AP-APTN-0930: Taiwan Jackson Saturday, 27 June 2009 STORY:Taiwan Jackson- REPLAY Michael Jackson impersonator remembers meeting his hero LENGTH: 02:17 FIRST RUN: 0630 RESTRICTIONS: Part No Taiwan TYPE: Mandarin/Nats SOURCE: AP TELEVISION/CTV STORY NUMBER: 611026 DATELINE: Taipei County - 27 June 2009/FILE LENGTH: 02:17 SHOTLIST: AP Television - AP Clients Only Taipei County - 27 June, 2009 1. Wide of Michael Jackson impersonator Wang Chi-Wei dancing to Michael Jackson song "Billie Jean" 2. Close-up Wang's dance steps 3. Close-up Wang's face 4. Close-up Wang's dance steps 5. Wide of Wang dancing 6. Pan shot Wang performing Jackson's famous "Moon walk" dance 7. SOUNDBITE: (Mandarin) Wang Chi-Wei, Michael Jackson impersonator: "I remember I melted when Michael Jackson put his hand on my shoulder in an exclusive photo call in 1993." 8. Wide shot newspaper clipping and pictures from 1993 9. Close-up picture of Wang and Michael Jackson 10. Tilt down concert tickets of Michael Jackson's Asia tours in 1993 and 1996 CTV - No Access Taiwan FILE: Taipei - 1993 11. Various of Wang dancing to Michael Jackson song "Billie Jean" in Michael Jackson impersonator contest in 1993 with STILL of Michael Jackson AP Television - AP Clients Only Taipei County - 27 June 2009 12. SOUNDBITE: (Mandarin) Wang Chi-Wei, Michael Jackson impersonator: "We were all hoping it was just a joke. Until I saw Michael Jackson's body lying still on the stretcher then I realised that he was dead, I cried with my student last night. Our love for him is real. When some people criticised him we really wanted to support him but I think we don't have the chance any more." 13. Wide of Wang's daughter watching Wang dancing with his student Lee Yen-Ting 14. Close-up Wang's daughter 15. Mid of Wang dancing with his student Lee 16. Wide of Wang and Lee dancing STORYLINE: In Taipei on Saturday, Taiwan's top Michael Jackson impersonator donned a wig, trademark black loafers and fedora hat and danced the moon walk in tribute to the King of Pop who died on Thursday. Thirty-year-old Wang Chi-Wei won a photo opportunity with his pop icon after coming first in an imitation competition in 1993 by dancing to the Jackson hit 'Billie Jean'. Wang still clearly remembered the big moment and said he "melted when Michael Jackson put his hand on my shoulder". Wang was tearful as he talked of the death of his pop hero. "Our love for him is real," he said. "When some people criticised him we really wanted to support him, but I think we don't have the chance any more," he added. Taiwan is one of the few Asian destinations where Jackson held concerts; the Dangerous World Tour in 1993 and the History World Tour in 1996. Wang attended both concerts and still has the tickets. He has imparted his moon walk skills to 29-year-old professional dancer Lee Yen-Ting. They believe that people find it exciting to watch them performing Jackson's unique dance which few can master. Both Wang and Lee say they will continue dancing to keep the legacy of Michael Jackson alive. Jackson collapsed at his rented home in Los Angeles on Thursday and died aged 50 from a suspected heart attack. 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APTN APEX 06-27-09 0551EDT ------------------- END -- OF -- ITEM ------------------- AP-APTN-0930: US Climate Bill Saturday, 27 June 2009 STORY:US Climate Bill- REPLAY House passes major energy climate bill in triumph for US president LENGTH: 02:05 FIRST RUN: 0330 RESTRICTIONS: Part No NAmerica/Net TYPE: English/Natsound SOURCE: POOL/ ABC STORY NUMBER: 611020 DATELINE: Washington DC - 26 June 2009 LENGTH: 02:05 SHOTLIST POOL - AP Clients Only 1. Wide of US House of Representatives 2. Wide of House floor 3. SOUNDBITE (English) John Boehner, Republican Minority Leader: "What we have on the floor today is typical big government. And the fight that we have between the two sides of the aisle really boils down to one word. It boils down to freedom. The freedom to allow the American people to live their lives without all of these extra taxes and all of this bureaucracy." 4. Wide of House with graphic overlaid showing vote tally 5. SOUNDBITE (English) Ed Pastor, Democratic congressman: "On this vote, yeas are 219, nays are 212. The bill is passed." ABC - No Access NAmerica/Internet 6. US President Barack Obama walking into room 7. SOUNDBITE (English) Barack Obama, US President: "Today, the House of Representatives took historic action with the passage of the American Clean Energy and Security Act. It's a bold and necessary step that holds the promise of creating new industries and (m) millions of new jobs, decreasing our dangerous dependence on foreign oil, and strictly limiting the release of pollutants that threaten the health of families and communities and the planet itself. Now it's up to the senate to take the next step. I am confident that in the coming weeks and months, the senate will demonstrate the same commitment to addressing what is a tremendous challenge and an extraordinary opportunity." 8. Wide of Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking at news conference 9. SOUNDBITE (English) Nancy Pelosi, Democratic House Speaker: "Everyone is very excited about the history that was made here in the House of Representatives this evening. We passed transformational legislation which will take us into the future. No matter how long our colleagues wanted to talk against it, they could not hold the future back." 10. Cutaway of people at news conference STORYLINE: In a triumph for US President Barack Obama, the Democratic-controlled House narrowly passed sweeping legislation on Friday that calls for the nation's first limits on pollution linked to global warming and aims to usher in a new era of cleaner, yet more costly energy. The vote was 219-212, capping months of negotiations and days of intense bargaining among Democrats. Republicans were overwhelmingly against the measure, arguing it would destroy jobs in the midst of a recession while burdening consumers with a new tax in the form of higher energy costs. Congressman John Boehner, the House Republican leader, used a one-hour speech shortly before the final vote to warn of what he said were unintended consequences that would cost jobs, depress real estate prices and put the government into parts of the economy where it had no role. "What we have on the floor today is typical big government. And the fight that we have between the two sides of the aisle really boils down to one word. It boils down to freedom.The freedom to allow the American people to live their lives without all of these extra taxes and all of this bureaucracy," he said. At the White House, Obama said the bill would create jobs, and added that with its vote, the House had put America on a path toward leading the way toward creating a 21st century global economy. "It's a bold and necessary step that holds the promise of creating new industries and (m) millions of new jobs, decreasing our dangerous dependence on foreign oil, and strictly limiting the release of pollutants that threaten the health of families and communities and the planet itself," Obama said. The House's action fulfilled Speaker Nancy Pelosi's vow to clear major energy legislation before July 4. It also sent the measure to a highly uncertain fate in the Senate, where Majority Leader Harry Reid said he was hopeful that the Senate will be able to debate and pass bipartisan and comprehensive clean energy and climate legislation this fall. The legislation would require the US to reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions by 17 percent from 2005 levels by 2020 and by about 80 percent by mid-century. That was slightly more aggressive than Obama originally wanted, 14 percent by 2020 and the same 80 percent by mid-century. US carbon dioxide emissions from the burning of fossil fuels are rising at about 1 percent a year and are predicted to continue increasing without mandatory limits. Under the bill, the government would limit heat-trapping pollution from factories, refineries and power plants and issue allowances for polluters. Most of the allowances would be given away, but about 15 percent would be auctioned by bid and the proceeds used to defray higher energy costs for lower-income individuals and families. Clients are reminded: (i) to check the terms of their licence agreements for use of content outside news programming and that further advice and assistance can be obtained from the AP Archive on: Tel +44 (0) 20 7482 7482 Email: infoaparchive.com (ii) they should check with the applicable collecting society in their Territory regarding the clearance of any sound recording or performance included within the AP Television News service (iii) they have editorial responsibility for the use of all and any content included within the AP Television News service and for libel, privacy, compliance and third party rights applicable to their Territory. APTN APEX 06-27-09 0552EDT ------------------- END -- OF -- ITEM ------------------- AP-APTN-0930: Pakistan Shooting Saturday, 27 June 2009 STORY:Pakistan Shooting- REPLAY GRAPHIC Five militants killed in shootout LENGTH: 01:28 FIRST RUN: 0630 RESTRICTIONS: AP Clients Only TYPE: Urdu/Natsound SOURCE: AP TELEVISION STORY NUMBER: 611024 DATELINE: Karachi - 27 June 2009 LENGTH: 01:28 SHOTLIST ++NIGHT SHOTS++ 1. Exterior of Abbasi Shaheed hospital in Karachi 2. Various of bodies of men officials say are militants being taken to hospital morgue 3. Body being placed on slab 4. Pan of bodies of suspected militants as man takes image on mobile phone ++GRAPHIC++ 5. Police officer and officials 6. SOUNDBITE (Urdu) Iftikhar lodhi, District superintendent of police: "Police got the tip-off that comrades of the Chief of Tehrik-e-Taliban in Pakistan, Baitullah Mehsud were hiding over here. After getting the information police conducted a raid near the super highway. Six persons escaped during cross firing but five were hit. Those five injured men died on the way by ambulance to Abbasi Shaheed hospital. Five dead bodies are at the morgue. Police have filed the case and an investigation is underway." 7. Cutaway of Iodhi's shirt 8. Ambulance outside morgue SHOTLIST Police killed five men they believed were Taliban militants on Saturday, a top official in Karachi said. The men were killed in a night time raid on a Karachi apartment believed to be housing insurgents loyal to the Pakistani Taliban leader, Baitullah Mehsud, who has been blamed for a wave of suicide attacks, A city police spokesperson said officers found a large quantity of weapons and explosives in the apartment. He said the militants were planning attacks in Pakistan's biggest city. Police taking part in the raid early on Saturday told the militants to surrender, but they shot at police, he said. In the gunbattle that ensued, five militants were killed, five were wounded and six escaped in the darkness, he said. Iftikhar lodhi, the district superintendent of police said the information leading to the gunbattle came from a tip off. "Police have filed the case and an investigation is underway," he said. Mehsud is blamed for a wave of suicide bombings across Pakistan that spokesmen for his group have said is in retaliation for two military offensives against Taliban in the country's volatile northwest. Troops are winding down their campaign to oust the Taliban from the Swat Valley region after two months of fighting and are turning their attention to a fresh offensive targeting Mehsud in his home territory of South Waziristan, in the tribal belt on the Afghan border. The militant attacks have targeted security forces but have also hit mosques, markets and one major international hotel. The latest struck an army vehicle in Pakistani Kashmir on Friday, killing two soldiers. The bombing was claimed by a Mehsud spokesman who warned of more attacks. It was the first time that this strategically sensitive area - where rival India has long accused Pakistan of harbouring Islamic militants that launch attacks in Indian Kashmir - has been targeted by the Taliban. The government says the recent suicide bombings have fuelled its determination to destroy Mehsud's network and end militancy in Pakistan. Washington strongly backs the military campaigns, which are seen as a test of the government's resolve after years of unfinished offensives and failed peace deals with militants. Karachi, a teeming port city of more than 16 (m) million and Pakistan's commercial hub, has long been a hotbed for Taliban and al-Qaeda linked groups who are believed to have staged bank robberies, kidnapping for ransom and other criminal activities to raise funds. Clients are reminded: (i) to check the terms of their licence agreements for use of content outside news programming and that further advice and assistance can be obtained from the AP Archive on: Tel +44 (0) 20 7482 7482 Email: infoaparchive.com (ii) they should check with the applicable collecting society in their Territory regarding the clearance of any sound recording or performance included within the AP Television News service (iii) they have editorial responsibility for the use of all and any content included within the AP Television News service and for libel, privacy, compliance and third party rights applicable to their Territory. APTN APEX 06-27-09 0553EDT ------------------- END -- OF -- ITEM ------------------- AP-APTN-0930: Afghanistan Karzai Saturday, 27 June 2009 STORY:Afghanistan Karzai- REPLAY Afghan president urges Taliban, militants to vote in coming elections LENGTH: 01:13 FIRST RUN: 0830 RESTRICTIONS: AP Clients Only TYPE: Pashto/Dari/Nats SOURCE: AP TELEVISION STORY NUMBER: 611033 DATELINE: Kabul - 27 June 2009 LENGTH: 01:13 SHOTLIST 1. Various of traffic 2. Man walking past posters of coming presidential election 3. Close of candidate posters 4. Afghan President Hamid Karzai walking in to news conference at presidential palace 5. Close of media 6. SOUNDBITE: (Dari) Hamid Karzai, Afghan President: "I call on the Taliban to come and participate in the Afghan election, vote for their future president, for their favourite delegate in the provincial council and move their country towards prosperity, stability and happiness along with other Afghans." 7. Wide of Karzai at podium 8. SOUNDBITE: (Pashto) Hamid Karzai, Afghan President: "We should try to have a legitimate election, and to have this, everyone should participate in the election. We will try to do that and may God help us to succeed in this part." 9. Wide of Karzai at podium STORYLINE Afghan President Hamid Karzai called on members of the Taliban and other opposition militants to "vote for their future president" in the country's August 20 presidential election. "We should try to have a legitimate election, and to have this, everyone should participate in the election," Karzai said during a news conference on Saturday at the presidential palace. Forty-one candidates are running for president, though a recent poll showed Karzai with a big lead over his opponents. US, NATO and Afghan troops will provide security for the vote. Karzai also said he wanted to assure the US and international community that Afghanistan would continue to support the fight against militant extremism no matter who wins the presidency. Clients are reminded: (i) to check the terms of their licence agreements for use of content outside news programming and that further advice and assistance can be obtained from the AP Archive on: Tel +44 (0) 20 7482 7482 Email: infoaparchive.com (ii) they should check with the applicable collecting society in their Territory regarding the clearance of any sound recording or performance included within the AP Television News service (iii) they have editorial responsibility for the use of all and any content included within the AP Television News service and for libel, privacy, compliance and third party rights applicable to their Territory. APTN APEX 06-27-09 0554EDT ------------------- END -- OF -- ITEM ------------------- AP-APTN-0930: WBank Scuffles Saturday, 27 June 2009 STORY:WBank Scuffles- REPLAY Palestinian farmers and activists in scuffles with Israeli police LENGTH: 02:16 FIRST RUN: 0830 RESTRICTIONS: AP Clients Only TYPE: Arabic/Nat SOURCE: AP TELEVISION STORY NUMBER: 611034 DATELINE: Safa - 27 June 2009 LENGTH: 02:16 SHOTLIST 1. Mid of Palestinian farmers walking towards vineyards together with Israeli and foreign activists 2. Various reverse shots of Palestinian farmers with Israeli and foreign activists walking 3. Mid of Israeli soldiers trying to prevent activists from moving further into vineyards 4. Various of farmers and activists scuffling with soldiers 5. More of scuffles and soldiers arresting an activist 6. Mid of sound-bomb exploding 7. More of activists arguing with soldiers 8. Various of Israeli soldiers arresting activists, more scuffles 9. Wide of Israeli soldiers pushing activists and Palestinians away 10. Mid of Israeli soldier pushing a photographer away 11. Mid of Israeli soldiers dragging activist away 12. Mid of Israeli soldiers dragging other activist away 13. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Hassan Abd El-Hamid, Palestinian farmer: "We came this morning as usual to collect peaches, as we do every Saturday, but the soldiers prevented us from doing it. We came, we found the soldiers here, they stopped the citizens and the farmers as you can see, we have land here and they prevented us from going to it and collecting the peaches. If we don't collect them, they will be damaged." 14. Mid of Israeli soldier pushing farmer 15. Wide of farmers and activists arguing with soldiers STORYLINE Palestinian farmers accompanied by Israeli and foreign activists scuffled on Saturday with Israeli soldiers, who blocked them from their vineyards and other fields in the West Bank, according to Palestinian witnesses. Palestinian farmers said access to their fields in Safa, south of Bethlehem, is limited and controlled by the Israeli army, as the fields are close to the major settlement block of Gush-Etzion. Hassan Abd El-Hamid, one of the Palestinian farmers, said the fruit in his fields had to be collected as soon as possible, or it would go bad. The Israeli army said the area had been declared a closed military zone to prevent confrontation between settlers in the area and Palestinians, which has occurred a few times in recent weeks. The army clarified that Palestinian farmers from the area were allowed access to their land and that they were stopped only when accompanied by Israelis who were not allowed into the closed military zone. The army added that 15 of the Israeli activists had been arrested during the scuffles. The settlement issue is a major obstacle both to the resumption of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations and to an eventual peace deal. The issue was also one of the subjects discussed on Friday in Trieste, Northern Italy, by the Quartet of Mideast negotiators and foreign ministers of the Group of Eight industrialised nations, who urged Israel to freeze all settlement activity in the West Bank and lift its blockade of the Gaza Strip, backing US President Barack Obama's Mideast policy. Israel has rejected demands that it halt all settlement building, saying it must accommodate "natural growth" in the Israeli enclaves. However both the G-8 and the Quartet - the United States, Russia, European Union and United Nations - urged Israel to freeze all settlement activity, including natural growth, with the quartet also urging it to dismantle settlement outposts erected since March 2001. It was the first Quartet meeting since Obama came to office, held on the sidelines of a meeting of the G-8 foreign ministers in Trieste, a picturesque Adriatic port on Italy's northeastern coast. The call of both the Quartet and the G-8 for a settlement freeze signalled broad international support for Obama's Mideast policy. The Bush administration had accepted the need for some settlement growth, something the Palestinians long rejected. But just last week, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reiterated that the United States wanted a halt to settlement activity in the West Bank, saying no informal agreement that Israel may have reached with the Bush administration was valid. Clinton was speaking after a meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who said he wanted the Bush administration understandings to remain. The United States and Israel have at least publicly given no ground in their opposing views, though Israeli officials say they are trying to find a formula agreeable to Washington that would allow at least limited construction. Nearly 300,000 Israelis live in West Bank settlements, along with 180,000 Israelis in Jewish neighbourhoods of east Jerusalem. The Palestinians seek both areas, captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war, as parts of a future state. Earlier this month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu grudgingly yielded to Obama's demand that Israel endorse the idea of a Palestinian state, albeit with a host of conditions the Palestinians reject. But he rejected US pressure for a settlement freeze. Clients are reminded: (i) to check the terms of their licence agreements for use of content outside news programming and that further advice and assistance can be obtained from the AP Archive on: Tel +44 (0) 20 7482 7482 Email: infoaparchive.com (ii) they should check with the applicable collecting society in their Territory regarding the clearance of any sound recording or performance included within the AP Television News service (iii) they have editorial responsibility for the use of all and any content included within the AP Television News service and for libel, privacy, compliance and third party rights applicable to their Territory. APTN APEX 06-27-09 0555EDT ------------------- END -- OF -- ITEM ------------------- AP-APTN-0930: Italy G8 Saturday, 27 June 2009 STORY:Italy G8- REPLAY Security, preparations ahead of talks on stabilisation of Afghanistan LENGTH: 01:05 FIRST RUN: 0630 RESTRICTIONS: AP Clients Only TYPE: Natsound SOURCE: AP TELEVISION STORY NUMBER: 611027 DATELINE: Trieste - 27 June 2009 LENGTH: 01:05 SHOTLIST 1. Wide port of Trieste 2. Wide of buildings 3. Various of police at road block 4. Wide exterior of Palazzo della Regione, venue of conference 5. Wide of building entrance 6. Coast guard boat on the water 7. Mid of scuba diver dropping off side of rubber dinghy 8. Wide of boat patrolling port 9. Wide of buildings near the water front STORYLINE Police and the coast guards patrolled the Italian port of Trieste on Saturday morning as foreign ministers of the Group of Eight industrialised nations prepared for a second day of talks on the stabilisation of Afghanistan. A police scuba diver took a look below waters and coast guard and police boats patrolled nearby. Talks that began on Friday were to continue to discuss a host of complex issues facing Afghanistan: narco-trafficking and the use of drug money to allegedly support terror, immigration and food security. Foreign Ministers from Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and members of the Arab league were taking part in the discussions. The G8 foreign ministers have lamented corruption and the lack of basic services such as health and water in Afghanistan, saying that better cooperation among countries in the region was needed to promote stability. They endorsed on Friday Pakistan's battle against Taliban insurgents and promised to work more with the country's government "in the face of terrorism, extremism and militancy." Improving security in the troubled region is a focus of the three-day meeting in this northeastern Italian city. Italy, the host of the meeting, sought to broaden participation in the talks, arguing that Afghanistan is a problem that needs to be addressed regionally. As a result, the foreign ministers of Pakistan and Afghanistan participated in Friday's session, and a joint statement was issued. In the statement, the ministers said that, despite some efforts by the Afghan government, "insecurity, widespread corruption and capacity shortfalls continue to complicate the delivery of basic services at the local level, including health, education and water." President Hamid Karzai has been criticised both at home and abroad for corruption in his administration but he is the favourite in the August 20 vote in Afghanistan. Friday's statement also looked at drug trafficking and the opium trade, which help fund extremists, saying that it was urgent to find alternative sources of income. Italy had also invited Iran to attend the talks, arguing that it could play an important role in talks on Afghan stabilisation. But Rome retracted the invitation after Iran failed to respond, and amid concerns over Iran's violent crackdown on protesters after disputed election results. Clients are reminded: (i) to check the terms of their licence agreements for use of content outside news programming and that further advice and assistance can be obtained from the AP Archive on: Tel +44 (0) 20 7482 7482 Email: infoaparchive.com (ii) they should check with the applicable collecting society in their Territory regarding the clearance of any sound recording or performance included within the AP Television News service (iii) they have editorial responsibility for the use of all and any content included within the AP Television News service and for libel, privacy, compliance and third party rights applicable to their Territory. APTN APEX 06-27-09 0559EDT ------------------- END -- OF -- ITEM ------------------- AP-APTN-0930: Greece Russia Talks Saturday, 27 June 2009 STORY:Greece Russia Talks- REPLAY Preps ahead of talks btw Russia, NATO and OSCE on European security LENGTH: 02:37 FIRST RUN: 0730 RESTRICTIONS: AP Clients Only TYPE: English/Nat SOURCE: AP TELEVISION STORY NUMBER: 611030 DATELINE: Corfu - 27 June 2009 LENGTH: 02:37 SHOTLIST: 1. Wide pan from sea to hotel serving as venue for NATO-Russia Council and OSCE informal ministerial meetings 2. Mid of meeting venue 3. Close-up of sign reading: (English) "Grecotel Corfu Imperial" 4. Wide of coast guard patrol boat at sea 5. Pull out from coast guard patrol boat at sea to sign reading: (English) "Corfu 2009 informal ministerial meeting" 6. Wide of Greek flag 7. Mid of police outside venue 8. Wide of terrace 9. Set-up of OSCE spokesman Martin Nesirky 10. Close-up of Nesirky's hands 11. SOUNDBITE (English) Martin Nesirky, OSCE spokesman: "Clearly in a sense President Medvedev's proposals first outlined - and I would use the words outlined quite deliberately because they were not very, very clear or concrete proposals - this has been the catalyst for this whole process that's now really beginning to gather momentum. Now clearly there are many different ideas out there, probably as many as there are countries in the organisation. But the fact that you've got ministers, more than 40 ministers coming here to Corfu is a clear indication that they believe the time is right to really start this process, the Corfu process, and to make some headway on this." 12. Various of special police forces paroling headland with machine guns 13. SOUNDBITE (English) Martin Nesirky, OSCE spokesman: "Clearly we would prefer to have our mandate which would be broader and involve military monitoring so that we could continue the work that we've done over many years. And let's face it, the Georgian people, the Georgian government would like to have us there, not just to deal with hard security matters, but to help them for example with rule of law, helping to improve their judiciary system, freedom of the media. So this is not something that we want to impose from outside. We can't do that. It's what the Georgian people would like." 14. Wide of coast guard patrol boat 15. SOUNDBITE (English) Martin Nesirky, OSCE spokesman: "This is the start of a process and that is why chose we word Corfu Process, or the expression Corfu Process, because we believe this is the start of an open-ended and frank dialogue about the future of European security." 16. Wide of sea and island STORYLINE: Foreign ministers from across Europe and beyond were gathering in Corfu on Saturday to tackle issues of European security, nearly a year after Russia's war with Georgia raised concerns about stability on the continent's eastern fringes. The ministers' informal meeting on the western Greek island is the first such gathering in the 34-year history of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) - a grouping of 56 countries encompassing regions from North America to Europe, Central Asia and Russia. Speaking before the proceedings, OSCE spokesman, Martin Nesirky, said a Russian proposal for a European Security Treaty was the catalyst for "this whole process that's now really beginning to gather momentum". The proposed pact, touted by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev since he took office in May 2008, would encompass North America, Europe and the former Soviet Union, strengthening Russia's role in shaping regional and global security. The OSCE talks will be preceded by the first meeting between NATO and Russian foreign ministers since the alliance broke of ties with Moscow after last August's war with Georgia. Although political ties have thawed considerably over the past five months, there have been no formal military contacts since the war. NATO cut off the ties last August, when Russian forces invaded Georgia after that country's troops attacked its breakaway province of South Ossetia. For months, the Vienna-based OSCE has been struggling to salvage a 16-year-old monitoring mission in Georgia following the war, after Moscow blocked the extension of its mandate late last year. As a result, it will be forced to shut down by June 30 if no compromise is reached. Nesirky said the OSCE would clearly have preferred a "broader" mandate, which would involve "military monitoring so that we could continue the work that we've done over many years". He said this was "what the Georgian people would like". Russia agreed to the EU and OSCE monitors, who moved into the areas surrounding Abkhazia and fellow breakaway republic South Ossetia last Autumn, as Russian forces withdrew under EU-brokered peace deals. But Moscow refused to allow them into the separatist regions themselves, and has taken diplomatic steps to decrease the presence of international missions in Georgia. Saturday's meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his counterparts from NATO's 28 member nations comes as President Barack Obama and Medvedev prepare for a summit next month. Officials said the talks in Corfu would reflect the trend towards improved relations. Relations on the political side began to improve after Obama took office, as NATO ambassadors met with Russia's envoy to the NATO-Russia Council, a panel set up in 2002 to improve cooperation between the former Cold War foes. On the military side, Russia cooperated with individual NATO nations such as the US, France or Germany by allowing them to use Russia's rail network to resupply international forces in Afghanistan. The Russian navy has also worked with the warships of various NATO nations during their joint anti-piracy patrols off the Somali coast. But there have been no formal military ties between the alliance and Russia. Officials on both sides said the foreign ministers are expected to give a go-ahead Saturday for meetings of defence ministers and chiefs of staff that would restart military cooperation in areas of shared interests. Likely to be discussed are contentious issues such as Georgia and a key European arms-control treaty, but none of them is seen as an obstacle to improving relations. Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis said this week she anticipated a positive atmosphere for both the OSCE and NATO-Russia talks. She said the ministers would "brainstorm" a proposal by Russia to hold a summit to discuss all security issues affecting Europe. Clients are reminded: (i) to check the terms of their licence agreements for use of content outside news programming and that further advice and assistance can be obtained from the AP Archive on: Tel +44 (0) 20 7482 7482 Email: infoaparchive.com (ii) they should check with the applicable collecting society in their Territory regarding the clearance of any sound recording or performance included within the AP Television News service (iii) they have editorial responsibility for the use of all and any content included within the AP Television News service and for libel, privacy, compliance and third party rights applicable to their Territory. APTN APEX 06-27-09 0601EDT ------------------- END -- OF -- ITEM ------------------- AP-APTN-0930: ++MidEast Crossing Saturday, 27 June 2009 STORY:++MidEast Crossing- NEW Egypt opens Rafah crossing to Palestinians seeking medical aid and students LENGTH: 02:24 FIRST RUN: 0930 RESTRICTIONS: AP Clients Only TYPE: Arabic/Nat SOURCE: AP TELEVISION STORY NUMBER: 611040 DATELINE: Rafah Crossing - 27 June v22141tvls r t AP-APTN-0930:++MidEastCr 06-27 0896 AP-APTN-0930: ++MidEast Crossing Saturday, 27 June 2009 STORY:++MidEast Crossing- NEW Egypt opens Rafah crossing to Palestinians seeking medical aid and students LENGTH: 02:24 FIRST RUN: 0930 RESTRICTIONS: AP Clients Only TYPE: Arabic/Nat SOURCE: AP TELEVISION STORY NUMBER: 611040 DATELINE: Rafah Crossing - 27 June 2009 LENGTH: 02:24 ++CLIENTS PLEASE NOTE: AUDIO HAS BEEN CORRECTED - PLS IGNORE FIRST EDIT SENT++ SHOTLIST 1. Mid of people getting off bus at Rafah Crossing, Gaza Strip 2. Wide of people entering crossing through metal detector 3. People sitting, more people entering crossing through metal detector 4. Close up of women 5. Various of people at crossing w2009 LENGTH: 02:24 ++CLIENTS PLEASE NOTE: AUDIO HAS BEEN CORRECTED - PLS IGNORE FIRST EDIT SENT++ SHOTLIST 1. Mid of people getting off bus at Rafah Crossing, Gaza Strip 2. Wide of people entering crossing through metal detector 3. People sitting, more people entering crossing through metal detector 4. Close up of women 5. Various of people at crossing with officers working at counters 6. Mid of officer inspecting a man's documents 7. Mid of woman waiting at counter 8. Mid of officers working behind screens 9. Various of officer checking passport 10. Close up of passport being stamped 11. Mid of officer giving passport back to man 12. Mid of family sitting 13. Close up of child's face 14. Wide of ambulances outside croith officers working at counters 6. Mid of officer inspecting a man's documents 7. Mid of woman waiting at counter 8. Mid of officers working behind screens 9. Various of officer checking passport 10. Close up of passport being stamped 11. Mid of officer giving passport back to man 12. Mid of family sitting 13. Close up of child's face 14. Wide of ambulances outside crossing 15. Mid of women sitting in car with bags 16. Wide of Palestinian patient Dr. Suliman Hamdan Abu Seteh inside ambulance waiting to enter Egypt 17. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Dr. Suliman Hamdan Abu Seteh, Palestinian patient: "I ask the governments to treat us like human beings, to treat us within the law, to treat us like humassing 15. Mid of women sitting in car with bags 16. Wide of Palestinian patient Dr. Suliman Hamdan Abu Seteh inside ambulance waiting to enter Egypt 17. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Dr. Suliman Hamdan Abu Seteh, Palestinian patient: "I ask the governments to treat us like human beings, to treat us within the law, to treat us like humans in other countries, where patients can get treatment, and to allow people to travel, not like our situation, it's like a prison, a prison that has a length of three kilometres. This is the Gaza Strip, it's like a pack of matches." 18. Wide of buses at crossing 19. Wide of truck at crossing 20. Mid Egyptian soldiers 21. Wide of Rafah Crossing with Egyptian flag STORYLINE Egypt briefly opened its border with blockaded Gaza on Saturday, and five-thousand Gazans have signed up to leave over three days. Among those permitted to cross at the Rafah border crossing are medical patients and Gazans with foreign residency. "I ask the governments to treat us like human beings, to treat us within the law," said one patient, Dr. Suliman Hamdan Abu Seteh, at the crossing. Egypt and Israel sealed Gaza's borders two years ago, after the Islamic militant Hamas seized control of the territory. Hamas was democratically elected in the Gaza Strip in a 2006 Palestinian parliament vote, but then broke off with the Fatah party of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas following months of conflict over power-sharing with the new government. Hamas eventually took control of the Gaza Strip in June 2007, leaving Abbas' government in nominal control of the occupied West Bank only. The closure of the Gaza Strip has trapped some 1.4 (m) million people in Gaza. Egypt opens the crossing periodically, like on Saturday. Israel has allowed in food and humanitarian aid, but banned supplies needed to repair damage from Israel's winter war on Hamas, meant to stop Gaza rocket fire on Israeli towns. On Friday, the international community called for lifting the Gaza blockade. The issue was one of the subjects discussed on Friday in Trieste, Northern Italy, by the Quartet of Mideast negotiators and foreign ministers of the Group of Eight industrialised nations, who urged Israel to lift its blockade of the Gaza Strip and freeze all settlement activity in the West Bank, backing US President Barack Obama's Mideast policy. The closure is making it impossible to rebuild Gaza after Israel's devastating recent winter offensive, particularly as cement is not permitted to pass through the border blockade. Five months after Israel launched its offensive to halt Hamas rocket fire, most of the estimated 250-thousand people whose homes were damaged or destroyed have been unable to rebuild. Voices calling for new thinking are growing louder, with the administration of US President Barack Obama arguing that squeezing ordinary Gazans is a recipe for instability. But there's no clear path forward, since opening the borders would require engaging the militants whom much of the world has shunned. Hamas, viewed as a "terror organisation" by some countries, is refusing to heed the international demands that would open Gaza's borders: recognising Israel and renouncing violence. The ban on cement also means that United Nations plans to spend 371 (m) million US dollars to repair war-damaged homes are on hold. The Obama administration has urged easing the embargo. Clients are reminded: (i) to check the terms of their licence agreements for use of content outside news programming and that further advice and assistance can be obtained from the AP Archive on: Tel +44 (0) 20 7482 7482 Email: infoaparchive.com (ii) they should check with the applicable collecting society in their Territory regarding the clearance of any sound recording or performance included within the AP Television News service (iii) they have editorial responsibility for the use of all and any content included within the AP Television News service and for libel, privacy, compliance and third party rights applicable to their Territory. APTN APEX 06-27-09 0753EDT ------------------- END -- OF -- ITEM ------------------- AP-APTN-0930: US Jackson 4 Saturday, 27 June 2009 STORY:US Jackson 4- CORRECTION Tributes, coroner; Quincy Jones, vigil LENGTH: 05:07 FIRST RUN: 0830 RESTRICTIONS: See Script TYPE: English/Nat SOURCE: AP TELEVISION/AP PHOTOS/ABC STORY NUMBER: 611032 DATELINE: Various - 27 June 2009 LENGTH: 05:07 PLEASE IGNORE SCRIPT SENT EARLIER AND REPLACE WITH FOLLOWING, WHICH AMENDS STILL RESTRICTIONS SHOTLIST (FIRST RUN 0230 NEWS UPDATE - 26 JUNE 2009) AP TELEVISION - AP Clients Only Encino, US - 26 June 2009 1. People gathered outside Jackson family house 2. Various of flowers and tribute posters 3. Various of people gathered, some comforting each other 4. Various of people laying flowers 5. Close-up of girl hugging friend 6. Tribute poster on wall 7. SOUNDBITE: (English) Rose Yorba, Michael Jackson fan: "To have something like this happen to him it just tears me apart. I mean we stood up crying all night last night because he's just so big to us and to have him leave it's just like why, I don't think it was his time to go, it wasn't his time." 8. Woman in uniform laying flowers (FIRST RUN 0230 NEWS UPDATE - 26 JUNE 2009) AP TELEVISION - AP Clients Only Los Angeles, US - 26 June 2009 9. Wide of news conference 10. SOUNDBITE: (English) Charlie Beck, Deputy Police Chief: "We will do a thorough interview with the doctor to discuss some of the unanswered questions that have been raised by the death of Michael Jackson and we expect that the doctor will be able to shed some light on some things that when viewed with conjunctions coroner's findings will lead us to some conclusions." (FIRST RUN 0030 NEWS UPDATE - 26 JUNE 2009) AP Photo/Houston Chronicle - No Access Canada/ For Broadcast use only - Strictly No Access Online or Mobile/Must Courtesy Houston Chronicle Houston, US - 7 June 2009 11. STILL of cardiologist Doctor Conrad Murray (FIRST RUN 0530 NEWS UPDATE - 26 JUNE 2009) AP TELEVISION - AP Clients Only New York, US - 26 June 2009 12. Pull out from Apollo Theatre sign reading (English) "In Memory of Michael Jackson. A True Apollo Legend." 13. Pan across people dancing 14. Woman writing on memorial 15. Mid of candles 16. People dancing (FIRST RUN 0530 NEWS UPDATE - 26 JUNE 2009) ABC - No Access NAmerica/Internet Los Angeles, US - 26 June 2009 17. Various aerials of people lined up at the Hollywood Walk of Fame to see Jackson's star ++NEW (FIRST RUN 0830 EUROPE PRIME NEWS - 26 JUNE 2009) ABC - No Access NAmerica/Internet Los Angeles, US - 27 June 2009 ++NIGHT SHOTS++ 18. Various aerials of people holding a candlelight vigil in Leimert Park in memory of Jackson (FIRST RUN 0630 ASIA PRIME NEWS - 26 JUNE 2009) AP TELEVISION - AP Clients Only Los Angeles, US - 27 June 2009 ++NIGHT SHOTS++ 19. SOUNDBITE (English) Ed Winter, Assistant Chief, Los Angeles Coroner's Office: "Mr Michael Jackson's remains have been removed from the coroner's office, removed a little bit ago. It's in an undisclosed location as per the family's request. Also there's a security hold on the case so I can't discuss the location. We ask that you respect the family's wishes. I spent most of the day with the family and they are very concerned and trying to get through their mourning process." (FIRST RUN 0830 EUROPE PRIME NEWS - 26 JUNE 2009) ABC - No Access NAmerica/Internet Los Angeles, US - 26 June 2009 ++NIGHT SHOTS++ 20. Aerial of water fountain and pan across people holding vigil in Leimert Park (FIRST RUN 0630 ASIA PRIME NEWS - 26 JUNE 2009) AP TELEVISION - AP Clients Only Los Angeles, US - 27 June 2009 ++NIGHT SHOTS++ 21. SOUNDBITE (English) Ed Winter, Assistant Chief, Los Angeles Coroner's Office: "Met with the family, and they are all grieving in their own way. Also just asked that their thoughts and prayers go out to them." (FIRST RUN 0830 EUROPE PRIME NEWS - 26 JUNE 2009) ABC - No Access NAmerica/Internet Los Angeles, US - 26 June 2009 ++NIGHT SHOTS++ 22. Aerial of vigil (FIRST RUN 0830 EUROPE PRIME NEWS - 26 JUNE 2009) ABC - No Access NAmerica/Internet Luxembourg - 26 June 2009 23. SOUNDBITE (English) Quincy Jones, Music Producer: "Michael was the same kind of an artist you know, that walked in the shoes of giants first and became his own giant and that's the way you do it. I mean there's only 12 notes out there so we're not going to reinvent a 13th note. And he walked in the shoes of giants and became a giant himself." (FIRST RUN 0830 EUROPE PRIME NEWS - 26 JUNE 2009) ABC - No Access NAmerica/Internet Los Angeles, US - 26 June 2009 ++NIGHT SHOTS++ 24. Aerial pan of vigil (FIRST RUN 0830 EUROPE PRIME NEWS - 26 JUNE 2009) ABC - No Access NAmerica/Internet Luxembourg - 26 June 2009 25. SOUNDBITE (English) Quincy Jones, Music Producer: "No, no, I don't believe, never could believe that Michael would leave at this age, you know, it doesn't make sense. He's younger than my daughter you know, it's unbelievable. And I'm still numb, and confounded and it's almost surrealistic." (FIRST RUN 0830 EUROPE PRIME NEWS - 26 JUNE 2009) ABC - No Access NAmerica/Internet Los Angeles, US - 26 June 2009 ++NIGHT SHOTS++ 26. Wide aerial view of vigil in Leimert Park STORYLINE The assistant chief at the Los Angeles county coroner's office on Saturday confirmed that the body of pop superstar Michael Jackson had been released and taken to an undisclosed location in a single, unescorted vehicle. Ed Winter said that this was according to the wishes of Jackson's family and also due to a security hold on the investigation requested by the police department. Winter, who had spent time with Jackson's family members on Friday said they were "all grieving in their own way". No funeral plans have been announced. Meanwhile, grief for the King of Pop poured out from the icons of music to heartbroken fans, and the world came to grips with losing one of the most luminous celebrities of all time. Speaking from Luxembourg, music industry legend Quincy Jones expressed sadness at the death. "He walked in the shoes of giants and became a giant himself," Jones said. "Never could believe that Michael would leave at this age, you know, it doesn't make sense. He's younger than my daughter you know, it's unbelievable. And I'm still numb, and confounded," he said. The final act of Jackson's life came into clearer focus on Friday, a picture of a fallen superstar working out with TV's "Incredible Hulk" Lou Ferrigno, and under the care of his own private cardiologist, as he tried to get his 50-year-old body in shape for a gruelling bid to reclaim his glory. While the exact circumstances of his death remained unclear, early clues suggested he may simply have pushed his heart too far. Police said they had towed the doctor's BMW from Jackson's home because it may include medication or other evidence, and a source familiar with the situation told The Associated Press that a heart attack appeared to have caused the cardiac arrest that led to the pop icon's sudden death. Authorities said they spoke with the doctor briefly on Thursday and on Friday and expected to meet with him again soon. Police stressed that the doctor, identified by the Los Angeles Times as cardiologist Conrad Murray, was not a criminal suspect. "We will do a thorough interview with the doctor to discuss some of the unanswered questions that have been raised by the death of Michael Jackson," said Charlie Beck, Deputy Police Chief. "We expect that the doctor will be able to shed some light on some things that when viewed with conjunctions coroner's findings will lead us to some conclusions," he added. The president of the company promoting Jackson's shows said Murray was Jackson's personal physician for three years. Jackson insisted Murray accompany him to London, said Randy Phillips, president of AEG Live. The worldwide wave of mourning for Jackson continued unabated for the man who revolutionised pop music and moonwalked his way into entertainment legend. On Friday, hundreds made a pilgrimage to the Jackson family home in Encino, California, leaving flowers and messages of love. They did the same at his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and at the home in Los Angeles' Holmby Hills where Jackson was stricken. Some camped out overnight. In New York, people stopped at Harlem's Apollo Theatre, where Jackson had performed as a child with his brothers in one of rock's first bubblegum supergroups, the Jackson Five. Late on Friday, people gathered in Leimert Park in a south section of Los Angeles for an impromptu vigil. Many of those in attendance held candles. Clients are reminded: (i) to check the terms of their licence agreements for use of content outside news programming and that further advice and assistance can be obtained from the AP Archive on: Tel +44 (0) 20 7482 7482 Email: infoaparchive.com (ii) they should check with the applicable collecting society in their Territory regarding the clearance of any sound recording or performance included within the AP Television News service (iii) they have editorial responsibility for the use of all and any content included within the AP Television News service and for libel, privacy, compliance and third party rights applicable to their Territory. APTN APEX 06-27-09 0831EDT ------------------- END -- OF -- ITEM ------------------- AP-APTN-0930: ++France Camp Saturday, 27 June 2009 STORY:++France Camp- CORRECTION Protesters threaten camp holding illegal immigrants LENGTH: 01:16 FIRST RUN: 0930 RESTRICTIONS: AP Clients Only TYPE: Natsound SOURCE: AP TELEVISION STORY NUMBER: 611036 DATELINE: Calais - 27 June 2009 LENGTH: 01:16 PLEASE IGNORE SCRIPT SENT EARLIER AND REPLACE WITH FOLLOWING, WHICH AMENDS LOCATION TO CALAIS SHOTLIST 1. Wide of camp set up by protesters against the treatment of migrants by authorities 2. Various of protest signs outside camp 3. People preparing banners 4. Demonstrators marching 5. Various of demonstrators marching, banging drums 6. Close of demonstrator banging drum 7. Police helicopter flying overhead 8. Demonstrators standing in street, pan to riot police line 9. Various of riot police and demonstrators 10. Police vehicles blocking street STORYLINE Hundreds of protesters marched in the French port of Calais on Saturday to demonstrate against the treatment of migrants by the authorities. Since the closure of the Sangatte camp in Calais, many migrants looking to reach the UK have been forced to take shelter in the forests and streets surrounding Calais. Sangatte was closed in 2002 in a bid to stem the flow of illegal immigrants crossing the Channel into the UK. The protesters from both the UK and France argue that the migrants should be allowed to enter the UK and that restrictions on their movements should be lifted. Riot police were out in force and police vehicles blocked the street. The protest was organised by an umbrella organisation calling itself No Borders. According to its web site, No Borders is a network of groups demanding freedom of movement for all and an end to all migration controls. Clients are reminded: (i) to check the terms of their licence agreements for use of content outside news programming and that further advice and assistance can be obtained from the AP Archive on: Tel +44 (0) 20 7482 7482 Email: infoaparchive.com (ii) they should check with the applicable collecting society in their Territory regarding the clearance of any sound recording or performance included within the AP Television News service (iii) they have editorial responsibility for the use of all and any content included within the AP Television News service and for libel, privacy, compliance and third party rights applicable to their Territory. APTN APEX 06-27-09 0901EDT ------------------- END -- OF -- ITEM ------------------- AP-APTN-0930: ++Iran US Saturday, 27 June 2009 STORY:++Iran US- NEW Ahmadinejad criticises Obama for interfering in Iranian affairs LENGTH: 01:24 FIRST RUN: 0930 RESTRICTIONS: No Iran/No BBC Persian Service/No VOA Persian TV TYPE: Farsi/Natsound SOURCE: IRINN STORY NUMBER: 611039 DATELINE: Tehran - 27 Jan 2009 LENGTH: 01:24 ++CLIENTS PLEASE NOTE IMPROVED TRANSLATION++ ++NO ACCESS BBC PERSIAN TV SERVICE/ VOA PERSIAN TV++ ++AP Television is adhering to Iranian law that stipulates all media are banned from providing BBC Persian or VOA Persian any coverage from Iran, and under this law if any media violate this ban the Iranian authorities can immediately shut down that organisation in Tehran.++ SHOTLIST: 1. Zoom in to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad speaking at podium 2. Cutaway of judiciary officials 3. SOUNDBITE: (Farsi) Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iranian President: "We are surprised at Mr. Obama. Why did he enter (into discussions about Iran's election)? Didn't he say that he was after change? Why did he interfere? Why did he utter opinions irrespective of norms and decorum and manners? They keep saying that they want to hold talks with Iran. Alright, we have expressed our readiness as well. But is this the correct way (for holding talks)? Definitely, they have made a mistake. They opened their hand to the people of Iran; their fist has been opened, before all the people of the world. Their mask has been removed. If we had spent spend hundreds of millions of toumans (iranian currency) on publicity and diplomacy to tell the world that they are still the same and they have not changed much, we couldn't do it." 4. Mid of Ahmadinejad speaking at podium STORYLINE Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad slammed US President Barack Obama for remarks the Iranian president believed were interfering with his country's domestic issues. Iran's violent post-election chaos has captured the world's attention and elicited increasingly sharp condemnations from Obama. Iran's ruling clergy have widened the clampdown on the opposition since a bitterly disputed June 12 presidential election, and scattered protests have replaced the initial mass rallies. At least 17 people have been killed in a state-led crackdown on protesters, including a young Iranian girl who became an icon of the protests. Neda Agha Soltan, 27, was shot dead on a Tehran street a week ago. Grainy videotape that captured her bleeding to death was viewed by (m) millions on YouTube, has become an undisputed icon in the bloody struggle between Iran's ruling clerics and opposition protesters challenging the regime over the presidential election they contend was rigged. Her death also has stirred Obama, who held her up earlier this week as an example for those seeking freedom and said it was a "raw and painful" loss. Incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who was proclaimed the landslide winner over opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, has repeatedly accused the western countries of interfering with Iran's internal affairs and had earlier called for "repentance" from the US leader. On Friday, Obama scoffed at the idea that he should apologise to Iran's leaders for criticising their violent crackdown on demonstrators and said Ahmadinejad has operated outside "international norms" and now must answer to his people. Obama's comments got more direct about the two leaders, saying that Mousavi had captured the spirit and imagination of the Iranian people who want a more free society. "Why did he utter remarks irrespective of norms and decorum?" Ahmadinejad said on state television on Saturday, during a conference with judiciary officials. "They have revealed their intentions before the Iranian nation, before the world nations. Their mask has been removed," he added. The demonstrations petered out this week under an ever-intensifying crackdown. Mousavi, meanwhile, has sent mixed signals to supporters, asking them not to break the law while pledging not to drop his challenge. Amnesty International called the prospect of quick trials and capital punishment for some detainees "a very worrying development". Their remarks came after a senior Iranian cleric asked for the protest leaders to be be severely punished or even executed, following Iran's largest wave of dissent since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Amnesty International said Iran was the world's No. 2 executioner after China last year, with at least 346 known instances of people put to death. The group also called on the regime to release dozens of detained journalists it said faced possible torture. As the protests dwindle amid intensifying official pressure, the opposition may suffer from a decline in international attention. The protests and violence dominated Western news broadcasts for nearly two weeks, with the reports substantially bolstered by videos gleaned from Internet sites and by commentary from social networking sites. Such sites were a key pipeline for the opposition amid the tight restrictions on foreign media in the country. But along with the diminished action on the streets in Iran, other stories have arisen to siphon away attention, especially the death of pop star Michael Jackson. Clients are reminded: (i) to check the terms of their licence agreements for use of content outside news programming and that further advice and assistance can be obtained from the AP Archive on: Tel +44 (0) 20 7482 7482 Email: infoaparchive.com (ii) they should check with the applicable collecting society in their Territory regarding the clearance of any sound recording or performance included within the AP Television News service (iii) they have editorial responsibility for the use of all and any content included within the AP Television News service and for libel, privacy, compliance and third party rights applicable to their Territory. APTN APEX 06-27-09 0905EDT ------------------- END -- OF -- ITEM -------------------

HOUSE FLOOR DEBATE: The House meets at 10:00 a.m. for morning hour and noon for legislative business. One Minutes // H.R. 2647 - Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2015, Rules Committee Print (Structured Rule) (Rep. Westerman / Agriculture / Natural Resources) // The Rule provides for one hour of general debate and makes in order the following amendments: Polis Amendment (10 minutes); Tipton Amendment (10 minutes); Lujan Grisham Amendment (10 minutes); Kilmer Amendment (10 minutes) // Complete Consideration of H.R. 2822 - Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2016 (Modified Open Rule) (Rep. Calvert / Appropriations) // Postponed Amendment Votes: Zinke Amendment; Garamendi Amendment #2; Newhouse Amendment; Rouzer Amendment; Hudson Amendment; Goodlatte Amendment; Westmoreland Amendment; LaMalfa Amendment; Ellison Amendment; Buck Amendment; Grothman Amendment; Sanford Amendment; Palmer Amendment #1; Palmer Amendment #2; Calvert Amendment // Begin Consideration of H.R. 6 - 21st Century Cures Act, Rules Committee Print (Structured Rule) (Rep. Upton / Energy and Commerce) // The Rule provides for one hour of general debate and makes in order eight amendments to be considered later. 10:00:11THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE:the house will be in order. the chair lays before the house a communication from the speaker. THE CLERK:the speaker's room, washington, d.c., july 9, 2015. 10:00:30i hereby appoint the honorable david g. valadao to act as speaker pro tempore on this day. signed, john a. boehner, speaker of the house of representatives. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE:pursuant to the order of the house of january 6, 2015, the chair will now recognize members from lists submitted by 10:00:45the majority and minority leaders for morning hour debate . the chair will alternate recognition between the parties with each party limited to one hour and each member other than the majority and minority leaders and the minority whip limited to five minutes, but in 10:01:01no event shall debate continue beyond 11 50 a.m. the chair recognizes the gentleman from the gentleman from oregon, mr. blumenauer, for five minutes. BLUMENAUER (D-OR):thank you, mr. speaker. one of the most difficult and 10:01:17challenging situation any family faces is dealing with circumstances surrounding the end of life. earlier this week, n.p.r. ran a fascinating story on a little known fact that physicians die differently than the rest of 10:01:32us. they are more comfortable, they're more likely to spend their final days surrounded by loved ones. they seldom die in an i.c.u. or in a hospital setting. that's because doctors understand what works and what 10:01:48doesn't. doctors are very clear about their wishes, and they choose quality of life and concern for their families as well as their own well-being. i've been working in this area of end of life for more than six years. the ways and means committee 10:02:04unanimously approved my legislation and amended it as part of the affordable care act, to provide greater support for families with that decisionmaking process. it did pass the committee unanimously. part of the affordable care 10:02:21act, even despite the 2009 lie of the year about death panels, on the strength of some of the most compelling testimony that were delivered, not by expert witnesses but by members of the committee. one of our republican members 10:02:37discussed how his mother didn't get the care that she needed at the end of life. another physician member of the committee explained how he had these conversations repeatedly, but unfortunately they were often much later than they should have been. 10:02:52there wasn't adequate time for the family to prepare. well, there's been a sea change on this issue, in part because of rising public awareness. support for our bipartisan legislation, the personalize 10:03:07your care act, which i worked on for years now with dr. phil roe, has made great strides forward. we've had advocates like dr. bill frist, former republican leader of the senate, who spoke eloquently and forcefully about the helping families under 10:03:24these trying conditions. the reverend billy graham has written how it's christian responsibility to take this on for ourselves and spare our loved ones' uncertainty. a doctor published a brilliant 10:03:45book "being mortal," which quickly climbed to the best-seller list for "the new york times" and a 500-page report about dying in america that talked about the problems and opportunities to provide more choices and protect people's wishes. yesterday was another important 10:04:01landmark when the administration published a proposed fee schedule for next year in which they've assigned an activity code with payment for advanced care planning. now, of course, this is merely a proposal and they're still 10:04:18seeking comment but it's a historic step forward for a decision that will be finalized this fall. it's another indication that we can and will do a better job of meeting the needs of american families under the most difficult of circumstances. we will make sure americans 10:04:33have all the information they need to make the right decisions for themselves and their family and to assure those decisions, whatever they may be, are honored and enforced. medicare will pay for thousands of expensive medical procedures 10:04:50and now for the first time the government is placing a value on this important conversation between a patient and their chosen medical professional. now, it's the job of the rest of us to do our part. 10:05:06who will speak for us if it we're unable to speak fo 10:05:11ourselves, and what will they say? THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE:the chair recognizes the gentleman from florida, mr. jolly, for five minutes. JOLLY (R-FL):thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, most economists and financial advisors have recognized that families across 10:05:26the united states are headed towards a major retirement crisis. studies have shown that a majority of households headed by someone age 59 or younger are in danger of suffering from falling living standards in their retirement years and so the administration and this 10:05:41congress should be advancing policies to make retirement counseling, savings advice and investment services more accessible, not less. retirement planning, savings counseling and investment advice can improve the quality of life and economic stability of every american. yet, recent actions by this 10:05:57administration, however well-intended, will make these financial services less accessible and less affordable to those who are in most need of them. by forever changing the rules regarding financial advising related to retirement accounts. 10:06:12mr. speaker, for years the community of financial advisors, including those throughout pinellas county and those i represent, has been governed by the suitability standard. that is financial advisors are required to provide financial counseling and investment 10:06:29recommendationes that are suitable for a client based upon that client's financial position and financial goals. the suitability standards requires advisors to act fairly in dealing with clients. this suitability standard has served individual investors well for many years, creating a 10:06:44market for financial services for new and low-dollar investors seeking basic investment services and thoughtful financial and retirement planning. but the administration is now in the process of replacing that standard with a new standard called the fiduciary standard. 10:06:59this new standard under the guise of protecting investors will actually have the opposite effect. the administration's proposed rule will ultimately reduce or in some cases eliminate financial counseling, products and services to new and low-dollar investors. the rule will result in the 10:07:14elimination of financial products that adequately compensate advisors for their services, and it will increase the cost of compliance on advisors who ultimately will need to pass on those costs to clients through a higher fee structure and it will cost some 10:07:34advisors. but worst, mr. speaker, the department of labor's new rule reflects the approach that we see from regulators throughout this administration, an arrogant and demeaning suggestion that industry throughout america is necessarily comprised of all bad actors, and unless these 10:07:50actors are forced to do so by this administration, they will no longer do right or do good but for the heavy hand of government and the heavy hand of this administration making them to do so. it is a washington knows best approach that communities 10:08:05across the country continue to reject. the administration can do better. do not issue the new proposed fiduciary standard rule. members of congress from both 10:08:21sides of the aisle have sent letters to the department of labor expressing the negative impacts this proposal will have on their communities and we have begged the department of labor to revisit this rule and simply do better on behalf of the american people. congress has also taken action on its own and will continue to 10:08:36do so. recently the appropriations committee included provisions within their respective bills in the house and senate to halt the administration from moving forward on this perhaps well-intended but completely wrong proposed rule. it was right that we did so. the administration simply must 10:08:51do better. it starts with recognizing that the financial advisor industry is comprised of men and women across this country who provide a valuable contribution to individuals and couples seeking retirement guidance. and let's realize that 10:09:08transparenty and sunlight can -- transparency and sunlight can help. it results in needless and expensive litigation and ever more trial attorney fees and will ultimately eliminate financial counseling to thousands of families who need it the most. well, mr. speaker, that is the 10:09:24wrong answer. let's keep the suitability standard. let's trust financial advisors for the good service they provide. let's strictly enforce the current law against the very small number of individuals who seek to take advantage of individual investors. let's protect financial services for those who need 10:09:39them most and let's revisit a rulemaking process that focuses only on transparency. ultimately providing consumers and clients with the information they need to make responsible investment decisions and to responsibly select a financial advisor that 10:09:54is right for them. it is time that this administration begins trusting the american people. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE:the chair recognizes the gentleman from illinois, mr. gutierrez, for five minutes. 10:10:12GUTIERREZ (D-IL):for the record, i'm not mexican, i'm not an immigrant. given the rhetoric of one of the 10:10:22leading republican candidates for president, it's important to point that out at the start before i'm accused of being a criminal, a drug dealer or a rapist. to be fair, donald trump didn't say all latinos or mexicans are 10:10:39rapists. just the vast majority of mexicans immigrants are drug dealers or rapist. mexican immigrants working in the united states, it should be 10:10:55the owner of hotels. but he is not basing this on personal knowledge. trump says that most of the women coming from central america to the u.s. through mexico and other countries report being sexually 10:11:12assaulted. on this point, he and i have some agreement. women and children at the lowest wrung of our economic and social ladder are incredibly vulnerable to sexual assault and rape, but from saying most undocumented women are vulnerable to assault and saying most undocumented men are rapists is, as he might say 10:11:29himself, huge. the documentary on pbs "front line," "rape in the fields" was a powerful expose on how immigrant women are regularly victims of rape, abuse because perpetrators recognize how vulnerable immigrant women are. they are afraid to talk to the police, afraid they will be 10:11:45deported and afraid they will lose their children and this fear to report crimes makes us all less safe. yes, the rape and abuse is sometimes perpetrated by other latino immigrants. perhaps even mexicans. but these crimes are also committed by men of all colors, 10:12:01including red, white and blue americans. so when donald trump says on cnn, well, someone is doing the raping, is further evidence we should be building a big wall so he can laster his name on it and keep im-- laster his name on it and keep immigrants ons its clear donald misses the 10:12:18point. the question is how do we create an immigration system that allows people come with visas and not smugglers so their work is honored, safe, protected by oir labor laws? how do we make sure that the work remembers not afraid to 10:12:33dial 911 and report assault when someone, anyone is threatening them or their families? now, the anti-immigration wing of the republican party in this body and on the air is saying that trump may have a point. after all, a beautiful, innocent woman was shot in cold 10:12:50blood by a mexican immigrant in san francisco just last week. why wasn't he deported? why wasn't he held in jail the last time? why is -- and you will actually hear this on fox news. why is president obama letting mexicans kill beautiful young 10:13:05american women? as the father of two daughters, about the age of kate, the young woman who was shot and killed, i pray every night that no one of any racial ethnic background ever does my daughters harm and i can only 10:13:20imagine the grief that her family is feeling. when we have felons in federal custody or state or local custodies with warrants for drug crimes who get deported and come back, we are not doing our job. they cope with decades of 10:13:36inaction on immigration criminal justice and a range of other issues. i have no sympathy for the man accusing this crime. murderers should rot in hail. so what if -- rot in hell. so what if we have a system, 10:13:51people that contributed productively and they have children and other deep roots in the united states, what if we allowed them to come forward? what if we made them pay for their only criminal background check, fingerprinted them, made them prove their identity and 10:14:07check on them ever so often to make sure they're not gaming the system or committing crime? what if we had a system where people came here legally in the first place if they could prove their identity and they had no criminal background? i argue that such a system would allow us to reduce significantly the number of people who are in this 10:14:23country without legal status. it would shrink the size of communities where many people are undocumented, where people are afraid to call the police so that criminals find it easy to blend in and not stick out. such a system would allow us to concentrate our enforcement and 10:14:38deportation resources on real criminals who should be jailed and then thrown out and kept out. such a system would make it easier, make it harder for criminals to hide and easier for honest, hardworking folks to contribute to their communities without fear. 10:14:55unfortunately, that is exactly the system that some republicans have been fighting against. so when a hotel and casino owner gets on his high horse about mexican immigrants, about crime and rape and murder, let's think about who is standing between the united 10:15:11states, this country, the one 10:15:12states, this country, the one we love and that we've sworn to protect and a modern immigration system based on common sense, compassion and, yes, the rule of law. . 10:15:27THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE:the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from north carolina, ms. foxx, for five minutes. FOXX (R-NC):thank you, mr. speaker. for the past two years my email in box, mailbox and phone lines have been flooded with reports of canceled health insurance 10:15:42plans, soaring premiums, increased deductibles, and exasperated constituents trying to navigate the confusing washington bureaucracy that is obamacare. members of congress have to buy 10:15:57their health insurance on the exchanges along with millions of other americans. i experience many of the same frustrations, including the nightmare of navigating a confusing, unfinished website. despite its central promise, the affordable care act it has 10:16:13proved to be anything but affordable for many north carolinians, and the supreme court's recent decision in king v. burwell doesn't change that fact. house republicans are continuing our efforts to minimize the damage caused by obamacare. 10:16:29we have passed legislation that would permanently repeal obamacare's 2.3% excise tax on medical devices which has hindered innovation as well as restricted growth and job creation in an industry that has 10:16:45improved the quality of life for millions around the world. we voted to repeal the independent payment advisory board which was created under the president's health care law and gives a panel of 15 10:17:01un-elected, unaccountable bureaucrats sweeping authority to slash medicare payment to providers or eliminate payments for certain treatments and procedures all together. the house has passed legislation that would change obamacare's 30-hour definition of full-time employment and restore the 10:17:16traditional 40-hour workweek. from adjunct professors to hourly workers i have heard from constituents across north carolina's fifth district who have one thing in common. their hours are being reduced. obamacare has placed an undo 10:17:33burden on employers and their employees by undermining the 40-hour workweek, which has long been the standard for full-time work. we voted to make it easier to hire veterans by exempting those who already have health insurance from being counted as 10:17:48full-time employees under the president's health care law. no employer shd be penal eased for hiring a veteran, and no veteran should be unemployed because of obamacare. whoever, the best approach to solving the multitude of 10:18:04problems resulting from obamacare is to unite behind a complete repeal of the law and replace it with solutions that lower costs and empoer patients 10:18:19to choose the care that's -- empoer patients to choose the care that's right for them. i recently signed o on to h.r. 2653, the american health care reform act. this bill would repeal obamacare completely and allow a standard deduction for health ensures that treats individually purchased plans and employer 10:18:36sponsored plans the same. making sure that all americans receive the same tax benefits for health care. h.r. 2653 would return decisions about health care and insurance coverage to patients. it is people not government who 10:18:52can best determine the coverage and services that meet their needs. a government takeover of health care is not what americans asked for and certainly not what we can afford. i yield back. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE:the chair recognizes the gentleman 10:19:08from illinois, mr. quigley, for five minutes. QUIGLEY (D-IL):thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, ronald reagan once said, where free unions and collective bargaining are forbidden, freedom is lost. when president reagan made those 10:19:25remarks in 1980 he recognized then what many can't seem to understand now. efforts to undermine unions are an attack on workers' rights. unions have long been the foundation of our middle class and helped create the most competitive work force in the world. the 40-hour workweek, minimum 10:19:41wage, six leave, workers comp, overtime pay, child labor laws. those are just a few of the basic labor rights that unions have championed over the years that many now take for granted. after all the good that unions have done to empower all workers 10:20:01across this country, there's been a recent revival in the war against them and the weapon of choice has been the right to work laws. don't be fooled by the name. the only thing right to work laws do is unfairly allow free riding workers to benefit from 10:20:13union negotiated contracts without having to contribute their fair share in the fight. the laws do not as many supporters proclaim protect workers from being forced to become union members. in fact, federal law already restricts this. in union states workers covered 10:20:29by union negotiated contracts can only be required to pay for the cost of bargaining and not for any other union activities. however, over the last few years there has been an alarming increase in anti-union sentiment. currently half of our states 10:20:44have right to work laws with indiana, michigan, and wisconsin recently passing their own version. in my own home state of illinois, the governor has made passing right to work a top priority. in fact, he's making this a cornerstone of his first term 10:21:01legislative agenda. the idea behind his right to work law is that by increasing the number of free riding workers, unions will be forced to drastically reduce their budgets, weakening their ability to negotiate stronger contracts and defend the rights of american workers. 10:21:16but the evidence clearly shows how misguided this stance is and attacks on organized labor truly are. research shows that seven of the 10 states with the highest unemployment rates are right to work states. 10:21:31on top of that, you know that even if half the counties in illinois adopt right to work laws, we would see the state's annual economic output shrink by $1.5 billion, labor income fall by $1.3 billion. 10:21:46and increase in both racial and gender income equality. so if right to work laws are not actually good for the economy, what are they good for? right to work laws do a great job at 10:22:04harming hardworking middle class families, and weakening unions. right to work states have seen an almost a 10% decline in unionization, which has undermined growth in wages and led to the deterioration in workplace safety n right to work states, wages for all workers, not just unionized workers, are over 3% lower than wages in 10:22:20nonright to work states. that's about $1,500 less per year in the pockets of teachers, firefighters, nurses, and other hardworking americans. furthermore, unions and injuries and deaths in right to work states are much higher than 10:22:38nonright to work states. in the high-risk environment of construction where unions have played a fundamental role in demanding adequate safety standards, deaths are 34% higher in right to work states than nonright to work states. you can see right to work is not right for our country, not right 10:22:54for our states, and not right for our workers. you can right to worker as a strategy to lower wages and attract more businesses is not a suitable and sustainable strategy. instead of focusing on attacking unions and middle class workers, 10:23:10governors should focus on fixing broken budgets and investing in our schools, public safety programs, and transportation systems. that's the real recipe for economic success. so let's stand up against right to work laws and stand up for the right to organize, the right 10:23:25to a safe job, and the right to a fair wage. thank you. i yield back. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE:the chair recognizes the gentleman from ohio, mr. gibbs, for five minutes. GIBBS, B. (R-OH):thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to honor dr. peter 10:23:42schramm at asher university in ashland, ohio. the center support 8 supporters and friends gathered to recognize him for his years of service and name the library in his honor. he's been teaching political 10:23:58science, mentoring sthuents, and shapings the minds of few turn teachers and lawyers. he was a young boy living under the soviet regime. when he was 10, peter's father 10:24:14decided it was time to leave hungary and come to america. peter asked his father why he chose america and he was told we were born americans but in the wrong place. after leaving hungary, the family found their way to california thanks to an american 10:24:29dentist his father met shortly after world war ii. just a few american dollars, his family started a new life. his parents found work and peter and his sister went to school. peter did not know english and had to learn along the way with the help of his classmates. eventually, they saved enough 10:24:45money to open a restaurant. the whole family worked there. peter tened his stuties -- studies and worked through college. he was he was unaware you had to graduate. he was content to learn for the 10:25:00sake of lerk. years later he once said i think it is true that human beings by nature desire to know. his economic veracity led him to claire month for his masters and doctorate doctorate degrees. 10:25:14it was there he studied the classics. when he began teaching, he insisted on open discussion, encouraging and directing debates among his students. he once said, a good education is a conversation. he didn't want to lecture his 10:25:29students and he believes a classic liberal arts education should teach students how to read, analyze, and explain and defend their beliefs. the ash brook center where he served as the executive director and senior fellow of the scholar program states their mission is to restore and strengthen the 10:25:45capacities of the american people for constitutional self-government. having witnessed the corruption horror of soviet rule, he was able to impress on his students how important the mission and values are. one of the most recent students 10:26:00interned in my office told me that dr. schramm has dedicated his life to preserving and perpetuating american greatness by teaching us what it means to be an american. that many of us he has taught will continue his work and honor his legacy by educating future 10:26:15generations of what makes america great. dr. schramm, who is battling an aggressive illness, can be assured the principles of self-government of free men with free minds and values of our founding fathers are alive and well in the 10:26:31generations of students he talked. on monday evening he said despite his medical condition no man has been happier than he has been. thank you for adopting america as your home and teaching so many young minds to keep the flame of freedom burning. i yield back. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE:the 10:26:47chair recognizes the gentleman from north carolina, mr. butterfield, for five minutes. BUTTERFIELD (D-NC):mr. speaker, i rise to express the utter outrage of the congressional black caucus regarding the calvert amendment which is scheduled for later this 10:27:02afternoon which is an amendment to the interior appropriations bill. that amendment would allow confederate imagery to remain on graves on federal land. don't republicans understand that the confederate battle flag is an insult to 40 million african-americans and to many 10:27:19other fair-minded americans? the confederate battle flag, mr. speaker, is intended to defend a dark period of american history. a period when four million blacks were held as slaves. held as property, as chattel not 10:27:35as human beings. the slaves were bought and sold and mortgaged and gifted as chattel, and this period, mr. speaker, this period of inslavement continued for more than 200 years and did not legally end until december 6, 10:27:531865. here's the history, mr. speaker. following president lincoln's election in november of 1860, 12 southern states ceded from the union in response to their belief that president lincoln would free the four million 10:28:10slaves. south carolina was the first state to cede from the union on december 20, right after lincoln's election. these southern states formed the confederate states of america. they empowered a military, 10:28:27elected a president, adopted a constitution, adopted a currency. they engaged in a brutal, brutal civil war with the union. thousands of lives were lost on both sides of the battle, and this flag, mr. speaker, this confederate battle flag, was 10:28:43their symbol. it was their flag. the southern states lost the war. the states then rejoined the union. president lincoln then proposed a 13th amendment legally ending slavery. that amendment, mr. speaker, 10:28:58passed this congress on january 31, 1865. finally, it was ratified by georgia on december 6, 1865. and during the period of ratification, president lincoln was assassinated. 10:29:13for the next 50 years, 50-plus years, every black person living in the south faced the possibility of lynching. more than 4,000 blacks were 10:29:29lynched between 1890 and 1950. 136 black people were lynched in south carolina. but there are some now who want to continue to honor slavery and hon your bigotry -- honor bigtry. 10:29:44this house must not be complicit. the shooting in south carolina was an example of a 21st century lynching. the man festo left by the charleston killer stated, quote, i have no choice. i am not in the position to go to alone, go into the ghetto and 10:30:01fight. i chose charleston because it is the most historic city in my state and at one time had the highest ratio of blacks to whites in the country. he was right. 57%. . 10:30:14we have no skinheads, no k.k.k., no one doing but talking on the internet. well, someone has to have the bravery to take it to the real world, and i guess that has to be me. end of quote. 10:30:30mr. speaker, bigotry continues to exist in this country. this congress should not pass any legislation today or any other day that would embolden those who continue to hold racist beliefs. the calvert amendment, the 10:30:49calvert amendment is misguided and it emboldens bigotry. i ask my colleagues, democrat and republican, respectfully, let's defeat the calvert amendment this afternoon and even if the gentleman would consider to withdraw his amendment and not put this house through this turmoil 10:31:05today. thank you. i yield back. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE:the chair recognizes the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. murphy, for five minutes. MURPHY, T. (R-PA):thank you, mr. speaker. 10:31:21yesterday in the terrible attack over 200 people were killed across these united states. this headline should lead every tv news show, hit the front pages and generate outrage from across the country, but it did 10:31:37not appear. now, this is not make-believe, the news is real, but no one reported it. we lose more than 80,000 people a year now to suicide and drug addiction overdose. that's over 200 people a day. 10:31:53where is the news? now, these are the sudden and tragic deaths. then, there are the slow-motion deaths which can he can't even count. those who have a mental -- which can't even count. those who have a mental illness 10:32:08or a chronic illness such as diabetes or heart disease and face that slow-motion death sentence. in fact, people with serious mental illness tend to die 25 years earlier than their cohorts and then there are the 10:32:23mentally ill who are victims of attacks. last week the "washington post" revealed how in the first six months of this year a person who was in mental health crisis was shot and killed every 36 hours by police. 10:32:39the vast majority were armed but in most cases the police officers who shot them were not responding to reports of a crime. more often they were called by relatives, neighbors or other bystanders worried that a mentally fragile person was 10:32:55behaving erratically. the crisis built and it ended in death. further, the mentally ill are more likely to be the victims of violence, robberies, beatings and rape and other crimes. these individuals are also 10 times more likely to be in jail than in a hospital. 10:33:11if you're a minority, chances are your mental health treatment comes in a prison, not in a mental health center. have we become so numb we no longer notice? are we so numb we no longer care? 10:33:26tragically government tries to help but frankly it's a mess. the chaotic patchwork of current government programs and federal laws make it impossible for those with severe psychosis, schizophrenia and 10:33:42serious mental illness to get care. for example, when someone is haunted by deleer yum and hallucinations and doesn't know they're ill they frequently stop taking their needed medication. they don't follow up on appointments and their health declines. our federal laws prevent a caregiver from getting their loved one to the next appointment or to follow up on 10:33:58their care. we need to provide treatment before tragedy and get these individuals help before their loved ones dial 911. the helping families and mental health crisis act, h.r. 2646, provides millions of families 10:34:15the tools needed for effective care. h.r. 2646 empowers parents and caregivers to access care before the mental illness reaches the most severe stage. it fixes the shortage of in-patient beds so patients in mental health crisis can get proper care, not be sent to a jail, not tied to an emergency 10:34:35room gurney and not sent home. it helps reach underserved and rural populations. it expands the mental health work force. it drives evidence-based care. it provides alternatives to institutionalization. it integrates primary and behavioral care. it increases physician volunteerism. it advances critical medical research, brings accountability 10:34:50to mental health and substance abuse parody and it also provides crisis intervention grants for police officers and first responders. this training helps law enforcement officials recognize individuals who have a serious mental illness and learn how to properly intervene. my bill eliminates wasteful and 10:35:08ineffective programs and directs money where it is needed first. it focuses on serious serious me mental illness 10:35:15mental illness rather than behavioral goodness that have no good results. my bill helps communities adopt programs to stop the revolving door of mental health crisis, 10:35:30violence, incarcerations, e.r. visits and abanned on thement. this bipartisan legislation, now with more than 50 co-sponsors, marks a new dawn for mental health in america. i urge my colleagues to join me in this effort by co-sponsoring the helping families of mental health crisis act, h.r. 2646. 10:35:46let's no longer turn a blind eye and instead help those that need it the most. whether on the fast road or the slow road, the 200 -- the 200-plus deaths per day, the 80,000 deaths per year, an 10:36:02unknown number of victims is far, far too often. compassion calls us to act and act now. the cost of delay is deadly. for those families who are suffering, how can we look them in the eye and defend our 10:36:17delays to act? i yield back. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE:the chair recognizes the gentleman from maryland, mr. hoyer, for five minutes. HOYER (D-MD):thank you, mr. speaker. i ask unanimous consent to 10:36:32revise and extend my remarks. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE:without objection. HOYER (D-MD):mr. speaker, there are days in this house when morality and the values of our country as articulated in the declaration of independence and in the constitution of our 10:36:48country summons us to vote as americans. as moral representatives and representatives of the values 10:37:04of our country. today is such a day, my colleagues. three democratic amendments were adopted earlier in the consideration of the interior bill that would end the practice of displaying our selling confederate battle 10:37:23flags and flag merchandise in national parks and national park service cemeteries. those amendments were adopted by voice vote. they reflect the strong 10:37:39consensus in this country and hopefully in this congress that a symbol of slavery, is a digs, segregation -- sedition, 10:37:57segregation has no place in our national parks and cemeteries whose grounds have been hallowed by the veterans who rest there after having served and given their lives in defense of freedom and justice 10:38:13and the values of our country. unbelievablely, however, mr. speaker, several hours ago in the dark of night, the chairman 10:38:34of the subcommittee offered an amendment on this floor that would effectively strike those amendments which surely reflect the values to which all of us have risen our hand and sworn to protect. 10:38:51today on the anniversary of the ratification of the 14th amendment to our constitution, how ironic that we would meet this vote on this day which enshrined the principle of equality for all americans. 10:39:07we have this shameful confederate battle flag amendment on our floor. this amendment would keep in place the policy that allows confederate battle flags in our national parks and national park service sem fares. 10:39:24-- cemeteries. a symbol, as my colleague, jim clyburn, the assistant leader, and the chairman of the congressional black caucus, and an extraordinarily representative in south carolina said yesterday was so 10:39:46offensive and hurtful to so many millions of our fellow citizens and our fellow colleagues in this body. even in south carolina today 10:40:03where the confederacy was born, that flag is being taken down from are the state capitol grounds after both republican controlled houses of that state's assembly 10:40:16state's assembly voted to remove it. certainly, certainly on this day we ought not to see a republican-led congress move in 10:40:30the opposite direction. my colleagues, together, not as republicans and democrats, but as americans deeply committed to the values of equality and justice and opportunity for all , we ought to remove that flag 10:40:47from our national parks, the cemeteries where our veterans rest, and i would say further, all public places. that includes the united states capitol, and i support my friend, representative 10:41:02thompson's resolution that sits now in the house administration committee that would remove the flag of mississippi, which contains the confederate battle flag until such time as mississippiians, as south 10:41:18carolinians did yesterday make a statement and remove that from their flag. i urge my colleagues, my fellow americans, the 434 of my 10:41:39colleagues that have raised their hand and sworn to protect and defend the constitution of the united states of america, i urge my colleagues, let us do the right thing and reject this 10:41:55amendment and send a powerful message about what america truly represents, equality, justice, respect for one another, freedom for all. 10:42:13let us make america, every american proud of us this day and reject the amendment adopted in the dead of night. i yield back the balance of my time. 10:42:29THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE:the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from alabama, ms. roby, for five minutes. ROBY (R-AL):thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to talk about the negotiations taking place right now in switzerland over iran's nuclear capability. 10:42:45with all that's been going on lately, i fear not enough attention is being paid to what i believe is one of the most important issues facing our country right now. last week the obama administration quietly announced yet another deadline 10:43:00extension to the multilateral negotiations over iran's nuclear capability. and this week, negotiators blew past that deadline once again. of course, the goal for the united states and our allies must be to prevent iran from 10:43:17obtaining a nuclear weapon. however, recent reports out of switzerland have raised concerns that our negotiators have already conceded too much on major points like uranium enrichment, economic sanctions relief and inspection access. 10:43:33mr. speaker, the very fact that we keep extending the deadline tells you all you need to know about the priorities at play in this administration. it seems like president obama and secretary kerry are so concerned about striking a 10:43:49deal, any deal that they are unwilling to walk away from a bad one as deadlines keep passing. "the boston globe" reported that negotiators have spent their downtime speculating which movie stars would play 10:44:04them in a hollywood movie about the iran deal. if this is true, americans should be outraged. is this is an extraordinarily important issue that will have an extraordinarily far-reaching 10:44:21effect on this country and the world for many years to come. the fact is we've had extension after extension and concession after concession to the point that i'm not sure a good deal is even possible at this point. a few months ago i traveled to 10:44:36the middle east with the speaker as part of his delegation to the region and we visited countries that would be directly affected by dealing with a nuclear iran -- israel, jordan, iraq, saudi arabia. 10:44:54our allies in the region are rightfully concerned that what is being brokered isn't good at all. we cannot forget how high the stakes are here. if a bad deal is ratified, we aren't just talking about a nuclear armed iran. 10:45:09we are talking about setting in motion a nuclear race, a chain of events that could allow 10:45:16multiple countries in in very volatile part of the world wanting to become nuclear as well. and after seeing the international community reward iran's hostility and city nens with a nuclear deal, who would 10:45:31blame them? mr. speaker, i appreciate the leadership of my colleagues in this chamber and in the senate, and i agree with senator corker that the -- who is the chairman of the senate foreign relations committee who wrote a letter to the president quoting -- and i quote him now. 10:45:46walking away from a bad deal at this point would take courage, but it would be the best thing for the united states, the region and the world. . we may not be able to control the outcome in switzerland, but we can control how we respond if 10:46:03a bad deal is put forward. this congress can have the final say whether or not to lift sanctions in iran. it can have the final say on the deal itself by way of a resolution of disapproval. i believe members of congress must prepare to stand up and 10:46:19have the courage that it would take to stop a bad iranian deal from happening. for some, this will take a lot of courage, but it is necessary. we cannot allow president obama and secretary kerry to put their desire for a legacy achievement 10:46:40above the best interests of this nation and our allies. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE:the chair recognizes the gentleman from new york, mr. jefferies, for five minutes. JEFFRIES (D-NY):mr. speaker, had 10:47:06this federal battle flag prevailed in war 150 years ago, i would not be standing here today as a member of the united states congress. i would be here as a slave. over the last 150 years we made 10:47:28tremendous progress in this country, but we sell have a long way to go. at the tragic events in charleston, south carolina, illustrated, when nine god fearing, church going 10:47:44african-american citizens were killed by a white supremacist, there is much work that needs to be done to eradicate the cancer of racial hatred. 10:48:02when dylan roof committed this act of domestic terror, his emblem was the confederate battle flak. later today we'll have a vote on the legitimacy of this flag. on tuesday, it appeared that 10:48:19house republicans were prepared to do the right thing in support of three amendments to prohibit the use of federal funds for the purchase, sale, or display of the confederate battle flag on national park service land. but less than 24 hours later, 10:48:37house republicans reversed course. in the dead of night, under cover of darkness to introduce an amendment supporting the 10:48:52confederate battle flag. which is nothing more than a symbol of racial hatred and oppression. there are some in this who is 10:49:08who have made the argument that the confederate battle flag is about heritage and tradition. i'm perplexed. what exactly is the tradition of the confederate battle flag that 10:49:25we are supporting? is it slavery? race treason? genocide? 10:49:40or all of the above. the confederate battle flag is nothing more than a symbol of racial hatred and oppression. as i stand here with chills next to it, because of the red in 10:49:59this flag is a painful reminder of the blood that was shed by africans who were killed when attempted to be kidnapped. and thrown into the institution 10:50:15of slavery. 10:50:17the red on this flag is a painful reminder of the blood that was shed by millions of africans who died during the middle passage while being 10:50:37transported from africa to america. the red on this flag is a painful reminder of the blood that was shed by african-american slaves who were beaten, raped, lynched, and 10:50:52killed here in america as a result of the institution of slavery. what exactly is the tradition the confederate battle flag represents? 10:51:08we were sent here as leaders. to make decisions on the morality of america. 10:51:25where we are notwithstanding our painful history and the legacy of slavery, we have an opportunity today to make a definitive statement, to be leaders p not individuals who cowher in fear -- cour -- cower 10:51:46in fear who are unaware that the south lost the war 150 years ago. let's choose racial progress over racial poison. let's choose harmony over historic amnesia. let's choose togetherness over 10:52:03treason. let's come together not as democrats or republicans, not as whites or blacks, not as northerners or southerners, let's come together as americans and vote down the calvert 10:52:19amendment and relegate the confederate battle flag to the dust bin of history which is where it belongs. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE:the chair recognizes the gentleman from west virginia, mr. jenkins, for five minutes. JENKINS, E. (R-WV):thank you, mr. 10:52:35speaker. i rise today to honor the wyoming county west virginia chapter of students against destructive decisions, also known as sadd. the wyoming county chapter has been named the 2015 sadd 10:52:52national chapter of the year. consisting of 300 members from six different schools, these byo message county students work hard to encourage yng people to avoid underaged drinking, drurks 10:53:07and other destructive activities. wyoming county and the sr. rounding area, like many -- surrounding area like many parts of our state and country are limited in the number of youth programs and social services leading to temptations for many 10:53:26teenagers. sadd helps fill the void and is a positive force in helping students make positive life choices and avoid destructive decisions. these students represent our state's values and demonstrate 10:53:43compassion, commitment, and courage through their work. i know they will take the skills they have learned in sadd and become the next generation of leaders in west virginia. i congratulate these students and teachers and thank them for 10:53:59making wyoming county a better place to live. i yield back, mr. speaker. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE:the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from minnesota, ms. mccollum, for five minutes. 10:54:15MCCOLLUM, BETTY (D-MN):you pointed out i'm from minnesota. minnesota governor ramsay was in washington, d.c., shortly after the attack at fort sumter. and he was the first to offer up 10:54:30our support, 1,000 minnesotans to keep our union together. minnesota at the battle of gettysburg. a regiment that suffered 82% in 10:54:46casualties. the greatest loss of any unit at gettysburg on a single day. last night when republican leadership put forward a last-minute amendment that would allow for the display and sale 10:55:03of the confederate flag in our national parks, an amendment which we'll vote on today, that would allow this hateful symbol which invokes memories of racism and a 10:55:18and a painful period in our countries past to be displayed on public lands, i found myself shocked, outraged and 10:55:31disappointed because the people of minnesota sent me here to strive for what they strive for every day. to build a better, stronger america. an america in which we strive to give everyone hope and opportunity that they, too, can 10:55:47pursue life, liberty, happiness, and justice. to the flag that we are taking about is a symbol of a time when african-americans were enslaved, sold as human commodity. 10:56:02it had been used as a rallying cry throughout our history to those who wished to keep or country seggre getted. we a again last month in charleston this flag being used 10:56:18as a symbol for many who carry hatred in their hearts. a man who carried so much hatred he took the lives of nine parishioners because he viewed this flag as a symbol of his belief. this flag should be no point of 10:56:35pride for any american. and we should take this flag down. just two days ago without opposition, as i had the honor of being ranking member as we were doing the interior bill, this body voted to adopt 10:56:52amendments which would prevent the sale or display of confederate flags in national parks. those amendments were simple, commonsense efforts to place into law standards that the national park service had put forward last month. it was a moment of great pride 10:57:08for me. all those new standards will do is bring the federal government in line with desessions made by many private sector retailers. amazon, wal-mart, sears, disney, and other national retailers have all made the decision to 10:57:24take down this flag because of its racist history. private businesses are rallying behind a commonsense tea significance to stop -- to stop -- decision to stop peddling 10:57:42these symbols. how the republican cax would work to ensure that the federal government alos them to be sold? for who is republicans it appears, perhaps, the cost of getting the votes to pass the entiror, environment appropriations bill, which 10:57:57panders to polluters, is to wrap themselves in a banner of racism. i think that's wrong and i urge my colleagues to stand with people of great courage and great passion to say no to hate, 10:58:13no to racism, and yes to america. i urge my colleagues to vote no on the calvert amendment. with that i yield back, mr. speaker. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE:the 10:58:30chair recognizes the gentlewoman from tennessee, ms. blackburn, for five minutes. BLACKBURN (R-TN):thank you, mr. chairman. i come to the floor today to discuss h.r. 2964, the clear law 10:58:48enforcement for criminal alien removal act. this is a bill that i have had and have introduced every congress since 2007. we have many members of the body, mr. chairman, who have 10:59:03joined as co-sponsors of this legislation. what it would do specifically is this. it would ensure that state and local law enforcement officials have the tools necessary to help the federal government deport 10:59:19criminal illegal aliens from the united states. my legislation would require the department of homeland security when a state or local law enforcement agency arrests an alien and requests d.h.s. to take custody of that alien to do 10:59:38a few specific things. number one, they have to take the alien into federal custody and incarceration within 48 hours. and request that the state or municipality temporarily incarcerate the alien or transport the alien to federal 10:59:54custody. this would allow them to remove this individual from the country and bar them from coming back. . 11:00:17to 11:00:18to reimburse, the federal government to reimburse local and state government and to withhold funds from sanctuary cities. now, we have heard a lot about these issues in the last few 11:00:32days, and one of the problems that we have is the sanctuary cities, and mr. chairman, i have for my colleagues a map that was prepared by the center for immigration studies. we now have in this country 200 11:00:51sanctuary cities, and i'm reading from this map, more than 200 cities, counties and states across the u.s. are considered sanctuary cities. now, what happens in these cities is they choose to work 11:01:10around and to circumvent or not to abide by federal law when it comes to immigration policy. that's one of the reasons passing the clear act is so important. holding them accountable. 11:01:25also reading from the map, i find it so interesting that the department of justice has never sued or taken any measure, including denying federal funds against a jurisdiction that is 11:01:40a sanctuary city. on the other hand, we know that d.o.j. actually sued the state of arizona for trying to strengthen its immigration laws. so i would come to the floor today as we talk about dealing with the criminal illegal alien 11:01:56population and highlighting h.r. 2964. i would ask my colleagues, what does your vote record say about your action? are you strengthening federal law and abiding by federal law, 11:02:12or do those actions strengthen sanctuary cities? do they provide more accountability? is that what you're providing through your vote actions, or is it something that allows a violation of federal law to continue? 11:02:27i think it is imperative that we address the issue of criminal illegal aliens, we address the issue of sanctuary cities and, mr. chairman, i think that it is imperative that we move forward with 11:02:46passage of the clear act by this body. it's a simple bill. i encourage my colleagues to read it. it's 21 pages, and you will find in there that it addresses these issues that are front and fort most in our minds today -- front and foremost in our minds 11:03:03today and i yield back the balance of my time. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE:the gentlewoman yields back. the chair recognizes mr. clyburn for five minutes. CLYBURN (D-SC):thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i would like first of all to thank the speaker of this house and the other 11:03:18members who came to charleston last month to help us with the 11:03:35ceremonies for the senator. i'd also like to thank especially my colleagues, senator tim scott, senator lindsey graham, congressman 11:03:54sanford for joining with us as we stood with the governor of south carolina and called for removing the confederate battle 11:04:10flag from the grounds of the state house. this afternoon at 4 00, as a result of a very definitive vote early this morning of 11:04:2894-20, the governor's going to sign the bill, and tomorrow morning at 10 00, the flag will be removed from the state house . 11:04:43i regret that i'm not going to be able to accept the governor's invitation and be there this afternoon because around 4 00 this afternoon we're going to be voting here on this floor. 11:04:58i understand there will be around 25 votes, and 24 of them i might feel all that bad, but one of them i cannot afford to 11:05:16miss 11:05:19but one of them i cannot afford to miss because that one, the calvert amendment, votes taken 11:05:32by this body to join with south carolina, alabama and activities going on in mississippi, to get rid of any 11:05:51official application to this flag, the confederate battle flag. now, i think it's important for us to point out that this is 11:06:07not the confederate flag. the confederacy had three flags. this was never one of them. this flag is a flag, the 11:06:23confederate battle flag of the army of northern virginia. robert e. lee's army. and when robert e. lee surrendered he asked all of his 11:06:40followers to if you recall this flag. stow it away, he said. put it in your attics. he refused to be buried in his confederate uniform. his family refused to allow 11:06:55anyone dressed in the confederate uniform to attend his funeral. why? because robert e. lee said he considered this emblem to be a symbol of treason. 11:07:18yet, calvert puts up an amendment that we're going to vote on this afternoon to ask us to allow this flag to be sold and displayed in our national parks. 11:07:34i was so proud when the decision was made by the national park service. fort sumpter, a national park where the civil war started off 11:07:50the coast of charleston, south carolina, they decided to take away all of these symbols. but the calvert amendment is saying, no, don't take them away. put them back. and we are going to ratify the 11:08:07action to do so. i'm calling upon all of my colleagues to come to this floor this afternoon to remember that it is on this date in 1868 that south 11:08:26carolina, where it all started, south carolina was the state that gave the votes necessary to ratify the 14th amendment. to me, a very, very important 11:08:42amendment. full of due process and equal protection of the laws. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE:the gentleman's time has expired. the chair recognizes the gentleman from florida, mr. bilirakis, for five minutes. BILIRAKIS, G. (R-FL):thank you, mr. chairman. i appreciate it very much. 11:08:58mr. speaker, in march, before a joint meeting of congress, the prime minister of israel, benjamin netanyahu, warned history has placed us at a 11:09:15fateful crossroads. as a world leader at the forefront of this crossroad, i believe america has a responsibility to prevent a nuclear iran. an iran with nuclear weapons capabilities would further exacerbate and destabilize the region and would certainly 11:09:31inspire an arms race among other nonnuclear nations. the obama administration's foreign policy missteps does not inspire confidence that the current negotiations will conclude any differently. 11:09:48after numerous delays, negotiations are veering further away from any type of reasonable agreement that would contain iran's nuclear ambitions. i do not trust this administration as it approaches the reversal of a half century 11:10:05of nuclear nonproliferation policy. as chairman royce stated over the weekend, the obama administration's fundamental mystery of the iranian regime is part of what makes this potential 11:10:19potential agreement so dangerous to our national security. the sanctions relief numbers that are being reported now are staggering and will directly undercut years of democratic 11:10:34success. sanctions are a vital tool when working to keep our citizens and allies out of harm's way. in dealing with an aggressive state sponsor of terror, there should be no daylight between the position of republicans and 11:10:52democrats in congress nor congress, with the president or the united states, with our allies. civilized nations must stand united against the destructive output from rogue regimes like iran. as it stands now, the reported 11:11:08details of the deal will not dismantle the nuclear ambitions of the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism. if the past is any indication of the future, we can expect that iran will continue to employ its stonewalling 11:11:26tactics, blocking any real transparency or inspections of its nuclear facilities. why isn't iran answering questions asked four years ago by the international atomic energy agency about their past 11:11:41activities? how can we trust a country that won't answer simple questions or allow scientists to be interviewed? how can we set up a sanctions relief system that is based on trust and verification if the 11:11:56country has proven objectively incapable of trust and transparency? we certainly cannot continue to overlook iranian compliance failures, as reported this week in "the washington post," nor 11:12:11come anywhere close to lifting a successfully firmed arms embargo. these negotiations will have long-term implications on every country on this planet. i believe the united states has a responsibility to stand with 11:12:27israel and other allies across the globe now more than ever. we must ensure our allies know they do not stand alone. with the current negotiations extended once again, it appears that the administration simply 11:12:43wants to get any agreement. this administration, i believe it's a legacy item for the president, mr. speaker. this administration's willingness to ignore iran's 11:12:58troublesome behavior throughout negotiations does not inspire confidence. president obama promised seven years ago that he would not allow iran to develop a nuclear weapon. he is failing to keep that promise to the american people 11:13:13and the rest of the world, in my opinion. the stakes are too high. negotiations are reaching a critical moment as we speak here today. this administration needs to understand one indisputable 11:13:29truth, a bad deal is worse than no deal. i yield back. thank you, mr. speaker. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE:the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from california, ms. sanchez, for five minutes. 11:13:44SANCHEZ, LORETTA (D-CA):thank you, mr. speaker. this year marks the 40th anniversary since the end of the vietnam war and 20 years of normalized relations between the u.s. and vietnam. and this week our president hosted the general secretary of the vietnamese communist party, 11:14:03tron, a political leader but not an official leader. and during that meeting, i know that the two leaders discussed more normalization of economic and military issues and i know 11:14:18that president obama brought up the issue of human rights, but i'm going to say this after 19 years in this congress of fighting for human rights around the world that the vietnamese communist government always promises when economic 11:14:34issues are on the table to do something better with respect to their human rights record but they never follow through. in fact, it gets worse. and so today, as the co-chair of the congressional caucus on vietnam, i don't want to focus 11:14:51on what the economic implications are and the trade implications are that are going on with respect to vietnam, but i want to remind my colleagues about what is happening with respect to human rights in vietnam. . 11:15:15win men is currently serving a known-year prison term after being charged with attempting to overthrow the government under article 59 of the stoogs 11:15:20contry. her crime? she was arrested he while taking photographs during a protest against chinese encroachment of the stratly island. 11:15:35a community organizer and contributing journalist for vietnam redemocraticorist news is currently serving a 13-year prison sentence for defending 11:15:51human rights and promoting democracy. he has been charged with attempting to overthrow the government. he is currently suffering from harsh treatment in prison including torture and dekneel to medical care, watt -- denial to medical care, water, and food. deng, another activist currently 11:16:08serving a 13-year sentence under article 79 in response to advocating for education. imagine this, for education for children living in poverty. for aid to people with disabilities. and for religious freedom in vietnam. 11:16:26he's also a victim of mistreatment and torture in the prison system. tran, a you human rights activist and proor, was alsoared for writing blogs that calendar 11:16:41for political reform and and improved human rights in vietnam. he only peace fle exercised his rights of freedom of expression, yet he was charged with attempting to overthrow the governmentnd article 79. 11:16:57he has been sentenced to 16 years in prison and five years of house arrest. these are just four of the so many people in prison in vietnam. the government of vietnam continues to deny its citizens 11:17:12the rights to freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of the press, freedom of religion. and although vietnam strives to further its relations with the u.s., it does not grant human 11:17:29rights to its people. so, i understand that president obama has agreed to visit vietnam in the near future, and i strongly urge that not only 11:17:45the president and the administration work on the issues of human rights with respect to the vietnamese people, about that we in the congress continue to patients' bill of rights because as we know, as americans, people around the world look to us as 11:18:01the shining light of upholding democrat is he and whoman rights and freedom and liberty, freedom of the press, and freedom of asemble. i yield back. thank, mr. speaker. soap the gentlewoman yields back. 11:18:16the chair recognizes the gentleman from new jersey, mr. frelinghuysen, for five meant. FRELINGHUYSEN (R-NJ):mr. speaker, we are quickly approaching one of the most important deadlines in the recent history of the national security of the united states. the often postponed end of 11:18:34negotiations to halt iran's nuclear weapons program. i support the goal of stopping iran's nuclear weapons ambition forever. and i have grave fears that the united states is headed down a very dangerous path of concession and surrender to a terrorist regime that has had american blood on its hands since 1979, military and 11:18:52civilian. each and every day we read new reports that iranian leaders are systematically moving the goal posts on these important negotiations. let me cite a few examples. first, any prudent agreement 11:19:07would allow no notice enspecials of suspected, not just declared, iranian nuclear weapon sites. yet the iranian plarlment has passed legislation banning inspections of their military installations. senior iranian officials have also taken it further declaring, 11:19:25i quote, not only will we not grant foreigners permission to inspect our military sites, we'll not even give them permission to think about such a subject, end of quotation. this attitude would make any agreement totally unverifiable. secondly, any worthwhile agreement would phase in 11:19:41sanctions relief as the regime proves over time it has complied with all provisions. yet president a hani has declared, i quote, we will not sign any deal unless sanctions are lifted on the same day. end of quotations. 11:19:59why would we allow iran to boost its staggering economy by providing an immediate capital infusion with which to support their relentless military intelligence and political efforts across the globe? president obama's explanations have been nothing short of 11:20:14baffling. he told national public radio, i quote, who if at all can you prevent aran from using its new wealth over the next 11:20:21wealth over the next several years to support assad of certificatea, to support hezbollah, van hollen toors in yemen or elsewhere? i mean, there's been no lessening of they are support 11:20:35for hezbollah or assad during the course of the last four or five years at a time when their economy has been doing terribly. end of quotation. if that's the point, mr. president. the united states should not throw up its hands and actually allow the iranian economy to be stimulated or have even more money to solidify their place as 11:20:51the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism. immediate sanctions relief will only provide more resources for them to use and their proxy militias in iraq dominate that country, and advance their goals 11:21:07in syria, yemen, and elsewhere. of course they'll have more motivation to do so. the tentative agreement announced in april and everything we have heard and read since then seems to reinforce the lesson that this administration is willing to give away much more in return 11:21:25for nothing in the way of changing their behavior. once again we must never forget that iran has american blood on its hands since 1979. iran has cheated before and is likely to cheat again. yet the administration makes 11:21:41concession after concession to iran, even as iran has violence in syria and iraq and threatens our safety in the middle east and develops new icbms. 11:21:56my colleagues, iran's nuclear program weapons quest must be blocked indefinitely, including verifiable dismantlement of its weapons infrastructure. they cannot be allowed to remain a threshold nuclear weapon state only to join the nuclear club 11:22:12the moment the agreement lapses. from where i stand and what we know today, we must oppose this agreement. in fact, no deal is better than no deal. mr. chairman, i'd like to yield to the gentlewoman from texas. 11:22:29my remaining time. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE:the gentlewoman is recognized for one meant. JACKSON LEE, S. (D-TX):i rise to 11:22:45follow up, to ask america to be unified and to be able to have a debate on the floor of the house on a resolution that i offered, 342, and to the gentleman from 11:23:02new jersey, it says enhancement of unity in america. what it speaks to is for this body to go on record for saying that divisive emblems and symbols, swastikas, a rebel flag, a fighting flag, does not even represent the flag most people think it is, the 11:23:19confederate flag, this is a rebel flag. to put those away. to educate our children about the excitement of how diverse we are. to be reminded of history of reconstruction. african-americans who are senators and congresspersons. to look at schools who now carry names of people who really might 11:23:36be considered treasonous. to be able to stand on the floor today or next week as those in south carolina did in a civil way so that our children will know that these symbols that divide are not history. and to be able to stand together 11:23:53in supporting the diversity of america. that is what i stand for. and i stand with houston who is reconsidering many school names at this time. i yield back. i thank the gentleman for his kindness. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE:the gentleman's time has expired. the chair recognizes the 11:24:09gentleman from michigan, mr. kildee. for five minutes. KILDEE (D-MI):thank you, mr. speaker. overnight house republicans have 11:24:27dramatically and inexplicably reversed their position on taking down terribly divisive symbol, the confederate battle flag. while they initially allowed house democratic amendments to remove this symbol from our 11:24:42national parks, late last night they allowed an amendment on voice which was challenged and now will be on the floor for roll call later today to keep, believe it or not, keep the confederate flag as a symbol for 11:24:57sale and for dess play in america's national parks. of course this morning's headlines, scathing headlines tell it all. house g.o.p. takes step back on confederate flag. unbelievable. 11:25:12it's a shame, it's really a shame that house republicans last night, very late last ni night, withou 11:25:21night, without warning, attempted to turn back important progress on taking down this terrible and divisive symbol. this of course happens just weeks, days literally, after 11:25:36nine americans were sleighed in an historic black church in charlton, -- charleston, south carolina, a terrible and tragic massacre committed by an evil individual who wrapped hem self 11:25:52in that very symbol. and celebrated the hate it stood for. i attended the funeral of reverend pinkney. with other members of congress grieved with that community in they are pain. and saw that community asking themselves a question, why? 11:26:07why does that hateful symbol, that flag, continue to fly over they are state capitol? so on the same day that the south carolina legislature expressed the will of its people 11:26:24and the american people and voted overwhelmingly to take down this horrible symbol, on the same day that south carolina voted to take down that hateful symbol, a member of this house 11:26:39of representatives came to this floor and offered an amendment to preserve that symbol in america's national parks. what a shame. it amazon, wal-mart, sears, all 11:26:55have taken that symbol out of their stores. no longer sell it. but the republican leadership allowed and would have allowed on voice vote an amendment to stand that would preserve the right to have that symbol sold in our national parks. what a shame. 11:27:11i hope the american people are watching and paying attention to this because it's a moment of truth, i think, for this congress. and i hope and i pray the democrats and republicans, i know the feelings of the 11:27:26democratic caucus we spoke about it this morning, but i hope we'll be joined by republicans on the other side in turning back this awful amendment that would say horrible things about the progress that we hoped that 11:27:42we had made just in the last few weeks. i ask americans to join us. use social media, hash tag take it down. express yourself. join with us in rejecting this horrible symbol of hate. 11:27:57let's take it down. with that, mr. speaker, i yield back. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE:the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentleman from iowa, mr. king, for five minutes. KING, S. (R-IA):thank you, mr. speaker. i appreciate the opportunity to address you here on the floor of 11:28:12the house of representatives and being recognized. i have been listening to this debate over the last week or so and it's troubled me considerably to watch divisions being driven between the american people over symbolism 11:28:27that has now been redefined by a lot of members of the opposite party. i regret like all of us do in this country the tragic and brutal and evil murders of the nine people in charleston, south carolina. i pray for them and their 11:28:42families and they stood up and showed us an example of faith that i think surpasses any that i have seen in my lifetime by forgiving the killer. i'm not to that point in my faith, mr. speaker, at least that i can tell. but that was very moving. 11:28:58and they didn't want to see a division created. they wanted to heal. and they wanted to have -- they wanted to see christ's love come out of charleston. charleston is a wonderful and beautiful city, and i don't know where i'd go to find nicer 11:29:15people if i couldn't go home. i can't say enough good about that. but i have listened to this rhetoric that has poured for the over these days. -- forth over these days. it appears knee it is being turned into something that is division rather than unifying. we unified in our grief with the 11:29:30people of south carolina, the people of charleston, and now we are seeing the confederate battle flag be put up as a symbol to be redefined as something different than it's understood by the majority of 11:29:45the american people. i grew up in the north, mr. speaker, and the confederate flag always was a symbol of the pride of the south from where i grew up, my family, my predecessors, my ancestors, were abolitionists. they went to war to put an end 11:30:02to slavery. mr. speaker, i have in my -- now in my hand this is a leather bound new testament bible that was carried in the shirt pocket of my great uncle, john richardson, and it's written in side here, presented to him on the eve of his departure for the 11:30:18war in july of 1862. . 11:30:22and he walked home three years to the day with this bible in his shoirt pocket, having protected him. it has verses that are written in it. 11:30:36i found his picture, his muss can he tell, his bayonet, his belt buckle and his ink file. that's what's left of this man who committed himself to putting an end to slavery but his cousin, my five times great grandfather, was killed in that 11:30:51effort. many gave their lives to put an end to slavery. as i was standing before lincoln's memorial reading his second inaugural address, and i'll read this into the speaker. lincoln's second inaugural 11:31:07address, march 4,1865. fondly do we hope and pray, yet if god wills does it -- by the 11:31:22bondsman 250 years of unrecognize witted toil shall be sunk and every drop of blood shall be paid by another drawn by the sword as was said 3,000 years ago and so still must be said, the judgments of the lord 11:31:38are true and righteous altogether. mr. speaker, these are not disputed numbers. the numbers of americans that were killed putting an end to slavery and saving the union 11:31:55600,000. another number not disputed, the number of black africans who was brought to now the united states to be slaves, 600,000. i take you back to the words. every drop of blood drawn by the last shall be paid by another drawn by the sword. 11:32:11the judgments of the lord are true and righteous altogether. a huge price has been paid. it's paid primarily by caucasian christians. there are many who stepped up because they profoundly believed that me needed to put 11:32:26an end to slavery. this country has put this behind us. we bend through this brutal and bloody battle. we've gone back together through the reconstruction and we've healed this countries together, and i regret deeply that in a -- that we're 11:32:41watching this country be divided again over a symbol of free country. when i go to germany and they outlawed the swaths can, i say, we have the first amendment. we're open enough. we have to tolerate the 11:32:58desecration of old glory, the american flag. yet we have people saying they're offended by a symbol. they're the ones putting it up for all to say and they're saying we should outlaw that so the american people don't have a chance to see our heritage. everything about america's 11:33:14history is not glorious. everything about our history is not right in our judgment looking back in hindsight, but none of us know what it was like for those that lived during that time and that era. we can accept our history. we can be proud of our history. when unify our history. 11:33:29we can grieve for those who were murdered and we can preserve our first amendment rights. thank you, mr. speaker. and i yield back. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE:the gentleman's time has expired. the chair recognizes the gentleman from texas, mr. green, for five minutes. GREEN, A. (D-TX):thank you, mr. 11:33:46speaker. mr. speaker, there are seminole moments in time. the bombing of pearl hashon was 11:34:02a moment in time that will live in infamy. the crossing of the edmund pettis bridge was a similar knoll -- similar knoll moment in time. it was a turning point in the 11:34:18civil rights, human rights movement. there are moments in time. the house of representatives confronts a seminal moment in time. 11:34:33will we allow the healing to continue or will we try to roll back the clock? there are seminal moments in time. if we take this vote, and i hope that we will not -- 11:34:50there's indication we may not -- but if we take this vote, the taking of the vote itself can be a seminal moment in time. a vote to legitimize the confederate flag, the battle 11:35:06flag would be a seminal moment in time for the united states house of representatives. a flag that represents slavery, a flag that represents division 11:35:22we have come 11:35:23we have come together in this country under a flag that represents unity, one that stands for liberty and justice for all. the flag of the united states of america. this is not that flag. 11:35:39we confront seminal moments in time. in south carolina, the south carolina senate and house of representatives stood tall when confronting a seminal moment in time and the confederate battle 11:35:54flag will be removed. i was so proud to hear a relative, a descendent of jefferson davis, take to the floor of the house of representatives in south carolina and proclaim that the 11:36:10flag must come down. seminal moments in time. we have our opportunity to do that which is right, to do what dr. king talked about when he 11:36:25said, the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice. we can bend the arc of the moral universe towards justice or we can turn back the clock, 11:36:42understanding that this is a symbol that cause loose of pain for a lot of people. this symbol would have 11:36:58prevented my having an opportunity to stand here if it had prevailed. i call upon all people of good will to please do the righteous thing, not just the right thing, do the righteous thing. how can you possibly vote for 11:37:17this after you saw the relatives of the nine who were killed stand in court before a judge and before the person who was the assailant, the person who actually killed people and 11:37:32say, i forgive you? we have forgiven those who have fought to enslave us. we have forgiven. i forgive you. how could you possibly now 11:37:50decide that you will legitimize this symbol of hatred, of slavery, of a bygone era, of a time when people were not even proclaimed to be human beings 11:38:05in the minds of many? so this is a great opportunity for this house of representatives to answer the clairian call of justice to do as dr. king indicated, to bend 11:38:21the arc of the moral universe toward justice, but it's also something else. it's an opportunity to see where we are. there will be a moment in time beyond this time when someone 11:38:38will look back upon these moments and they will look to see where we stood. where did you stand when you had the chance to stand for righteousness? where were you when you had an 11:38:54opportunity to vote to recognize justice as opposed to the injustice associated with this symbol? and i leave you with these words. harder yet may be the fight. right may often yield to might. 11:39:09wickedness may seem to rain and satan's calls may seem to gain. but there is a god that rules above to the hand of power and when we are right he will help us fight. i stand against this symbol. i stand for the american flag. i stand for justice. 11:39:24THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE:the gentleman's time has expired. the chair recognizes the gentleman from texas, mr. poe, for five minutes. POE (R-TX):thank you, mr. speaker. today the terrorist army of isis is stronger than ever. 11:39:42it mames, rapes, pillages, burns and beheads in its zeal to commit religious genocide against anyone who disagrees with them. isis controls and manipulates 11:39:57the minds of thousands of foreign fighters, including those that come from the united states. this is done arrogantly through american social media companies. the u.s.' answer to the isis threat -- well, let's see what 11:40:14it is. part of the current u.s. strategy is to train foreign mercenaries to fight against isis. it's had a year-long american 11:40:23it's had a year-long american budget of about $500 million. the program is to equally fund equipment and to train these so-called moderates from syria to fight isis. i call them mercenaries. 11:40:38however, the secretary of defense of the united states carter admitted that even after this one year of training the united states has only trained 60 -- 6-0 -- of these moderate 11:40:56syrian rebels. if i do my math correctly, mr. speaker, we are spending about $4 million apiece on these 60 fighters to go and fight 11:41:13supposedly isis. this is embarrassingly pathetic. the greatest nation that has ever existed sees isis as such a threat that we're going to send 60 folks to do -- to try to take care of them. 11:41:30ironically, there are more americans fighting with isis than we have rebels that have been trained to fight against isis. the united states obviously is not taking isis seriously. 11:41:45isis even mocks the united states and its 60 fighters on once again american social media. there is more. the president has recently 11:42:00admitted that the united states didn't have a complete strategy against isis. now, isn't that lovely? the question is mr. speaker, is isis a national security threat to the united states? that is the question. that is the question that has 11:42:16to be answered by the administration and by congress. and a decision needs to be made by the administration. it's time for the administration to pick a horse and ride it. if isis is a threat, then we 11:42:31must have a plan to defeat them. then actively implement the plan and defeat isis. mr. speaker, the commander in chief needs to lead. he needs to command or isis 11:42:48will continue its reign of terror in the middle east and other parts of the world and that's just the way it is. i yield back. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE:the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentleman from minnesota, mr. ellison, for five minutes. ELLISON (D-MN):thank you, mr. speaker. 11:43:04if there's any doubt in the mind of any person what this confederate battle flag stands for, i urge people not to listen to me. i urge you to listen to the successionists themselves. 11:43:20here's a quote from the declaration of the immediate causes which induce and justify the succession of south carolina from the federal union. it says, this sectional combination for the submergeon of the constitution has been aided in some of the states by 11:43:36elevating to citizenship, persons who, by the supreme law of the land, are incapable of becoming citizens and their votes have been used to inaugurate a new policy hostile to the south and destruction of its beliefs and safety. 11:43:52those persons from black people. that -- those persons were black people. that policy was ending the enslavement of millions of people based on their race. here's a quote from the vice president of the confederacy. 11:44:09i think he can speak authoritatively of what the symbol means. mr. vice president alexander stevens said, our new government is founded upon the exactly opposite of the 11:44:25american idea. its foundations are laid, its cornerstone rests upon the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man, that slavery subordination to the superior race is his natural and normal condition. that is what the vice president 11:44:41of the confederate states said under banners like this one as they were fighting and offering the lives of their own children to maintain slavery. this is what the flag 11:44:57represents. and i hereby yield the remainder of my time to mr. cicilline. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE:the gentleman venged. -- is recognized. CICILLINE (D-RI):thank you, mr. speaker. i thank the gentleman for yielding. last night the south carolina 11:45:13house of representatives finally approved legislation to take down the symbol of hatred and bigotry in the darkest time in our nation's history. it's shameful that less than 24 hours a hours after the 11:45:24hours after the state of south carolina took this important step for progress and equality, the united states house of representatives would consider an amendment that would allow the confederate flag to be placed in national park service 11:45:38cemeteries. let's be clear. this amendment is a symbol of hate and anyone who supports its being in a place of honor is imposing an insult on anyone who has experienced racism in their lives or believes in america's 11:45:54founding principles that equality, justice, and freedom. 150 years ago, hundreds of thousands of brave soldiers died to save our union and to defeat all the ugly beliefs that the confederate battle flag represents. dr. martin luther king was fond 11:46:11of saying that the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice. our country has come far since the end of the civil war, but returning this flag to a place of honor would undermine that progress. it's time to relegate this symbol of hate to the duft bin 11:46:29-- dust bin of history. take it down. with that i yield back the balance of my time. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE:to mr. swalwell. the gentleman is recognized. 11:46:45SWALWELL (D-CA):i thank the gentleman from minnesota for leading on this issue. it must be throwback thursday because just yesterday the south carolina statehouse finally voted to take down the confederate flag. however, today our house 11:47:03republican colleagues, they want a bill, they want an amendment that will put that flag back up. and have -- allow people to salute that same flag across our country and national parks. it is time to finally once and for all take down an ugly flag 11:47:20that is nothing more than a tribute to an ugly past. mr. speaker, let's throw down this flag. let's not throw back to an ugly part of our history. i yield back. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE:the gentleman from minnesota. 11:47:36ELLISON (D-MN):i yield the balance of my time. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE:the gentleman yields back. pursuant to clause 12-a of rule 1, the chair declares the house in recess until noon today.