Tolbert of Kaiser Family foundation it. A message from the senate. The secretary the senate has passed section 3113, limitation of laboratory certification. The speaker pro tempore thank you. Pursuant to the order of the house of january 17, 2012, 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. This morning. The chair now recognizes the gentleman from north carolina, mr. Jones, for five minutes. Mr. Jones mr. Speaker, thank you very much. This afternoon a group of members from both parties are going to meet together to discuss possible legislative options to start the process of bringing our troops home from afghanistan in 2013. Yesterday, i was on the floor speaking about Army SpecialistJoshua Nelson from my home county who was killed by the very afghans he was sent to train. Specialist nelson is just one of 60 60 u. S. Service members who have been killed this year by the afghans that they were sent to train. I dont know where the outrage is by the United States congress. I am very disappointed in both parties, their leadership to allow our young men and women to stay in a war that has no end to it, makes no sense to the American People. In fact, mr. Speaker, the American People have said time after time, poll after poll that they want to bring our troops home now, not 2014 but now. On october 7, there was a National Article written and the title was a mother mourns a grim milestone, referring to the 2,000 american casualties from the afghan war. Lisa freeman, who was interviewed in the article, who lost her son, captain matthew freeman, in 2009, he was shot by a sniper in afghanistan, ms. Freeman said, i just sat here reliving the pain and wondering , where is americas outrage . Where is americas concern that were still at war . And mr. Speaker, i made reference to this yesterday. The october 14 New York Times editorial, and the title, time to pack up, the subtitle, it should not take two more years for the United States to leave afghanistan. It should not take two more years for the United States to leave afghanistan. Since i strongly agree with that statement, i have started an online petition to start bringing our troops home in the summer or fall of 2013. The petition can be signed. Its jones. House. Gov. And mr. Speaker, im pleased to tell you in just three weeks, we have over 2,000 americans have signed this petition. Our goal is to reach as many people as possible to put the pressure on our leadership to stop the loss of life and tragedy in afghanistan. Congress, lets get together and work on legislation to bring our troops home before the current timeline of december of 2014. Mr. Speaker, before i close, this is one of the many posters that i have that i bring to the floor. Its a flagdraped coffin. Theres a group of army officers. Theres a Woman Holding the hand of a child, and you can see in the face of the child, why is my daddy in that flagdraped coffin . Congress, lets wake up, lets come together, lets start the process of bringing our troops home in 2013. Please, god, continue to bless our men and women in uniform. Please, god, continue to bless america, and i yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back. The chair recognizes the gentleman from oregon, mr. Brauer, for five minutes. Mr. Blumenauer, for five minutes. Mr. Blumenauer for years ive traveled the country preaching bike bipartisanship, using bicycle and pedestrian facilities to help people burn calories, not fossil fuels, improve their health, have fun and enrich the community. Red state, blue state, republican, democrat, independent, it doesnt matter. The public gets it and has been part of an amazing renaissance. Lets redouble our efforts creating a stronger federal partnership to help more communities realize this vision. But lets not stop with bike partisanship. There are other areas that are low or no cost that enjoy broad public support, solve problems and bring people together, rather than divide them. What about rebuilding america . The t. N. I. Committee was an island of congressional consensus. Since we last passed the transportation reauthorization and the Congress Must act in about 97 wetion, lets work on a bolder weeks, lets work on a bolder vision of improving america, one that improves the environment, saves money in the long run. Congress can begin on this now. In the aftermath of hurricane sandy, congress cant ignore the near bankrupt Flood Insurance program. While we fix the shortterm problems, however, lets make it more effective, efficient and actuarially sound so that it will spare lives, property and the federal treasury. Overhauling the Flood Insurance program would solve the most immediate challenges caused by extreme weather events likely due to global warming. We may even be able to discuss Climate Change in a more thoughtful and rational way. Based on work ive done in the past with congressman ryan and jeff flake, i know agriculture reform is a ripe opportunity. Taxpayers cannot afford to lavish unnecessary subsidies on large agri business while harming the environment and shortchanging Small Farmers and ranchers. Surely, Tea Party Republicans and members of the progressive caucus can come together to improve nutrition, wildlife habitat, hunting and fishing while strengthening family farms. And since big bird dodged a bullet during the president ial campaign, maybe its time to address the vital role that the federal support for public broadcasting plays which we all rely on, not just for news and information, but education for our kids, and as illustrated by hurricane sandy, emergency communication. With incredibly broad public support from americans regardless of political party, congress should make a longterm financial commitment to funding the most trusted brand in broadcasting so it can plan for the future. The last 10 years have been characterized by bipartisan cooperation to promote access to Safe Drinking Water and sanitation around the globe. My 2005 legislation, cosponsored with henry hyde, bill frist, harry reid, saved lives and made friends for america. This congress we have another bipartisan bill, water for the world, which is cosponsored with my friend, ted poe, which would build upon that foundation and accelerate progress. Its all teed up and ready to go and could be easily passed next week. 86 of americans think getting full information about their situation as a loved one faces the end of life should be a top priority for health care. Before the 2009 political lie of the year about death panels, this provision in the Health Care Reform enjoyed broad bipartisan support. Theres new legislation to personalize Peoples Health care so that they get the information they need to make these difficult, sometimes painful, decisions and make sure their decisions, whatever they are, are respected by doctors and hospitals. This refine legislation could easily be achieved now that were implementing Health Care Reform. These are all bipartisan, costeffective initiatives that are overwhelmingly embraced by the public. Is it perhaps time to have a legislators caucus where members of both parties who just want to get something done can come together with ideas like these . Who knows. Working together to get something done might become habit forming. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back. The chair recognizes the gentleman from texas, mr. Olson, for five minutes. Mr. Olson mr. Speaker, i want to share a plea from home from tony about the impending fiscal cliff. Tony writes, were going to have to go over the fiscal cliff and see the economy gumbel before the majority of the people crumble before the majority of the people realize how much trouble we are in. I have endstage renal failure and on medicare and receive disability each month. I do dialysis three times a week. That said, i will willingly and gladly take reduction in my benefits if it means we can reduce our deficit. I have two young nieces, and im looking out for their financial future. In fact, if i knew that taking away all of my benefits would get rid of our debt, id do that today. Mr. President , hear tonys plea. Dont take us over the fiscal cliff. Tony and his nieces need you to lead. They need it now. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back. The chair recognizes the gentleman from illinois, mr. Gutierrez, for five minutes. Mr. Gutierrez mr. Speaker, im here today to make an introduction. Id like the Republican Party to meet americas latinos. Its hard to meet us all at once. There are more than 53 million of us. But let me tell you a little bit about who we are and what we do. First of all, most latinos are citizens. In fact, most of us have been here for many generations. We live all over the United States and our population is growing fast. In fact, every single year 500,000 young latino citizens turn 18 and become eligible to vote. Of latinos under the age of 18, 93 are already citizens of the United States of america. In this last election, 110 voters were latino. In another decade we will be 25 of the voting age population in this great nation of ours. And heres a key fact about the more than 16 million latino immigrants. They work and they work hard often in jobs that are the hardest to fill, picking grapes and garlic, taking care of our children in daycare centers, digging ditches and making sure our dishes are washed. You know what else they do . They pay taxes regardless of their legal status. But heres one last fact you should know about latinos. They love america. And my republican friends, i promise in time, youll love us too. I hope this introduction is helpful, but i know its a little late. The Republican Party really mottola teen oast on election day. At really met latinos on election day. Republican candidates opened their eyes to discover who really lives and votes in the u. S. It looked like we were watching columbus stumble across america. Latino voters, who knew . Demographic changes moving slow as glaciers but this one seemed to sneak up on the news media like a sudden thunderstorm. Ive been trying to introduce my colleagues to real latinos and immigrants for sometime. Ive worked on bipartisan comprehensive Immigration Reform bills and stayed at the table to work out a compromise, even after all republicans had left the table, but the Republican Party seem much more interested in the imaginary latinos they tried to use as a wedge issue so they craft messages aimed at the very few americans who are not offended when immigrants are referred to as criminals, gang bangers, freeloaders, law breakers whenever they are spoken about in america. The party nominated a president ial candidate who has creative ways to defend latinos. Call for the more than more than 10 million families and say just support them. Celebrate the extreme arizona laws, check. Threatened to veto the dream act and let hundreds of thousands of young people who applied for deford action, fear for their future, check. Stand with other republicans and beg for their endorsement when they have called for electrified fencing to keep out immigrants because, quote, that works on live stock. Check, check, check. I believe election day was a checkmate for extreme, unfair and intolerant antiimmigration policy. Now, we need to come together to make progress. In truth, some democrats did not seem to see this new electorate either or see the change coming. Too many didnt see this as an issue or recognize the need for a change in the country that deports 1,000 people a day. We need to set aside the mistakes of both parties and do what is right for the American People, including latino immigrants. We need to invite democrats and republicans to sit at a big table to work out Immigration Reform as soon as possible. I have suggested that president obama set up that big table at camp david and invite leaders from both parties to discuss how we forge the coalition to pass comprehensive Immigration Reform. I think after the election day wakeup call, there are more and more of us willing to come to that table and negotiate, including friends in the Republican Party. We have heard from Republican Leaders who want to be at that table. I know some republicans want to come to the table because they want the immigration issue off the table. They want it off the table because they are worried about democrats running the table in statewide and financial and National Elections for the foreseeable future. But listen, whatever your reason for coming to the table, please come. Together we can fight for justice for immigrants. Together we can reestablish the rule of law. Together we can make immigration one of the greatest and most defining aspects of American Society instead of something that divides us. Together we can make americans see we can Work Together, republicans and democrats, as americans first. So please join us and do whats right for this great nation of ours. The speaker pro tempore the chair now recognizes gentleman from missouri, mr. Akin, for five minutes. Mr. Akin thank you, mr. Speaker. In just about a week or so we are going to be sitting down at tables celebrating thanksgiving and eating turkey and getting a little sleepy maybe afterwards. But as we think about thanksgiving and we think about the holiday of thanksgiving day, it may be interesting and add a little richness to that holiday if we remember how it came about and what we have to be thankful for. There were allegedly a originally a group of people that came to this country in the mayflower and a number onboard had a dream of building a new kind of country. Something that europe had never seen before. They believed that they would take principles they found in the bible and that they would apply them in a new way and to create a new structure of how a country could look like. So they came to america and after landing within the first four months half of them had died. You think they would pretty much give up on a dream at that point. The mayflower had stayed to give them some protection and shelter, so it was in the early springtime that this group of the people that were left, about 55 of the pilgrims, had to make a decision. You could think of it as actually voting, only voting with their feet. They were approached by the captain of the mayflower and he said things arent going so well. I have lost half my crew and half of you are dead. And we are going to be heading back to england. And i recommend that you get on the mayflower because you dont have adequate supplies and you dont have a knowledge of how youre going to be able to deal with the wilderness that you are living in. So the mayflowers captain gave the command, the old sea weed covered anchor cable was hauled onboard, the yard arms were trimmed to the wind, and first large then small, the mayflower disappears over the horizon. The wind is blowing through the trees. And 55 courageous men, women, and children stood on the beach. Why did they stay . They stayed because they believed in the dream that they had in their hearts of make agnew nation. And by staying they gave us some things that we should be thankful for. Not just the thanksgiving turkey. First of all they came with the idea that civil government and Church Government were separate types of governments and the civil government shouldnt run the church or the other way around. And so they were what was called in those days, separatists because they wanted to separate from the king of england who was running the church. So the first thing they did was the concept of separating civil and Church Governments. The second thing that happened was when they arrived in massachusetts, they were blown off course by the storms. So they had no government. So a group of free people under god wrote a document called the mayflower compact, starts in the name of god, and goes on to say just and equal laws. What happened was, a group of three people under god create add civil government. And that created a civil government. And that of course was the foundation of our declaration of independence and all of american civil government we can trace back to this courageous 55 people who stayed on the beach. As you are having your turkey think about how they gave us the idea of separating civil and Church Governments and also how it was that they gave us the idea that our creator gives us life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Have a great thanksgiving. God bless you. The speaker pro tempore the chair will now recognizes the gentleman from oregon, mr. Defazio, for five minutes. Mr. Defazio i thank the chair. The republican refrain is quite familiar. These tax increases will cause economic devastation. A recession, millions of lost jobs. Todays fiscal cliff . No, actually thats the republicans in opposing the clinton era tax increases, 1993. Opposed by every republican. Did their predicted doom and gloom come true . Well, kind of not. Actually we balanced the budget, we paid down debt, and we had 3. unemployment. While the millionaires and billionaires were paying a slightly higher rate of taxes. Fast forward to todays debate. Restore the clinton era tax rates to millionaires and billionaires, republicans have dusted off the 1990s rhetoric. Economic collapse, devastation, at least 700,000 jobs. The j