E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 113 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION Vol. 160 WASHINGTON, MONDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2014 No. 148 House of Representatives The House met at noon and was WASHINGTON, DC, ary 7, 2014, the Chair will now recog- called to order by the Speaker pro tem- December 8, 2014. nize Members from lists submitted by pore (Mr. BYRNE). I hereby appoint the Honorable BRADLEY the majority and minority leaders for BYRNE to act as Speaker pro tempore on this morning-hour debate. f day. JOHN A. BOEHNER, The Chair will alternate recognition Speaker of the House of Representatives. between the parties, with each party DESIGNATION OF SPEAKER PRO f limited to 1 hour and each Member TEMPORE other than the majority and minority The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- MORNING-HOUR DEBATE leaders and the minority whip limited fore the House the following commu- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- to 5 minutes, but in no event shall de- nication from the Speaker: ant to the order of the House of Janu- bate continue beyond 1:50 p.m. NOTICE If the 113th Congress, 2nd Session, adjourns sine die on or before December 24, 2014, a final issue of the Congres- sional Record for the 113th Congress, 2nd Session, will be published on Wednesday, December 31, 2014, to permit Mem- bers to insert statements. All material for insertion must be signed by the Member and delivered to the respective offices of the Official Reporters of Debates (Room HT–59 or S–123 of the Capitol), Monday through Friday, between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. through Tuesday, December 30. The final issue will be dated Wednesday, December 31, 2014, and will be delivered on Monday, January 5, 2015. None of the material printed in the final issue of the Congressional Record may contain subject matter, or relate to any event, that occurred after the sine die date. Senators’ statements should also be formatted according to the instructions at http://webster/secretary/conglrecord.pdf, and submitted electronically, either on a disk to accompany the signed statement, or by e-mail to the Official Reporters of Debates at ‘‘[email protected]’’. Members of the House of Representatives’ statements may also be submitted electronically by e-mail, to accompany the signed statement, and formatted according to the instructions for the Extensions of Remarks template at https://housenet.house.gov/legislative/research-and-reference/transcripts-and-records/electronic-congressional-record-inserts. The Official Reporters will transmit to GPO the template formatted electronic file only after receipt of, and authentication with, the hard copy, and signed manuscript. Deliver statements to the Official Reporters in Room HT–59. Members of Congress desiring to purchase reprints of material submitted for inclusion in the Congressional Record may do so by contacting the Office of Congressional Publishing Services, at the Government Printing Office, on 512–0224, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. daily. By order of the Joint Committee on Printing. CHARLES E. SCHUMER, Chairman. THANKING THE PEOPLE OF Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, Having grown up in the small village AMERICAN SAMOA I rise today to thank our fellow Ameri- of Vailoatai in American Samoa and The SPEAKER pro tempore. The cans and the people of American having graduated from Kahuku High Chair recognizes the gentleman from Samoa for the opportunity they gave School in Hawaii, I never expected that American Samoa (Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA) me to serve them. the people of American Samoa would for 5 minutes. choose me to serve them in the U.S. 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. H8821 . VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:30 Dec 09, 2014 Jkt 049060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A08DE7.000 H08DEPT1 SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with HOUSE H8822 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE December 8, 2014 House of Representatives from the that she has been a part of my life for Assembly until she was illegally re- time they first elected me in 1988 until all these years. moved from her seat in Congress by the 2014. I am also proud that Congresswoman Venezuelan thugs. Why was she re- I pay special tribute to them and to PELOSI became the first woman in U.S. moved from that seat? Because she the late Paramount Chief A.U. history to serve as Speaker of the U.S. spoke up for the people of Venezuela. Fuimaono, who served as American Sa- House of Representatives. Congress- Before she was removed unjustly moa’s first elected representative to woman PELOSI will always hold a spe- from her legislative seat, she was phys- Washington, D.C. Paramount Chief cial place in my heart. ically assaulted on the floor of the Na- Fuimaono gave me the opportunity to I thank my friends from around the tional Assembly. Yes, on the floor of serve as his chief of staff from 1973 to world, including diplomats and world the Venezuelan Congress, she was beat- 1975, and I am grateful for all he taught leaders from Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Uz- en up. me. bekistan, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, Maria Corina, despite being banned From 1975 to 1981, it was my honor to Taiwan, both North and South Korea, from leaving her country, continues to serve with the late Congressman Phil- China, India, Hong Kong, and else- use the power of her voice to spread lip Burton, who was chairman of the where, for their friendship and support. awareness about the violence and the House Subcommittee on Territorial I also want to thank my staff in corrupt nature of Nicolas Maduro’s and Insular Affairs. During my service Washington, D.C., and in American brutal regime. as his chief counsel, he instructed me Samoa for their loyalty and dedication with drafting legislation providing for to me, to our Nation, and to the people Sadly, Mr. Speaker, her case is not the first elected Governor and Lieuten- of American Samoa. an isolated incident. Earlier this year, ant Governor of American Samoa and Above all, I thank my Heavenly Fa- savage repression met the thousands of for American Samoa to be represented ther for his guidance and protection. students who peacefully demonstrated, by a Delegate to the U.S. House of Rep- I go forward, Mr. Speaker, knowing seeking a better Venezuela. Maduro, in resentatives. I will always be grateful that the best is yet to come and hoping desperation, used his National Guard and thankful for the opportunity that I that I will be remembered for trying and paramilitary forces to savagely had to participate in such an historic my best. For the times I fell short, I quash the protest. During that time, undertaking for and on behalf of the ask for forgiveness. innocent people were injured, arrested, people of American Samoa. To each of my colleagues and to you, and even killed, unarmed demonstra- After my service with Chairman Bur- Mr. Speaker, I extend my kindest and tors killed by Nicolas Maduro. Sev- ton, the late Senate President, Para- highest regards. May God be with you enty-two of those students remain in mount Chief Letuli Toloa encouraged always. Fa‘afetai ma ia Soifua, mean- prison today, as well as two mayors me to come home and ai le pefu ma ing, in the Samoan language, thank who are in prison and opposition leader savali le ma‘ama‘a, which means, come you, and may peace be with you al- Leopoldo Lopez, another brave voice back home to ‘‘eat the dust and walk ways. for freedom like Maria Corina. on the rocks’’ so that I could feel the f Here is Leopoldo Lopez. He remains people’s pains and sufferings and so in solitary confinement in Ramo Verde CRISES IN VENEZUELA that I might be able to serve them with military prison under the poorest of more meaningful purpose. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The conditions and without regular access I followed his advice, and as I look Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from to visitors and all denying his due back over my life of service, had I not Florida (Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN) for 5 min- process. His wife, children, family, and returned to American Samoa to live utes. friends are not allowed to freely visit among our people, it would have been Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, him, Mr. Speaker. impossible for the people of American stability in the Western Hemisphere is His case caused international outcry Samoa to have entrusted me to serve in jeopardy due to the political and from Amnesty International, stating them for nearly four decades at home economic pressures occurring in Ven- that the charges against him are politi- and abroad. ezuela. Misguided financial decisions, cally motivated and an assault on dis- As I now leave this great institution, attacks on entrepreneurship, and so- sent in Venezuela. Mr. Speaker, I once more express my cialist policies have led the economy in More recently, the United Nations love for the people of American Samoa Venezuela to a free fall. working group on arbitrary detentions, and to all my fellow Americans. I also With oil prices continuing to de- along with that body’s top human want to express my love to my dear crease, Venezuela is suffering from rights officials, demanded the release wife, Antonina Hinanui, who is from large budget shortfalls due to its large of Leopoldo Lopez as well as the re- Tahiti, and our children for standing dependency on oil sales.