it law. i thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to clause 12-a of rule 1, the chair declares the house in recess until noon today. >> live now to new york city. >> of the whole international community for the integrity of the weapons convention and the effort of the organization for the prohibition of the chemical weapons. the second issue i would like to highlight is the proliferation of nuclear weapons. permit me to make three points regarding this matter.

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