signee and returning them to the sender because we can do that based on an appearance standard. we can't get to the ability to destroy these packages because it's a higher standard. we would have to establish intended use. they are purposely shipping these in in order to evade our authorities. they know what our gaps are, if you will. mr. pallone: all right. as i understand it, hundreds of millions of packages go through international mail facilities each year. but as you said, f.d.a. only has the resources to examine about 40,000 of these packages per day. so that's why i introduced the bill i mentioned, h.r. 5228, the screen act, which would provide f.d.a. with additional authority and resources to combat this problem. mr. chairman, i'd ask unanimous consent to submit the text of h.r. 5228 for the record for the hearing. >> just to let you know this hearing continues online at c-span.org. and we will likely come back to it shortly. right now the u.s. house is gaveling back in for what we

expect will be a series of short speeches. then, they'll recess. legislative work this afternoon. live coverage now on c-span. [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2018] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] e eaker:he hseilbe iner. theyewill be fereby theuesthapla,te jeremi tatu wlow anu church hrist, coosvle teesse thcn:et us pray. father in heaven, we bow to you and praise you upon this the beginning of spring. we're reminded that you are in byound theexd nd it's weread. andecnse osod of sdom honorable assembly. enable them to settle things on

the best and surest foundation. direct them according to the instructions of your holy word. we humbly ask for your care and patience. we of all things and it's by your hand they exist and req spirit by which we're founded and have endured. we pray for your guidance upon our president, his cabinet, the members of our congress, and each and every person within our government. we pray for your truth and love and peace to reign in our country and in our world, in jesus name, amen. the speaker: the chair has examined the journal of the last day's proceedings and announces to the house his approval thereof. pursuant to clause 1 of rule 1, the journal stands approved. for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania seek recognition? mr. tellson: pursuant to clause 1, rule 1, i demand a vote on agreeing to the speaker's approval of the journal. the speaker pro tempore: the question is on agreeing to the speaker's approval. journal. so many as are in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes have it. the journal stands approved. mr. thompson: mr. speaker. the speaker: for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania seek recognition.

mr. thompson: i object to the vote on the grounds that a quorum is not present and make a point of order a quorum is not present. the speaker: pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question are postponed. the pledge of allegiance will be led by the gentleman from michigan, mr. trot. --mr. trott. mr. trott: i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. the speaker: without objection, the gentlewoman from tennessee, mrs. black, is recognized for one minute. mrs. black: thank you, mr. speaker. it is my honor to welcome minister jeremiah tatum from cookesville, tennessee to our nation's capital. in congress we begin each day thanking the lord for his provision and asking for continued guidance, protection, and wisdom. it is a great privilege to have a federal --fellow tennessean lead us in this sacred tradition today it.

minister tatum was important in los angeles county, california, and comes from seven consecutive generations of preachers. his call to ministry began 27 years ago and he is currently serving his eighth year as the pulpit minister of willow avenue church of christ in cookeville. in addition to local work, he preaches abroad and serves overseas with foreign missions. he encourages young men to become preachers. and believes he has the best job in the world. our community is so grateful for his service. he is married to amber and they have three children, luke, daniel, and elizabeth. i know his family and the willow avenue confwregation are very proud to have him with us today and i thank him for opening up our prayer-- day in prayer. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back. the chair will entertaint up to 15 further requests for one-minute speeches on each side of the aisle. for what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition?

>> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> mr. speaker, i rise today to speak out against domestic violence and sexual abuse. necessaryic violence affects people from all backgrounds, regardless of race, religion, or socioeconomic background. domestic abuse touches all aspects of our community. according to the national coalition against domestic violence, nearly 20 people per minute are assaulted by an intimate partner. we must work together to stop this. central new york is home to vera house, a wonderful organization that works to prevent and respond to domestic and sexual violence. this month vera house kicked off its 21st -- 24th annual white ribbon campaign in central new york. it raises awareness for the need to put an end to domestic violence of sexual abuse. mr. katko: throughout the campaign, thousands of central new yorkers such as myself will be wearing a white ribbon or wrist band to stand in

solidarity against abuse. i urge my colleagues to join me in wearing a white ribbon to demonstrate a personal pledge to work towards preventing violence against men, women, and children. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from vermont seek recognition? >> to address the house for one minute. revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one inute. >> make no mistake about t. through his words and actions president trump and his allies are doing everything they can to destroy the interpend investigation of special mueller through provocative tweets, witch-hunts, reckless action, firing director comey and assistant director mccabe, muel provocative tweets, his personal attorney calling for an end to the investigation. m welch: the question, mr. speaker, is not what the president wants to do or may do, the question is will congress do what it must do, protect the mueller investigation. a number of us have a bill that

would do just that, requiring a three-judge panel to approve any dismissal. mr. speaker, no american is above the law, no member of congress is above the law, and no member of the executive branch is above the law, including president trump. mr. speaker, let the house vote on our bill. make each one of us be accountable to our constituents on the rule of law. will we vote to protect the mueller investigation or will we acquiesce to the president's threats and temper tantrums? mr. speaker, let us vote. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. members are reminded to refrain from engaging in personalities towards the president. for what purpose does the gentleman from michigan seek recognition. >> ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> mr. speaker, i rise today to onor the life of william pulte senior. he passed away earlier this month at the age of 85. in 1950 at the age of 18, bill

started building and selling homes in southeast michigan. in 1956, he founded pulte home, known today as the pulte group. over the next 50 years he grew the company into the largest home builder in the united states. bill was a legend in the business world, but his legacy is one of great devotion to his family and community a. he was involved with the angel fund, a group which anonymously provides families in detroit with shelter. it helped cornerstone schools provide thousands of young people in detroit with a great education and his passion for home building took him all the way to central america to help its poorest communities. so it is most appropriate that we pause today from our nation's business to remember and celebrate the life of bill pulte. mr. trott: his hard work, devotion, and vision changed the world for the better and for that we thank him. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. remarks. extend my the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> mr. speaker, the riverside national cementtary is the final remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the gentleman is recognized for one minute. resting place for n 300,000 former military personnel and their family members. mr. takano: each of them have a story that deserves to be told. i rise today to applaud the university of california riverside on a new grant that will be used to research and tell these stories. with support from the department of veterans affairs, u.c. riverside faculty and students will document the lives of those who served and partner with k-12 schools to help teach young people about the value of service and sacrifice. our duty to honor those who sacrifice for this nation is not limited to memorial day or

veterans day. this project will help our community understand and appreciate the individuals whose service has kept this nation safe and free. i am proud that u.c. riverside has been selected for this important initiative and look forward to seeing the meaningful work it will produce. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from kansas seek recognition. >> unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentlewoman is recognized for one minute. ms. jenkins: amelia erhardt, one of the most iconic aviators in history became the first woman to fly across the atlantic ocean which launched her to national note right -- notoriety. yesterday the house passed the amelia erhardt u.s. post office act which names her hometown post office in acheson, kansas,

after her. while she was lost at sea, that the end of the story. a woman's aviation group, the 99's, which she founded, still exists today and advocates for female pilots in the the end of. a woman's aviation industry. her legacy sores as high as ever as she continue -- soars as high as ever as she continues to aspire new generations of women to reach to greater heights. please join me and celebrating the life of amelia erhardt. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from rhode island seek recognition? mr. cicilline: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. cicilline: a typical rhode island family with an infant a 4-year-old pays $23,000 year in childcare. that's nearly double the cost of tuition at the university of rhode island. nationwide the cost of childcare has increased 25% in the past decade. that's a terrible deal. that's a raw deal for working families.

and democrats have proposed the childcare for working families act, a better deal. this bill ensures that no middle class family will pay more than 7% of their income on childcare. it ensures universal access to high quality preschool programs t. raises wages for childcare workers, and it focuses on the needs of middle class families. the high cost of childcare. my republican colleagues just two months ago passed a huge powerful corporate special interests and the wealthiest americans. democrats on the other hand are offering a better deal. a deal that focuses on powerful family incomes, reducing the cost in people's lives, and making sure people are prepared for jobs in the 21st century. we pros a better deal. -- we propose a better deal. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? >> i ask unanimous consent to speak to the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. >> i rise to acknowledge the work of one family, one restaurant.

a nonprofit organization in my district that tackles significant homelessness and hunger problems in southern california. i'm proud to recognize its work in giving families who struggle with food insecurity the opportunity to eat at a restaurant. one family, one restaurant provides a unique and invaluable dining experience to families that otherwise rely on food stamps and too often wait in long lines at food banks to access food. the experience also helps heal hearts and restores the family's dignity and hope. one family, one restaurant does not act alone. it relies on restaurants, community members, to sponsor meals and local pantries and food banks to coordinate with families in need. it takes the repeated again rossity of team work of the entire community to help alleviate family hunger in their region. this year they will be launching their nationwide america break bread campaign. i encourage all of those who seek to help the hungry to join in this effort and follow the footsteps of this stellar organization. it is an honor to bring their

work to the attention of the house and the nation today. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the the gentlewoman from texas seek recognition? >> to address the house for one minute. revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentlewoman is recognized for one minute. miss jackson lee: i have had the privilege of being involved in a number of international organizations representing the united states and the ultimate definer of the united states is our love, appreciation for democracy, and our selling that around the world. the call that was made by the commander in chief yesterday to utin, whose election was failure at best, was an insult to our principles and values. a country and leader that has been alleged to have used poison gas on ally soil, london. trying to kill two individuals.

and of course the interaction in ukraine, the bringing down of the ukraine plane, and the many people that are incarcerated because of their views in russia. i think this is a poor statement for a country that promotes democracy, that the world looks to us and seeks to be in many instances like america. they value our concern for human rights and our values for democratcy. they wait for us to stand up against despots like putin, yet the president of the united states gives him a jolly congratulations for an election that was not an election. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania seek recognition. mr. thompson: request unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. thompson: i rise today to congratulate the penn state wrestling team on winning this year's ncaa division i national championship. lions state nittany

are a force to be reckoned with and they proved it again last weekend in cleveland, ohio, when they brought home the eight team title in years. team went -1 in the finals, coming back from a six-point deficit heading into the final round to clinch the title on a pin by junior bofment nikel in penn state's final match of the night. they won the team title with 141.5 points while ohio state was in second with 134.5. iowa took third eight years. team went -1 in the finals, wit. . the coach has 22 national championships, 20 at penn state and seven ncaa titles. i could not be proud of my alma mater or this team that gave us yet another season to remember. many college athletes dream about participating at the ncaa championships. this team is truly the pride of happy valley i congratulate the coach and every player on the

team. we are. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from arizona seek recognition? without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, on september 12 of 2017 i released a statement to mark and recognize that the national debt had just exceeded $20 trillion. i asked my colleagues to follow through with our commitment to reduce expenditures and create economic stability for our future. since that date, congress has not taken any action to reduce our deficit or balance our budget. instead, we have increased our budget caps to augment federal spending 10%. we suspended our debt ceiling pass our ek we will seventh short-term spending bill. at this rate i am certain that we will see a $22 trillion national debt sometime around the first of next year.

mr. biggs: mr. speaker, this fiscal irresponsibility is not what we promised our constituents. we are directly contributing to the bankruptcy of this nation that we will leave to our grandchildren. i beg my colleagues to honor the pledge to cut our spending and reduce our debt before it is too late. we must act now before we cross another trillion-dollar threshold. thank you. the speaker pro tempore: the house -- the chair lays before he house an enrolled bill. caller: senate 2030, an act to deem the compliance date for amended energy conservation standards for ceiling fan kits for 2020 and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: the chair lays before the house a communication. the clerk: the honorable the speaker, house of representatives, sir, pursuant to the permission granted in clause 2-h of rule 2 of the rules of the u.s. house of

representatives, the -- i have the honor to transmit a sealed envelope received from the white house on march 20, 2018, at 4:49 p.m., and said to contain a message by the president whereby he sends a report to the congress on the extension of trade promotion authority. signed sincerely, karen l. haas. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will read the message. the clerk: to the congress of the united states, today i am requesting that the congress extend trade authorities procedures for three years as required under section 103-c-2 of the bipartisan congressional trade priorities and accountability act of 2015. i have attached to this message the report describing the progress that has been made in trade negotiations by my administration and the reasons why the extension is necessary. as noted in the 2018 trade policy agenda, my administration has launched a new era in american trade policy driven by a

determination to use the leverage available to us as the world's largest economy to open foreign markets and to obtain more efficient global markets and fairer treatment for american workers. one of the major pillars supporting my trade policy is the pursuit of better trade deals. as you know, my administration is pursuing the renegotiation of the north american free trade agreement, something many have promised but have failed to deliver. in addition, my administration is exploring potential trade agreement partners, including in africa and southeast asia. i hope my administration can continue to work with the congress to pursue new and better trade deals for america's workers, farmers, ranchers, and businesses. extension of trade authorities procedures is essential to fulfill that task and to demonstrate to our trading partners that my administration and the congress share a common goal when it comes to trade. signed, donald john trump, the white house. march 20, 2018. the speaker pro tempore:

referred to the committee on ways and means and ordered printed. the chair lays before the house a communication. the clerk: the honorable the speaker, house of representatives, sir. pursuant to the permission granted in clause 2-h of rule 2 of the rules of the u.s. house of representatives, the clerk received the following message from the secretary of the senate on march 21, 2018, at 8:52 a.m. that the senate passed senate 899. signed sincerely, karen l. haas. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from tennessee seek recognition? >> to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. cohen: thank you, mr. speaker. on monday, i addressed this house on the issue of mr. mueller and the importance of his investigation in the special counsel's office. i'm concerned as we leave on thursday or friday that the president could fire mr. rosenstein who has authority

over mr. mueller or fire mr. sessions and put somebody in who will jeopardize mr. mueller's investigation. accordingly, a bill i have, filed to , has been protect -- filed in december to protect mr. mueller. it gives him due process rights if he gets fired. a panel to show he was fired for non -- for purposes that were political and not relating to his job performance. i'm filing a discharge petition today. be filing in 10 minutes and asking all members sign it to bring this bill to the floor immediately so we can protect the special counsel, protect mr. mueller and protect america. god bless america. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. pursuant to clause 12-a of rule 1, the chair declares the house in recess subject to the call of the chair.

>> the right to try act, which would allow terminally ill patients to try medication that has yet to be approved by the f.d.a. also another measure they are set to take up would make it more difficult for financial regulators to designate banks and other financial institutions as too big to fail or systemically important. we will have live house coverage when they return here on c-span. they are also waiting for the release at this hour of the omnibus spending measure. the fiscal year 2018 spending through september 30. laura, who covers congress for bloomberg tweets that congressional democratic leaders have left the meeting in paul ryan's office sounding positive about a spending deal needed to avert shutdown. quote, we're feeling good about

this, said chuck schumer. nancy pelosi also saying she's confident. himself also saying after that meeting, quote, we're in a very good place. we'll keep you posted on that. we'll have house coverage when they return at 1:00 eastern. we'll take you back live himsel after that meeting, quote, we're in a very now to the house health subcommittee hearing looking at the opioid crisis. >> we really have to build a system that doesn't exist yet. i don't see any other way than investing billions of dollars to create it. miss castor: -- iss cassor: -- ms. castor: this father has come to members of congress must he doesn't know where -- anywhere else to turn. who's been year-old addicted to opioids since he was 15. they have good insurance. he stated, though, even with good insurance he's personally invested over who's been addicted to $100,000 trying to help his son.

he learned that the cost to combat his son's addiction could be can limitless. as health care carriers are unwilling to fund addiction health care beyond the point of immediate physicalological afety. his son celebrated four months of good health before relapsing again. clearly there has to be a paradigm shift here. i know there are some important bills here. i like mr. guthrie's bill with others on the recovery centers work force is a significant issue. ms. clark of massachusetts has a bill. what do we have to do? it has to be something much more extensive than we're even thinking about now. if you could redesign a system now and really we're spending so much on lost productivity and health care dollars that don't really get to the heart of the problem, how would you design this system now? what do we need to do for this paradigm shift?