1:31:57 to 1:32:15( Edit History Discussion )

David Roe: country and to strengthen volunteer infrastructures -- infrastructure organizations nationwide. these grants will help address national and state priorities, especially in areas with the greatest need for the support. i have never seen more clearly the need for volunteers than iowa this past year.

1:32:16 to 1:32:20( Edit History Discussion )

David Loebsack: in june, 2008, iowa was overcome by severe flooding.

1:32:21 to 1:32:41( Edit History Discussion )

David Roe: as my colleagues know, 85 of iowa's 99 counties were declared presidential disaster areas and the second district, which i represent, sustained the greatest damage. thousands of homes and businesses were destroyed, families were displaced, and the devastation was indescribable. needless to say, we are still

1:33:04 to 1:33:25( Edit History Discussion )

David Roe: location and point of contact. in late june, united way of eastern iowa formed a partnership with community corrections improvement association and the iowa commission on volunteer service and americorps. together they created the east central iowa volunteereception center to organize and coordinate volunteer responses to the disasters.

1:33:47 to 1:34:07( Edit History Discussion )

David Roe: volunteer reception centers. iowa would not have made the progress it has made in the wake of disasters without volunteers, and iowa is not alone. across this country, states are faced with growing unmet public needs which can be better addressed by leveraging the work of volunteers. and i might just say as we speak we have over 600 student

1:34:31 to 1:34:52( Edit History Discussion )

Howard P. Buck McKeon: investment in a new volunteer generation fund that builds capacity and access for millions of new volunteers can leverage billions of dollars in volunteer services to. so country's neediest citizens. i urge my colleagues to support this amendment and i would like to submit an article by an amar'e corps intern, lacy white, who was inspired by the work of all the americorps members who

1:34:53 to 1:35:13( Edit History Discussion )

Howard P. Buck McKeon: were -- what they were doing and asked if she could do her part by recording their story. i'd like to submit that for the reco if i may. mr. speaker -- the chair: it would be covered under general leave. mr. loebsack: mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman reserves his time. the gentleman from california. mr. mckeon: thank you, mr.

1:35:35 to 1:35:55( Edit History Discussion )

Howard P. Buck McKeon: the purpose of this amendment is to generate volunteers,hich is the purpose of the wle bill. it's a worthy goal and that's why we have taken to ensure steps that all national service programs in one way or another encourage volunteerism. the approach included in the bill agreed to in a bipartisan manner is the right one. rather than creating a new

1:36:06 to 1:36:26( Edit History Discussion )

Robert E. Andrews: redundant amendment and encourage my colleagues to do the same. and yiel time. the chair: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from iowa. mr. loebsack: i colleague, rob andrews, for one the chair: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. andrews: i rise in support of the amendment he's offering.

1:36:27 to 1:36:49( Edit History Discussion )

Robert E. Andrews: the ranking member's correct that the purpose of the underlying bill is to generate volunteers. i think the gentleman from iowa has put a finer point on that and given the structure of the program, a specific place at which volunteers will be generated. it is a full-time be job to generate volunteers. you need someone who gets up every morning dedicated to that purpose.

1:37:11 to 1:37:31( Edit History Discussion )

Robert E. Andrews: iowa. mr. loebsack: i reserve the balance of my time. the chair: the gtleman from california yielded back. mr. loebsack: at this time i want to thank my colleagues for their consideration of my amendment and urge its passage. i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. e question is on the adoption of the amendment offered by the

1:37:36 to 1:37:56( Edit History Discussion )

those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. the amendment is adopted. the gentleman from california. mr. mckeon: i ask for the yeas and nays. recorded vote. the chair: the gentleman asks for a recorded vote. pursuant to clause 6 of rule 18, further proceedings on amendment offered by the gentleman from

1:38:18 to 1:38:39( Edit History Discussion )

111-39, offered by mr. roe of tennessee. the chair: pursuant to house resolution 250, the gentleman from tennessee, mr. roe, and a member opposed, each will control five minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from tennessee. mr. roe: i ask unanimous consent that the amendment be modified by the text i placed at the desk. the chair: the clerk will report the modification. the clerk: modification to

1:39:40 to 1:39:49( Edit History Discussion )

Paul Tonko: face record deficits. the legislation before us includes a sense of congress that the americorps and several other programs should increase the number of volunteers to

1:39:50 to 1:39:59( Edit History Discussion )

David Roe: 250,000 up from its current level of just over 75,300 which if achieved would are a 300% increase. while it seems to me to be a

1:40:00 to 1:40:09( Edit History Discussion )

Paul Tonko: worthy goal for the future, i'm concerned about the temptation to try to get there all at once without some direction to the appropriations committee on how much funding to allocate the program.

1:40:31 to 1:40:51( Edit History Discussion )

Robert E. Andrews: reasonable boundary for the program. i urge adoption of this amendment and reserve the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman time. the gentlemafrom new jersey. mr. andrews: mr. chairman, i ask unanimous consent to claim time in opposition to the amendment. the chair: without objection. mr. andrews: mr. chairman, we oppose this amendment because it replaces carefully reasoned consideration of the growth of the program with an arbitrary

1:40:52 to 1:41:13( Edit History Discussion )

Robert E. Andrews: standard. i'm quite sympathetic to the author's concern that no program grow more quickly than it should. i think that he's right. and i think that that's a concern we should have in every aspect of the federal budget. but i think the proper place to adjudicate that concern is in the appropriations bill. what the bill before us does is

1:41:35 to 1:41:55( Edit History Discussion )

Robert E. Andrews: it is to set a goal that we think is the optimal goal. we may be wrong. it's shocking but it's been known to happen around here. if that's the case, it is the job of the appropriations committee after full public hearing and usually under a very open procedure here on the floor for members to come and debate the proper amount of funding

1:42:18 to 1:42:30( Edit History Discussion )

Robert E. Andrews: understand the gentleman's concerns, we respectfully oppose this amendment because it deprives the appropriate committee, the appropriations committee, and the entire body of the right to make that annual assessment as to what appropriate level of funding is.

1:43:13 to 1:43:33( Edit History Discussion )

Howard P. Buck McKeon: challenges we face at this time. in fact a child born today carries a debt of at least $175,000. that's equivalent of having a mortgage and no house. the roe amendment is a small step but very important one. it uerscores our commitment to fiscal responsibility. i think as authorizers we can

1:43:55 to 1:44:16( Edit History Discussion )

Howard P. Buck McKeon: as we implement major structural changes in the bill, such as the new fix priced grant structure t. would be prudent to take our time before deploying on a larger scale. therefore although we have encouraged the corporation to actually expand these programs, i support this amendment to authorize funding for the coming year at the fiscal year 2008

1:44:21 to 1:44:41( Edit History Discussion )

Paul Tonko: i urge my colleagues to support this amendment and yield back the balae of my time. the chair: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from new jersey. mr. andrews: i would inquire of the author, mr. chairman, if there are any other speakers be amendment? mr. roe: no. mr. and to close.

1:44:42 to 1:44:55( Edit History Discussion )

Paul Tonko: and continue to reserve my time at this time. the chair: the gentleman reserves his time. the gentleman from tennessee. mr. roe: i yield the balance of my time to my sefment the chair: the gentleman is recognized. mr. roe: i know i'm new here in congress and probably don't understand the way things work, but i have a basic philosophy that i have applied throughout

1:44:56 to 1:45:14( Edit History Discussion )

David Roe: my public service. it's very simple. the government should spend less than it takes in. it's a concept that our state governments and local governments achieve every year and i know there's pain but they get it. and it's because that's what they have to do. states like california and tennessee have to make major spending cuts this year to bring

1:46:28 to 1:46:49( Edit History Discussion )

Robert E. Andrews: people getting a higher education, a skilled work force is one of the most important ways we grow the economy. second, it addresses some of the most pressing needs of the country they are precluding us from growth, whether it's illiteracy, gaps in our health care system this bill, underlying bill we believe

1:47:11 to 1:47:31( Edit History Discussion )

Robert E. Andrews: artificially cuts off those possibilities. we urge a no vote. i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the question is on adoption of the amendment as modified offered by the gentleman from tennessee. so many as are in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the noes have it. the amendment is not adopted. mr. roe: i ask for a recorded

1:47:44 to 1:48:00( Edit History Discussion )

. e gentleman from the gentleman from. mr. andrews: i ask that the committee do now re. the c aye. those opposed, no. the ayes have it.

1:48:32 to 1:48:53( Edit History Discussion )

consideration h.r. 138 come to no resolution thereon. for what reason does the gentleman from new jersey rise? mr. andrews: madam speaker, i ask unanimous consent that during consideration of h.r. 1388 pursuant to house resolution 250 the chair may reduce to two minutes the

1:50:10 to 1:50:29( Edit History Discussion )

speaker. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to house resolution 250 and rule 18, the chair declares the committee of the whole house on the state of the union for further consideration of h.r. 1388. will the gentleman from arizona, mr. pastor, kindly

1:51:00 to 1:51:20( Edit History Discussion )

of the whole house rose earlier today, amendment number 5 had been postponed. it is now in order to consider amendment number 6 printed in house report 111-39. for what purpose does the gelelady from ohio rise? ms. kilroy: mr. chairman, i have an amendment at the desk.