Hal Rogers

What the gentleman is asking is if we will continue the status quo. We do not and cannot accept the status quo.

May I inquire of the time remaining on both sides? The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Kentucky has 16\1/2\ minutes remaining, and the gentleman from Washington has 14\1/2\ minutes remaining.

Insofar as the military is concerned, this is not a CR. This funds the Department for the balance of the year. The rest of the bill, of course, is the CR. I yield 3 minutes to the very hardworking chairman of the House Armed Services…

I reserve a point of order on the gentleman's motion. The SPEAKER pro tempore. A point of order is reserved. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New York is recognized for 5 minutes in support of his motion.

I yield 1 minute to a member of our committee, and a good one, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Dent).

I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Pence). (Mr. PENCE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

May I inquire of the time remaining? The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Kentucky has 4\1/2\ minutes remaining. The gentleman from Washington has 2 minutes remaining.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Let's try to summarize here. The Democrats left us, when we took control of the House, in a mess. You hadn't passed a single appropriations bill. You passed a CR until March 4. We prepared and put into play and…

Well, regardless of that, why don't we do the right thing?

I am pleased that MSHA's fiscal 2012 budget request includes increased funds to reduce the backlog of mine safety citations.

Shouldn't we update that information before you write the regulation that would require things that may be outdated by now?

That is why I was proud to support the comprehensive mine safety MINER Act in 2006.

Is it common practice for Federal agencies to rely on 15-year old documents when promulgating regulations in this highly technical field?

As you know, the mining industry has proved a staple both for our Nation's energy supply and for our economy.

We policymakers and regulators have a special obligation to the 29 men who lost their lives on that fateful day.

I yield myself 1 minute. The gentleman from Virginia says that the public deserves that we pass appropriations bills, and I could not agree with him more. His majority last year failed to enact a single bill out of the 12 that we were…

This provision doesn't do anything. Nothing in the CR would cut Social Security or Medicare benefits, nor would it privatize Social Security. We are totally committed in this bill to saving Social Security. Let me be honest. This is a…

Of which I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished chairman of the Interior Subcommittee on Appropriation, the gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Simpson).

Would the gentleman talk to his colleagues over in the other body and tell them to pass something we can begin to negotiate on?

You know, it was stated a moment ago by a gentleman on the other side that this CR cuts NOAA and the tsunami prediction monies. That is not so. The only thing in this bill that cuts money from NOAA are the earmarks, and, yes, we cut the…

I thought we did away with earmarks.

I have told you a thousand times how important it is economically what you are doing there.

the MOU that was entered into in 2009 practically handed over the judgment on whether or not to issue a mining permit to the EPA.

Enhanced review process is an accurate description of what is happening because you have practically stopped issuing permits.

I think you have surrendered to the EPA on issuing permits. And that is sad.