As speaker pro tempore on this day. Signed, john a. Boehner, speaker of the house of representatives. The speaker pro tempore pursuant to the order of the house of january 6, 2015, the chair will now rec m fm stsuitd the mari my lea f mni hr te. The chair will alternate recognition between the parties with each party limited to one hour and each mber the mari a mory leaderanmi w limit tfi mut, but in no event shall debate continue beyond 11 50 a. M. The speaker pro tempore the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from florida, ms. Roslehtinen, five mis. Ms. Roslehtinen thank you so much mr. Speaker. As an 8yearold child, i was forced to flee havana, cuba, with a my family for the shores of the United States of america, the shining city on a hill, and a beacon of hope and freedom to the world. The cuban american members of congress are all united by our love of this great country and our love and respect for freedom, for democracy and the rule of law because of where we come from and whom we represent. For us, these principles arent concepts that we take for granted. We cherish them because we know the alternative. We need look no further than just 60 miles south of the United States to see the alternative, where the castro regime has been entrenched for over 55 years and ruling the island with an iron fist. This is berto, one of the leaders of ladies in white, and shes been detained so many times she says to me, shes lost count and thats why we stand united in steadfast opposition by any attempts by the Obama Administration to normalize relations with the castro regime. President obamas audacity of human being russ has resulted in one exercise in folly after another and engagement with cuba is the height of that folly. What have we gotten in return . Let me turn to the next poster. This is a list of some of the many wanted criminals who have sought refuge and who have gotten it in castros cuba. We havent gotten any reforms from this deal and we havent gotten the returns of dozens of these criminals that castro has been harboring because they fled from justice in america. Like convicted new jersey state trooper killer jo ann ceesamard. She after the deal was announced, castro regime said, oh no, all of these people, well give them asylum. The f. B. I. Has put her on the mostwanted terrorist list and yet castro says, well give them asylum. And what have the cuban people received as a result of this administrations concessions . Well 53 Political Prisoners supposedly were released, mr. Speaker. Like some of these activists who are rounded up in a catch and release program of the castro regime. This list of 53, the Administration Hails as a victory, ignoring the fact that hundreds of political and antiregime activists, like these, were arrested and detained immediately before and after the announcement of the changes and almost 2,000 people were arrested or detained last year alone. This infamous list of 53 that has been praised by this administration and the castro regime is another reuss. Over a dozen individuals on that list were released prior to the december 15 announcement including this person, carlos perez. He was released over one year ago. Some were arrested even before june. Catch and release is the new program, the new playbook of the castro regime and obama deliberately has fallen for that ruse. Now the regime will feel embolden because the u. S. Has signed off on the mistreatment of its citizens and president obama has extended an economic lifeline to the regime that will allow it to continue this repression. Before there can be any discussion of changing our policy toward cuba, mr. Speaker, all Political Prisoners must be released, not this fake list of 53. Fair and multiparty elections must be held and the fundamental human rights of every cuban must be respected. Mr. Speaker, i warn my colleagues to pay close attention to what the Obama Administration is attempting to do in cuba because this will track with its attempts at reconciliation with iran another rogue nation, a state sponsor of terrorism. The administrations efforts in cuba have been the test case for iran and the two have paralleled each other. While the administration was Holding Secret talks with the castro regime, we know that he was penning secret leaders to irans Supreme Leader and conceding to iran the right to enrich uranium. These concessions to cuba are just a tip of the iceberg and it will open the doors to similar measures in iran where the Supreme Leader sees whats happening in cuba and says, hey, we can get away with that as well. Both have consequences to our National Security as our nations see that we lack the courage of our convictions and they will be willing to test us. Nicholas ma dura says, well Exchange Lopez who, maduro, has imprisoned in venezuela for one of the criminals imprisoned here in the United States. Think want to test us. They want they want to test us. They want to see what they can get for holding innocents in prison. Look at the appeasements this nation has given to russia. Theyll continue to act with impunity and our allies have turned away with us because instead of working with our allies we have been appeasing our enemies. So mr. Speaker, in closing, id like for this congress to take a close look at that list of 53 prisoners and remember that even if that were a true list which it is not, it is not about 53. It is about freedom for all Political Prisoners, some of whose names we will never know. Thank you mr. Speaker and i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewomans time has expired. The chair recognizes the gentleman from washington, mr. Mcdermott, for five minutes. Mr. Mcdermott i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. The speaker pro tempore without objection. Mr. Mcdermott mr. Speaker, we are now in our sixth month of war against isis. And make no mistake about it, we are at war in iraq. Though i do not recall a debate or a vote in this chamber authorizing that. I would respectfully remind the president , who is well versed in constitutional law, of something he already knows but appears unwilling to address. The executive is not permitted under the articles of constitution to unilaterally authorize military action in a situation that does not constitute an immeant threat. There is no doubt that isis is a deprafed and repugnant organization but our Intelligence Community has repeatedly said it does not imminently threaten the United States. And even if that assessment were to change following the horror we witnessed in paris we would still need a clear authorization and a serious debate about yet another american war in iraq. I and several of my colleagues in both chambers have been calling for such a debate since last august. In november, the president said he intended to work with the congress to craft a new authorization for the use of military force, or an aumf, in the antiisis campaign. Before it adjourned last year, the Senate ForeignRelations Committee drafted and passed a new if vague aumf, against the Islamic State of iraq and the levant. Mr. Speaker, the 113th congress abrogated its responsibility to acknowledge that the ongoing military campaign in iraq and syria cannot be sustained on the back of war powers notifications of two outdated aumfs. The start of this new congress is a perfect time to actually do something about this urgent need by debating and voting on something required of us six months ago. Over 3,000 american troops have been deployed to retrain Iraqi Army Brigades that will allegedly be the new and improved force to take over against isis. The chairman of the joint chiefs of staff declined to say over the weekend how long this training would take, so the Prime Minister of iraq volunteered to guess. Three years. Three years, which seems awfully optimistic. Iraq may be able to rebuild and restructure its military. Does this mean three more years of Coalition Air strikes, even if we even have a coalition by then . Does that mean three more years of military advisors to train forces that will never be ready . Does that mean three more years of american troops set out to reoccupy those deprepped bases that serve as a stark reminder 10 years ago we went to iraq without a strategy . Mr. Speaker, a apparently the reading on the constitution on the house floor last week was gratuitous since congress has no intention of following a key section of the constitution. When it comes to war and peace mr. Speaker, the Authority Remains firmly with the congress. Yet, we have sent our countrys sons and daughters to war without a new bill. A serious debate or a proper vote. Where is our sense of priority, reading the constitution or obeying it . Where is our sense of responsibility . We have already had six months of unilateral war against isis. Another three years is intolerable. Mr. President mr. Speaker, its up to you to invite the president to come up here and address this house, all 535 members of congress, to tell us what he needs and what hes decided is worth the sacrifice. It cannot be done it should not be done without an authorization from this congress. And to fail to do that is eroding to the very constitution that we say we support in this house. We have a civilian control of the military, not by one man, but by 435 members of congress. Thats the way its supposed to work. We need to have this debate now. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back. The chair recognizes the gentleman from pennsylvania mr. Costello, for five minutes. Mr. Costello thank you mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, we were sent to washington by our constituents to Work Together to encourage accountability, transparency and limited government. Bigger government does not necessarily mean more responsive government, but it has come to mean more costly government. When our Small Businesses and entrepreneurs, the backbone of our economy are forced to divert resources to costly new mandates, it means less capital for growing their business, less capital to hire more employees, less money to raise employee wages. Two statistics to me jump out. First, 64 of new jobs created in this country in the past 15 years have been through Small Businesses. Last year alone, new regulations cost our economy 67 billion. Were going to be dealing with several Regulatory Reform measures this week bipartisan pieces of legislation that will modernize the federal rulemaking process and put more power back in the hands of job creators. We need to help those who are too often squeezed by regulation the most, Small Businesses. We need to give them a larger voice in the process. We need to be a country that continues to welcome new ideas and innovation not a nation that overregulates from washington and inhibits our full economic potential. I look forward to forthcoming Regulatory Reform measures, to help streamline our government, get washington out of the way, bring stability and certainty to Small Businesses and help grow our economy. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back. The chair recognizes the gentleman from massachusetts, mr. Mcgovern, for five minutes. Mr. Mcgovern i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. The speaker pro tempore without objection. Mr. Mcgovern mr. Mcgovern mr. Speaker, i have come to the floor today to give a voice to those who are hungry. To share their struggles and challenge my house colleagues to take meaningful action to end hunger now. Last week the center on budget and policy priorities released a troubling new report estimating that roughly one million unemployed americans will be cut off from snap benefits over the course of 2016. The report anticipates that those affected will lose between 150 and 200 per person per month in food benefits. Cuts that will cause serious hardship. Mr. Speaker, this is shameful and it deserves our attention. We should be working to end hunger now not making it worse. The 1996 welfare law limits individuals, aged 1850, who are not disabled or caring for Young Children to three months of snap benefits in any 36month period if they arent employed or in a Work Training program for 20 hours or more a week. Sounds reasonable but when jobs and job training arent available, it isnt so reasonable. During times of high unemployment governors can request a waiver to the threemonth time limit for the state. During the Great Recession governors both republicans and democrats in 46 states have requested and have been granted some type of waiver from the threemonth time limit. This enabled unemployed adults to continue to look for a job in a tough job market without going hungry. Mr. Speaker, our economy continues to improve and Unemployment Rates across the country are falling. But we are not out of the woods yet. And the most vulnerable among us those with limited education and skills, continue to struggle to find work. In october, 201 the center on budget and policy priorities estimated there were two unemployed workers for every available position. By that measure even if any unavailable job were filled by an unemployed individual, there would still not be jobs for those who needed one. When the current waiver expires the problem is most states offer few if any job Training Programs. They arent required to do so. In states that do offer work programs, the number of individuals who need them far outnumber the available slots. Come 2016 an unemployed adult actively looking for work, no matter how many job postings they respond to or resumes they send out will arbitrarily be cut off from receiving food benefits through no fault of their own. The threemonth time limit as it is drafted is a severe penalty that hurts an already vulnerable population. According to usda data, those who would be affected have an average monthly income of over 19 of the poverty line. They often to not even qualify for any other types of assistance. Mr. Speaker it is unconscionable that one million of the poorest americans would be cut off from food benefits because their state does not offer job Training Programs or does not have the capacity to meet the demand for those who need help improving their skills. These individuals would be left on their own at an already difficult time. They may be forced to choose between food and rent or other necessities. Mr. Speaker, we need to adequately fund our job Training Programs which this congress has consistently failed to do. And we need to ensure that unemployed adults who are diligently searching for jobs do not go hungry while they look for work. I am concerned, deeply concerned about reports that Republican Leaders want to launch yet another assault against snap. They want to cut the program even more. That would be a mistake. And a disservice to one of the most efficiently and effectively run federal programs. Even more important, it would be a disservice to so many of our citizens who are struggling in poverty. Mr. Speaker, im also concerned about a republican majority thats more interested in adhering to a political sound bite than in pursuing sound policy. Lets focus on ending hunger and ending poverty. Lets bring to the end the nasty, cruel and negative rhetoric thats been used to demagogue snap and those who rely on the benefit that was evident in the last congress. It is tough to be poor in america. It is hard work. We in congress should be part of the swlution not part of the problem. Solution not part of the problem. We can do better. We can and should do more to end hunger now. I yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back. The chair recognizes the gentleman from texas, mr. Green for five minutes. Mr. Green thank you, mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, im proud to say that i stand at the podium today to thank two members of congress who on last week took the lead on lead. Lead is Law Enforcement appreciation day. I want to thank congresspersons jolly and reichert for what they did on last friday in paying a special tribute, if you will, to the 900,000plus who serve us as peace officers in the United States of america. Im very proud to say that in my family i had an uncle who was a peace officer, and he had an influence on my life that literally changed the course of my life and set me on the course that i currently am pursuing. My you cannle uncle and i were riding along together and i was asking a lot of questions, and he made a statement that became indelible with me. He said, this boy is asking so many questions, i think hes going to be a lawyer. I was younger than 10. I dont think i knew what a lawyer was. Im not sure how old i was. I remember i was very young. But i also remember that if my uncle thought that being a lawyer was a good thing for me then that was the thing that i should do. This was a peace officer, a Police Officer, Deputy Sheriff that had a Lasting Impact on my life. And im so grateful for his service to his community and the way he has been an outstanding citizen in his community. His name is dallasates. Dallas yates. Im proud to tell you that when i saw these congresspersons paying tribute to Police Officers peace officers, i concluded i would have to add to the record some thoughts because there is a phrase that we u