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YOU CAN SEE THE REST OF THIS
DISCUSSION AT OUR WEBSITE.
THE U.S. HOUSE IS ABOUT TO CATCH
A BALL IN FOR THE PRAYER AND
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
THEY WILL DO LEGISLATIVE
BUSINESS, INCLUDING A COUPLE
NONCONTROVERSIAL SUSPENSION
BILLS, ONE THAT WOULD PLACE A
STATUE OF FORMER PRESIDENT
GERALD FORD IN THE U.S. CAPITOL.
VOTES ARE SCHEDULED FOR 6:30
NOW LIVE COVERAGE OF THE HOUSE
HERE ON C-SPAN.
THE HOUSE WILL BE
IN ORDER.
THE PRAYER WILL BE OFFERED
TODAY BY OUR CHAPLAIN, FATHER
COUGHLIN.
CHAPLAIN COUGHLIN: ETERNAL GOD,
BEFORE WHOM ALL CREATION BOWS,
AND THE FATHER OF ALL IN
HUMANITY, ANOTHER WEEK OF LIFE
UNFOLDS BEFORE US.
WITH THE BREATH OF SPRING UPON
US, MAY KINDNESS BE GIVEN FRESH
VISION AND HOW TO ADDRESS THE
NEEDS OF YOUR PEOPLE.
AS THE GOOD STEWARD OF NATIONAL
RESOURCES, BE DELIVERED FROM
ALIEN FORCES AND THE TYRANNY OF
MONEY.
BY RESPECTING THE GOODNESS OF
YOUR CREATION AND RECOGNIZING
YOUR IMAGE IN EACH PERSON, MAKE
THIS NATION AN INSTRUMENT OF
PEACE AND AN AMBASSADOR OF
RECONCILIATION IN YOUR HOLY
AMEN.
THE CHAIR HAS
EXAMINED THE JOURNAL OF THE
LAST DAY'S PROCEEDINGS AND
APPROVAL THEREOF.
PURSUANT TO CLAUSE 1 OF RULE 1,
THE JOURNAL STANDS APPROVED.
MR. SPEAKER.
FOR WHAT PURPOSE
DOES THE GENTLEMAN FROM
CALIFORNIA RISE?
PURSUANT TO
CLAUSE 1 OF RULE 1, I DEMAND A
VOTE ON AGREEING TO THE
SPEAKER'S APPROVAL OF THE
JOURNAL.
THE QUESTION IS ON
AGREEING TO THE SPOMPLEE OF THE
JOURNAL.
SO MANY AS ARE IN FAVOR SAY
THOSE OPPOSED, NO.
THE AYES HAVE IT.
THE JOURNAL STANDS APPROVED.
MR. SPEAKER, I
OBJECT TO THE VOTE ON THE
AND MAKE A POINT OF ORDER A
QUORUM IS NOT PRESENT.
PURSUANT TO CLAUSE
8 OF RULE 20, FURTHER
PROCEEDINGS ON THIS QUESTION
ARE POSTPONED.
THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TODAY
WILL BE LED BY THE GENTLEMAN
FROM TEXAS, MR. BURGESS.
PLEASE JOIN ME IN
THE PLEDGE TO OUR FLAG AND
COUNTRY.
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 CHAIR WILL
ENTERTAIN REQUESTS FOR
ONE-MINUTE SPEECHES.
FOR WHAT PURPOSE DOES THE
GENTLEMAN FROM TEXAS RISE?
I ASK PERMISSION
TO RISE AND ADDRESS THE HOUSE
FOR ONE MINUTE, REVISE AND
EXTEND MY REMARKS.
WITHOUT OBJECTION.
MR. SPEAKER, WE
ARE COMING UP ON THE ONE YEAR
ANNIVERSARY PASSAGE OF THE
PATIENT PROTECTION AFFORDABLE
CARE ACT.
PRESIDENT OBAMA DURING THE 2008
PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN
REPEATEDLY PROMISED THAT THIS
WOULD BE AN OPEN AND
TRANSPARENT PROCESS.
HE ACKNOWLEDGED THE PEOPLE'S
RIGHT TO KNOW.
IN FACT, HE SAID OVER AND OVER
AGAIN, NOT NEGOTIATING BEHIND
CLAUSED DOORS BUT BRINGING ALL
PARTIES TOGETHER SO THAT THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE COULD SEE WHAT
THE CHOICES ARE.
SO THAT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
COULD SEE WHAT THE CHOICES ARE,
WITH YOU INSTEAD OF DOING THAT
-- BUT INSTEAD OF DOING THAT,
MAY OF 2009, A SECRET MEETING
OF SIX SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS
DOWN AT THE WHITE HOUSE, IN
SEPTEMBER OF THAT YEAR, I BEGAN
SENDING LETTERS.
IN JANUARY, 2010, I FILED A
RESOLUTION OF INQUIRY SO WE
COULD SEE WHAT WENT ON IN THOSE
MEETINGS AND WHAT THE DEAL WAS.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY WE WERE SHUT
DOWN.
THIS YEAR NOW AFTER NEW
LEADERSHIP OF OUR SPEAKER AND
CHAIRMAN UPTON AND THE ENERGY
AND COMMERCE COMMITTEE, ONCE
AGAIN WE ARE ASKING THE WHITE
HOUSE TO VOLUNTARILY PROVIDE US
THAT INFORMATION.
AND WHAT DO THEY RESPOND?
THEY SAID IT WOULD BE TOO VAST
AND EXPENSIVE.
SO THEY ACKNOWLEDGE THE
INFORMATION IS THERE.
THEY DON'T WANT TO GO GET IT.
IS THIS THE TYPE OF
TRANSPARENCY THE PRESIDENT
I THINK NOT.
IT'S TIME FOR THE WHITE HOUSE
TO MAKE THOSE DOCUMENTS
AVAILABLE TO THOSE OF US IN THE
HOUSE WHO HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR
TIME.
TRANSPARENCY IS A TWO-WAY
I YIELD BACK.
FOR
WHAT PURPOSE DOES THE GENTLEMAN
RISE?
MR. SPEAKER, I ASK
UNANIMOUS CONSENT TO ADDRESS
THE HOUSE FOR ONE MINUTE,
REVISE AND EXTEND MY REMARKS.
WITHOUT OBJECTION.
THE GENTLEMAN IS RECOGNIZED.
BACK IN 1979 AFTER
I HAD NARROWLY LOST MY FIRST
ELECTION TO CONGRESS, I CAME TO
WASHINGTON AND I WEPT TO THE
"WASHINGTON POST" AND I HAD THE
OPPORTUNITY -- WENT TO THE
"WASHINGTON POST," AND I HAD
THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET DAVID
HE KINDLY TOOK ME ON A TOUR OF
THE "WASHINGTON POST" NEWSROOM.
SPENT A HALF-HOUR WITH ME.
AND THAT MEETING LEFT AN
INDELIBLE IMPRESSION ON ME.
I READ THE WORDS OF THE WRITER
AND COMMENTATOR, MARK SHIELDS,
WHO THE OTHER DAY SAID THAT
DAVID BROEDER, PASSED AWAY LAST
WEEK, NEVER FELL VICTIM TO THE
DISEASE OF SELF-IMPORTANCE.
I HEARD THAT HE SPENT A GREAT
DEAL OF TIME WITH YOUNG
REPORTERS, HERE I WAS YOUNG
DEFEATED CONGRESSIONAL
WITH ME.
WHEN I HAVE THE CHANCE TO GO ON
THE RULES COMMITTEE, HE SAID,
WELL, IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY
YOU'LL FIND, BUT REMEMBER THAT
COMMITTEE UP THERE IS VERY
SMALL BY DESIGN.
IT'S TO KEEP US IN THE PRESS
CORPS OUT.
WELL, I HAVE TO SAY THAT MR.
BROEDER OVER THE YEARS PROVIDED
ME WITH FRIENDSHIP AND A LOT OF
GREAT ADVICE AND HIS
PERFORMANCES BEFORE THE
GRIDIRON WERE LEGENDARY AND I
KNOW THAT HE'S SOMEONE WHO WILL
BE MISSED ACROSS THE BOARD.
MR. SPEAKER, OUR THOUGHTS AND
PRAYERS ARE WITH THE FAMILY AND
THE PRESS CORPS IS A LESSER
PLACE FOR HIS PASSING.
THE
GENTLEMAN YIELDS BACK THE
BALANCE OF HIS TIME.
PURSUANT TO CLAUSE 12-A OF RULE
1, THE HOUSE WILL STAND IN
RECESS SUBJECT TO THE CALL OF