holds most farmers back. host: that was our last color on washington journal. we're morrow at 7:00 a.m. eastern. we taking a live to the florida house of representatives. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2018] will be in order. the chair lays before the house a communication from the speaker. the clerk: the speaker's rooms, washington, d.c. july 25, 2018. i hereby appoints the honorable doug lamborn to act as speaker pro tempore on this day. signed, paul d. ryan, speaker of the house of representatives. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the order of the house of january 8, 2018, the chair will now recognize members from lists submitted by the majority and minority leaders for morning hour debate. the chair will alternate recognition between the parties. all time shall be equally

allocated between the parties, and in no event shall debate continue beyond 11:50 a.m. each member other than the majority and minority leaders and minority whip shall be limited to five minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from illinois, mr. bost, for five minutes. mr. bost: thank you, mr. speaker. the e today to recognize for his role in rescuing 12 young soccer players and their coach from a flooded cave in thailand earlier this month. tinet, a ground waters expert, educated at s.i.u. carbondale, began doing charity work in his native country of thailand three years ago. he was in thailand assisting rural residents fix their water problems when he got the call from a thailand military. within three hours, he was on a

plane to go help divert rising water levels in the cave. the rescue operation used his expertise to divert water and allow divers to reach the soccer team. ter 18 grueling days, the -- which captivated the world, the boys and their soccer coach were safely rescued. you played a vitally important role in saving 13 lives and southern illinois is proud. mr. speaker, i rise today to recognize officer james holder of ping any have police department for receiving the illinois state bar association law enforcement award. it recognizes officers who conduct that promotes justice and brings honor and respect to the entire criminal justice system. he was acknowledged for his involvement in a search and

rescue operation during a a major fire in an apartment building next to the perry county jail. he forcibly entered the building, notifying the residents to immediately evacuate, clearing housing units to ensure no one was present. he proceeded to identify the source of the fire, work with other first responders as traffic and crowd control. holder, for icer your brave service and thank you to all our first responders out there risking their lives every day to keep our community safe w that, holder, for mr. sp yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from oregon, mr. blumenauer, for five minutes. every day there is a head spinning moment with someone willing to push the presidential powers to the point of abuse. trump is undermining freedom of press with unprecedented

attacks. he cast doubt on the integrity and competence of united states intelligence services. he has an administration that is manipulating the data of a dishonest agency evaluation of the impact of monument status that protects hundreds of thousands of acres and endangered species like the magnificent sage grouse. today's outrage is a plan to use the commodity credit corporation to funnel another $12 billion of bailout for american farmers. you know, most farmers and ranchers don't want a government bailout. they would like to be able to farm. they would like to be able to market. they would like to be able to sell their products without the threat of trump's trade war. soon after obama took office inheriting the worst economy since the great depression, we have seen steady private sector

employment growth for nine consecutive years. now after inheriting a strong and growing economy, trump and his enablers in the republican party are threatening this progress with a trade war that increases prices for american consumers, for american businesses, and rising -- raising their costs. it's hard to keep track of everything. trump's involved with an all-out war on the affordable care act. after utterly failing in his promise -- remember, he was going to provide better health care for more people at lower cost. who knew health care was competent. instead, his administration is raising insurance costs for millions in the individual market while destabilizing

insurance for the rest of us. it is -- there were promises of tax reform. making it simpler and fairer. instead, we have hopelessly complicated the tax code. we have given massive tax cuts for many people who didn't need them. we're going to be watching raising taxes on homeowners across the country over the next 10 years. and as a result of these actions for the budget and the taxes, we have doubled the budget deficit this year with the prospect of deficits, $1 trillion or more, as far as the eye can can see. -- eye can see. after republicans have cut over $2 trillion in taxes since 2001 for just the top 1%, what is the solution our republican

friends are offering to deal with the consequences? look at the budget they just passed. $2 trillion of cuts in programs for everybody else. social security, medicare, medicaid, the affordable care act. at some point the public is going to catch on what is happening to them. in fact, maybe they already are. maybe that's the reason that the republican tax cuts are less popular than bill clinton's tax increase. it's time that we take a step back while we still can and get back on the appropriate fiscal course. it does not deal with trade wars and providing money for people who don't need it. let's let the economy function. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman

from pennsylvania, mr. thompson, for five minutes. mr. thompson: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to speak about the strengthening career and technical education for the 21st century act, which has been -- seen unanimous support in both chambers of congress. something i hope continues today. i proudly champion this bill because i truly believing passing it will be a win for students, workers, and for every person in america. mr. speaker, america's ready for a win. in june, 2017, the house unanimously passed this bill to strengthen career and technical education. monday, the senate also approved it unanimously and we're now just steps away from getting this critical legislation to the president's desk to be signed into law. this bill has been supported by house education and work force committee chairwoman virginia foxx, ranking member -- and ranking member bobby scott. i thank them both. i want to thank the democratic lead, representative krishnamoorthi, and my caucus could he chairman, representative jim langevin.

house and senate leaders have brought this legislation to the respective floors because they know it is an important bill. mr. speaker, this legislation aims to restore rungs on the ladder of opportunity because all americans deserve a good-paying family sustaining job. too often we see students push down the college for all pathway that just doesn't work for all. and for some people. but c.t.e. has established itself as a path that many high achieving students choose in pursuit of industry certification and hands on skills that they can use right out of high school in a skills-based education program or in college. by modernizing the federal investment in c.t.e. programs, we'll be able to connect more educators with industry stakeholders and close the kills gap in this country. 6.7 million jobs, good jobs, are currently available because people need to be qualified to get them. in fact, today right here in washington c.t.e. will be

highlighted in the house education and work force committee and has invited 24 innovators from across the country for the bipartisan innovation forum and showcase. dedicated professionals will share with congress and the public how they are addressing the nation's education and work force development changes. i'm proud to count among these professionals mr. joe luther from my district. he's the horticulture and landscaping instructor at the central pennsylvania institute of science and technology located in pleasant gap, centre county, pennsylvania. he uses hands on instruction to inspire students to reach great heights and achieve success in life. he brings real life scenarios into his classroom at every opportunity to show students what their future can be like in the work force. i know every member of this house wants to give every american, regardless of where they come from, the best opportunity to succeed. that's why i urge my colleagues to support the strengthening in

career and technical education for the 21st century act when it comes back to the floor today. le with a senate amendment. this bill and the amendment will modernizing the federal role in our nation's c.t.e. program which is long overdue. but most importantly, it will restore rungs on the lad irof opportunity. it will inspire new generation of builders and thinkers and makers and creators. and will give every american a shot at the american dream which is opportunity and success in life. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from north carolina, mr. butterfield, for five minutes. mr. butterfield: thank you very much, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i rise this of ing to recognize three my constituents who are all celebrating birthday 100. very, very soon.

mrs. cora jones boots mccloud. mrs. christine johnson umstead. and mrs. annie bell gilmore rogers are all members of historic mount verne none baptist church, located in durham, north carolina, pastored by my friend, dr. jerome j. washington. these ladies will soon celebrate their birthdays surrounded by family and friends. they have committed much of their lives to the development of their family and community. they are devout christians of the missionary baptist faith who love their church. mrs. cora jones boots mccloud was born on august 8, 1918, in raleigh, north carolina, and attended rosenwall schools. she started her own business in durham has a professional beautician. she has spent all of her life encouraging her family and community to be independent and faithful in their pursuits. her leadership is reflected in the business community and at

her beloved mount vernon baptist church, where she served as church usher. mrs. christine johnson umstead was born on august 16, 1918, in rocks borrow, north carolina, located in person county just north of durham. she came to durham as a food service professional. in retirement she has encouraged others to become active senior citizens by setting an example and providing motivation to all. she joined mount vernon in 1948 and has remained an active church member. over the years she has provided faithful leadership and fellowship as a christian missionary, member of the senior citizens organization, and the j.e. best bible class. number three, finally, yet importantly, is mrs. annie belle gilmore rogers. mrs. rogers was born on october 20, 1918, in durham whose

ancestors were founding members of mount vernon baptist church. over the past 100 years, she has exemplified the value of faith, education, and resourcefulness. she attended what was then hillside park school. we now it as hillside high school in durham. she went on to become a teacher's assistant at c.c. spaulding elementary school where she helped educate young minds who would go on to become future leaders. mrs. rogers recognized the value of managing her resources and teaching her family to do the same. she was among the first members and leaders of the mount vernon baptist church credit union at a time when african-americans had few opportunities for investing their limited resources or borrowing money to develop individual wealth. the credit union stands today as the last functioning church credit union in the state with

members of mrs. rogers' family serving on its board. mr. speaker, it is with great pride this morning that i speak these words today from the floor of the house of representatives. these three strong and powerful african-american women have worked and labored to empower their families and mount vernon baptist church into a spiritual force serving the durham community. so i am grateful to these remarkable women for their love of humanity and oo contributions to their community. -- and contribute shunes to their community. i ask my colleagues to join me in wishing these three great americans our very best wishes celebrate 100 years of life. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back. . celebrate 100 years of life.

the speaker pro tempore: the chair now recognizes the gentlewoman from florida, ms. ros-lehtinen, for five minutes. the gentlewoman is recognized. without objection. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, mr. speaker. i call attention to one very remarkable young woman. earlier this year i had the honor of meeting mercedes while visiting bostwana as part of a delegation trip. sadly, bostwana is still struggling with hiv-aids. every year there are 14,000 new infections and one in five adults has hiv-aids. mercedes is one of these adults. born with hiv-aids 23 years ago, she lost both of her parents and many other family members to this disease. but when my husband, dexter, and i visited with her in bostwana she was full of optimism and determination. mercedes' story is remarkable and what she's had to overcome is truly inspiring. she has made it her mission to educate the people of bostwana

on hiv-aids to dispel any rumors or stigma related to this disease and to one day see a bostwana free of this terrible ordeal. we were so inspired with this visit and she is truly a shining role model for the entire country. that is why our pepfar program is so vitally important, mr. speaker. in just over 15 years, pepfar has saved and improved millions of lives while preventing millions more of h.i.v. infections. thanks to american leadership, pepfar and remarkable individuals like mercedes, we can achieve the goal of sustainable control and eradication of the hiv-aids epidemic. mr. speaker, i rise today to congratulate and thank my dear friend, bob rosasco, for his efforts with men's international seminary and

seminary prison degree program. since 2010, this organization has been teaching theology in florida's prisons in order to educate, to train, and to equip members of the prison population so they can teach others about religion and the word of god. this program provides inmates with the necessary tools and training that prepare them to re-enter society and become productive members of the community after their release. studies have shown that those who participate in education programs, including religious programs while incarcerated are much less likely to reoffend. because of bob and the efforts of so many like him, this program now has over 200 students participating with plans to keep expanding beyond florida and across the united states. we are blessed to have bob as a member of our south florida community and i commend him for continuously giving back to others by sharing his time, his

nowledge, and his passion. mr. speaker, i rise today to recognize ryan duly, a dedicated federal employee, a public servant, and my friend, who lives in my congressional district in beautiful south florida. i first met ryan 14 years ago shortly after he arrived in miami as assistant director of the state department's miami passport agency. ryan's commitment to service is unparalleled, and because of his efforts, he was soon promoted to director of the miami passport agency. when the san juan passport agency opened its doors to the public in 2014, ryan was chosen to lead that office as well. and for the first time our fellow americans living in puerto rico and the u.s. virgin islands gained direct access to much-needed passport service and that was truly an historic

milestone. today, ryan is responsible for helping countless citizens across a huge geographic area. ryan and his staff are consummate professionals dedicated to serving their communities efficiently and accurately. under ryan's leadership, they have met and overcome numerous passport workload challenges. i had the opportunity to work with ryan on multiple occasions, both in miami and here in d.c., and i can say that he's respected and admired by his colleagues at local, state, and federal levels. i also know numerous state department employees who got their start in miami and were mentored by ryan and encouraged to excell in their public service path. it is in his career that has taken him around the world. ryan has always promoted the ideals of freedom, of democracy, of being responsible to the citizens of our great nation. i would like to say on behalf of my constituents, ryan duly,

thank you so much for all of your tireless work. i commend you for a job well done. i hope that you continue to serve the people of south florida, puerto rico, and the u.s. virgin islands faithfully. i wish you and your partner, gerald darby, the best in the years to come. gracias, amigo. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from illinois, ms. kelly, for five minutes. ms. kelly: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to mark minority mental health awareness month. mental health challenges do not discriminate. they affect americans of all ages, races, backgrounds and genders. it doesn't matter if you're from a blue state, a red state, or a swing state. mental illness is in your community. it affects your family and exists in your friend group and with your co-workers. tragically, while mental health impacts people across the board, too many never seek or get treatment because of the stigma associated with mental health care. it shames them into silence.

so it's fitting fitting that this motto is cure stigma. the silence of stigma plagues african-american populations and other ethnic groups. it's a sad and staggering statistic that african-americans are 20% more likely to report serious psychological distress than their white counterparts but 25% will seek care. there is a tragic inequity in that figure given 40% of their white counterparts will seek care. is this a matter of stigma, culturally competent care, and associated resources, or perhaps a combination of them all? mr. speaker, it's past time we tackle the stigma associated with mental health that keeps too many trapped without hope, recourse, or recovery. as for access to care, thanks to the affordable care act, all health insurance plans are required to cover mental health services just as they would

cover cancer screenings and tetanus shots. this administration, either through cruelty or woeful ignorance, has actively attacked the mental health requirement and sought to push, or as i call them junk insurance plans, that neglect mental health services. we must do better. congress must be better. too many, especially in vulnerable populations, are still in desperate need of this care. that's why i'm proud to be co-sponsoring the mental health in school act, offered by my good friend, congresswoman grace napolitano. this bill would provide comprehensive mental health programs to students in schools with a special focus on dealing with fralma and violence. congress -- trauma and violence. congress can make a world of difference today if we pass this bill. i'm also proud to be co-response rg the veterans mental health ack -- co-sponsoring the veterans mental health awareness act. mr. cartwright's bill would help the v.a.

this is really commonsense legislation with more than 20 of our brave veterans committing suicide daily, it's of critical importance we pass this bill. in closing, i want to remind everyone, my colleagues and those watching at home on c-span, that mental health is something that we can all work on. simple, small, everyday things can make a huge difference. here's my personal top five. first, take care of your body. it's all connected. even a little bit of exercise or even a little more sleep can improve mood, reduce stress, and improve your health all around. second, find a stress management and strategy. for some it's reading and running. some it's coffee with friends or go to a movie. third, surround yourself with good people, be it family, friends, or someone you can trust in your community. fourth, volunteerism is something to get out of your heard. it's great for you and great for your community.

finally, if you or someone you love needs help, please get it. don't let stigma hold you back. mr. speaker, as minority mental health awareness month comes to a close, it's cure stigma. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from georgia, mr. collins, for five minutes. mr. collins: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to recognize ryan and abby of gainesville for creating a book drive for newborns who are receiving lifesaving medical treatment. the couple was inspired to establish the mighty three after their triplets, maggie, max, miller, underwent medical center in northeast georgia medical center following their births. for months they could not hold their babies while they received crucial medical attention. as teachers, the young couple thought they could leverage reading using the sounds of their voice to develop a bond with the three tiny patients. they designed the mighty three nick ue book drive to give families two books for each baby receiving treatment. initially, the couple set out

to collect 850 books but quickly surpassed that goal. through their tireless work, the mighty three nick ue book drive has provided 2,000 books to the hospital on spring street. i commend them for their dedication and wish them the two of them much joy as they raise their three healthy children. mr. speaker, i rise today to join northeast georgia in celebrating the 20-year anniversary of the ty cobb museum. they opened in 1998. ty cobb was a major league outfielder who set 90 major league baseball records during his career. some of which stand today. he played for the detroit tigers for 22 years and later for the philadelphia athletics for two seasons. he had 4,65 runs scored and batted in 897 stolen bases and a batting average of .366 at the close of his career. additionally, cobb was the first player inducted into the international baseball how much.

the georgia peach is responsible for the cobb memorial hospital and the cobb educational fund which has left a lasting legacy of love for his hometown. mr. speaker, the ty cobb museum captures significant moments from his roots to america's pastime. i congratulate them for the two decades of service to their georgia community and wish them well in their endeavors. i rise to recognize caroline of j. moore farms inalityo. as part of the young ranchers and farmers program, her commitment earned her excellence in agriculture award. she holds degrees in agriculture leadership from the university of georgia and texas a&m university respectively. she began her career as a student teacher and later became an agricultural fellow in the office of one of my former colleagues, congressman jack kingston. today, caroline serves as coordinator for j. moore farms. she manages all events like the festival honoring my favorite

peach, the annual georgia bell peach festival. e also runs j. moore funds regularly attracting attention from across the state and country. caroline has promoted the work of the northeast georgia farmers by communicating the importance of locally grown produce for communities and i want to congratulate her on this award and wish her well throughout her career. mr. speaker, i rise today to -- in recognition of kit dunlap, president and c.e.o. of the greater hall chamber of commerce who received the georgia chamber of commerce executive legacy award. the georgia association of chamber of commerce executive legacy award is the highest honor, recognizing executives who dedicated many years to successfully improving their local chambers of commerce. kit has served as the greater hall top official for over 20 years. her ambition and compassion for others has allowed her to excel. she has transformed the greater hall chamber by bringing together a well-connected economic team. this has increased job

availability and job attention. kit has managed hallmark campaign and the vision 2030 which helped fund community-based education and programs. i want to congratulate my friend, kit dunlap, on this award and thank her for her service. mr. speaker, kit's -- as kit is represented, i must end this speech by answering the question she asks. what is the water level of lake lanier? it's 1071.89. with that i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from illinois, mr. davis, for five minutes. mr. davis: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i rise today to "bob" bute to mr. robert mondraci, as he's better known. bob was the most dedicated, committed, and most loyal trained organizer that i've ever known. bob came to the south austin

community during the time of great turbulence. the community was in the throes of a great transition, from 80% 80% white to becoming black within a 10-year period of time. . red lining, disinvestment, and all manner of malfeasance was taking place. police brutality. other forms of law enforcement misconduct were rampant. i met bob during this period. it was also during this time that the organization for a better austin under the leadership of gail was organized. south austin coalition community council, s. a a.c., was formed with bob as a lead organizer. and i decided to run for the city council. over the years, i have followed bob's work without exception.

south austin is practically an all african-american community except for a few merchants who never left the area. a few white citizens, schoolteachers, and policemen. of course bob is white our caucasian. and yet he won the hearts of the community and the trust of the people. he has developed intimate relationships with many of the residents, and to many he's like a member of their family. through bob's leadership s.a.c. became known as the top grassroots community organization in the chicagoland area. bob was always a strategist. but the members like mr. ed bailey, miss irene norwood, mrs. lillian drummond, mr. eorge larson, juanita were the voices. many people don't know it but

it was s.a.c. who led community reinvestment. it was s.a.c. who organized senior citizens. it was s.a.c. that led to fight for liheap. it was s.a.c. that kept the austin bank on its toes. it was s.a.c. that united block clubs. it was s.a.c. that got people to join local school councils. and it was s.a.c. that got churches to open their doors for community meetings. i have been in buildings with bob where there was no heat. i have been homes where there was no food. i have been on streets where there were no lights. i have been with bob in alleys where there was no hope. i have been with bob and families after their relatives were shot. bob has worked to bring help to the helpless and hope to the hopeless. bob, you are a good man. and i thank you and your family, your wife and children, for what you have meant to our community and to our world.

true soldiers are always reluctant to come off the battlefield, but there comes a time when we must put away our swords and shields to practice war no more. when that time comes, bob, just know, that you have made a difference. when you came to south austin, newspapers were writing it would be the next big slum. they did not know you and they did not know the people of south austin. south austin is not a slum. it is a vibrant, forward thinking, forward moving community. bob, you have done the master's work. you have fed the hungry. clothed the naked. brought hope to the hopeless. and help to the helpless. you have lifted spirits and you have taught people how to love and how to live. and how to work together. i close by leaving these words with and for you.

if, when you give the best of your service, telling the world that the savior has come, be not dismayed when men don't believe you. he understands and will say well-done. where i come to the end of my journy, weary of life and the battle is won, carrying the staff and the cross of redemption, he'll understand and say, well-done. if when this life of labor is ended and the reward of the race you have run, o the sweet rest prepared for faithful be his blessed and final well-done. bob, if you try and fail in your trying, hands sore and scarred from the work you've begun, take up your cross, run quickly to meet him, he'll nderstand and say well-done. the speaker pro tempore: the

chair recognizes the gentleman from texas, mr. poe, for five minutes. mr. poe: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. speaker, 100 years ago in 1918, president woodrow wilson declared july 28 as a national day of prayer for the serbian people. this was during world war i. the war to end all wars. american doughboys and leathernecks had arrived in the western front holding the line against germany's last offensive before it collapsed. meanwhile, the serbian people were suffering under occupation by the central powers. they had lost a a brutal invasion of serbia. r. speaker, during world war

i, one in four i, one in four serbian people were killed during that war. but the serbian army had survived the invasion and was fighting alongside our allies to liberate their home. they were reinforced by many serbian americans who had returned to europe to help heir brothers. president wilson warned america to honor their sacrifices of the serbian people. in a speech marking the invasion of serbia by the central powers, he said of the serbian, -- serbian, quote, nobly did they respond so valiantly and courageously it they oppose the forces of a country 10 times greater in population and resources. while their territory had been defendant stated and their homes despoiled, the spirit of the serbian people has not been broken. as a texan i admire such defiance against overwhelming odds. on that day, that special day, president wilson ordered a rare recognition to a foreign ally by having the serbian flag raised over the white house. that recognition had only occurred one other time in

american history. the spirit of brotherhood between the americans and the serbians fighting shoulder to shoulder against tyranny did not end there. one of the most meaningful stories for americans is the hal yard mission during the dark days of the second world war. despite being under nazi occupation, the serbian people demonstrated their remarkable bravery once again. saving the lives of hundreds of americans in the largest rescue operation in american air history. in 1944, american bombers were flying frequent missions to strike germany's vital oil supplies in romania as a part of the allied advance into europe. the 15th air force led this effort by launching 20,000 sorties into eastern europe, with many of the missions flying over nazi occupied yugoslavia. as many as 1,500 pilots and airmen were shot down during these air raids. serbians who had been resisting

nazi forces since 1941 risked their own lives to rescue american aircrews and hide them from patrolling nazis. for months these brave and noble serbians cared for protected americans and allied pilots. in august of 1944, the allies force, including the 15th air force and office of strategic service, devised a daring operation to evacuate hundreds of allied pilots being sheltered by the serbian resistance in nazi occupied yugoslavia. american aircraft flew into enemy territory and evacuated 500 airmen from the airfield built and protected by local serbians. for over 60 years this operation was kept secret from the american people. but now we can remember the courage of our serbian friends and their stand against the nazis. here, mr. speaker s. a photograph taken by the serbian resistance, taking americans

who had been shot down in serbia and taking them to the airfield where they would later be returned back to the american lines. george, the father of my chief of staff, elaine, when i was a judge in texas, rescued many americans that had been shot down in occupied yugoslavia. all of these years later we remain committed to the cause of freedom for both nations. we should work together to preserve each other's security. and the united states is now working with serbia to improve its democracy and independent judiciary and fight corruption. a democratic serbia with a strong rule of law is in america's interest and erbia's. we're united in stopping russia, disinformation efforts are designed to keep serbia in its sphere of influence and poison the relation shfment nevertheless serbia's integration to the west has

continued to move forward. 2006, serbia joined nato's partnership for peace program and in 2015 signed an individual partnership action plan with the alliance to strengthen cooperation. recently the european union has announced that serbia would join the e.u. as early as 2025. the prime minister and foreign minister of serbia and numerous serbs are in the capital today to promote u.s.-serbian relations. so on this 100th anniversary of president wilson's speech about the courageous serbs of world war i, we reform -- reaffirm our joint partnership and friendship in a quest for liberty. that's just the way it is. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from nevada, mr. key juan, for five minutes. mr. keyian: i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection.

mr. kihuen: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, it has been 297 days since the worst mass shooting in u.s. history. on october 1, 2017, 58 people were senselessly murdered at the route 91 harvest music festival in las vegas in my hometown. more than 500 people were injured. i still remember that day like it was yesterday. i remember going to sunrise hospital and seeing 194 victims who had been shot or injured. since october 1, i have come to the house floor 58 times to honor each of the victims and to share their stories. for the last nine months, my colleagues have listened to 58

separate speeches and have looked at the pictures of the 58 victims. and these stories have been met with silence by the majority. since october 1, members of the nevada delegation have asked to at least hold a hearing on bump stocks that contributed to this massive carnage in las vegas. and the letters have been met with silence by the majority. since october 1, democrats and a few republicans have introduced no less than 30 bills to combat gun violence in our country. yet these bills have been met with silence by the majority. since october 1, there have been more mass shootings in the u.s., including at the first baptist church in sutterland springs, texas, at marjory stoneman douglas high school? parkland, florida.

and at the capital gazette in indianapolis, maryland. these mass shootings have been met with silence by the majority. at what point are my colleagues in congress going to stop being ilent? going to int are they say we have to do something? we have to take action? the united states is in the middle of a gun epidemic. every day, 96 americans, 96 americans, mr. speaker, are killed by gun violence. americans are 25 times more likely to be murdered, 25 times more likely to be murdered with a gun than people in other developed countries. americans can no longer feel safe in going to say we have to do something? we have to take action churches movie theaters, at work, at military bases, at nightclubs, at restaurants, shopping malls,

grocery stores, baseball fields, congressional baseball fields. and even worse, our children are no longer safe at school. since 2009, there have been 288 school shootings in the u.s.. today little kids are afraid to wear lightup shoes to school because a gunman can see them when they have to hide for their life. from the time of the mass shooting at sandy hook to the mass shooting in parkland, the house of representatives has held more than 40, 40 moments of silence related to gun violence. however in that same time, the refuses to consider any real piece of legislation to hold hearings or take any action that can reduce this gun violence epidemic. despite bipartisan support in this body to ban bump stocks,

implement universal background checks, limit high capacity magazines, or ban assault weapons, my colleagues say that nothing can be done to prevent gun violence in america. if that's true, why is the united states the only developed country that has this problem? . do something. we can take action. my republican colleagues can put the lives of american gun lobby first and the n.r.a. and gone manufacturers, but the american people come first. we have to listen to the american people. we can pass bipartisan and commonsense solutions to prevent more shootings and to save more lives. to my fellow nevadans and americans, i want you to know that despite these roadblocks, we will keep fighting. every day there are people here in congress working tirelessly

to make our country safer. every day we're moved by your rallying cries and your stories and every day we will fight to end gun violence epidemic in the united states. thank you. mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the chair recognizes the gentleman from south carolina, r. norman, for five minutes. mr. norman: i rise today in our nation's capitol to formally recognize the first baptist church in blacksburg, south carolina. it was first called the baria baptist church, was organized over 146 years ago on december 4, 1876. the original structure was located highway 29 near the old baria cemetery. it was used as a church, schoolhouse, community meeting hall. the first people to be baptized in the original building was

sally little and maddie bridges. the first mention of building a in hurch building was 1906. a committee was formed to search for new land. the property located on the corner of cherokee and rutherford streets was purchased for $500. in the spring of 1912, the building started. d.a. gold placed the first brick with ms. emma cornwell placing the first mortar fort first bricks. the first service in the new church facility was held over 105 years ago in june, 1913. the name of the church was officially changed from the baria baptist church to the first baptist church of blagsburg. the first person to be baptized in the new building was mr. ben ransher.

in 1922, over 96 years ago, a house and six acres of land owned by mr. tracy harden was donated for the purposes of building a church parsonage. construction an of the sunday school rooms. it was purchased during the years between 1941 and 1950. a new building fund was started. the church broke ground on the new building at a cost of $87,500, and on sunday, june 24, 1956, which was over 62 years ago, the church celebrated homecoming with dinner on the grounds in the new social hall downstairs. on june 11, 1961, all debt was paid off and a note burning service was held to celebrate this accomplishment. n july 5, 1962, the church voted to begin the new sanctuary. the committee overseen the

construction was comprised of 10 members, representing each of the resident families. the new sanctuary was completed 1963 at a total cost of $74,735, and the debt was paid off on may 2, 1979. the building on the new parcel was located in lindsey circle, began in the 1970's and completed in february, 1972. the debt was paid off and the official burning service was held on february 23, 1975, to celebrate this accomplishment of paying off the debt. in october, 1976, the church voted to sell the old area and purchase the entire land located inside the lindsey circle for future recreational facility. on december 1, 1993, the church purchased the property and buildings immediately next to the existing church sanctuary at a cost of $35,000 with the debt paid in full on january 16, 1998. the next major renovation and

building came in 1995 where the church reaffirmed the idea of seeking to build a recreational facility beside the existing church sanctuary. in june, 1996, the old grocery store known as the sarah wilkins property was demolished to make way for the new construction. in 1997, renovations and repairs were made to the existing educational building and exterior of the sanctuary along with a new organ for the sanctuary. the construction of the new family life center began in august of 1999, for a total cost of $520,000, with the church only borrowing $60,000. the building was complete and the dedication held on may, 2000, and the remaining debt was paid off in 2001. in july, 2001, the church purchased the old library building located behind the existing sanctuary and education building where the church offices exist today. the last ren rations to the esent sanctuary -- ren

jations to the present sanket -- renovations to the penitentiary sanctuary was in 2002. as we worship today in 2018 with the core mission being then and now, service to jesus christ, and the faithful teachings of the christian gospel. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from new hampshire, ms. shea-porter, for five minutes. ms. shea-porter: thank you, mr. speaker. i would like to read a column by max boot, conservative, very well-known. president trump is willing, and i'm quoting completely. president trump is willing under dueress that russian meddling took place in 2016 before reverting to calling it a big hoax. but he always maintains that the plot against america had no impact. he describes it as a democrat excuse for losing the 2016 election. faithfully echoing the

president, other republicans, such as house speaker paul ryan, says it's clear that russian interference didn't have a material effect on our elections. white house press secretary sarah huckabee sanders even claims that the u.s. intelligence community reached that conclusion. not quite. here's the intelligence community's assessment. partially declassified in 2017. we did not make an assessment of the impact that russian activities had on the outcome of the 2016 election. u.s. intelligence community is charged with monitoring and assessing the intentions, capabilities, and actions of foreign actors. it does not analyze u.s. political processes or u.s. public opinion. unquote. to continue this story that max wrote, when then-c.i.a. director mike pompeo claimed last fall that the intelligence community's assessment that the russian meddling did not affect the outcome of the election, unquote, his own agency rebuked him. while they are silent on the

russia attack, outside people who examined it, spreading propaganda online, hacking state votal roles, have concluded it did affect an extremely close election decided by fewer than 80,000 votes in three states. a former f.b.i. agent writes in his book, messing with the enemy, wrote that russia affected the election, especially in michigan and wisconsin, where he won less than 1% in each state. we know the propaganda reached 126 million people via facebook alone. an analysis found that fake news on facebook generated more social engagement during the last three months of the campaign during legitimate articles. the false election stories from hoax sites and hyperpartisan blogs generated eight million shares, reactions and comments on facebook.

it was either started by russian botz. cluding the pope supported trump. elsewhere in russia, they spread pro-trump messages on twitter. .4 million users was hacked. there was a #hillaryforprison reflected what the trump campaign was saying. the russian botz claimed after every presidential debate claimed trump won. while objective viewers claimed it gave to clinton. while there's no evidence vote tallies changed, they may have used that stolen data to share the results with the trump campaign. the senate intelligence committee found in a small number of states, the russians may have been able to alter or delete voter registration data, potentially disenfranchising clinton voters. then there is the crucial

impact of the documents dissimilar mated by wikileaks. the first trench of stolen documents, more than 19,000 emails and 8,000 attachments was strategically released on july 22, 2016. three days before the democratic convention. the results news coverage disrupted the clinton campaign's plans by creating the impression that the democratic convention was forced the d.n.c. chairwoman debbie wasserman schultz to resign. the second trench of stolen documents was released 29 minutes after the "post" reported on the access hollywood videotape which trump was talking about grabbing women's genitals. they revealed the transcripts of lucrative speeches that clinton gave to goldman sacha. third release of stolen emails said one provided debate questions to clinton during the

primaries. senior democratic operatives, who themselves were catholics, spurred republicans to cherry pick their debate -- the election was rigged and the clinton team, as he said, viciously attacking catholics and evangelicals. the latter charge proved important in wisconsin, michigan, swing states with a lot of catholic voters. little wonder saying trump said, i love wikileaks, and mentioned it 164 times in the last month of the time. this wikileaks stuff is unbelievable, trump said, in october 12. eight days later, he mar velled, boy, that wikileaks has done a job on her, hasn't it? they prevent russian intervention -- the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman's time has expired. ms. shea-porter: the end of this is, and sorry i have to skip over some. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman's time has expired. ms. shea-porter: end of -- thank you. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from missouri, mrs. agner, for five minutes.

mrs. wagner: i thank you, mr. speaker. in april, my bill, the fight online sex trafficking act, or fosta, became law. fosta allows federal, state, and local prosecutors to go after the online businesses that are trafficking our children. signing fosta into law has decimated the online sex trade that fuels human trafficking in america. scores of major websites that promoted sex trafficking and prostitution have shut down, and countless lives have been saved. our communities are better off now because of fosta. fewer victims are being trafficked, buyers are no longer able to easily purchase women and children and fewer pimps are getting their payday. the online slave trade has never been more fragile than

today. after passage of fosta, global ad volume declined 87% from the daily average. websites that dominated the illegal sex trade shut down for fear of being prosecuted. websites like massage trols, the erotic review, andess courts in college, are gone. -- and escorts in college, are gone. reddit, google, paypal, updated their terms of service to ensure that platforms are being -- aren't being abused by traffickers. additionally, the department of justice shut down backpage.com and its owners were arrested. right now, we have this criminal enterprise on its heels. buyers and pimps don't know where to turn, and traffickers are getting 90% fewer responses than they got on back page and

the other leading trafficking sites that shut down. the bottom line is -- websites are doing everything they can to avoid criminal liability while you trying to keep their criminal enterprise alive. but the loopholes that they exist. lizing no longer financial institutions are also cracking down on accounts used by trafficking. c.c. bill, the payment processor of these porn and trafficking hubs, stopped processing credit cards for websites that facilitate prostitution. c.c. bill was a domestic credit card processor of last resort and websites are now struggling to find a viable alternative. together we are putting the online slave trade out of business. as trafficking becomes less profitable, fewer victims will ever be sold and raped.

fosta is striking fear in the hearts of america's pimps and online predators. law enforcement is seeing real results, and that is why fosta is being called the most significant anti-trafficking law in nearly 20 years. experts have repeatedly said that the sex trafficking will flourish until market forces at risk is increased and we create a real criminal deterrent. . fosta establishes that deterrent. as a result fewer business also ever, ever enter the sex trade. sex advertise something at a new low for this decade. and this congress has demonstrated that we can and will hold accountable the businesses that profit from the sale of our most vulnerable. it is because of the massive

bipartisan majorities of both the house and senate that fosta is law today. the results are seen in our communities are proof that congress can and does work together to achieve real results for the american people. lives have been saved. fewer children and women are being sold into slavery and trafficking and prostitution websites are being shut down. we're delivering real results for real people and our country is better off now because of it. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from new york, mr. engel, for ive minutes. mr. engel: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, a few hundred feet north of here in the senate secretary of state pompeo will soon testify about president

trump's disastrous performance , and recent nato summit worse at his meeting in helsinki with russia's dictator, vladimir putin. if you are a member of this body and you are interested in what mr. pompeo has to say on these topics, you better turn on your television because he isn't coming over here. secretary pompeo is ignoring the house, despite our request that he come testify or brief our members. he's blowing off half of the legislative branch. this is outrageous and i bet if secretary pompeo were still a member of this house, he would think so, too. we have too many unanswered questions, mr. speaker. what happened in president trump's secret meeting with we have putin? they sat together for two hours with no one else aside from interpreters. what deals were made? what agreements were reached?

the russians are claiming a great deal was discussed, but so far we have heard nothing rom this administration. president trump's actions in elsinki were a betrayal of his duties. he had already insulted our closest friends and allies, and with the world watching, he sided with putin over our own intelligence and law enforcement communities about russia's attack on our democracy. so we need to see secretary pompeo and secretary mattis and director coats. i recently joined with my fellow ranking members, mr. smith on the armed services committee and mr. schiff on the intelligence committee, demanding these senior officials come to the hill and shed light on what took place. we don't know. and the secretary of state is not coming to the house to tell us. we've got no response to our requests.

with secretary pompeo set to appear in the senate, that's a slap in the face of this body. every member of this body should object to the fact that this administration won't give us the time of day. i object and i'll keep pushing until we get the answers we need. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the chair recognizes the gentleman from indiana, mr. rokita, for five minutes. mr. rokita: i thank the speaker. mr. speaker, i stand here today ultimately seeking justice for the american people. nd to end what our president has rightfully described as a witch-hunt. for too long our resource vs. been wasted on robert mueller's probe into russian collusion in our 2016 elections. not only has this probe dragged on for over a year, but it has undermined our entire system of justice at this point while

giving washington elites and their bias counsel a path to work above the law, exempt from any boundaries. through my mueller resolution, am calling for us to call for the termination of the probe if no evidence of russian collusion can be provided. and again after over a year no evidence has been provided. it is time for the restoration of the rule of law back into our justice department and that is why i'm imploring my colleagues to fight alongside me by signing on to this resolution. let's work together to end the clear manipulation of power against our president. the president has the american people's prosperity and security at the top of his priorities. and let's look at the results so far. let's look at his track record. the economy is booming. regulations have been cut. and we're leading the world again. this witch-hunt against our

president is unprecedented and it's uncalled for. the democrats have become the party of obstruct and resist. obstruct and resist. obstruct and resist. the dems call trump's tax cuts crumbs even though it benefits millions of americans. those thousand dollar bonuses that are the result of the tax cuts and the economy booming are putting food -- more food on the table, more security in the home, help with childcare and everything else. they are anything but crumbs. the democrats are calling for the abolishment of i.c.e. even though they protect millions of americans. even though they protect us. since when has this body, since when has a party become so resistant, become so obstructionist against law and order, against law enforcement, against our fellow citizens who are protecting us? the democrats are out of touch

with the american people. it's time to throw our full support behind the president. just look this week in the senate. senator corey booker said that -- cory booker said that anyone who supports judge kavanaugh, president trump's next nominee for the support, is quote, complicit and evil, unquote. ladies and gentlemen, how far have we gone? how out of touch is one political party in this nation? and let's support the president when he wants to put america first. and all that means. nato he's with calling on the other nations to finally pay their fair share. to do what is right to do. to do what they agreed to. if we have to be the world's police force, at least we some help paying or it.

and the same with what's going on at the u.n. we pay, we pay, we pay. the taxpayers pay and pay and pay. yet we don't get the services we deserve our the leadership that we also deserve. it's a time to put america first. other countries have to help support. let's support the president in leading again. let's support the president in making america first again. mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the and the same with what's going on at the u.n. we pay, we pay, we pay. the chair recognizes the gentleman from texas, mr. green, for five minutes. mr. green: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, and still i rise. i am proud once again, mr. speaker, to stand in the well of the house. i'm proud to do so today, mr. speaker, in defense of liberty and justice for all. mr. speaker, in we -- mr.

speaker, if we know the truth it can set us free. a quinnipiac poll as of july 3, this month, this ear, a poll indicates that 49% of americans believe that the president of the united states is a racist. 49%. nearly 50% of the country. wonder why? uld it be because of charlottesville? be because of a muslim ban? could it be because of the way this president has instituted policies such as the one that has impacted latinos at the border? taking babies from their mothers. segregating them such that babies don't have contact with their parents.

49% of the people believe that the president is a racist. r. speaker, same poll. 55% believe that he has emboldened people who hold racist beliefs to express those beliefs publicly. the president of the united states is having an adverse impact on society. he's causing people to do ugly things. mr. speaker, the polls also how this is a harris poll that 42% believe that the president of the united states of america should be impeached. that number would be higher, by the way, if, not but for the effort to suppress impeachment. and i must compliment the

people who are engaged in that effort. they have done exceedingly well . some people dare not say the word impeachment. i am so glad, however, so thankful, so grateful that dr. king was not guided by polls. because there are some polls that would cause persons to do what they should not. if you are waiting on the polls the president ought to be impeached, you may be waiting a long time. if you are waiting on the polls to get to 60%, 70%, 80%, you may be waiting a a long time. i am a' so glad dr. king did not wait for the polls to tell him to protest segregation and discrimination. the president ought the bus boy -- the bus boycott probably would not have taken place in montgomery.

they probably wouldn't have crossed the edmund pettus bridge if there had been a wait for the polls. i'm so glad that people of good will will stand up to bigotry. will take a stand. they don't let political expediency trump the moral imperative to speak out and speak up. i'm so glad that there are people who put the moral imperative above political expediency. and finally this. for those of you who worship at the altar of polls, when president clinton was impeached, 29% of the people thought that he should be impeached. 29%. there are some people who are not guided by polls. i am one of them. bigotry emanating from the presidency is impeachable because of the harm that it's doing to society. impeachment is not dead. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. and members are reminded to refrain from engaging in

personalities towards the president. the chair recognizes the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. kelly, for five minutes. you, mr. thank speaker. obviously we live in alternative universes. mr. speaker, america is winning again and before we embark on the august recess, let's take into account what just 18 months of unified republican government has meant to the american people. according to the i.m.d. world competitive centers 2018 rankings, the united states of america has overtaken hong kong as the world's number one most competitive economy thanks to faster economic growth and supportive atmosphere for scientific and technological innovation. our entire stock market is hovering oorned all time highs. our national unemployment rate has reach its lowest level in 18 years.

female unemployment has reached its lowest level since 1953. that's over 65 years ago. black and hispanic unemployment have reached their lowest levels ever. more than 3.7 million new jobs have been created since president trump took office, including 358,000 new jobs in manufacturing. in contrast, more than 16,000 manufacturing jobs nationwide were lost in 2016, the year before president trump took office. 16,333 an average of manufacturing jobs were created per month. and last month, manufacturing jobs 26,000 new manufacturing jobs were created. bringing it to a total of 358,000 new jobs in

manufacturing since president trump's inauguration in january of 2017. and it continues to grow today. 6.6 s. currently has million job openings. it's an all-time high. there are now more job openings than there are job seekers in the united states for the third straight month. in may new hires rose to 7.75 million. that's the highest level in 17 years and the second highest level in record. 155.6 time high of million americans now have jobs. back in pennsylvania's third congressional district, which is soon to be the 16th congressional district, the unemployment rate has dropped significantly in all seven counties. in erie county, unemployment is now at an 18-year low, and in

crawford county, it's at a 42-year low. wages for workers in pennsylvania and across america have grown steadily by almost 3% over the past year and are continuing to climb. jobless claims, which are also known as unemployment benefit filings, have reached a 48-year low. my friends, that's a half a century. consumer confidences that reached its highest level since 2001. job market confidence and small business confidence are at their highest levels ever. since president trump signed the tax cuts and jobs act last year, businesses created more than 1.3 million new jobs for american workers. and thanks to the tax cuts, more than 650 companies and counting are reinvesting billions of dollars into their businesses and have given more than 4 1/2 million workers and counting may you jor bonuses or pay raises or ben -- may you

jor bonuses or pay raises -- major bonuses or pay raises. p.n.c. bank, wal-mart, chipotle mcdonald's, and many, many more has given more. more than 100 utility companies have lowered energy bills to ustomers in 48 states. they are opening bigger paychecks. in my home district, the average tax cut for individuals is $1,230. for families of four, it's $,470. those are hardly crumbs. in over 10 years, household also enjoy an average of more than $18,000 in take-home pay. and these are dollars that they've earned and now they get to spend them the way they want to as opposed to sending them to the government for the government to spend it the way the government would like to.

the tax cuts and jobs act has also established the brand new opportunity zones, program to incentivize private investors to make long-term investments in communities that have faced economic hardships which means even more jobs are on the way. "the new york times" called this provision to aid those communities in more than a decade. mr. speaker, in every major way, all americans are better off now than we were just two short years ago in every way. america is winning again. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the chair recognizes the gentleman from ohio, mr. wenstrup, for five minutes. mr. wenstrup: well, thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i rise today to talk about school safety. i present, as a doctor, a health care professional, as a father, and as a representative that is open to new ideas from people that are really attempting to do something to try to make our schools safer and better for our children.

as a doctor, i see violence as a public health crisis, which is multifaceted, with different contributing factors to consider and with preventive strategies to implement. that's why i want to share with you what a couple organizations in my district are doing to tempt to tackle the lesser explored factors among our students and in society. it begins with an organization called screen education. screen education is a cincinnati-based organization that seeks to understand scientifically how technology and social media impacts kids. screen education and e.m.i. research solutions, which is an online market research supplier, also from cincinnati, partnered with starks statistical consulting to conduct a survey of students. while they contain insight, i want to share three statistics i found shocking. 68% of students said they

witness someone being bullied online at least several times a year. 31% of students said they had seen online bullying result in physical violence. and when asked if they felt that using social media will contribute to conditions that could result in school shootings, 73% of the students said yes. to be clear, i am not saying social media is the sole cause of shootings or suicide, but these are statistics that should shock everyone. recent findings said revenge is a strong motivation for school shootings. among students, homicide perpetrators were more than twice as likely as their victims to have been bullied by peers. these are more than just statistics. they are the reported experiences of our nation's children on a daily basis, both in and outside of school. so this had is an example of a problem that clearly could and should be addressed and that our society surely has the means to deal with.

some sorgses are stepping up to do -- organizations are stepping up to do just that. bully bully is a cincinnati-based firm that was created out of a disconnect that the founder noticed between widespread bullying in our schools and the reactive and largely ineffective ways of addressing that harassment. it is developing an anonymous reporting app that not only provides students to provide information regarding antagonistic situations but also assist school administrators in analyzing and addressing these incidents and supporting victims of harassment. bully bully's stated goal is to never allow of an incident of harassment or bully lead to a fatality. it might be a factor of violence and i think we have a means to stop it so here's a solution. let's try it. in my experience, mr. speaker, there's rarely a simple solution to a public health care crisis. you need to try multiple solutions across multiple fronts.

physical or verbal intimidation may be a facet of this public health crisis that we haven't paid enough attention to but ought to. i'm glad we have marriages like those in my ohio district -- in my we have those ohio district. they tend to grow more socially anxious, requiring more mental health services if they're bullied. hundreds of thousands of students skip school each day out of fear or anxiety. it may be a more pervasive problem than we think, actually. recent research by screen education on 12 to 16-year-olds at camp livingston in bennington, indiana, found that students were largely happier by being deprived of their smartphones. they were more engaged and connected to one another as people when removed from the cyber world of drama, gossip, and aggression. instead of being forced to react to student violence when tragically necessary, perhaps

we should focus on equipping the adults who spend all day with these students with the means to support and guide them. let's keep looking for ways to make schools safer for our children and maybe, just maybe, maybe we make the school experience better and safer for our children as a result. mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair will receive a message. prime minister may: mr. speaker, a -- the messenger: mr. speaker, a message from the senate. the secretary: mr. speaker, i have been directed by the senate to inform the house that the senate has passed s. 2779, zimbabwe mend the democracy act in which the concurrence of the house is requested. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. smucker, for five minutes. mr. smucker: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to speak on a topic that should continue to be on the forefront of our

agenda here in congress. that is work force training and development. before coming to congress, i owned an operated a small construction company in lancaster county, and when we worked to expand our footprint in central pennsylvania and sought out new markets, expand the business, we faced a serious problem. many times there were not workers available to fill the jobs that we needed to fill to expand. qualified or trained workers were just simply unavailable. just recently, i met with half a dozen of the nation's largest staffing agencies. they told me today that this has reached crisis proportions. they're seeing companies all across the country being faced with the same problem that i was faced with as a business owner and companies now are making decisions on where to locate new facilities, where to expand based on the available work force in that area and

sometimes that's off-shore rather than right here in america. i've seen the skills gap firsthand. i've managed through it, understood the impacts of it, and so now in congress working to try to fix it. one of the best ways we can lift people up, improve their standard of living, and create more opportunity is to connect them with a good-paying, family-sustaining job. let's be honest. the best anti-poverty program is a job. right now our economy is booming. consumer optimism is rising. and american manufacturing has risen in each of the last three quarters. we have sustained economic growth and jobs are being created all across the country. in fact, there are roughly six million jobs available right now. ways and means chairman kevin brady said it best when he said recently, we've gone from a nation that asks, where are the

jobs, to one that asks, where are the workers. so one of my priorities in congress has been to work to expand opportunities for work-based learning where individuals get real experience from real professionals as they are learning. i was very happy to see the strengthening career and technical education for the 21st century act just came back from the senate, will be hopefully passing that onto the president's desk this afternoon. there's additional work that we can do. therefore, i've introduced additional legislation that will continue this effort. h.r. 5153, 5153, the u.s.a. work force tax credit act would address the urgent need to ensure that current and future american workers are prepared for the jobs available in today's 21st century economy.

by establishing a new federal tax credit, this legislation would encourage donations for community-based apprenticeship programs, career and technical education, work force development, and educational preparedness. and would encourage partnerships with companies looking to sponsor these programs. encouraging investments in organizations and programs that are preparing our work force for the jobs of today means that more people will be connected with a job. it means more families improving their standard of living. it means helping people thrive off the dignity that jobs provide. but it's really more than just an investment in work force training programs. it's an investment in the american people. there are so many different paths to obtaining a good-paying job. i have my own experience of running my construction company during the day while i was

taking college courses at night. i never did quite obtain that bachelors degree, but i gained he skills necessary for my industry. my experience isn't that different from so many people in this country. i know firsthand that there's no one-size-fits-all solution to finding a good job or helping others get connected with one. we have to ensure that our educational system is preparing workers to succeed in the 21st century. we have to invest in our people. i believe that this legislation makes a down payment and puts us on the right path. it is my hope that congress advances this legislation to change lives, support families, lift people up, and support our growing economy. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the chair recognizes the gentleman from arkansas, mr. hill, for five minutes.

the speaker.hank america is better off. mr. speaker, america is better off because u.s. crude exports have more than doubled since january, 2017, and production is up 12% so far this year alone. since the congress lifted the 40-year ban on oil exports in 2015, u.s. producers now export between 1.5 million and two million barrels of crude every day. lifting the ban has filled pipelines, sparked a surge of investment in new technology and shipping infrastructure around the united states. today, u.s. crude imports have dropped 7.5 million barrels per day as we rely on that increased domestic production and our friends in canada. lifting the ban has allowed us to be in competition with the two highest producing crude oil countries in the world, saudi arabia and russia. according to an international

energy agency, this year the united states is expected to surpass saudi arabia and rival russia as the world's leading producer of crude oil. this comes as germany's working with russia on a pipeline that will deliver more than 50 billion cubic meters of natural gas from russia to germany. . during the recent nato summit in brussels, president trump was right to strategically question germany's further reliance on russian natural gas. our liquefies natural gas and oil delivered to the north sea and baltic seaports offers our allies in europe strategicic diversification both from opec and russian dominance for our friends in western and central europe. their consumers and their industries. so, mr. speaker, america is better off and i commend president trump for raising this important issue on his

recent trip to europe and i'm proud of our work in congress to enhance america's global energy leadership. mr. speaker, i rise today to recognize a good friend and a key figure in education and communication sciences in arkansas. dr. dan tullis. he has creentsly retired from harding university where he served since 1979 as the professor, program director, and chair of the communication scientist and disorders department. under his guidance, the communication sciences and disorders program has grown from a major offered the oversight of the department of communication to a separate department with two undergraduate majors and a graduate program. throughout his career dan has been honored by his colleagues, students, and industry leaders with well deserved recognition and awards. most note theably, he was the 2015 recipient of the frank

keffner award which recognizes an individual's outstanding contributions to communications. for his devotion to youth development, education, scouting, and a better world that has improved the lives of countless individuals across arkansas and the globe, i congratulate dr. tullis on his great career and his retirement. mr. speaker, i rise today to honor an outstanding leader who's transformed the realm of nonprofits in ackafpblgt pat downs of the united way of white county. pat retired earlier this year as executive director of the organization after 29 years of service. herselflessness, passion, and work ethic inspire all who collaborate with her around the community and the workplace. helping to raise over $11 million for associated agencies, pat's decades of leadership had an indelible impact on central arkansas.

i thank pat for her outstanding service to the united way and best wishes for her future endeavors. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from washington, mrs. mcmorris rodgers, for three minutes. miss madam speaker -- miss mc-- mrs. mcmorris rodgers clo the united states was founded on the fundamental principles of individual liberty and all are created equal. as the late president reagan once said, freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. we see the sad truth in nations around the world. so many live under the dark oppression and they are called captive nations. i was recently introduced to a young man with big dreams named tito. venezuela. he's currently pursuing his

masters at washington state university. life is tough in venezuela and it venezuela. he's currently became very diff him when he was going through a routine checkup and found his white cell blood count was too high. unfortunately, he wasn't properly diagnosed because the health care system is woefully inadequate and even help had been denied. it wasn't until he was able to fly to houston and have a bone marrow test that he -- and be diagnosed with leukemia he got the help that he needed. once venezuela was a -- not only the richest country in south america, one of the top 20 richest countries in the world. and today it's one of the most economically oppressed. the i.m.f. is reporting that 1 million ould top percent. chavez has sabotaged this democracy with socialist policies, corruption, and author parne rule. chavez once said he was

convinced the path to new and better and possible world is not through capitalism, the path is socialism. today in that new world the government selling its citizens to eat their own pets lest they starve to death. what was once a cultural center and tourist destination is the crime capital of the world. the average citizen has lost 20 pounds and instead of a better world, there is a refugee crisis and millions are fleeing to neighboring countries. the promises never materialized and the people are suffering. people like tito. ma dearo's you sub born pursuit of socialism is hurting minneapolis. of course he would not be able to cling to power were it not for the cuban support. and then you have other countries like nicaragua, ruled by a tyrant ortega. where we have seen the elimination of the freedom of press and suppression of habeas corpus rights. we as americans must stand in

solidarity with people who long to be free. we must support legislation like the venezuelan humanitarian assistance and defense of democratic governance act that passed the house overwhelmingly last year. we must have a strategy to help the people of venezuela. we must do more to assure that authoritarian regimes do not have the financial capacity to keep oppressing their people. this story's been repeated throughout history where socialist leaders rise to power offering promise that is are never kept. the people suffer and as a reminder why america is so unique. the fruits of our labor belong to us. we the people, not the government. that is why freedom is so important. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields. pursuant to clause 12-a of rule

a live coverage from the senate foreign relations committee begins at 3:00 p.m. eastern on c-span3. c-span.org, and the c-span radio app. join us thursday when u.s. trade representative robert lighthieser will testify on the trump administration's trade policy and recent terror factions. live coverage starting at 9:45 eastern tomorrow also on c-span3.

>> join "washington journal" friday live from baltimore, maryland, as we spotlight the opioid epidemic. during the program we look at how city and state agencies work with city rest who are addicted to opioids. on the program, baltimore city health department commissioner of health, dr. lena lynn, on the challenges large cities like baltimore face in dealing with opioid abuse. and maryland opioid operational command center executive director clay stamp on efforts the state is making to counter opioid abuse. also maryland democratic congressman, elijah cummings, talks about his effort along with senator elizabeth warren, to direct over $100 billion in federal funds to curb opioid addiction. and baltimore's acting police commissioner and fire chief discuss the opioid crisis from the perspective of first responders. watch "washington journal" spotlight on the opioid crisis. live friday morning, starting at 7:00 a.m. eastern on c-span.

>> now the 2018 mid terms and elections, this recent "washington journal" discussion is about an hour. "washington j" continues. host: we want to welcome back a longtime friend, charlie cook of the cook political report. you have been on this network for more than 30 years. guest: i think i was on c-span the first year that it was on the air. it is always fun and it was an important part of my career. that is why i religiously come back when you ask. the: i want to get to 30,000 foot level and then we will drill down to some of these races. it is mid july, the election is november, and a lot can happen. what does it feel like? guest: it looks like in the house, democrats need a net gain of 23 seats. it looks like it will be in the