House Proceeding 07-18-06 on Jul 18th, 2006 :: 0:20:00 to 0:40:00
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Marsha Blackburn: we've watched middle-eastern borne terrorism intimidate, kill and maim americans and our allies around the free world. the images coming out of lebanon and israel today are a sad, ugly

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Speech By: Marsha Blackburn

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Marsha Blackburn: replay of something we've seen far too often. mr. speaker, there's no easy solution to this problem despite what some pundits on the talk show circuit would tell us. this is a fight between

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Marsha Blackburn: a nation and between terrorists who claim no nation. it's simply unacceptable that iran would be permitted to fund a terrorist organization like hezbollah. it's unacceptable that the state-sponsored

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Marsha Blackburn: terrorist organization would be placed in another nation, lebanon, in order to wage a steady war against one of our allies. that's what has been happening for far too long. mr. speaker, our president

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Marsha Blackburn: is exactly right, not to condemn israel for taking actions to defeat its terrorist enemy. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman

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Marsha Blackburn: from virginia rise? mr. moran: i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. moran: mr. speaker, there is

0:21:09 to 0:21:23( Edit History Discussion )

Marsha Blackburn: a conflagration in the middle east. we're losing the war in iraq. we're losing ground to the taliban in afghanistan. the stock market is crashing. gas prices are skyrocketing. we've raised the

0:21:23 to 0:21:33( Edit History Discussion )

James P. Moran: debt ceiling four times to $9 trillion, all of which we're going to dump on the backs of our children who we are inadequately educating let alone creating a safer world for them. and what are the congressional

0:21:33 to 0:21:46( Edit History Discussion )

James P. Moran: leaderships priorities? to ban same-sex marriage, to ban flag burning, to ben stem cell research, to ban child safety -- to ban stem cell research, to ban child safety locks on guns in

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James P. Moran: the home, to ban abortion here and family planning abroad, to cut $20 billion from college student loan programs, to cut $9 billion from elementary and secondary education, and oh, yes,

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James P. Moran: more tax cuts. mr. speaker, this has got to be the most clueless congress in american history. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from missouri rise? mr. carnahan: i

0:22:07 to 0:22:19( Edit History Discussion )

James P. Moran: ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. carnahan: thank you, mr. speaker. last year this congress

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Russ Carnahan: passed the landmark he stem cell bill. we know president bush has already authorized research even though it's arbitrary and artifically restrictive when he made his executive order allowing

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Speech By: Russ Carnahan

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Russ Carnahan: research on existing stem cell lines before 9:00 p.m. on august 9, 2001, and prohibited them after that date. we know in 2001 it was believed 78 stem cell lines existed, but now we know there's

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Russ Carnahan: only 22 that are viable and may have been contaminated with malstem cells. we know we are at a historic crossroads in washington this week. we're either days away from this congress passing

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Russ Carnahan: this stem cell bill or we are going to see delays for years. we know that this issue has united americans into action across party lines. it includes over 80 nobel prize scientists. it counts

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Russ Carnahan: hundreds of disease fighting groups advocating for 110 million americans aflicted with genetic sentence to disability or death. we know president bush has signed over 1,000 bills into law.

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Russ Carnahan: this is not the time to start with the presidential roadblock of a veto. thank you, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from oregon rise? mr. defazio:

0:23:28 to 0:23:42( Edit History Discussion )

Russ Carnahan: to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. defazio: middle east is near all-out war and the united states is on the sidelines

0:23:42 to 0:23:53( Edit History Discussion )

Peter A. DeFazio: hamstrung by the bush occupation of iraq. we'll borrow $1.3 billion today to run the government and hand the bill to our kids and grandkids. record gas prices hamstringing family budgets

0:23:42 to 0:25:09( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Peter A. DeFazio

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Peter A. DeFazio: and business, record oil -- record profits for the oil companies and we're borrowing the money from saudi arabia and opec. now, these are difficult issues and it will be tough to hammer out

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Peter A. DeFazio: solutions here on the floor of the house. so the republican majority has chosen to walk away from these issues of real concern to the american people and phony up an agenda full of dead end bills

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Peter A. DeFazio: designed for one purpose only, to excite the republican right wing base and perpetuate their hegemony here in congress. two fake stem cell bills to cover the first veto by this president

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Peter A. DeFazio: of a meaningful stem cell bill that could provide relief to suffering americans, paralyzed americans, americans with debilitating disease. but no, their ideologues won't allow that. they want

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Peter A. DeFazio: medieval science to prevail here in washington, d.c. this -- it's time for a change in the leadership to have a congress who will truly represent the needs of the american people. the speaker

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Peter A. DeFazio: pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. mr. defazio: not a fringe element. the speaker pro tempore: does the gentleman from georgia rise? mr. gingrey: mr. speaker, by direction of

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Peter A. DeFazio: the committee on rules i call up house resolution 918 and ask for its immediate consideration. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the resolution. the clerk: house calendar

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Phil Gingrey: number 213, house resolution 918, resolved, that upon the adoption of this resolution it shall be in order without intervention of any point of order to consider in the house the joint resolution,

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Speech By: Phil Gingrey

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Phil Gingrey: house joint resolution 88, proposing an amendment to the constitution of the united states relating to marriage. the joint resolution shall be considered as read. the previous question shall be

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Phil Gingrey: considered as ordered on the joint resolution to final passage without intervening motion except, one, one hour and 30 minutes of debate equally divided and controlled by the majority leader

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Phil Gingrey: and the minority leader or their designees, and two, one motion to recommit. section 2, during consideration of house joint resolution 88, pursuant to this resolution, notwithstanding the operation

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Phil Gingrey: of the previous question, the chair may postpone further consideration of the joint resolution to a time designated by the speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from georgia is recognized

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Phil Gingrey: for one hour. mr. gingrey: mr. speaker, for the purpose of debate only, i yield 30 minutes to the gentleman from massachusetts, mr. mcgovern, pending which i yield myself such time as i may

0:26:22 to 0:26:34( Edit History Discussion )

Phil Gingrey: consume. during consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purposes of debate only. mr. speaker, house resolution 918 is a closed rule. it provides one hour and 30 minutes of debate

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Phil Gingrey: in the house equally divided and controlled by the majority leader and the minority leader or their designees. this resolution waives all points of order against consideration of the joint

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Phil Gingrey: resolution. it provides one motion to recommit. it provides that during consideration of the joint resolution, notwithstanding the operation of the previous question, the chair may postpone

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Phil Gingrey: further consideration of the joint resolution to a time designated by the speaker. mr. speaker, i rise today in support of house resolution 918 and the underlying joint resolution, h.j.res.

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Phil Gingrey: 88, the marriage protection act. first, i would like though thank representative marilyn musgrave, the author and lead sponsor of this constitutional amendment, for her steadfast commitment

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Phil Gingrey: to the preservation of traditional marriage. as the manager of this rule and an original co-sponsor of the underlying joint resolution, i'm very pleased the house will have an opportunity today to

0:27:41 to 0:27:57( Edit History Discussion )

Phil Gingrey: consider and debate this very important amendment to our constitution. mr. speaker, the proceeding debate both on the rule and the underlying resolution either can be divisive and disrespectful or it can

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Phil Gingrey: be respectful and productive. this amendment has nothing whatsoever to do with exclusion, but it has everything to do with protecting the traditional and historical definition of marriage as a union

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Phil Gingrey: between one man and one woman. and contrary to what the opponents of this resolution might say today, this amendment will simply preserve the traditional definition of marriage as it has existed

0:28:28 to 0:28:44( Edit History Discussion )

Phil Gingrey: for millennia. i anticipate there will be those on the other side who will say this amendment was concocted for political purposes. to the contrary, mr. speaker, this amendment is in response

0:28:44 to 0:28:56( Edit History Discussion )

Phil Gingrey: to a few activist judges who are trying to throw out the definition of marriage along with over 200 years of american judicial press dend. these judges -- precedent. these judges and these judges

0:28:56 to 0:29:11( Edit History Discussion )

Phil Gingrey: alone made this matter an issue and they did so without one vote cast in either a legislature or at the ballot box. these activist judges substituted legal precedent and the will of the american

0:29:11 to 0:29:25( Edit History Discussion )

Phil Gingrey: people with their own personal desires and political beliefs. their decision to scrap the traditional definition of marriage has forced us, forced us to now consider enshrining the definition

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Phil Gingrey: of marriage into our constitution. mr. speaker, like most of my colleagues i would prefer to not have to address this issue in this manner. but unfortunately i know my constituents and

0:29:37 to 0:29:53( Edit History Discussion )

Phil Gingrey: a strong majority of the american people, they want us to defend traditional definition of marriage. a poll by "the new york times," not exactly a bastion of right wing conservatism, they

0:29:53 to 0:30:04( Edit History Discussion )

Phil Gingrey: found that 59%, i repeat, 59% of americans favor an amendment to the constitution stating that marriage is a unedown between one man -- union between one man and one woman. i also sadly realize

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Phil Gingrey: this amendment will probably not have the necessary 2/3 majority of the past and opponents will cite this as a reason to not even consider the underlying resolution. we heard it in a couple

0:30:19 to 0:30:32( Edit History Discussion )

Phil Gingrey: of the one-minutes from the other side a few moments ago. well, this vote will serve as an opportunity for each and every member of this body to go on record in support or in opposition to protecting

0:30:32 to 0:30:47( Edit History Discussion )

Phil Gingrey: the traditional definition of marriage. after this vote, each of us will be judged accordingly by our constituents and i can say with a clear conscience and without hesitation that i will

0:30:47 to 0:30:59( Edit History Discussion )

Phil Gingrey: support this rule, i will support the underlying resolution for the sake of the sacred institution of traditional marriage and for the sake of our precious children. mr. speaker, i also

0:30:59 to 0:31:10( Edit History Discussion )

Phil Gingrey: want to encourage my colleagues to support the rule and this underlying resolution. at this point i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from massachusetts.

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Phil Gingrey: mr. mcgovern: thank you, mr. speaker. i want to thank the gentleman from georgia, dr. gingrey, for yielding me the customary 30 minutes. i field myself five minutes, mr. speaker. the speaker

0:31:20 to 0:31:34( Edit History Discussion )

James P. McGovern: pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. mcgovern: mr. speaker, i very much regret that the republican majority in this house has brought this bill to the floor. this bill, to put it simply

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Speech By: James P. McGovern

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James P. McGovern: and bluntly s. about adding discrimination and intolerance to the united states constitution. this is about the republican majority once again trying to divide and polarize the nation.

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James P. McGovern: it's about the republican leadership taking something that should be about love and turning it into a weapon of hate. i'm proud, mr. speaker, to be from massachusetts, the home of the nation's

0:32:02 to 0:32:15( Edit History Discussion )

James P. McGovern: first state constitution. in massachusetts over 8,000 same-sex stumblebum have been married since may of 2004 when it became legal. i should advise my colleagues that massachusetts hasn't

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James P. McGovern: fallen off the map into the atlantic ocean. the sun still rises and sets in the commonwealth. the red sox still play at februarywayer -- fenway, and life goes on. the only thing that is different

0:32:26 to 0:32:40( Edit History Discussion )

James P. McGovern: is that stumblebum of the same sex who love each other, want to spend the rest of their life together, and want to get married can do so. it means that men and women who happen to be gay are

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James P. McGovern: able to enjoy the same rights, privileges, and responsibilities as men and women who happen to be straight. mr. speaker, that is how it should be. those who have continued to advocate a ban

0:32:53 to 0:33:05( Edit History Discussion )

James P. McGovern: on same-sex marriage are on the wrong side of history. there are some here who claim they are on some sort of moral crusade to protect the institution of marriage. to them i say, worry about

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James P. McGovern: your own marriage. i don't need you to protect mine. i have been happily married to the same woman for 17 years without the help or interference of congress. what we should be protecting

0:33:20 to 0:33:32( Edit History Discussion )

James P. McGovern: are the civil and human rights of all americans. the fact that same-sex marriage is legal in my home state has had no impact on my marriage except that we were invited to more weddings.

0:33:32 to 0:33:43( Edit History Discussion )

James P. McGovern: same-sex marriage is a threat to no institution, to no individual. the underlying bill before us would not only add discrimination to the constitution for the first time in our history, it would

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James P. McGovern: repeal t. would actually take away the rights of thousands of americans. what do the supporters of this bill say to the gay stumblebum in massachusetts who are now legally married? our

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James P. McGovern: family members, our neighbors, our co-workers, the people who sit next to us in church. do you say, your marriage is now meaningless and we are going to take away your rights? do you

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James P. McGovern: say we are sending you back to second class citizenship? do you say that we have so much hatred for who you are that we are willing to tarnish the united states constitution? marriage law in this

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James P. McGovern: country has traditionally been left to the states. indeed, even in massachusetts the same supreme judicial court that the proponents of this bill decry recently ruled that a referendum

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James P. McGovern: banning same-sex marriage can go forward. that referendum is currently working its way through the process. i believe of course that the referendum should and will fail that the citizens of massachusetts

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James P. McGovern: would not vote to turn back the clock. but that should be up to us, mr. speaker, not to the people of colorado or georgia or anywhere else. in addition this bill jeopardizes not just same-sex

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James P. McGovern: marriage in massachusetts, but domestic partnership and civil union laws in other parts of the country. the proposal before us is so poorly drafted that legal experts disagree on exactly

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James P. McGovern: what effect it will have on those laws. that means, of course, that the issue will end up back in the courts which is ironic given the constant court bashing by the bill's supporters. mr.

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James P. McGovern: speaker, the impact of this debate goes far beyond constitutional arguments. the proponents of this bill are contributing to a climate of intolerance. we will hear protests from the other side today

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James P. McGovern: that they have no problem with gay people. yet here they are arguing that gay people don't deserve the same rights as everybody else. mr. speaker, i'm also terribly troubled by the hate spewing

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James P. McGovern: from some of the outside groups using the same-sex marriage issue to whip up emotions and raise money. mr. speaker, some of the rhetoric is just deplorable, but i doubt that we will hear any

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James P. McGovern: of the bill's supporters denouncing it here today on the floor. my colleagues, discrimination is discrimination and it should find no sanctuary in our constitution or in our hearts. it should

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James P. McGovern: find no sanctuary on the floor of the people's house. we all know why this proposal is before us. it's an election year. and if it's an election year the republican leadership will find

0:36:17 to 0:36:28( Edit History Discussion )

James P. McGovern: a place on the agenda for gay bashing. this proposal is worse than a distraction, it's an assault on our fellow citizens, it's an attack on a piece of their humanity and i urge to you stand

0:36:28 to 0:36:46( Edit History Discussion )

James P. McGovern: on the right side of history and defeat this bill. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from georgia. mr. gingrey: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time

0:36:46 to 0:36:58( Edit History Discussion )

Phil Gingrey: as i may consume. in response to a couple of things my good friend said, mr. speaker nowadays lots of people are claiming that marriage is a discriminatory institution. same-sex couples say marriage

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Speech By: Phil Gingrey

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Phil Gingrey: discriminates against them. believe it or not single people complain marriage discriminates against them. after all say the singles, why should the state give special benefits to married parents

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Phil Gingrey: but not us. it gets worse. even poe plig miss and believers -- polygamists say marriage discriminates against them. now, if we support society -- if the support to society gives to men

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Phil Gingrey: and women who have the potential to create children is going to be called discrimination, pretty soon there isn't going to be such a thing as a marriage at all. when one group can call marriage

0:37:45 to 0:38:02( Edit History Discussion )

Phil Gingrey: discrimination, then any group can make the same claim. and also, mr. speaker, there was a comment about a couple loving one another. but this is not a civil rights issue. love of course is a great

0:38:02 to 0:38:18( Edit History Discussion )

Phil Gingrey: thing. in my humble opinion, marriage isn't just any kind of love, it's a love that can bear children. and it's a love that involves both a mom and a dad. two men might be a good father. but neither

0:38:18 to 0:38:29( Edit History Discussion )

Phil Gingrey: one is a mom. the identify deal for children is the love of both a mom and dad. no smex -- smecks -- same-sec couple can provide that. this is about children having a mother and father to learn

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Virginia Foxx: from. with that, mr. speaker, i want to yield one minute to the gentlewoman from north carolina , representative virginia foxx. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized

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Speech By: Virginia Foxx

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Virginia Foxx: for one minute. ms. foxx: thank you, mr. speaker. i thank the gentleman from georgia for yielding me time. i also want to thank my colleagues for seeing the great need for this debate. a need

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Virginia Foxx: which is no longer on the horizon but has reached the forefront it's has begun to affect american families. it is the right time to discuss the marriage protection amendment. as members of this

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Virginia Foxx: congress we have a responsibility to look at this critical situation for marriage and the real possibility that the courts are going to redefine marriage. this constitutional amendment would concretely

0:39:08 to 0:39:20( Edit History Discussion )

Virginia Foxx: define marriage as we always have, as the union between one man and one woman. the disintegration of the family is the force behind so many of our most serious social problems. we cannot turn a

0:39:20 to 0:39:30( Edit History Discussion )

Virginia Foxx: blind eye to the social trends doing the most damage to america's children. the health of american families is built upon marriage and it affects us all. the massachusetts supreme judicial court

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Virginia Foxx: and other local courts have ruled in favor of same-sex marriages, these unsound decisions set a dangerous precedent and that is why a constitutional amendment is necessary. if enacted it will

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Virginia Foxx: effectively ban these illegitimate marriages nationwide. this definition of marriage is not intended to be discriminatory but rather to uphold the sanctity of marriage as an institution.

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Virginia Foxx: may i have 30 seconds? mr. gingrey: i yield the gentlewoman additional 30 seconds. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. ms. foxx: the marriage protection amendment removes the definition

0:39:59 to 0:40:13( Edit History Discussion )

Virginia Foxx: of marriage from the hands of the courts and returns this decision to the american people where it belongs. the massachusetts decision represents the beginning of what could be a dangerous erosion