E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 113 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 159 WASHINGTON, TUESDAY, JULY 16, 2013 No. 101 House of Representatives The House met at noon and was tember, we will be only 2 days away Instead of learning the details of the called to order by the Speaker pro tem- from the 1-year anniversary of the attack and the U.S. response in public pore (Mr. BENTIVOLIO). Benghazi attacks. This looming anni- hearings, the American people may in- f versary should stand as a stark re- stead read about it in one of the books minder of the many unanswered ques- that have been announced in recent DESIGNATION OF SPEAKER PRO tions that remain about what actually weeks. It is clear that the survivors TEMPORE happened that night and how the ad- from the consulate and the annex have The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- ministration chose to respond or not worked with authors on two separate fore the House the following commu- respond to the Americans under as- books that are scheduled to be pub- nication from the Speaker: sault during that 8-hour period. lished over the next year. WASHINGTON, DC, That is why, over the next 3 weeks, I The first, ‘‘Under Fire: The Untold July 16, 2013. will be coming to the floor regularly to Story of the Attack in Benghazi,’’ de- I hereby appoint the Honorable KERRY remind the American people about the scribes in vivid, minute-by-minute de- BENTIVOLIO to act as Speaker pro tempore on key questions that remain to be an- tail the assault on the U.S. consulate, this day. swered. I will also be sending a series of according to an excerpt that was pub- JOHN A. BOEHNER, letters to the State Department, the lished in Vanity Fair magazine this Speaker of the House of Representatives. Defense Department, and the CIA for- month. This excerpt contains impor- f mally requesting responses to some of tant new information about the level of MORNING-HOUR DEBATE these questions. While I am skeptical sophistication of the attack and how the administration will be forthcoming the terrorists apparently had detailed The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- with answers, I do hope that these inside knowledge of the American con- ant to the order of the House of Janu- questions will underscore, for the Con- sulate. It also noted that each of the ary 3, 2013, the Chair will now recog- gress and the American people, the terrorists’ vehicles flew the ‘‘black flag nize Members from lists submitted by woefully incomplete status of the of jihad.’’ The report makes clear this the majority and minority leaders for Benghazi investigation. attack was the result of careful plan- morning-hour debate. I have long been concerned that the ning and intelligence-gathering by the The Chair will alternate recognition current investigative strategy would terrorists, not some spontaneous at- between the parties, with each party not yield the necessary answers. That tack on a target of opportunity. limited to 1 hour and each Member is why, for the last 8 months, I have ad- A second, $3 million book deal, sched- other than the majority and minority vocated creating a bipartisan select uled for publication in 2014, was an- leaders and the minority whip limited committee to thoroughly investigate nounced last month with four unnamed to 5 minutes each, but in no event shall the Benghazi attacks. My bill, H. Res. U.S. security contractors who were debate continue beyond 1:50 p.m. 36, has 160 cosponsors, as well as the based at the annex and responded to f support of many family members of the the attacks that night. I suspect, given BENGHAZI INVESTIGATION Benghazi victims, the Special Oper- the critical role played by the contrac- ations community, and the Federal tors in responding to the consulate at- The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Law Enforcement Officers Association, tack and later in defending the annex, Chair recognizes the gentleman from which represent the Diplomatic Secu- that these individuals have important Virginia (Mr. WOLF) for 5 minutes. rity agents who were at the consulate information that deserves to be heard Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, Deuter- in Benghazi. by the Congress and by the American onomy 16:20 tells us: Perhaps the most telling sign of the people. I also wonder, Mr. Speaker, Justice, justice shalt thou pursue. incomplete state of the Benghazi inves- whether any of the $3 million they’re As we quietly mark the 10-month an- tigation is the fact that not one of the earning from the book deal will be niversary of the Benghazi terrorist at- survivors of the Benghazi attack from shared with Ty Woods’ widow and child tacks last week, I know many people the consulate or the annex has publicly or the parents of Glen Doherty, who did wondered if there will ever be any clear testified before Congress. Despite near- so much to save our Americans. resolution to this investigation, let ly a full year of multiple committee in- I can’t help but ask why the Congress alone justice. vestigations, not one witness has been has not asked—or subpoenaed—these There are less than 3 weeks remain- brought before a committee to publicly individuals to testify before the House ing before the Congress departs for the testify under oath about what hap- committees that have been inves- August recess. When we return in Sep- pened that night. tigating this over the past year. If 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. H4489 . VerDate Mar 15 2010 04:53 Jul 17, 2013 Jkt 029060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A16JY7.000 H16JYPT1 jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with HOUSE H4490 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE July 16, 2013 these questions are not answered, the bring people together. For years, I’ve lest they slide uncharitably toward an American people will never know what been working in areas of protecting the inability to listen to one another and took place in Benghazi. pollinators. There are 250,000 little spe- work cooperatively to solve the impor- f cies that pollinate our food and help tant issues of our day. create $200 billion worth of food crops Give them the generosity of heart, THE FARM BILL AND worldwide. One in every three forks of and the courage of true leadership, to POLLINATORS foods that we eat is due to pollination, work toward a common solution, which The SPEAKER pro tempore. The as well as the flowers we enjoy, fruits, might call for compromise, even sac- Chair recognizes the gentleman from chocolate, and even tequila. Many of rifice on both sides. We pray that their Oregon (Mr. BLUMENAUER) for 5 min- these things depend on these humble work results not in solutions where utes. workers. Yet we’ve watched real some are winners and some losers, but Mr. BLUMENAUER. Last week’s threats to the critical habitat for polli- where all Americans know in their farm bill debacle in the House of Rep- nators. I’m hopeful that we can add a hearts that we are winners. resentatives highlighted a fundamental simple, nonpartisan provision that will May all that is done this day be for disconnect. My friends in the Repub- make a difference for these protec- Your greater honor and glory. lican majority felt that nutrition for tions. Amen. poor people was not a priority because Neonicotinoids are insecticides which f they were concerned about increasing have been linked to large bee die-offs. government dependence for lower-in- In one instance, it happened to 50,000 THE JOURNAL come Americans. bees in Oregon last week. These insec- The SPEAKER. The Chair has exam- Yes, there are more people receiving ticides have been banned for 2 years in ined the Journal of the last day’s pro- SNAP, or what we used to call food Europe. I’m hopeful that as the farm ceedings and announces to the House stamp benefits, because that’s how the bill goes forward, we can address put- his approval thereof. system is supposed to work. After our ting a temporary ban on their sale here Pursuant to clause 1, rule I, the Jour- Nation suffered a near collapse of the in the United States, taking a deeper nal stands approved. economy, and with a much larger popu- dive on the impact they have on polli- f lation of over 313 million people, we nators and, indeed, on the entire food would expect that, in the face of per- chain for this very persistent substance PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE sistent unemployment and job loss, that has the potential of affecting the more people would be on food stamps. The SPEAKER. Will the gentle- impact not just of the health of bees woman from North Carolina (Ms. FOXX) We want them to get this assistance. It but of our families as well. I’m also helps those families and it helps the come forward and lead the House in the hopeful that we’ll have a farm bill that Pledge of Allegiance. economy. can include low- or no-cost provisions Yet, by the same action, my friends Ms. FOXX led the Pledge of Alle- like pollinating protection to bring giance as follows: passed the most expensive farm bill people together to strengthen agri- I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the provisions in our Nation’s history.