hereby appoint the honorable john j. duncan to act as speaker pro tempore on this day. signed, john boehner, speakers speerk of the house of representatives. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the order of the house of january 7, 2014, 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 with each party limited to one hour and each member other than the majority and minority leaders and the minority whip limited to five minutes each, but in no event shall debate continue beyond 11:50 a.m. the chair recognizes the gentleman from oregon, mr. lumenauer, for five minutes. mr. blumenauer: thank you, mr. speaker. i stepped away from a ways and means subcommittee on health to come to the floor. the purpose of this hearing is once again to attack the affordable care act, lay the foundation for the republican goal of repeal of the affordable care act. i frankly lost track of the number of attempts to repeal the bill. 50, 60, you know, it really doesn't matter. the affordable care act is here to stay and will be throughout the tenure of president obama. despite some difficulties in its implementation, the president is justly proud of the health care reform as a signal accomplishment of his administration. many of the problems that we're facing in the implementation of have been the result of republican intransigent. there was unrelenting opposition. republicans in the senate refused to cooperate and refused to legislate, denying the 60-vote threshold necessary to move the bill forward. as a result, the bill was adopted through a process called reconciliation where you just melded the two bills together. this is not a bill that anybody would have designed but could easily have been made better should our republican friends have chosen. but instead they continued this unyielding assault. even without their results, the results is pretty remarkable. we have the lowest rate of medical inflation in years. the congressional budget office have been skibtly lowering the long-term -- consistently lowering the long-term cost estimates of medicare. this is probably the most powerful evidence that we're getting runaway health care costs under control. that remains the single greatest threat to the fiscal stability of our country. we've been doing much more than merely controlling costs. there are more than eight million people with marketplace insurance and about 3/4 of them receive tax credits to help reduce the cost. six million low-income people have been enrolled in medicaid, another six million children have been able to stay on their parents' health plans and 129 million, i dare say, that includes most of us in congress, can no longer be denied care because of pre-existing medical conditions. as i said, there are lots that can be done to improve the system. today i had a chance to address the case management society of america about one of them. congressman petri and i introduced a transitional care benefit that would greatly reduce the chance of hospital readmissions that are not just costly. they represent a failure to deliver health care to our citizens and reduce the stress and strain on families with loved ones who've left the hospital. this could save billions of dollars and frankly doesn't remotely depend on whether or not you support obamacare. another great example is legislation that dr. phil row and i introduced -- phil roe and i introduced for the federal government finally placing a value on conversations with patients and their families concerning the end of life. there is value-based insurance that i'm co-sponsoring with representative black. representative roskam has the prime act. representative gerlach for several years had legislation for a secure access card. the list of opportunities is long and represents an extraordinary chance to build on reform, not just a futile effort at undermining it. someday the american public is going to insist we grow up and do our jobs. and there would be no better place to start than building on the promise of health care reform, not just to save money but to improve the lives of americans of all ages. the hypocrisy here is breathtaking. refuse to legislate and then attack it for its faults. starve the i.r.s. and c.m.s. of resources to properly administrator -- administer the law and then complain that the i.r.s. and c.m.s. is not properlyly administering it. the american public has a right to expect better from the people's house. omeday they will get it. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from michigan is recognized for five minutes. >> thank you, mr. speaker. mr. walberg: although criminal forfeiture laws have been an important tool and a useful tool for law enforcement, civil asset forfeiture has been used too many times to seize, forfeit and indeed profit the properties of americans without charging them with crimes. innocent until proven guilty. the activity can be a boon for police budgets as the federal asset forfeiture fund exceeded $2 billion in 2013 and equitable sharing agreements between the department of justice and local police departments accounted for over $600 million. while policing certainly is a vital element of an effective owe site, let's also be mindful of the fact that our constitution emphasizes individual rights above all. for this reason i introduced h.r. 5212, the civil asset forfeiture reform act, to limit the scope, the power and the reach of the government to abuse their forfeiture powers in violation of individual rights guaranteed to us by our constitution. i urge all my colleagues to support this needed reform effort and to again assure our citizens of their civil liberties and the opportunity to prove innocence or defend guilt. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the chair now recognizes the gentleman from illinois, mr. gutierrez, for five minutes. my press rez: secretary kept me pretty busy the last few days talking about the president's decision to delay executive language on immigration in two languages. i made it clear from a political standpoint in the short run and the long run i think the president should have taken action before election day in order to be more transparent with the american people about the policy we all know is coming. it makes the job harder for me to generate enthusiasm to vote at all, let alone voting for democrats when there are members of my own party asking the president to hold his pen and his phone in a band until after the voters vote. from a policy standpoint every week we delay is bad for our country. from a humanitarian perspective, deporting the parents of u.s. citizens is not in our national interest. make it impossible for spouses of legal immigrants and citizens of the united states to pick up the pieces they've -- visas they've already been issued to them is not in our national interest. and it has a damaging impact on the fabric of our community. it dampens the economy along commercial thureo fares like 26th street, a key engine of the chicago economy and tax base. perhaps more important to those living outside of immigrant communities is to know that when the president acts he will announce a tough but fair solution for millions of immigrants who do not have visas or any way of getting a visa but have lived and worked here peacefully for years, even decades. it would work something like this if they come forward, if they submit their fingerprints at their own expense of the f.b.i. and if they pass a rigorous background check and meet other requirements, we'll issue them a biometric identification card to say they are not a priority for deportation. not only would we get them in the system and on the books, but now they are in a program that needs to be reviewed periodically with strict rules. this will create a huge incentive not to violate the rules of the program or the rules of our society. i know the president has heard all these arguments, and i don't think i will convince him to change his mind again and move forward with key improvements to our deportation policies before november 4, but let us be clear. i think he's already made two important decisions. number one, there is no longer any question that the president of the united states has the legal authority to act on immigration and deportations under current law. even republicans who have hired the best lawyers at taxpayers' expense to prepare lawsuits against the president agree and didn't include immigration in their far-fetched list of presidential overreaches. this is settled law and despite the shouts of talk radio and a few on the republican side, there's no real serious debate about the rock-solid legal ground from which the president can act and has already acted. secondly, i know the president has decided that going big, going broad and going generous and going quickly after the election is the right decision because he and secretary jay johnson have to set enforcement priorities about which people they will deport first and which people they will deport last based on national security, economic interests of this country. he will act up to the limits of current law. and believe me, i can hear the cries from the other side. he can't act because we, republicans, may try to do something on immigration in the lame duck. the president can't act because we, republicans, are going to put the bipartisan coalition back together again in the new 114th congress and we'll get reform passed in both houses. or, you know, we were just kidding when we said all that stuff about immigration after our defeat on election day in 2012. those say this time we really mean it because 2016 and the electoral college are staring us in the face. but, no, i know the president and the democrats will not fall for that again. i don't see the president saying he will act if you don't act as we have been saying for two years. this time i see the president acting first, acting broadly and acting generously, laying out a broad array of executive actions to mitigate the damage that is being done by our country by congressional inaction on immigration reform. if the republicans are inclined, they can take action. it's what we've within begging them to do for decades on this issue. we may work with you if you're serious about it. but it will not longer be accepted by a delaying tactic by the executive branch of government. it will be a response to presidential action. i think the president will have the courage to act and then it is congress' chance to act. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the chair recognizes the gentleman from kentucky, mr. rogers, for five minutes. mr. rogers: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i rise today to pay tribute to a dear friend of southern and eastern kentucky, mr. bill sweary, upon his retirement as director of federal relations at the university of kentucky. during his 42 years at the university, bill has been a champion for progress and education, health care and energy research across the state. behind the sayings of kentucky's highly esteemed flagship university, bill has been a driving force, seeking out partnerships, programs, funding to help the most distressed region of the commonwealth. i'm certain there's not a single resource that bill hasn't reverend for the benefit of -- researched for the benefit of southern and eastern kentucky. no one knows the value and power of creating and sustaining longtime partnerships like bill. if the university of kentucky needed a partner to improve education or access to health care, bill ensured the connection was secured with his genuine, kind and humble approach. most leaders seek recognition or credit for their own efforts, but that's never been the case for bill. his work has led to exponentialal growth of u.k.'s research enterprise and just started new research initiatives that have enabled the university to be successful in completing -- competing for federal grants and contracts. this rivetting scientific research on cancer, fossel energy, transportation and agriculture is playsing new trails in every respect and every aspect of our everyday life and our country, to say nothing of our state is better off for it. he's fought for legislation that's important to u.k. and student financial aid. bill has been a leader in the science coalition and actively involved in the council on governmental affairs and the association of public and land grant universities. over the years, he's deservedly gained the utmost respect of his peers in federal relations. . as he farts his post, mr. speaker, at the university of kentucky, it's my intention to ensure bill receives the recognition that's due him. for his tireless efforts on behalf of students and families all across kentucky, and specifically living in kentucky's fifth congressional district. we hope he knows he always has the thanks of a grateful big blue nation. mr. speaker, i ask my colleagues to join me as we honor my friend bill as we bid him a joy filled retirement. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the chair now recognizes the gentleman from illinois, mr. quigley, for five minutes. mr. quigley: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, just last month hundreds of thousands of residents in toledo, ohio, were left without access to potable water and faced an extended drinking water ban after unsafe toxin levels likely caused by a lake yeary algae bloom were found at a city water treatment plant. in january, charleston, west virginia residents faced a similar ban on their drinking water after a chemical spill. george ber marched shaw once said, success does not consist in never making mistakes, but in never making the same one a second time. one would think after two new incidents that left hundreds of thousands of americans without access to clean drinking water, this body would jump into action to prevent this from ever happening again. and yet, mr. speaker, the house hasn't only refused to act, yesterday we actually voted to prevent the administration from acting. again and again my colleagues continue to introduce bills and riders that would endanger our drinking water while ignoring basic scientific principles in the process. today more than 117 million americans get their drinking water from systems that rely on rivers, streams, and wetlands, which at this very moment are not clearly protected under the clean water act. let me say that again. 117 million americans are getting their drinking water from bodies of water that may not be protected from pollution or destruction. american families deserve clarity, and that's exactly what the administration is trying to provide with their proposed clean water act rule. and unbelievably enough, that's exactly what the house voted to prevent yesterday. for years, we relied on the clean water act to protect the nation's waters. for my constituents back home in chicago, that meant everything from wetlands on the shores of lake michigan to the inland streams that flow across the great lakes region. but two supreme court recent decisions in 2001 and 2006 changed all that leaving us with a confusing time consuming and frustrating process for determining which of the nation's waters are now protected under federal law and which are not. it is imperative that we close what has become a harmful loophole, and that's what the e.p.a. and the army corps of engineers are trying to do with their proposed rule, claring filing the scope of the clean water act. let -- clarifying the scope of the clean water act. the e.p.a. and engineers are acting within the authority granted them by congress under the clean water act to legally clarify the statute's jurisdiction. this clarity is desperately needed, especially in the great lakes basin. half the streams in the great lakes states lack clear water protection simply because they do not all flow all year. this lack of protection has taken its toll, slowing permitted decisions for responsible development and reducing protections for drinking water supplies and critical habitats. the the proposed rule would restore clean water act protections to wetlands and trib torrey streams because the science clearly shows these water bodies are connected. before proposing this rule, the e.p.a. analyzed more than 1,000 pier re-- peer reviewed scientific watt articles. pollution -- articles. pollution is clearly going down water ways. healthy wetlands filter polluted runoffs that otherwise would flow into rivers, streams, and great water bodies across the body. wedlands and tributaries provide wetlands for wildlife and replenish ground water supplies. we cannot protect the great lakes without drinking water supplies -- and our drinking water supplies without first protecting the wedlands and upstream waters that feed into them. congress passed the clean water act with the intention of protecting our waterways, and that's what it did for almost 30 years. now this administration is trying to bring back these protections this house has undermined. let's not make the same mistake twice. let's let the experts do their job. thank you. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the chair now recognizes the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. rothfus, for five minutes. mr. rothfus: thank you, madam speaker. madam speaker, we rise today to face special -- pay special tribute to the veterans of foreign wars, also known as the v.f.w., on the 100th anniversary of its organization in september, 1914. the ladies auxiliary of veterans of foreign wars was also organized in 1914. over the past century, members of the v.f.w. have worked tirelessly to ensure that veterans receive the respect, honor, and support they deserve. the v.f.w. was formed when the american veterans of foreign service anti-national society of the army of the philippines merged during a conference at the former friendly hotel, now the william pitt union at the university of pittsburgh. a pennsylvania historic society marker that sits between the soldiers and sailors hall and the william pitt union commemorating the occasion reads, the veterans of foreign wars organized september 14 to 171914 at the former hotel near here. veterans who served in cuba, puerto rico, the philippines, and china were among its founders. since its founding, the v.f.p. has done tremendous work to serve veterans and family members. the organization played a central role in the creation of the u.s. department of veterans affairs and the g.i. bill. in addition, the v.f.w. helped spearhead the creation of the vietnam war, korean war, world war ii, and women and military service memorials. it continues this legacy of service by helping veterans and their family members secure v.a. benefits, including disability claims and pensions. the v.f.w. continues to play an important role as iraq and afghanistan veterans return home and adjust to civilian life. mr. speaker and colleagues, please join us in recognizing and expressing sincere gratitude for the veterans of foreign wars anti-important work they have done and continue to do to stand with those who have stood for us. i thank the speaker. yield back. if the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from pennsylvania yields back the balance of his time. the chair now recognizes the gentleman from texas, mr. ga layingo -- gallon yageo, for five minutes. -- gallego, for five minutes. mr. gallego: thank you, mr. speaker. today as we continue our journey through the 23d district of texas, aid like to highlight the historic city of sequaro in el paso county. a valley named for three historic missions founded by spanish priests, soldiers, and colonists. it is also home to the high school's bulldogs. known for many things, but particularly they are known for their prowess in baseball. it is a former state champion in baseball and in a state as big as texas, that's a pret yea impressive fete. -- impressive -- pretty impressive feat. the spanish and indian refugees who were fleaing the new mexico pueblo indian revolt led them to the el paso area. two years later they built a mission. the second oldest mission in texas. unfortunately, this first mission was swept away by a flood on the rio grande in 1744 and a second mission was built. today it may be hard to immanlin, but the rio grande in those days was a wild river much different from the dry river bed or placid stream of today. and a powerful flood also washed away the second mission in 1829. in 1843, the main part of the present mission was completed and at that time it had a population of about 1,100 people. the city is one of those cities in texas that has seen several flags flown over it. founded by the spanish, it became a part of mexico from 1821 to 1848. as a result of the us us mexican war, it became part of texas. the area around el paso can be arid and harsh, but the secret to the longevity has been its well designed system of irrigation canals still in existence today and they have provide water for crops and vineyards. the development suffered a setback in 1881 when the railroads laid their track all he way to el paso but bypassed seguaro. yet the determined city continued to grow and diversified and develop various industries, its resolute citizens were determined to stay in the area. later on, unscrupulous developers started to build homes and residential subdivisions there that didn't have paved streets. but the residents again raised up against these builders to make sure their city survived and prospered. today, the city is home to some 32,000 people making it the 95th largest city in texas. e city is el paso county's municipality. and there is a lot of history, a lot of plays to go and see. if you have a young kid and child, you'll want to hang out where the community gathers and that's at bulldog championship park which includes a splash park, walking trails, and a pond. there is also the entertainment center known as speaking rock, operated by a pueblo tribe located there. the entertainment center welcomes recording artists like b.b. king. they are served by the independent school district, one high school, three middle schools, five elementaries. i invite people visiting the 23rd to stop by there, enjoy the culture, and, mr. speaker, thank you very much. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas yields back the balance of his time. the chair now recognizes the gentlewoman from west virginia, mrs. capito, for five minutes. mrs. capito: thank you, mr. speaker. later today the house will consider the employee health care protection act, and i urge my colleagues to support this important piece of legislation. as i traveled west virginia during the august recess, i heard from small business owners and workers across the state that their health insurance premiums are increasing. also heard that their deductibles are increasing squite rapidly. given that the obama administration's own centers for medicare and medicaid studies found that 11 million small business employees will see their premiums increase due to obamacare, it was sad. but not surprising that businesses in west virginia and around the country are feeling the pinch of this law's misguide policies. yesterday, a report issued by the american action forum, found that the affordable care act regulations are reducing small business' pay by $22.6 billion annually, and the rising premiums spurred by the law have cost our nation's economy more than 350,000 jobs. in my state of west virginia, more than half of our private sector workers are employed by small businesses. making sure that health insurance on the small group market is affordable is important to both the family budgets and make sure those small businesses can continue to grow and provide jobs. we saw last fall that the tremendous problems and uncertainty that occurred when roughly five million americans who purchased insurance on the individual market received cancellation notices. but recent testimony at the house energy and commerce committee has indicated that millions more workers who have employer-based -- employer-sponsored plans could get similar notices starting as early as this year. if a worker is forced to change health insurance policies, their new plan might not include their doctor or their community hospital. this is another example of overreaching government that is taking away the freedom of individuals and businesses to make the health care decisions that best fit their unique circumstances. the bill the house will consider today is very simple. if a plan was offered on the group health insurance market in 2013, that plan can continue to be offered for the next five years. any worker covered by one of these plans will not be fined under the individual mandate. the employer health care protection act keeps the president's promise that people who like their insurance -- health insurance can keep it. and i -- it also provides more affordable alternatives for small businesses whose health care costs are soaring. this bill is a common step -- commonsense step forward. there is still much more work that needs to be done. we need to go back to the drawing board and enact true health care reform. we should build on the good ideas like helping those woo pre-existing conditions and allowing children to remain on their parents' benefit until the age of 26. these are good things. we should get rid of the bad ideas like the job killing employer mandate, individual mandate, and regulation that is cost many americans the insurance plan anti-doctor they choose. and if we should enact -- when we enact meaningful medical liability reform, we should help spur association health plans and allow insurance to be sold across state line to broaden competition in the individual insurance market. we need to come together to fix our broken health care system, but today the least we can do is keep the promise the president made to the american people and allow current plans to continue to be available. i ask my colleagues to support the employer health care protection act and i yield back the balance of my time. . the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back the balance of her time. have mr. sherman that's next. the chair now recognizes the gentleman from california, mr. sherman, for five minutes. mr. sherman: mr. speaker, i rise in support of the effective action and wise president n by the of the united states regarded by isis. we were alarmed by isis early military successes. those who jompe simplify the middle -- oversimplify the middle east demand its immediate destruction without sufficient examination of the costs and the effects. the president recognizes that the situation calls for action, but its complexity also calls for caution. he's ordered over 150 air strikes which have punished isis, killing hundreds of its fighters and securing military victories at mosul dam, protecting the minority, protecting our kurdish allies nd protecting the shiite turkamen, four important military victories and just as importantly we have pushed back isis and prevented its further expansion in iraq. yet, the simple-minded argue that all of our problems in the middle east would disappear if only we had a president with a different personality or they assume that, isis can be destroyed immediately without any american boots on the ground. the ground forces necessary to destroy isis immediately and that deployment would involve hundreds, if not thousands, of american casualties. even if we had a victory over isis that was swift, our forces would be the ones on the ground. we would then be viewed as responsible for providing security, which would require a prolonged presence. now, some fantasize that turkey or saudi arabia or somebody else, just not us, will be willing to deploy ground forces and suffer major casualties. well, keep in mind that turkey and saudi arabia weren't willing to suffer any casualties to destroy saddam hussein in our final war against them and that these two sunni nations hate some of the enemies of isis as much as they hate isis. if they're going to be troops on the ground they won't magically appear from others in the region. the greatest flaw in the simple thinking is to focus exclusively on who we want to destroy without asking who will be empowered by such destruction. who are the enemies of isis that isis is fighting today? who would step into the vacuum if isis were rapidly destroyed? four entities. the al-nusra front, the chief ival in syria which is part of al qaeda. second, assad, who's killed over 191,000 of his own people. third, the extremist shiite militias and perhaps president -- former prime minister maliki. these are forces that killed hundreds of americans last decade. and fourth, hezbollah and its patron iran who killed hundreds of americans in lebanon in 1983 and also killed hundreds of americans in iraq last decade. now, there's constant discussion that isis might have the ability to conduct operations outside the middle east, perhaps against us. hezbollah and iran have killed hundreds of people in actions in asia, south america, africa and europe. so let us be clear, those who will take power if isis is swept aside are nearly as evil as isis. let us applaud a president who has taken decisive action, acted with caution, achieved significant military victories and done it all without a single american casualty. finally is the issue of congress. what is our role? some think that our role is to dodge tough votes, leave town next week and stay away until veterans day all without voting on what america is doing in the middle east. unfortunately we ought to do our job. the war powers act allows the resident to act for 60 or 90 days. after that we are -- if congress refuses to act, the president either has to violate the constitution or summon congress back and hope that we do our job. we ought to pass a resolution authorizing air operations for a significant period of time while not expanding the president's limited rights to deploy ground forces. we ask our pilots to do their job. we in congress should do ours. let's consider a war powers act resolution. let's take the tough vote. the speaker pro tempore: the time of the gentleman has expired. the chair now recognizes the gentlewoman from wisconsin, ms. moore, for five minutes. thank you so very much, mr. speaker. i rise today to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the passage of the violence against women act. our nation has certainly come a long way in advancing the rights of women. in fact, just a few weeks ago our country celebrated women's equality day, a day commemorating the passage of the 19th amendment to the constitution, granting women the right to vote. women united together against incredible odds have fought for the right to participate in our mocratic process, and now 19 -- 94 years later, our fight for our dignity continues in our own homes, the war being paged against domestic violence. the violence against women act embodies that fight against women being brutal o'sed by those who claim to love us. the violence against women act provides the resources for women to access police protection, legal services and social services. the passage in re authorization of the violence against women act was a victory for our entire country, a victory for native american women who had been raped and brutalized on tribal lands with impunity, a victory for lgbtq victims whose agony was ignored because of their gender identity, a victor for young women in college whose institutions were dare elect in their response -- dir elect in their response of boys being boys. a victory for children whose emotional wounds has scabbed over with no healing balm. we can take comfort knowing that the violence against women act is making a true difference in the lives of countless women across the country. it has helped reduce domestic violence by shifting the way our culture responds to it. for instance, our services training officers prosecutors, or stop grant program, provides vital funding to local communities, giving them the tools they need to strengthen the states' criminal justice system response for victims. and the violence against women act isn't just socially responsible. it's fiscally responsible as well. in its first six years alone, the violence against women act saved taxpayers at least $12.6 billion in net averted social costs. a recent study found that civil protection orders saved one state, kentucky, on average $85 million in a single year. the road to this victory wasn't traveled alone. as i look around, i see many of those who stood with me in the face of partisan opposition and obstruction. i see the faces of friends and champions, like representative donna edwards and representative tom cole and representative louise slaughter and representative john conyers and leader nancy pelosi, but i don't want to just talk about members of this body but talk about those who walked outside these halls. champions like president obama and vice president joe biden and president and secretary clinton and kim gandhi from the national -- gandy from the national network to end violence and all those native american tribes who showed up to stand for the re-authorization. as i stand here remembering those who have walked with us, i'm reminded of my very own home district of milwaukee. our community will once again host the annual brides walk, sponsored by the latina resource center. this walk commemorates a dominican american woman who was brutally murdered by her jealous ex-boyfriend in new jersey on her wedding day. this beautiful bride was shot dead in her wedding dress. this event, the brides walk, was inspired by a staunch advocate for women's rights, josie ashton, who raised awareness about domestic violence by walking from new doning her orida, own wedding dress, sleeping in shelters from new jersey to florida to show the problems and challenges of domestic violence, a reminder that sometimes so-called love can turn to abuse. this event, the brides walk in milwaukee, will be celebrated by women doning wedding gowns and walking through the streets of milwaukee speaking against domestic violence. they will be accompanied by brave men who walk by their side. so i urge people in milwaukee to join the march against domestic violence in milwaukee and to use social media to bring attention to this pressing issue and i thank you for your indulgence and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the time of gentlewoman has expired. the chair now recognizes the gentleman from north carolina, mr. butterfield, for five minutes. r. butterfield: thank you. thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, we only have 24 legislative days left in the 113th congress. yet, the republican majority has failed to pass any meaningful legislation. the last two years have been wasted with partisan rhetoric and legislative initiatives that amount to nothing more than talking points. house republicans have made this the least productive congress in recent memory. they've waged a sustained war against low-income citizens by blocking commonsense legislation that would raise the minimum wage and restore emergency unemployment insurance. they continue to oppose efforts to ensure women receive equal pay for equal work. for the first time in the history of our nation, they are pursuing a frivolous lawsuit against the president at taxpayer expense, and i continue to fume about that lawsuit. republicans seem proud that this prestigious body has been labeled the do-nothing congress. for the past two years, democrats have repeatedly called on the republicans to tackle a pro-jobs, pro-middle class agenda. democrats have consistently put forth proposals that would grow jobs and provide workers with a living wage and fix our broken immigration system. instead of working with democrats to bring about the change supported by the majority of americans, republicans have refused to act. instead, the republican majority has spent the 113th congress appealing to the fringes of the republican party. they wasted hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars trying to defend the defense of marriage act. they held hearing after hearing after hearing to pursue conspiracy theories about benghazi at the expense of our nation's delicate work in a volatile region. and for the first time in the history of our republic, the republicans voted to sue the president of the united states for delaying a health care mandate that they themselves have long opposed. my republican colleagues, mr. speaker, routinely walk away from key discussions and negotiations, failing to lead but worse, failing the american people. they have, however, succeeded in making this republican-controlled house one of the least productive and least divided in our nation's history. in the senate where 60 votes are needed to pass any bill, republicans have also been successful in blocking important proposals that have the overwhelming support of the american people. . as a result america's confidence in congress has fallen to less than 10%. the american people desperately need their elected representatives to come together to advance policies that benefit our citizens. the american people don't care about republicans or democrats. they care about us working to improve their lives. but republicans insist on driving us further apart. instead of doing the work we were elected to do, house republicans have scheduled another five week break beginning october -- in october. i guess obstruction must really be exhausting to all of them. there is so much work that remains to be done. i pray my republican colleagues hear me. now is the time to work the will of the american people. that's what we were sent here to do. i urge the majority to end this congress on a high note. cancel the five week break, i'm serious. cancel the five week break. i can handle it if you can handle it. let's raise the minimum wage, reform our immigration system, and ensure equal pay for equal work. it is what the american people expect and deserve. i thank you for the time, mr. speaker. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the chair now recognizes the gentlewoman from alabama, miss le -- sewell, for five minutes. ms. sewell: i rise today to highlight the urgent need for 24 states to expand medicaid for the 5.7 million americans who fall into the medicaid gap. among those excluded are 435,000 cashiers, 341,000 cooks, and 253,000 nurses aides. these hardworking americans should not have to choose between groceries and medicine, or between rent and a doctor's visit. on behalf of all alabamans, i would like to extend my sincere gratitude to my colleagues, representatives butterfield and johnson, for heading up the state medicaid expansion caucus, of which i am a proud member. it is painfully unsettling that the 24 states not expanding medicaid are the very states where the concentration of those living in poverty and without health care is the most acute. the 24 states that have rejected medicaid expansion are home to over half of the nation's population. but 68% of the poor, uninsured, blacks, and single mothers. these constituents have the highest burden of illness and cost to our entire health care system. alabamans, and 5.7 million americans who fall in the coverage gap are our most vulnerable citizens. about 60% of the nation's uninsured working poor live in these 24 states. these individuals pay their taxes. they work hard, and they contribute to our community. our government should support them in return. to not expand medicaid for these hardworking americans is reckless disregard for their dramatic deeds and their important work that they do in our community. expanding medicaid is not only a moral imperative, but an economic imperative as well. there is not a state in the country that will benefit from its refusal to accept federal dollars provided to them to expand their medicaid program. alabamans need jobs and they need health care. without raising a cent in taxes, my governor and state leaders can achieve both job creation and health care coverage by expanding medicaid. the facts are clear. there is not an economic development investment in alabama's history that will provide the state with 35,000 new jobs like medicaid expansion would. our states' leaders cannot be honest with their constituents in arguing that there are -- they are interested in economic development while turning down $375 million a quarter. in the state of alabama, the income ceiling for medicaid in its current form for a family of three is 3,560 annually. that is less than $10 a day for a family of three. this is the lowest medicaid income ceiling in the country. so families that earn a mere $15 day are left behind when it comes to being able to afford access to affordable health care. while i understand the political realities in which we operate, and in which my governor operates, i do not understand the shameful negligent of our most vulnerable constituents. our rural hospitals and our fragile economy that is presented in our state's refusal to accept medicaid expansion. our most sacred responsibility to serve our constituents shall not be compampled -- examined and instituted through such a dangerous and partisan lens. with each day my state of alabama delays expansion, more of our constituents are unable to work due to unrelated health conditions. americans who are both impoverished and sick should not have to wait one more day while our state leaders play political football with this urgent issue. this is why i am so proud to stand with my colleagues in the state medicaid expansion caucus today in sending a clear message to our state leaders that enough is enough. we need to expand medicaid now or every state in the union. if the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back the balance of her time. pursuant to clause 12-a of rule 1, the chair declares the house primary. falling to challenger seth moulton. he has been hampered by a gambling scandal involving his wife and brother-in-law. mr. moulton a first time can date and iraq wartime veteran was ahead of tierney. 91st3% of precincts reporting. that's according to the associated press. live now on c-span3, house homeland security subcommittee hearing from homeland security department and state department officials about the threat of isis domestically. that is happening right now. border and homeland security officials testifying. after that hearing we are planning to open our phone lines to get your thoughts about whether isis poses a threat to the u.s. here at home. you can also react on our cebook page at facebook.com/c-span. quick reminder that president obama will be speaking to the nation tonight about his plan to defeat isis. his address from the white house starts tonight at 9:00 eastern on the c-span networks. and we'll take your comments afterwards. also defense secretary chuck hagel and joint chief staff chair will come to capitol hill. they'll speak to the senate armed services committee on the threat posed by isis. we'll have live coverage of his testimony next tuesday morning on c-span3. the a.p. reporting secretary of state john kerry is pressing iraq's shiite leader to deliver more power to the sunnis or jeopardize any hope of defeating the military group islamic state. he's in baghdad many creeded his top government ministers. secretary kerry spoke to the media a short time ago. we'll have his comments later. an update on yesterday's meeting at the white house between president obama and congressional leaders and preview of tonight's speech by the president which we will carry on the c-span networks at 9:00 eastern. phone is alex bolton, a staff writer. we will have coverage for the details of that, go to c-span.org. the president is going to lay .ut his coverage he met with congressional leaders at the white house, did he give them any details. those congressional leaders are laying it out for us. they don't want to preempt the president, that one of the key things they told congressional leaders is that he is not going .o be asking congress to vote after what they said after the meeting is saying what the authorities means. and that is something that nancy pelosi confirmed, she said that the leaders feel pretty comfortable that obama has the authority. -- to cash a potentially damaging vote before the midterm election. do people on both sides of the aisle feel about not taking a vote. -- vote? republicans inny the senate who want the president to lay out a plan. the people who are most damage by voting by airstrikes in iraq are the democrats, especially those facing reelection. he democratic base is where of getting reengaged militarily in iraq. even though public support has increased and the last few days. haveoughest job democrats is getting their base to turnout for the election. the republicans i spoke to earlier in the week said they want to have this vote. >> the republican said meeting with dick cheney yesterday behind closed doors, some reports said some of the newer republicans, tea party republicans, came out of that and said why should we listen to former vice president dick cheney anymore. republicans -- republicanssenate and mitch mcconnell have said we need to approve this. that a vote should happen in the house. because he wants to take over the senate, he is in the pursuers position and boehner has the majority. . populists and a house who might be concerned leerythis vote and may be about spending a bunch of money on a protracted military campaign. that is one of the things that senators and the matter -- members of the house are looking forward to in speeches. about how long the speech could last. it might be quite protracted because isis is not easily destroyed. not vote forthey something that could last beyond this administration? gives the war powers act the president a 60-90 day window. they could weigh in on a later date, earring a lame-duck or more likely, at the beginning of next year. one of the things democratic and isublican leaders are saying we need to know whether it will be voted on or not. things ise of the that the nature of the engagement is kind of fuzzy at this point. because we don't know how long it will last it is premature to call for a vote. the u.s. will be involved for more than a couple of months. of course it is much easier to having -- have the vote just a few weeks before midterm election. host: president obama will be speaking at 9:00 p.m. eastern ahead of that, the former vice president dick cheney will be at the american enterprise institute at 10:00 a.m. he has been talking a lot about how the republican party cannot be a party of >> now, house and senate leaders are presenting a congressional goldal to each of the 9/11 memorial sites. other congressional leaders take part as each of the head of the 9/11 memorial sites. >> refrain from all flash photography during the ceremony. thank you. >> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome our honored guests, members of the united states house of representatives, members of the united states senate and the speaker of the united states house of representatives. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, the speaker of the united states house of representatives, the honorable john boehner. >> ladies and gentlemen, good morning and welcome to the united states capitol. tomorrow at 8:46 a.m., the capitol will join the nation in to ment of silent tribute those we lost on september 11, 2001. it is one of many such moments, silent or otherwise. they come by instinct now. we stand taller for the colors, the hand is steadier on the heart, a prayer is felt, not just said and we pull together when we might not have done so before. this is the response of a people who share a stubborn belief in each other. it's a search to grasp whatever it was in the character of those men and women who, leaving life at its peak, thought of others before themselves. tomorrow we mourn for what was taken from us. today we consider what was left behind, stories we tell and retell, a legacy we strive to we ache families that to serve. many of those loved ones are with us today, and please join me in welcoming them to our ceremony. [applause] all that we americans are and all we will ever be, we owe to the fallen heroes of 9/11. that day was made up of many sacrifices from which emerged one's spirit, a unity embodied in the medal we entrust today to each member. since the earliest days, congress has awarded gold medals in recognition of extraordinary deeds. among the first recipients were george washington, john paul jones, andrew jackson, and till this day there is no higher honor that we can bestow. this is the first time the medal has been given in honor of so many fallen innocents and we pray it is the last time. that, more than anything, is why we do this, because the most stiring lasting tribute of all is for we who remain never to forget and never to rest until our work is done. thank you, all, for being here today. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, please stand for the presentation of the colors by the united states armed forces colored guard, the singing of our in an anthem and the retiring of the colors. >> halt. >> ♪ o say can you see ♪ the dawn's early light ♪ what so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming ♪ ♪ whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight ♪ o'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming ♪ and the rockets' red glare the bombs bursting in air gave proof through the night hat our flag was still there ♪ ♪ o say does that tar-spangled banner yet wave ♪ of the free d ♪d the home of the brave >> ladies and gentlemen, please remain standing as the chaplain of the united states house of representatives, the reverend patrick conroy, gives the invocation. > let us pray. loving and gracious creator of us all, we give you thanks for giving us this day and so many days since that moment as one 13 years ago. bless all of us who are gathered here. send your spirit of peace and consolation as we recall a tragic day when so many innocent souls were called into your presence and so many others began lives filled with sorrow and mourning. today we remember them all and in a special way the men and women who died while responding to that national tragedy. we thank you for their courage and self-sacrifice while assisting those traumatized and struggling to survive the violent assault perpetrated on that day. may they rest in peace and may those who mourn their loss be in some small way consoled by this honor bestowed by congress. we implore you, o god, to send your spirit upon all your children. though so many suffer from acts of terror throughout our world and from various perpetrators, some of whom presume to act according to your will, we seem unable to learn how to love one another and come together to bring what families throughout our world want -- peace, health and safe homes for their children. may our gathering today be a call to us all, to work toward a better world and bring some comfort to those who were so personally harmed that violent day 13 years ago by the loss of eir loved ones, the fallen heroes of 9/11. may we always be mindful that you, our god, and may all we do be for your greater honor and glory. amen. >> please be seated. ladies and gentlemen, united states representative from the ninth district of pennsylvania, the honorable william shuster. [applause] >> thank you. good morning. it is truly an honor to be with you here this morning as we present the congressional gold medal to the three memorial sites in honor of the heroes of 9/11. i represent shanksville, pennsylvania, the area where flight 93 went down, and more importantly, where the first counterattack on the war on terrorism occurred. it's been an honor for me to work closely with the families of flight 93 over the past several years on key initiatives, including funding the flight 93 national memorial and awarding the 9/11 heroes a conled gold medal today. these congressional gold medals are an honor, in honor of the heroes that perished on 9/11 and will be displayed at each of the memorial sites. the tragic deaths at the world trade center, at the pentagon and in western pennsylvania on september 11, 2001, have forever changed our nation. the officers, emergency workers and other employees, the state and local government agencies, including the port authority of new york and new jersey, and the united states government and others who responded to the attacks on the world trade center in new york city and perished as a result of the tragic events of september 11, 2001, took heroic and noble action on that day. the first responders to the attack of the pentagon took heroic and noble action to evacuate the premises and prevent further casualties of pentagon employees. the passengers and the crew of the united airlines flight 93 recognized the imminent danger that their aircraft poised, took selfless and heroic action to ensure that the aircraft could not be used as a weapon. by giving the ultimate sacrifice that day, those heroes saved the lives of countless men and women, american institutions and symbols of american democracy and most likely the building we are standing in today, the u.s. capitol. the united states congress is honored by this opportunity to further pay tribute to the heroic men and women by officially recognizing those who lost their lives that faithful day. thank you very much. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, the united states senator from pennsylvania, the honorable obert casey. [applause] >> thank you very much, mr. speaker, majority leader reid, leader pelosi, leader mcconnell, ladies and gentlemen and especially the families of flight 93. like congressman shuster, i'm honored to be here today as a representative of the commonwealth of pennsylvania. we gather today to both pay tribute to and i believe to draw inspiration from what those passengers did on a bright sunny day, flying through pennsylvania facing the darkness and the horror that they were confronted with. in addition to paying tribute to them and drawing inspiration, we also express gratitude today, gratitude for what they did to save the lives in this building, this city and of course what they did for america. we also want to express gratitude to the families for what they've done since that horrible day to make sure we never forget the contribution of their family members, to our own national security and i believe to our own destiny. i think if i went to everyone in this room today, we would have one sentiment in common, not just gratitude and sorrow and expressing condolence but also i think we would have a federal reservent hope that each of these -- fervent hope that each of these passengers could be here so we could shake their hands and present them wet medals we are presenting here today. we cannot do that. the substitute, of course, is what we can do to pay tribute to their families, pay tribute to them through their families. on a day like today, we reach and research for scripture in other ways to remember the contribution and seek inspiration. i'm recalling the words from part of the lyrics from "america the beautiful." the one line, o beautiful for patriot dream that sees beyond the years. in that moment of horror, those passengers, people that didn't have training in national security or law enforcement or dealing with the horror of terrorism, they understood that patriot drome and they acted on that dream because they could indeed see beyond the years, what their actions would mean that day and what their actions would mean for america. so let us today draw inspiration from what they did and let us today recommit ourselves to making sure that we're doing all we can to remember that patriot dream and to always see beyond the years. may god bless them and god bless their families. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, the united states army band and chorus. god bless america land that i love and beside her and guide her night with the life from above from the mountains to the prairies to the oceans white with foam god bless america my home sweet home god bless america my home sweet home ♪ americaess land that i love stand beside her and guide her through the night with the light from above ♪ ♪ from the mountains, to the prairies to the oceans, white with foam god bless america, my home sweet home god bless america, my home weet home ♪ >> ladies and gentlemen, democratic leader of the united states house of representatives, the honorable ancy pelosi. >> good morning. hen we did this in memory of 9/11, we thread on sacred ground. 13 years ago the world watched on a clear tuesday morning as we suffered loss we could not possibly have imagined and witnessed heroism we will never forget. today, we come together once more in reverence to those sacred memories, to help consecrate those sacred places where so many lives were lost and so many were saved. we're honored to have the secretary of the interior here, representative hoyer, president of the firefighters, my fire chief from california, so many distinguished guests who have sacrificed so much for our country, including max cleeland. it's so nice to be here with senator casey and representative shuster, the representatives of one of the areas so affected and with our speaker, mr. boehner. thank you for making this occasion possible, mr. speaker, and with leader reid. leader mcconnell. i think we will all agree that as many ceremonies that we may participate in, this is singular in terms of how deeply rooted our sorrow is and how broad our respect is for our heroes. again, in the very center of our democracy in this capitol, we bestow these congressional gold medals to our memorials in new york, in pennsylvania and across the potomac as the sign of the never-ending commitment of the heroes of that day today we present those medals to the president, joseph daniels of the national september 11 memorial and museum in new york in recognition of the men and women who rushed up the stairs and into the smoke among many other acts of heroism. to gordon, president of families of flight 93 and recognition of passenger and crew who -- passengers and crew who charged up the aisle. to james, president of the pentagon memorial fund in recognition of those serving our country. with these medals, we honor the heroism of the first responders and ordinary citizens. we celebrate them in that capacity but also we remember them as husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, families and friends. we remember the perseverance of the loved ones they left behind and the advocacy of the 9/11 families who turned their grief into action to make our nation safer. as senator casey referenced. president lincoln once cautioned of the silent artillery of time wearing away our memories. we pray that the years might ease the pain of the bereefed but never let time -- berieved but never let time lessen. because of their acts and deeds of millions of americans, we found hope in the face of despair, strength in the wake of fear, unity in the shadow of loss. today, we renew our vow time shall not dim the memory of our fallen heroes. their courage add luster to these awards, for we know their deeds will shine forever. let their lives be a blessing to their beloved. let them inspire greater compassion and humanity, let us resolve in their name that this date marked by terror will belong to bravery. god has truly blessed america with our fallen heroes of 9/11. may god continue to bless the united states of america. thank you. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, the republican leader of the united states senate, the honorable mitch mcconnell. [applause] >> none of us will forget where we were that morning or the . rrible things we saw the explosions that melted steel and shattered symbols of our prosperity and our might. tools of commerce and transport used for brutal and homicidal , the the people, the loss despair, these things we have never been able to forget. and yet that's not all we saw on that saddest of september mornings. mid the horror and the tragedy there was something else, something more powerful. in the heart of a great city, strangers rushed to help strangers sprinting toward smoke and chaos, ignoring the danger to themselves. we heard stories of heroes returning once more to the swirling tempest of paper and glass, searching for others to help. at the edge of the nation's capitol, colleagues became comrades reaching amid the flames and confusion. and high above the clouds, stories of bravery and revolt, courage that did more than just save buildings like this one or the ideals it represents but countless lives. these are the 9/11 fallen heroes. first responders, civilians, passengers and crew and so many others. they did not ask to be heroes. they did not wake that day with dreams of glory. but when history intervened, they acted. and unlike the hijackers who plotted to take lives, those heroes sacrificed to save them. the thousands of men and women who perished on september 11 did not die in vain. their memories served and still serves as a unifying force for our nation. whether by the inspiration of our their bravery or the brutal way their lives were taken, their memories stirred americans to even more acts of selflessness from joining rescue efforts to raising their hands in defense of freedom. in manhattan and shanksville and at the pentagon, we've erected memorials to honor them . and today with these three medals we commemorate every man, every woman who perished that day with the highest civilian award that congress can bestow. to the families gathered here, i know the wounds can never truly be healed, but never forget that your country stands with you and that we will never stop honoring the memory of the heroes we remember today. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, the majority leader of the united states senate, the honorable harry reid. [applause] >> senator mcconnell mentioned we all remember where we were that morning. i remember. i was assistant leader. leader daschle called a leadership meeting we had every tuesday at 9:00 in the morning. i was the first to come to that came in, , and john senator from louisiana, said turn on the tv. something is going on in new york. we flipped on the tv and we said, what happened? plane must have been misguided in the building. and we thought it was just a news story. this it wouldn't amount to much. and so people started coming in for the meeting. conference table there in that room, s-211, and senator daschle started the meeting. within just a short period of time, matter of five minutes, six minutes, couple people came into the room, took him out of the room and he came back immediately and said we got to evacuate this room, the building. there's a plane headed for us. i'll alked out of that, never forget as i walked out of the room, look out the window, we could see the smoke billoing from the pentagon. -- billowing from the pentagon. that's the day i'll never forget. we were all very anxious and afraid that day, concerned about what we didn't know, afraid of what we did know. everyone ded with coming back -- senators coming back to the capitol, democrats, republicans and assembled on the capitol steps. without anyone giving speeches, we were there just to dignify the occasion, letting everyone know how much we cared about what we thought had happened. and barbara mikulski, who has such a powerful voice in that small stature she has. she said, we'll sing "god bless america," the same song we heard today. that brought back such memories. and we did. those of us that can't sing sang. those that could sing sang. and it was something we'll always remember. i'll always remember. images of that morning will always stay with me. the shock, the horror, the uncertain i felt that day will be forever etched in my heart. today as we bestow the congressional medal of honor on the fallen heroes of september 11, those memories will be with us. but even in the midst of heartwrenching memories, we're reminded of the heroism that day. ours is a nation started, settled and strengthened by heroes. those who answer the call of duty and those who are called without notice has happened. there were so many who answered that call of duty that day. those souls who answered the call that morning left us with legacy of bravery we cannot fully fathom, explain. no monument can express our true appreciation. no memorial can convey the magnitude of their courage. our forever gratitude is the only tribute that will suffice. so what we must do is remember their suffice -- sacrifice, the ultimate price they paid for our freedom. i believe the heroism and sacrifice we witnessed on september 11, 2001, will forever be in our hearts, in our minds and in our nation's history. thank you. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, the speaker of the united states house of representatives, the onorable john boehner. >> in a few minutes, we'll have the presentation of the gold medals. first, let me thank my colleagues for their words and for their leadership. now, when congress approves a gold medal, the work is just beginning. each medal has its own design committee and in this case there were three design committees. the medals were then struck at the u.s. mint in philadelphia, just blocks from independence hall. all in all, they've done remarkable work and we're truly grateful for their efforts. on behalf of the american people, we will now entrust these medals to the memorials, all of which are worthy of the people that we honor today. here to receive the medals, joseph daniels, president and c.e.o. of the national september 11 memorial and museum in new york city. gordon fell of, president of the families of -- phelps, president of the families of night 93. and jim, president of the 9/11 memorial fund. please join me here on the stage. [applause] [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, president and c.e.o. of the national september 11 memorial and museum in new york, mr. joseph c. daniels. >> good morning. it's truly an honor to be here today along with jim from the pentagon memorial fund and gordon felt from the flight 93 national memorial in pennsylvania, among members of the cabinet, the joint chiefs, family members of the fallen and our first responders to accept this medal created in memory of those whose lives were taken too soon in the terrorist attacks of september 11, 2001. on behalf of the 9/11 memorial and museum's board of directors and staff, i'm truly thankful to the members of congress, many of whom are also here today, and who saw the significance of this medal and championed its production. it is also tremendously gratifying to see the number of senators and representatives that have taken the time to come visit the memorial and museum in new york. i do encourage those who have not yet made that visit to come as well, and you are always welcome. we're also fortunate that several of the memorial's board members who are also 9/11 family members, including lee, who lost his son, firefighter lee, paula grant berry, who lost her husband, david berry, and monica ikan, who also lost her husband, michael patrick ican, were part of the design group for this incredible medal, making it a truex precious of tribute and of hope from those who were affected the most. the 9/11 memorial, since it was dedicated on the 10th anniversary of the attacks, has welcomed over 15 million visitors, and in less than four months since opening, the museum has already welcomed more than 900,000 visitors. those numbers are important because they are a true indication of the collective and worldwide will to never forget. we are honored as an institution to place this congressional gold medal in the 9/11 memorial museum for our visitors from all 50 states aled over 175 different countries -- and over 175 different countries to see. several members of congress are working to ensure the history of this memorial and museum represent receive ongoing operating support. i know that along with my colleagues from the pentagon and flight 93 memorials, i'm tremendously gratified and grateful to see the millions of americans who are keeping our commitment to remember those killed in the attacks strong. and that we keep in the forefront of our minds and hearts what we saw on 9/11 and in its aftermath, that when the circumstances require, we can and will come together with limitless compassion. in that spirit, i thank you, again, for this wonderful tribute. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, president of the pentagon memorial fund, mr. james laychak. >> thank you, everyone. i'd like to recognize speaker boehner, leader pelosi, leader mcconnell, senator -- house majority -- senate majority leader reid, representative shuster, senator casey, senator warner, senator mccain, congressman moran, joe daniels, gordon felt. and i'd like to recognize the 9/11 families, survivors and first responders here today as well as the representatives of the pentagon memorial fund. and the pentagon memorial fund board members. thank you, speaker boehner, for hosting the ceremony. the staff has done an outstanding job. i'd also like to thank senator warner for allowing and asking the pentagon memorial fund for our recommendations for individuals to serve as advisors to the u.s. mint on the design of the gold medal for the pentagon site. i'd like to especially thank our advisors, 9/11 family member, my sister-in-law, laurie laychak, pentagon survivor and family member, kathy dilber and special agent chris coons, arlington county fire chief jim schwartz for your valuable time and insight that has brought us all here today. 13 years ago, my brother was killed in the pentagon on 9/11, and the family members and our nation made a promise we would never forget. these congressional medals reflect that promise and will help ensure that future generations that visit the three attack sites understand the significance of that promise. the p.m.f. was formed by 9/11 family members in three to help raise the funds needed to -- in 2003 to help raise the funds needed to build the memorial to ensure there's always a place to remember, reflect and renew. dedicated in 2008, the pentagon memorial is a place of solace, where friends and families can always go to remember their loved ones. today we are pleased to be working with the department of defense and the state of virginia for plans for a visitors education center that will ensure those that did not know their loved ones or do not know about 9/11 have a place to reflect on the events of that day. they'll also have the opportunity to learn about survivors and heroes in the pentagon and they'll learn about the response of our government and countries around the world on september 12 when nato invoked article 5 and 23 llied countries helped offer defend the united states. it is in this united and cooperative support that is important today as well as on september 11. we believe through these stories of loss, heroism, community and unity, future visitors will leave the pentagon memorial visitor education center with a renewed sense of hope. we look forward to prominently displaying the fallen heroes gold medal at the pentagon visitor education center as a symbol of our nation's commitment to never forget and our renewed hope for the future. thank you for this great honor. thank you very much. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, the president of the families of flight 93, mr. gordon w. felt. [applause] >> good morning. ladies and gentlemen, honored guests, speaker boehner, majority leader reid, leader mcconnell, leader pelosi, senator casey, congressman shuster, secretary jewell and those here today that may have been working in this very building 13 years ago, it is an honor to stand before you today to accept the congressional gold medal of honor on behalf of the passengers and crewmembers of united flight 93. the gravity of toose toad's ceremony and -- today's ceremony and location have greatly appreciated by the families of flight 93. on september 11, 2001, the symbolic foundations of our nation came under attack and much was lost. chaos, uncertainty and terror threatened to break our spirit as the scourge of unprecedented evil descended upon our nation. yet, as the world observed one of america's darkest moments and our corresponding response, stories of heroism, extraordinary resolve and american resilience shown brightly, first responders did not run from but rather toward. individuals that lived through these attacks selflessly worked together to survive, and our loved ones on united flight 93, armed with the knowledge that the nation, our nation was under attack, took fate into their hands and fought. in doing so they lost their lives, though in the process most likely saved this very building in which we stand today. were it not for the people honored today with the presentation of these congressional gold medals of honor, our course of human events would be far different. their loss, their sacrifice rekindle the spirit in all freedom-loving peoples of the world that we cannot afford to lose. our job moving forward from september 11, 2001, for these past 13 years and into the future is to remember, remember the individuals, remember their collective actions and remember who we became that fateful morning. on behalf of the families of flight 93, i thank you. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, please stand as the chaplain of the united states senate, dr. barry lack, gives the benediction. > let us pray. , god, our refuge and strength we're grateful for this fallen ity to honor the heroes of 9/11. thank you, dear god, for people , ved in liberating strife who more than self their country loved and mercy more than life. comfort those who still feel the pain of grief and loss as you teach us to number our days that we may have hearts of wisdom. may exemplary heroism remind us at eternal vigilance remains the high price for freedom. in this dangerous and unstable world, keep us united as one ation under girded by your providence with liberty and justice for all. , pray in your great name amen. >> ladies and gentlemen, please be seated and remain seated for the departure of the official party. >> ladies and gentlemen, thank you for attending today's ceremony. have a great day. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national able satellite corp. 2014] >> wrapping up the gold medal ceremony. here, the c-span networks will have 9/11 commemorations in new york where they do a traditional reading of the names of the victims of the terror attacks and ceremony at the white house. ahead of his remarks to the country tonight, president obama is meeting this morning with his national security team at the white house. should there be any remarks after that meeting, we aim to bring those to you. and president obama will reveal his plans for confronting the threat posed by isis in the middle east tonight in an address to the nation. that starts at 9:00 eastern. we'll have live coverage on the c-span networks and online at c-span.org. we'll also welcome your reaction via your phone calls and social media. again, that's tonight starting at 9:00 eastern. the u.s. house will return shortly to start legislative work. among the bills, this one allowing health insurers to continue offering group coverage to meet the minute yum requirements of the health care law. and tomorrow, work on a short-term government spending bill. spending is set to expire at the end of this month. the rules committee is meeting this afternoon to consider the rule for debate. live coverage of the house legislative session starts at noon eastern today. while we wait for the house, we talked about the issue of domestic violence in light of the nfl's reaction to former baltimore ravens running back ray rice's battering of his girlfriend in an elevator earlier this year. "washington j. moore andre with gwen she has been a lead voice in the house on domestic violence, sponsoring a reauthorization act of 2012. what is your initial reaction to the ray rice video and the nfl response? my reaction was why did we have to see the video to understand that this was , againstagainst women a woman. reports were that she was rendered unconscious. that was enough for me. i did not need the visual to understand how devastating this injury was to her. have done whatd any ray rice case? much: i am baffled by so discussion, this great indictment of the nfl, the ravens team, i am wondering, as a legislator, what happened to law enforcement here? what happened? she was arrested instead of being taken to the hospital? if ray rice had been hit on a football field and rendered unconscious for two minutes, he would have been airlifted off of the field. the best medical facility in the region and given an mri immediately. i have not heard any reports that there was any medical treatment given to janay. i find that appalling. were the advocates? where was the da? where was the court system? my understanding, greta, is that basically, ray rice does not have to face any further law enforcement activities. talking about what the ravens should have done, with the nfl should have done, and he is not going to experience any legal consequences for his behavior. host: what should have happened? what are the laws on the books? guest: i can tell you that he was arrested. she was arrested as well. they left and went home. think what should've happened, there should have been a real assessment about the danger that she was in to have been rendered unconscious. there was a great deal of anger and rage and i would be concerned about them leaving and going home together. someone did spend the night in jail. of a how prevalent situation is domestic violence? prevalent.s very it has decreased substantially by two thirds since we passed the violence against women act. the violence against women act has provided resources to womentes, shelter for escaping from abusers. it has brought together the best practices of law enforcement, the district attorneys, court system, even the medical profession. when women show up at a hospital, they are routinely there areher or not suspicious injuries. the violence against women act is the 20th anniversary today. it has raised the consciousness although threend women a day die at the hand of an abuser. host: 64% reduction in domestic violence since the violence against women act was passed in 19 94. today's the 20th anniversary. you were the lead sponsor of the reauthorization of that act. what was added to the law under the reauthorization? guest: it was difficult to get it over the finish line, but we added protections in for native qmerican women, and for lgbt women. reauthorization, a native american woman did not have the protection on tribal lands against a nontribal member. we have heard reports of stories of how men would drag native women back onto tribal land to beat them, rape them, knowing they could do it with no consequence. women had been victims notiolence and they were taken seriously. often they were not admitted to lgbtqrs because of the status. we remedy that with the reauthorization. we work hard to enhance opportunities for immigrant women who are often held hostage reallyr status and looked at enhancing protections for young women, college-age reauthorization. a time when women are strictly vulnerable. host: a usa today editorial says major institutions like the nfl have a role to play in the message that the send. themessage they send is message they send to society. they should get serious about this type of issue. --enator of connecticut riceor blumenthal said ray firing is not enough and that maybe the nfl should get some special scrutiny from congress on this. what message does it send it to a young boy who might aspire to be an nfl player, to know that the consequences for smoking a joint is more consequential than rendering your wife or girlfriend unconscious? that workplaces, not just the nfl, ought to have some code of conduct for their employees. especially something as visible as the nfl. should be congress give nfl extra scrutiny on this? i am not sure that congress ought to do anything. seennk the nfl -- we have it is very capable of creating a code of conduct that is ofmiserate with the status the organization, with the kinds of salaries that these men render. if they can have a policy , theying use of drugs know what the local laws are. i think they ought to respect the laws on domestic violence. he should not have been playing a game the day after rendering his wife unconscious. do anot think we need to congressional eye for them to realize that is just tone deaf. host: you think companies should be able to fire an employee if they have committed domestic violence? guest: there are many hot to a franchise like the nfl. if you are married and you have a health insurance plan, presumably, your wife and children would be covered by that plan. it will cost you greater premiums, there is a cost to a company for having a violent employee. noticecently, i got a from my insurance company saying we will no longer in sure you if you have a pit bull in your house. if you have a pit bull on the job, that would bring consequence to the company. host: caller: hi >> you can see the, rest of th discussion on our website at c-span.org. live now to the floor of the u.s. house for the beginning of today's legislative session. members are set to consider a bill allowing health insurers to continue offering group coverage to meet the minimum requirement for the nation's health care law. the white house has issued a veto threat against the bill saying it threatens the health care security of hardworking middle-class families. also, debate on keeping the government operating past the nd of the month starts tomorrow. live coverage of the u.s. house. the speaker pro tempore: the house will be in order. the prayer will be offered by the guest chaplain, reverend cliff lee, first baptist church of leesburg in leesburg, florida. the chaplain: let us pray. living lord, it's an honor to come and open our hearts before you today. we acknowledge your greatness and power over us and all things.

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