This exemption from paying a performance royalty to artists no longer makes any sense, if it ever did, and unfairly deprives artists of the compensation they deserve for their work.

Isn't one of the fundamental things we should consider here, scrapping generations of legislation that now cause us to infinitely try to figure out whether in fact Pandora can effectively compete against broadcasters?

I hope the DOJ review will be completed quickly as time is of the essence for all the parties involved.

the Supreme Court upheld legislative prayer in the May 5, 2014 decision Town of Greece v. Galloway.

As I mentioned 2 weeks, as we consider challenges and potential solutions to the copyright laws relating to music, we should keep in mind ideas that incorporate more free market principles.

In a world of instant and constant access to entertainment options on Internet-connected devices, laws that hinder or stunt access to legal music not only hurt consumers, but also the artists and the services that provide music to…

the Justices of the Supreme Court unanimously rejected the Federal Government's argument in Hosanna-Tabor.

I just don't want the Congress to screw it up.

I thank the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Gosar) for raising this important issue. The Electronic Communications Privacy Act was written long before the Internet was in common use. It is out of date. It needs to be modernized. It needs to…

This is where I came in a little while ago. The gentlewoman was correct, that I was speaking earlier about this amendment and not hers. However, I oppose both these amendments. The principle is the same. With regard to this amendment, I…

I have reservations about this that are very significant. I would oppose this amendment very strongly in its current form. All private prison contracts provide for a guaranteed population. Without this, the contractors would operate at a…

I demand a recorded vote. The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Kentucky will be postponed. Amendment Offered by Mr. Huffman

I thank the gentleman for yielding. I share the gentleman from Florida's interest and support for shield laws as well, but I don't believe this has been carefully vetted. There are implications here about exactly who has the right to make…

Okay. Well, seeds or hemp, you have to still have the involvement of the DEA because seeds and hemp can be used to grow marijuana, as well as to grow hemp. So if you don't have the ability to determine, just by looking at it, whether or…

I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Chairman, no one denies the constitutional power of the President to grant clemency. The question here is whether this power is being used by the President of the United States as a way around the…

I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Chairman, I agree with the gentleman. That is why, last year, we launched an overcriminalization of Federal law task force. We are looking at prison overpopulation and who is getting sentenced and…

First of all, let me say that it would not achieve the purpose of having a competitive bid process for the operation of prisons. Because if you would accept that premise you would have the Federal Government offering contracts; then if…

This amendment would require the U.S. Customs and Border Protection to choose between ignoring existing law or barring all imports of seeds. Removing DEA from the registration and permit process without changing existing law would…

Such institutions of higher education or State departments of agriculture simply need to first become registered with the DEA as an importer or as a researcher and, second, obtain an import permit authorizing the shipment of seeds. The…

I do not. I don't have enough time, I don't believe, to finish my remarks. The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Virginia is recognized.

I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I join him in opposition to this amendment. Mr. Chair, the purpose of this amendment ostensibly is to make it easier to import seeds for the purpose of research with regard to growing or cultivating…

I do not yield, Mr. Chairman. The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman does not yield. The gentleman from Virginia may proceed.

I appreciate the President's recognition of the importance of doing immigration reform.

not administrating the program is also a missed opportunity to address the problem with the release of criminal aliens back into our society.

And any assistance the U.S. gives to them to help secure that border with Guatemala I think will pay dividends for both Mexico and the United States.