On rollcall No. 493 I was temporarily off the House floor. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.'' ____________________

Today, as we continue our journey through the 23rd District of Texas, I would like to highlight the historic city of Socorro, in El Paso County. It is located in the center of El Paso's Mission Valley, a valley named for three historic…

If you read what reporters are already saying, they are saying that this isn't a serious bill that will ever become law--that opportunity was lost yesterday when the original bill was pulled. They are saying this bill does nothing because…

I, too, rise in support of the conference committee report, asking all of our fellow members to support it, and I congratulate the chairman with whom I had a rather spirited conversation on this floor, as well as the ranking member on…

Today, I would like to continue the journey through the vastness of the 23nd District of Texas and pass through a Texas town with an early reputation for infamy. ``Cotulla! Everybody get your guns ready,'' that is what train conductors…

Today I would like to continue the journey through the 23rd District of Texas and talk about Kermit, Texas, which many people know as being one of the communities in the center of all of the action with respect to the energy economy in…

I appreciate the opportunity. I am constantly frustrated in this Chamber by our inability to come to an agreement. And today, we stand here arguing about whether a Senate position is better or whether a House position is better. The truth…

Today, as we continue our journey through the 23rd District, I would like to travel to a small town some 40 miles west of San Antonio. That would be Hondo, Texas. It is about 9.6 square miles of iconic America, and as you pass the city…

During rollcall vote No. 422 on H.R. 5016, I mistakenly recorded my vote as ``yes'' when I should have voted ``no.'' Amendment Offered by Mrs. Blackburn The Acting CHAIR. The unfinished business is the demand for a recorded vote on the…

How much time remains? The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman has 18\1/2\ minutes remaining.

As the Chair knows, I find several of the Federal agencies very frustrating, but among the most frustrating is the Internal Revenue Service. One of the more interesting rulings of the Internal Revenue Service deals with the…

Absolutely, Mr. Chairman, I am happy to yield. I would point out that part of the conversation that we have had is asking the Senate to take action on a bill that the House sent over, when that is even a better argument for this motion…

We have all heard so much about the challenges that the VA faces and how it has totally, thoroughly, and completely failed many of our veterans. This motion to instruct the conferees would be a motion to ask that we essentially recede to…

I have a motion to instruct at the desk. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the motion. The Clerk read as follows: Mr. Gallego moves that the managers on the part of the House at the conference on the disagreeing votes of the…

This morning, as I continue highlighting places in the 23rd District, which comprises nearly 24 percent of the land area of Texas, I would like to talk about the city of Brackettville. With a population of a little over 1,500 people, it is…

I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will report the amendment. The Clerk read as follows: At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the following: TITLE--ADDITIONAL GENERAL PROVISIONS Sec. __. None of…

I am in my first term as a Member, and growing up as a kid in Alpine, Texas, I always heard the saying with respect to things that were really, really hard, and that saying was it takes an act of Congress to do that, and for the first time…

Again, I am always happy. I love the process, and I am a huge believer in the democratic system, but I will tell you that the idea that we are stuck at 26 and we are stuck at 26 forever is not a credible argument because there are other…

Today, as we continue our journey through the 23rd District of Texas, I would like to talk about the newest city in the 23rd District and one of the newest cities in Texas, which is the city of San Elizario, with a population of about…

I would like to thank the chairman and the ranking member for the time as well. I am not much for hyperbole or finger-pointing. I want to talk about what it is that is important about this bill for me as the representative of much of the…

Today, I would like to continue our journey throughout the vast 23rd District of Texas and talk about San Felipe Del Rio, known today as Del Rio, Texas. San Felipe Del Rio was founded by the Spaniards in the 1600s. In fact, local lore…

I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will report the amendment. The Clerk read as follows: Page 2, line 14, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced by $3,869,000)''. Page 3, line 4, after the dollar amount…

I offer this amendment because I believe that government must respect the people that it serves and always remember that government is a servant of the people. Several years ago, the Department of Agriculture closed an inspection station…

Many of our servicemembers have made the ultimate sacrifice. There are 4,423 that have died in Operation Iraqi Freedom; 66 in Operation New Dawn; and, as of yesterday, 2,320 have died in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, where I…

I would like to begin by thanking Chairman Rogers and the ranking member for an opportunity to work on this issue with them, and I certainly wish Chairman Rogers well in his future endeavors. Mr. Chairman, this amendment helps us find ways…