[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 63 (Wednesday, May 8, 1996)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D440-D442]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                        House of Representatives


Chamber Action
Bills Introduced: 11 public bills, H.R. 3411-3421, were introduced. 
                                                             Page H4646
Reports Filed: Reports were filed as follows:
  H.R. 1129, to amend the National Trails Systems Act to designate the 
route from Selma to Montgomery as a National Historic Trail, amended 
(H. Rept. 104-567); and
  H.R. 2982, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey the 
Carbon Hill National Fish Hatchery to the State of Alabama (H. Rept. 
104-568).
Page H4646
Speaker Pro Tempore: Read a letter from the Speaker wherein he 
designates Representative Hansen to act as Speaker pro tempore for 
today.
  Page H4533
Permission to Sit: The following committees and their subcommittees 
received permission to sit today during proceedings of the House under 
the 5-minute rule: Committees on Agriculture, Commerce, Economic and 
Educational Opportunities, Government Reform and Oversight, 
International Relations, Resources, Science, Small Business, and 
Veterans' Affairs.
  Page H4536
Iranian Arms Transfers: By a recorded vote of 224 ayes to 187 noes, 
Roll No. 151, the House agreed to H. Res. 416, establishing a select 
subcommittee of the Committee on International Relations to investigate 
the United States Role in Iranian Arms Transfers to Croatia and Bosnia. 
Agreed to order the previous question on the resolution by a yea-and-
nay vote of 227 yeas to 187 nays, Roll No. 150.
  Pages H4536-50
Expenses of Select Subcommittee: By a yea-and-nay vote of 225 yeas to 
203 nays, Roll No. 152, the House agreed to H. Res. 417, providing 
amounts for the expenses of the Select Subcommittee on the United 
States Role in Iranian Arms Transfers to Croatia and Bosnia of the 
Committee on International Relations in the Second Session of the One 
Hundred Fourth Congress.
  Pages H4550-59
  Agreed to the Dreier amendment in the nature of a substitute.
Housing Act: The House completed all general debate and began 
consideration of amendments on H.R. 2406, to repeal the United States 
Housing Act of 1937, deregulate the public housing program and the 
program for rental housing assistance for low-income families, and 
increase community control over such programs. Consideration of 
amendments will resume on Thursday, May 9.
  Pages H4569-H4643
  H. Res. 426, the rule under which the bill is being considered, was 
agreed to earlier by a voice vote. Earlier, agreed to order the 
previous question on the rule by a yea-and-nay vote of 218 yeas to 208 
nays, Roll No. 153.
Pages H4559-69
Agreed To:
  The Lazio amendment that includes technical and clarifying changes; 
replaces the single block grant for

[[Page D441]]

federally assisted housing with two block grants, one for capital needs 
and the other for operating expenses; increases to 30 percent the 
portion of public housing units reserved for families with incomes at 
or below 30 percent of the area median income; requires that 50 percent 
of assistance provided under the new tenant-based rental assistance 
voucher program be received for families making 60 percent or less of 
area median income; caps at 30 percent of income the maximum rent that 
may be charged to current residents earning 30 percent or less of area 
median income; establishes a 30 percent rent cap for all current 
elderly and disabled tenants; provides for the deregulation of 300 
housing authorities; allows public housing authorities to convert their 
housing assistance to tenant-based vouchers under certain 
circumstances; establishes a commission to analyze the costs of public 
housing to facilitate cost comparisons; requires housing authority 
board members who are residents of public housing to be elected by 
their neighbors; allows a housing authority to enter into contracts 
with tenants to facilitate a movement from housing assistance into 
self-sufficiency; and establishes a demonstration program to allow 100 
housing authorities to design programs that move tenants from public 
housing into the private home ownership markets;
Pages H4592-94
  The Watt amendment that includes the statement that it is the goal of 
the nation that all citizens have decent and affordable housing; 
                                                             Page H4607
  The Watt amendment that provides a provision that housing management 
plans comply with Federal law;
Page H4617
  The Gilchrest amendment that stipulates the use of trespass laws by 
housing authorities to keep evicted tenants or criminals out of public 
housing;
Pages H4617-18
  The Maloney amendment that allows elderly and disabled residents 
living in federally-assisted housing be allowed to keep a common 
household pet;
Pages H4618-27
  The Solomon amendment that prohibits admission and occupancy to 
public housing units by any person who has been convicted of illegal 
possession with intent to sell any controlled substance; and 
                                                             Page H4628
  The Fields amendment that strikes reference to eligibility of 
residents to public housing boards who have been convicted of a 
misdemeanor.
Pages H4628-29
Rejected:
  The Fields amendment that sought to require housing authorities to 
include at least 25 percent of residents as members of the Board of 
Directors (rejected by a recorded vote of 158 ayes to 254 noes, Roll 
No. 154);
Pages H4613-17, H4627-28
  The Fields amendment that sought to establish housing advisory boards 
to include at least 60 percent of tenants as members; and 
                                                         Pages H4629-30
  The Jackson-Lee amendment that sought to establish a regional appeals 
board that includes tenant representation.
Pages H4630-32
  Withdrawn: The following amendments were offered, but subsequently 
withdrawn:
  The Watt amendment that sought to modify the declaration of policy by 
eliminating the section stating that the Federal government cannot 
provide for the housing of every American;
Pages H4595-H4607
  The Vento amendment that sought to replace the authority's finding 
with the Secretary's finding;
Pages H4611-12
  The Fields amendment that sought to require that board membership of 
housing authorities include at least 25 percent of residents as 
members; and
Pages H4612-13
  The Ehrlich amendment that sought to prohibit the relocation of 
public housing from Baltimore, Maryland to other jurisdictions in the 
state of Maryland, if the relocation is connected to a legal action 
brought by the residents of Baltimore housing units.
Pages H4632-33
Canada-United States Interparliamentary Group: The Chair announced the 
Speaker's appointment of the following Members on the part of the House 
as delegates to the Canada-United States Interparliamentary Group: 
Representatives Dreier, Upton, Gibbons, de la Garza, Oberstar, Johnston 
of Florida, Peterson of Minnesota, Danner, Underwood, and Frazer. 
                                                             Page H4643
Referral: One Senate-passed measure was referred to the appropriate 
House committee.
  Page H4644
Amendments Ordered Printed: Amendments ordered printed pursuant to the 
rule appear on pages H4647-54.
Senate Messages: Message received from the Senate today appears on page 
H4533.
Quorum Calls--Votes: Three yea-and-nay votes and two recorded votes 
developed during the proceedings of the House today and appear on pages 
H4549, H4549-50, H4559, H4569, and H4627-28. There were no quorum 
calls.
Adjournment: Met at 11 a.m. and adjourned at 11:01 p.m.

[[Page D442]]