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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, SECOND SESSION Vol. 158 WASHINGTON, MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2012 No. 162 House of Representatives The House met at noon and was Lord, the people’s House returns as a PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE called to order by the Speaker pro tem- community in Connecticut begins to The SPEAKER pro tempore. Will the pore (Mr. THORNBERRY). lay their little ones to rest. Bless the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. f families of all whose lives were so ter- ribly cut short with peace and consola- ALTMIRE) come forward and lead the DESIGNATION OF SPEAKER PRO tion. Help them, and help us all, to House in the Pledge of Allegiance. TEMPORE have hope in a time of great desolation. Mr. ALTMIRE led the Pledge of Alle- The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- ‘‘The souls of the just are in the hand giance as follows: fore the House the following commu- of God, and no torment shall touch I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the nication from the Speaker: them.’’ United States of America, and to the Repub- We ask Your blessing, O Lord, upon lic for which it stands, one nation under God, WASHINGTON, DC, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. December 17, 2012. the Members of this assembly, and I hereby appoint the Honorable MAC most especially upon the leadership. It THORNBERRY to act as Speaker pro tempore is on their shoulders the most impor- f on this day. tant negotiations of our time have JOHN A. BOEHNER, been placed. Give them wisdom, grace, TRIBUTE TO ALBERT E. BRUMLEY Speaker of the House of Representatives. insight, and courage to forge an agree- AND THE 80TH ANNIVERSARY OF f ment that allows us all to move for- ‘‘I’LL FLY AWAY’’ ward toward an encouraging future. MORNING-HOUR DEBATE May all that is done this day be for (Mr. WOMACK asked and was given The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- Your greater honor and glory. permission to address the House for 1 ant to the order of the House of Janu- Amen. minute and to revise and extend his re- ary 17, 2012, the Chair would now recog- f marks.) nize Members from lists submitted by THE JOURNAL Mr. WOMACK. Mr. Speaker, just a the majority and minority leaders for few weeks before we bid farewell to morning-hour debate. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The 2012, I rise today to acknowledge a Chair has examined the Journal of the f noteworthy anniversary celebrated just last day’s proceedings and announces a few weeks ago—the 80th anniversary RECESS to the House his approval thereof. of the Hartford Music Company’s fa- Pursuant to clause 1, rule I, the Jour- mous song, ‘‘I’ll Fly Away.’’ The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- nal stands approved. ant to clause 12(a) of rule I, the Chair Mr. WOMACK. Mr. Speaker, pursuant This staple of gospel music was writ- declares the House in recess until 2 to clause 1, rule I, I demand a vote on ten by the legendary Albert E. p.m. today. agreeing to the Speaker’s approval of Brumley and has been recorded more Accordingly (at 12 o’clock and 1 the Journal. than 5,000 times by celebrated per- minute p.m.), the House stood in re- The SPEAKER pro tempore. The formers from Aretha Franklin and cess. question is on the Speaker’s approval Kanye West to the Boston Pops and the f of the Journal. Blind Boys of Alabama. The song is The question was taken; and the published in most major church b 1400 Speaker pro tempore announced that hymnals, and its distinctive melody AFTER RECESS the ayes appeared to have it. frequents funerals, gospel concerts, and Mr. WOMACK. Mr. Speaker, I object community singings around America. The recess having expired, the House to the vote on the ground that a So, Mr. Speaker, on this milestone was called to order by the Speaker pro quorum is not present and make the anniversary of the publication of this tempore (Mr. THORNBERRY) at 2 p.m. point of order that a quorum is not national treasure in song, let us reflect f present. on the chorus, just as Brumley wrote a The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- PRAYER few decades ago: ant to clause 8, rule XX, further pro- I’ll fly away old glory, The Chaplain, the Reverend Patrick ceedings on this question will be post- I’ll fly away. J. Conroy, offered the following prayer: poned. When I die, Loving God, we give You thanks for The point of no quorum is considered Hallelujah by and by, giving us another day. withdrawn. I’ll fly away. 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. H6809 . VerDate Mar 15 2010 23:48 Dec 17, 2012 Jkt 029060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A17DE7.000 H17DEPT1 rfrederick on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with H6810 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE December 17, 2012 LET US ESTABLISH A CULTURE As discussions on the fiscal cliff and tempting to justify their acts are sim- OF PEACE our Nation’s economic future progress, ply cover. No citizens’ group has asked (Mr. KUCINICH asked and was given a delay in the implementation of the to ram this legislation through, nor permission to address the House for 1 medical device tax should strongly be have any business groups. The deep- minute and to revise and extend his re- considered. pocketed special interest groups whose marks.) f only goal is to destroy unions and Mr. KUCINICH. We are locked into a other labor organizations drove the PROTECTING AGAINST GUN cultural matrix of thinking which pro- puppets that created these divisive VIOLENCE duces violence, and we are shocked laws. when its heartbreaking effects emerge. (Mr. SABLAN asked and was given Right-to-work-for-less laws are bad It’s ‘‘us versus them’’ thinking, this permission to address the House for 1 for workers, bad for Michigan and bad evocation of enemies, whoever they minute and to revise and extend his re- for America. are. marks.) f On a global level, this type of think- Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise, as ing justifies war and brings the slaugh- many others have, to offer my deepest ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SPEAKER ter of innocence. Nationally, it sows condolences to the children, families, PRO TEMPORE seeds for murder. Yet war abroad and and community of Newtown, Con- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- violence at home are not inevitable. necticut. They are enduring a terrible ant to clause 4 of rule I, the following We have it within our power to re-cre- tragedy in the Sandy Hook Elementary enrolled bills were signed by the ate America today. Are we not the land School shootings. But merely to offer Speaker on Thursday, December 13, of the free, the home of the brave? Is condolence feels meaningless to me un- 2012: there not something uniquely Amer- less we also act to save other children H.R. 2838, to authorize appropriations ican which gives us the ability to tran- and families and communities from a for the Coast Guard for fiscal years 2013 scend our woes and to seek a more per- repetition of this same terrible trag- through 2014, and for other purposes; fect Union? edy. S. 1998, to obtain an unqualified audit Even at the darkest moments, we We in Congress must take action to opinion, and improve financial ac- Americans can stand bravely for our keep assault weapons and high-capac- countability and management at the freedom. Mindful of our inherent unity, ity clips out of the hands of those who Department of Homeland Security; we must break the ‘‘us versus them’’ are so dangerous or deranged or de- S. 3542, to authorize the Assistant mindset and move beyond survival luded that they can snuff out the lives Secretary of Homeland Security mode to security through cooperation. of innocents on a whim. I understand (Transportation Security Administra- Let us create an organized, struc- there is a constitutional right to bear tion) to modify screening requirements tured approach to become architects of arms—I know the lawyers here will de- for checked baggage arriving from a new culture of peace in our homes, bate the fine points of that constitu- preclearance airports, and for other our schools, and our workplaces. This tional protection—but if our talk does purposes. is what the Department of Peace is not take guns out of the hands of peo- f about. Let us establish an America ple who would murder children, then where national security and peace at our condolences today are just empty COMMUNICATION FROM THE home includes jobs, housing, physical words. CLERK OF THE HOUSE and mental health care, education, re- We owe it to those who died. We owe The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- tirement security for all. it to children still alive. We must pro- fore the House the following commu- We’re the land of the free, the home tect our families from this gun vio- nication from the Clerk of the House of of the brave. Freedom and bravery, lence. Representatives: courage and democracy, they are our f OFFICE OF THE CLERK, birthright, our inheritance, our des- 1410 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, tiny.