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E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 112 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 157 WASHINGTON, WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2011 No. 64 House of Representatives The House met at 10 a.m. and was this country’s original homeland secu- The death of bin Laden clearly under- called to order by the Speaker pro tem- rity. Where this right is freely exer- scores the folly of our current policy. pore (Mrs. ELLMERS). cised without government infringe- This is exactly the right moment to f ment, our citizens live in freedom with rethink our approach to Afghanistan a deterrent and defense to violent and national security more generally, DESIGNATION OF SPEAKER PRO crimes. especially with the President’s dead- TEMPORE Sadly, Second Amendment rights are line for redeployment just 50 days from The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- under attack from within, most re- now in July. fore the House the following commu- cently, the fast and furious scandal Unfortunately, Madam Speaker, our nication from the Speaker: perpetrated by the U.S. Bureau of Alco- military leaders don’t seem to be rising WASHINGTON, DC, hol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to the moment. According to yester- May 11, 2011. that approved felonious gun sales, di- day’s Wall Street Journal, officers in I hereby appoint the Honorable RENEE recting thousands of illegally pur- Afghanistan have drawn up a plan that ELLMERS to act as Speaker pro tempore on chased firearms to be smuggled into would withdraw 5,000 troops by July 1 this day. Mexico as part of a sting operation. and 5,000 more by the end of this year. JOHN A. BOEHNER, These actions contributed to the death Madam Speaker, that’s not even close Speaker of the House of Representatives. of a U.S. border agent and perpetuate to an adequate response to the de- f the lie that U.S. gun dealers supply the mands of the moment. It’s not the bold MORNING-HOUR DEBATE bulk of guns to criminal elements in move that was suggested when the Mexico. July 1, 2011, drawdown date was first The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- As elected Representatives, it is our announced; 10,000 fewer troops by the ant to the order of the House of Janu- duty to respect and defend the free- end of the year doesn’t even get us to ary 5, 2011, the Chair will now recog- doms that our Constitution guaran- pre-surge levels. nize Members from lists submitted by tees. Those in the Bureau of Alcohol, We owe it to the American people to the majority and minority leaders for Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives that do much, much more. They have sac- morning-hour debate. engineered this dangerous strategy rificed enough. What do we have to The Chair will alternate recognition that took a life and threatens our free- show for the 1,500-plus people we’ve between the parties, with each party doms must be held accountable. lost and the nearly $7 billion a month limited to 1 hour and each Member f we continue to throw at this mission? other than the majority and minority If anything, we have emboldened the leaders and the minority whip limited SUPPORT THE TROOPS BY terrorists instead of defeating them. If to 5 minutes each, but in no event shall BRINGING THEM HOME anything, we’ve undermined our na- debate continue beyond 11:50 a.m. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The tional security interests instead of ad- f Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from vancing them. If anything, we’ve weak- California (Ms. WOOLSEY) for 5 min- ened America instead of strengthening SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHTS utes. it. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Ms. WOOLSEY. Madam Speaker, the Americans see that Osama bin Laden Chair recognizes the gentleman from successful raid on Osama bin Laden’s is dead; that the military occupation of Pennsylvania (Mr. THOMPSON) for 2 hideaway 10 days ago came with an im- Afghanistan isn’t accomplishing its minutes. portant, and somewhat ironic, re- goals; that we have urgent priorities Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. minder. This mission was carried out right here at home. And they are quite Madam Speaker, yesterday, I joined in Pakistan where we are not at war rightly asking: Why do we still have members of the Pennsylvania State and have no troop presence. Mean- boots on the ground in Afghanistan? legislature, gun owners, and the presi- while, next door in Afghanistan, we We also owe it to the men and women dent of the NRA at the Pennsylvania continue to maintain an enormous who wear those boots to end this war. State capital in support of our Second military footprint of 100,000 or more Our troops have served with honor and Amendment rights. I appreciate their troops. We’re still there, even though valor in Afghanistan. A deeply flawed deep belief in freedom and protecting Osama bin Laden hasn’t been there and morally objectionable policy is not the Second Amendment that guaran- since he escaped our grasp at Tora their fault, but they are bearing the tees our citizens the right to own and Bora nearly 10 years ago, and most of untold burden that will not be easily bear arms. Our Second Amendment is the al Qaeda leadership fled long ago. lifted. b This symbol represents the time of day during the House proceedings, e.g., b 1407 is 2:07 p.m. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. H3163 . VerDate Mar 15 2010 23:36 May 11, 2011 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A11MY7.000 H11MYPT1 tjames on DSKG8SOYB1PROD with HOUSE H3164 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE May 11, 2011 Earlier this week, USA Today re- Virginia; and as these rising prices con- 1,000 to 1,700 megawatts and cost be- ported on a new military study show- tinue to directly affect all central and tween $5 billion and $10 billion to con- ing that troop morale is at an all-time southside Virginians and threaten our struct. In contrast, small modular re- low, thanks to the punishing emotional economic recovery, I believe we should actors generate 10 to 300 megawatts and psychological strain of multiple take action now to address this crisis. and cost about $750 million to con- deployments and intense combat. The Last week, the House passed a bill struct. These small reactors offer sev- percentage of Army soldiers reporting that would expand American energy eral advantages to large reactors in acute stress has nearly tripled since production and create jobs by reopen- certain situations, including shorter the year 2005. Even if the war ended to- ing the oil exploration in the Gulf of construction times, increased safety morrow, Madam Speaker, the anxiety Mexico and off the coast of Virginia controls, and electricity generation. and trauma plaguing so many of our that has been delayed or canceled by While large reactors are built on a fu- troops won’t go away anytime soon, if the Obama administration. It is esti- ture generation site, a process that can ever; but it’s time to let the physical mated that offshore energy develop- take up to 5 years, smaller reactors can and mental health healing begin. It’s ment in Virginia, which has bipartisan be manufactured in modular pieces in time to stop sending our best and our support, could lead to the production of factories and transported by rail or bravest into this grinder. more than half a billion barrels of oil truck, cutting construction times in We have asked enough of them. and 2.5 trillion cubic feet of natural half. Small reactors can also be com- Madam Speaker, I can think of no bet- gas, and create nearly 2,000 jobs for our pletely manufactured and fueled in a ter way to support our troops than to State. At a time like this, there is no factory. They can be sealed and shipped bring them home immediately. reason to leave these resources un- to the site for power generation, and touched when it will help provide relief f after use, they can be shipped back to to all Americans. the factory for defueling, minimizing MESSAGE FROM THE SENATE This week, we are continuing our the potential spread of nuclear mate- A message from the Senate by Ms. work to maximize American energy rial. Curtis, one of its clerks, announced production by considering two bills Additionally, small modular reactors that the Senate has agreed to a concur- that will end the White House’s de produce a small nuclear reaction which rent resolution of the following title in facto moratorium on new American generates less heat, making them easi- which the concurrence of the House is offshore energy production in a safe, er to shut down in the event of a mal- requested: responsible, and transparent manner. function. Another advantage of small S. Con. Res. 16. Concurrent resolution au- By reversing the administration’s anti- modular reactors is that, unlike large thorizing the use of Emancipation Hall in energy policies and tapping into these reactors, they can generate power in the Capitol Visitor Center for an event to resources to maximize our domestic any location. While large reactors re- celebrate the birthday of King Kamehameha. energy supply, we will take a signifi- quire millions of gallons of water per cant step towards lowering gas prices, The message also announced that day for cooling and must be located reducing our dependence on foreign oil, pursuant to Public Law 94–304, as near large water sources, small reac- and creating thousands of jobs for the amended by Public Law 99–7, the Chair, tors can be water-cooled or air-cooled.

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