[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 94 (Tuesday, June 24, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H5720-H5724]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SMALL BUSINESS ADVOCACY IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2003
Mr. MANZULLO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 1772) to improve small business advocacy, and for other
purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H. R. 1772
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Small Business Advocacy
Improvement Act of 2003''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) Excessive regulations continue to burden the Nation's
small businesses.
(2) Federal agencies continue to propose regulations that
impose disproportionate burdens on small businesses.
(3) An independent office of small business advocacy will
help to ensure that Federal agencies are responsive to small
businesses and that those agencies comply with their
statutory obligations with respect to small businesses.
(4) The independence of an office that acts as an advocate
for small businesses is essential to ensure that it can serve
as an effective advocate without being restricted by the
views or policies of the Small Business Administration or any
other Federal executive branch agency.
(5) To be effective an office that acts as an advocate for
small businesses needs sufficient resources to conduct
creditable economic studies and research which are necessary
for the maintenance of small business databases and for the
accurate assessment of the impact of regulations on small
businesses, the role of small business in the Nation's
economy, and the barriers to the growth of small businesses.
(6) The research, information, and expertise provided by an
independent office of small business advocacy will be a
valuable source of information and advice for Congress and
Federal agencies with which the office will work on behalf of
small businesses.
(b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are--
(1) to ensure that there exists an entity that has the
statutory independence and adequate financial resources to
effectively advocate for and on behalf of small business;
(2) to require that such an entity report to the Chairmen
and Ranking Members of the Committee on Small Business of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on Small Business
and Entrepreneurship of the Senate, and to the Administrator
of the Small Business Administration in order to keep them
fully and currently informed about issues and regulations
affecting small business concerns and the necessity for
corrective action by the regulatory agency or Congress;
(3) to provide a separate authorization for appropriations
for such an entity; and
(4) to strengthen the role of the Small Business and
Agriculture Regulatory Enforcement Ombudsman by ensuring
continued cooperation between the Ombudsman and the Office of
Advocacy of the Small Business Administration.
SEC. 3. APPOINTMENT OF CHIEF COUNSEL OF ADVOCACY.
(a) In General.--Section 201 of Public Law 94-305 (15
U.S.C. 634a) is amended--
(1) by inserting ``(a)'' before ``There is established'';
(2) by striking the second sentence; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(b) The management of the Office shall be vested in a
Chief Counsel for Advocacy who shall be appointed from
civilian life by the President, by and with the advice and
consent of the Senate, and who should be appointed without
regard to political affiliation and on the basis of fitness
to perform the duties of the office.
``(c) No individual may be appointed under subsection (b)
if such individual has served as an officer or employee of
the Small Business Administration during the 5-year period
[[Page H5721]]
preceding the date of such individual's appointment.
``(d) An individual serving as Chief Counsel on the date of
the expiration of any term of the President may not continue
to serve as Chief Counsel for more than 1 year after such
date unless such individual is reappointed after such date by
the President, by and with the advice and consent of the
Senate. The preceding sentence shall not apply in the case
of the expiration of a term of an individual holding the
office of President if such individual is elected to the
office of President for a term successive to such term.''.
(b) Incumbent Chief Counsel for Advocacy.--The individual
serving as the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small
Business Administration on the date of the enactment of this
Act shall continue to serve in that position after such date
in accordance with section 201 of Public Law 94-305 (15
U.S.C. 634a), as amended by this section.
SEC. 4. PRIMARY FUNCTIONS OF OFFICE OF ADVOCACY.
Section 202 of Public Law 94-305 (15 U.S.C. 634b) is
amended--
(1) in paragraph (6) by striking ``to minority
enterprises'' and inserting ``to small business concerns
owned and controlled by socially and economically
disadvantaged individuals, to small business concerns owned
and controlled by women, and to small business concerns owned
and controlled by veterans'';
(2) in paragraph (7) by striking ``minority enterprises''
and inserting ``small business concerns owned and controlled
by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals, small
business concerns owned and controlled by women, and small
business concerns owned and controlled by veterans'';
(3) in paragraph (8) by striking ``minority and other small
business enterprises'' and inserting ``small business
concerns owned and controlled by socially and economically
disadvantaged individuals, small business concerns owned and
controlled by women, small business concerns owned and
controlled by veterans, and other small businesses'';
(4) in paragraph (9) by striking ``complete'' and inserting
``compete'';
(5) by striking paragraph (11);
(6) by redesignating paragraph (12) as paragraph (11);
(7) in paragraph (11) (as so redesignated)--
(A) by striking ``serviced-disabled'' and inserting
``service-disabled''; and
(B) by striking the period at the end and inserting ``;
and''; and
(8) by adding at the end the following:
``(12) make such recommendations and submit such reports as
the Chief Counsel determines appropriate to the President, to
the Chairmen and Ranking Members of the Committee on Small
Business of the House of Representatives and the Committee on
Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate, and to the
Administrator of the Small Business Administration, with
respect to issues and regulations affecting small businesses
and the necessity for corrective action by any Federal agency
or by Congress.''.
SEC. 5. ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONS.
(a) In General.--Section 203 of Public Law 94-305 (15
U.S.C. 634c) is amended--
(1) by inserting ``(a)'' before ``The Office of Advocacy
shall also perform''; and
(2) in subsection (a) (as so designated)--
(A) in paragraph (4) by striking ``and'' at the end;
(B) in paragraph (5) by striking the period at the end and
inserting a semicolon; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(6) maintain economic databases and make the information
contained therein available to the Administrator of the Small
Business Administration and to Congress;
``(7) carry out the responsibilities of the Chief Counsel
under chapter 6 of title 5, United States Code; and
``(8) maintain a memorandum of understanding with the Small
Business and Agriculture Regulatory Enforcement Ombudsman
regarding methods and procedures for cooperation between the
Ombudsman and the Office of Advocacy and transmit a copy of
such memorandum to the Committee on Small Business of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on Small Business
and Entrepreneurship of the Senate.''.
(b) Appropriation Request.--Section 203 of Public Law 94-
305 (15 U.S.C. 634c) is further amended by adding at the end
the following:
``(b)(1) For each fiscal year, the Chief Counsel shall
transmit the Office of Advocacy's appropriation estimate and
request to the Office of Management and Budget, the Committee
on Small Business of the House of Representatives, the
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the
Senate, and the Committees on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives and the Senate.
``(2) Each budget of the United States Government submitted
by the President shall include a separate statement of the
amount of appropriations requested for the Office of
Advocacy.
``(3) Each such budget shall also include a statement
indicating whether the proportion of the funds requested for
the Office of Advocacy when compared to the funds requested
for the Small Business Administration has increased,
decreased, or stayed the same relative to the proportion of
the amount appropriated for the Office of Advocacy for the
previous fiscal year when compared to the amount appropriated
for the Small Business Administration for the previous fiscal
year.''.
SEC. 6. PRINCIPAL DEPUTY CHIEF COUNSEL AND REGIONAL
ADVOCATES.
Section 204 of Public Law 94-305 (15 U.S.C. 634d) is
amended--
(1) by inserting ``(a)'' before ``In carrying out''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(b)(1) The Chief Counsel may appoint 1 individual to
serve as Principal Deputy Chief Counsel.
``(2) The Principal Deputy Chief Counsel shall be paid at
an annual rate not less than the minimum rate, nor more than
the maximum rate, for the Senior Executive Service under
chapter 53 of title 5, United States Code.
``(3) An individual appointed to a position under this
subsection shall not be counted toward the limitation
contained in subsection (a)(1) regarding the number of
individuals who may be compensated at a rate in excess of the
lowest rate for GS-15 of the General Schedule.
``(c) The Chief Counsel may appoint regional advocates
within each Standard Federal Region as appropriate. Such
regional advocates shall--
``(1) assist in examining the role of small business in the
economy of the United States by identifying academic and
other research institutions that focus on small business
concerns and linking these research resources to research
activities conducted by the Office of Advocacy;
``(2) assist in representing the views and interests of
small business concerns before Federal agencies whose
policies and activities may affect small business;
``(3) assist the functioning of regional small business
fairness boards in coordination with the Small Business and
Agriculture Regulatory Enforcement Ombudsman;
``(4) assist in enlisting the cooperation and assistance of
public and private agencies, businesses, and other
organizations in disseminating information about the programs
and services provided by the Federal Government that are of
benefit to small business concerns and the means by which
small business concerns can participate in or make use of
such programs and services; and
``(5) carry out such duties pursuant to the mission of the
Office of Advocacy as the Chief Counsel may assign.''.
SEC. 7. OVERHEAD AND ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT.
Section 205 of Public Law 94-305 (15 U.S.C. 634e) is
amended by inserting before ``Each department'' the
following:
``(a) The Administrator of the Small Business
Administration shall provide the Office of Advocacy with
appropriate and adequate office space at central and field
office locations of the Administration, together with such
equipment, office supplies, communications facilities, and
personnel and maintenance services as may be necessary for
the operation of such offices.
``(b)''.
SEC. 8. REPORTS.
Section 206 of Public Law 94-305 (15 U.S.C. 634f) is
amended by striking ``The Chief Counsel may'' and all that
follows through ``on his activities.'' and inserting the
following:
``(a) Not less than annually, the Chief Counsel shall
submit to the President, the Committee on Small Business of
the House of Representatives, the Committee on Small Business
and Entrepreneurship of the Senate, the Committee on
Government Affairs of the Senate, the Committee on Government
Reform of the House of Representatives, and the Committees on
the Judiciary of the Senate and the House of Representatives,
and the Administrator of the Small Business Administration a
report on agency compliance with chapter 6 of title 5, United
States Code.
``(b) In addition to the reports required by this title,
the Chief Counsel may prepare and publish such other reports
as the Chief Counsel determines appropriate.
``(c)''.
SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
Section 207 of Public Law 94-305 (15 U.S.C. 634g) is
amended by striking ``not to exceed $1,000,000'' and
inserting ``$10,000,000 for fiscal years 2003 and 2004,
$12,000,000 for fiscal year 2005, and $14,000,000 for fiscal
year 2006''.
SEC. 10. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.
(a) Rural Tourism Training Program.--Section 311 of the
Small Business Administration Reauthorization and Amendments
Act of 1990 (15 U.S.C. 653 note; 104 Stat. 2832) is amended
by striking ``Chief Counsel for Advocacy'' and inserting
``Administrator''.
(b) Small Business and Agriculture Regulatory Enforcement
Ombudsman.--Section 30(b)(2) of the Small Business Act (15
U.S.C. 657(b)(2)) is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (D), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(2) in subparagraph (E), by striking the period and
inserting ``; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(F) maintain a memorandum of understanding with the
Office of Advocacy regarding methods and procedures for
cooperation between the Ombudsman and the Office of
Advocacy.''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Illinois (Mr. Manzullo) and the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands
(Mrs. Christensen) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Manzullo).
[[Page H5722]]
General Leave
Mr. MANZULLO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their
remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 1772.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Illinois?
There was no objection.
Mr. MANZULLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, the Office of Advocacy of the Small Business
Administration is unique within the executive branch. The main role of
the Chief Counsel for Advocacy is to ensure that proposed regulations
and policies do not unduly burden small businesses even if it means
opposing part of the President's agenda. In the past, this independence
has been put to the test.
The purpose of this legislation is to protect the Office of Advocacy
from threats of funding cuts in order to enhance its independence. H.R.
1772 is nearly identical to legislation this House passed unanimously
on May 21, 2002. In fact, H.R. 1772 is essentially a conference report
agreed to with the other body last year, but unfortunately there was
not enough time on the Senate floor to get this passed. The only
differences between H.R. 1772 and the advocacy bill from last year is
that there would be only one instead of two principal deputies at the
Office of Advocacy and the rank of Chief Counsel is not elevated one
level. However, the heart of this bill creating a separate budgetary
line item for the Office of Advocacy is the same as last year.
To ensure that there are no games played with the Chief Counsel's
budget, Congress will also get a sneak peek at the initial budget
request he submits to the Office of Management and Budget before it
becomes part of the President's official budget request. A separate
budgetary line item is the top legislative priority for Tom Sullivan,
the current Chief Counsel for the Office of Advocacy, and I am pleased
to assist him in strengthening this office in moving this legislation.
I want to commend two of our subcommittee chairmen, the gentleman
from Missouri (Mr. Akin) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Schrock)
for championing this legislation on focus and other important
priorities.
H.R. 1772 is one part of the overall solution to help reinvigorate
our struggling small manufacturers battle unsound government
regulations.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, the Office of Advocacy serves a critical role to our
Nation's entrepreneurs. It is a lone voice in the executive branch
making sure that our Federal agencies take a step back and consider the
needs of small businesses.
By raising awareness, Advocacy ensures that our Federal government
accomplishes its intended goals without unfairly burdening small
businesses. Too often the needs of small businesses are forgotten in
Washington and the demands of corporate America come first.
Small businesses simply do not have the resources to keep up with the
complex and burdensome Federal policies that take a one-size-fits-all
approach. The need for a voice for small businesses in the Federal
Government is why Congress created the Office of Advocacy. Congress
made sure that Advocacy could produce reports and submit views without
review by OMB, the only entity within the administration that can do
this.
This allows the Chief Counsel to review legislation and regulations
and truly call them as he sees them. However, too often the important
work of Advocacy is compromised. The unique role of Advocacy has made
it a target of entities such as the Small Business Administration and
the Office of Management and Budget. Over the years the Chief Counsel
has had to weather the stormy relationship with these two entities as
they have attempted to limit the voice of Advocacy through budget
shortfalls and other measures.
Mr. Speaker, for Advocacy to be effective, it must be truly
independent to carry out its duties. The Chief Counsel must be able to
critique an administration's agencies without concerns that the one
holding the purse can silence them.
I wish to commend the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Akin) and the
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Schrock) for their efforts in taking this
difficult issue on. It is an arduous task to balance the right
combination of fiscal autonomy and flexibility necessary for Advocacy
to do its job effectively.
H.R. 1774 gives Advocacy a separate line item so that it is no longer
subject to a SBA Administrator who designates the Chief Counsel's fund
as his personal slush fund. While this is a noble attempt to address
the challenges facing Advocacy, H.R. 1774 falls short. While creating a
line item may limit some of the Small Business Administrator's ability
to control funding, the bill creates new problems and might actually
increase the ways that SBA and OMB can influence the Office of
Advocacy. The proposal is going to increase the scrutiny and profile of
Advocacy but offers no protections from these problems.
Under H.R. 1774, an SBA Administrator will continue to have tools to
exert pressure on a Chief Counsel. Because Advocacy will remain housed
in the Small Business Administration and will rely on the resources of
the Administrator, SBA will have control over the operations of the
Chief Counsel. Nothing in this legislation prevents the SBA from
charging for such services or prevents it from offering subpar
services.
This legislation also exposes Advocacy to a greater threat from OMB.
In the budget process, there will be no barriers for OMB to cut funding
to a Chief Counsel that is viewed as being overly critical. Under H.R.
1772, Advocacy's budget will stand on its own, thus simplifying OMB's
ability to underfund its budget.
One cannot underestimate the incentives of the Office of Management
and Budget to limit the voice of Advocacy. I ask, how can Advocacy be
independent if one day the Chief Counsel is criticizing a President's
prescription drug plan, for example, and the next day he has to request
funding from the body charged with carrying out the President's agenda?
An unintended consequence of this legislation is also the negative
impact that Advocacy could have on other Small Business programs. If
Congress is looking to restore dollars to an underfunded Advocacy, its
first target for offsets could be critical SBA programs. We must make
sure that the Chief Counsel will have a fully staffed office and know
that such funding is not coming at the expense of other Small Business
Administration programs.
H.R. 1772 should be viewed as a starting point. As this proposal
works its way through the legislative process, proper safeguards must
be in place if we are to approve the final version. H.R. 1772 in its
current form does not address all of the issues surrounding the
independence problem. In some ways, it exposes the Chief Counsel to
even greater influence. However, because of the importance of an
independent Advocacy we must get this legislation moving.
I wish to thank the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Akin) for getting
this process going and look forward to working with him and our other
colleagues to make sure that we can create a more independent Office of
Advocacy. As an engine behind this Nation's economy, our small
businesses deserve it.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MANZULLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the distinguished
gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Akin), the chairman of the Subcommittee on
Workforce, Empowerment and Government Programs.
Mr. AKIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr.
Manzullo) for allowing me to take up the Advocacy improvement bill,
H.R. 1772. I would also like to thank my friend, the gentleman from
Virginia (Mr. Schrock), for working with me on this important piece of
legislation.
The Office of Advocacy is essential to the elimination of federally
imposed regulations that just do not make sense. It is a government
entity that exemplifies public service at its best and it is devoted to
ensuring that small businesses are not encumbered by regulatory burdens
that cost time and money and energy but achieve little, if anything.
[[Page H5723]]
The Office of Advocacy sometimes faces opposition from Federal
regulatory entities that dislike having their regulations modified or
questioned, and yet the office has been tireless and a key voice for
small businessmen and women confronting these large agencies to prevent
them from imposing unnecessary rules and regulations on small
businesses and family owned companies.
The legislation before us today will give more power to the SBA's
Office of Advocacy to do its vital work. H.R. 1772 will, among other
things, give the Office of Advocacy its own source of funding through a
line item in the Federal budget, thus giving the office a more
permanent and autonomous role that makes it less susceptible to
budgetary bullying from some of the folks in the executive branch that
might have been offended.
Many colleagues of mine from both sides of the aisle frequently hear
praises from constituents on the exemplary job of the Office of
Advocacy. H.R. 1772 will ensure that that office is empowered and
protected and given the tools that it needs to continue doing such a
commendable job. As we strengthen the Office of Advocacy, the small
business owners and entrepreneurs throughout the country will be better
served. The real concerns of small business owners will be heard more
clearly and addressed more readily as soon as this bill is signed into
law.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for his leadership on this
important issue.
Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I have no speaker at this time. I
reserve the balance of my time.
{time} 1030
Mr. MANZULLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the distinguished
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Schrock), the chairman of the Subcommittee
on Regulatory Reform and Oversight.
Mr. SCHROCK. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Illinois for
yielding me the time.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1772, the Small
Business Advisory Improvement Act.
The gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Akin) and I cosponsored this
legislation to strengthen an important office that supports our
Nation's small businesses.
I want to start by reading a few statistics: $843 billion, that is a
B, that is the annual cost of regulations to Americans; $6,975, that is
the average cost per employee of regulations to small businesses; 8.2
billion hours, billion with a B, this is the annual time taken away
from family and productive work to comply with Federal paperwork
requirements.
I hope that everyone recognizes what a great drain on the creative
resources of our entrepreneurs this burden has become. All that money
and all those hours are spent on doing things that have nothing to do
with creating jobs or making a better life for that citizen and his or
her family. What a great waste of our natural resources.
I want to share with my colleagues another statistic: $21 billion,
that is with a B, $21 billion, that is the amount of money the SBA's
Office of Advocacy helped save the small businesses of this Nation last
year. We should do all we can to support an office that acts as
independent advocate for small business within the Federal Government,
especially when this office also saves taxpayers time and money.
This savings is created by the good men and women of SBA's Office of
Advocacy who work tirelessly to monitor the regulators in the other
agencies of the Federal Government. They inject sensitivity to the
needs and concerns of small business in every rule-making that will
impact them, and they train their regulators in how to better comply
with laws that Congress has put on the books, like the Regulatory
Flexibility Act and the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness
Act.
I know that without the Office of Advocacy and their good work, small
businesses would be filling out more forms that have nothing to do with
their business, paying more to comply with Federal regulations and
requirements, and spending less times with their families.
I have only been the chairman of the Subcommittee on Regulatory
Reform and Oversight for a short time, but in that short time I have
heard from a great many small business industries. They all believe
that the Office of Advocacy is doing a tremendous job in helping to
save small businesses money and save them from unnecessary regulatory
burdens.
From the home builders to the florists, from microbusinesses to small
manufacturers, they all seem to agree that the Office of Advocacy is a
necessary safeguard for small businesses; and they strongly support
making the office more independent.
Unfortunately, there have been times in the Office of Advocacy's
history when its independence was threatened. Since its views are
completely independent of the administration which it serves, it is
often at odds with that administration. One example would be the
previous administration's ergonomic rules, rules that would have caused
small businesses endless amounts of money. That rule-making put the
Office of Advocacy squarely in opposition to a rule that was being
proposed by another agency and one that the residents of the last White
House supported.
It is for circumstances like that that the office must have some
degree of budgetary independence from the Small Business Administration
to be able to remain independent.
Additional concepts in the bill like continued cooperation with the
Office of National Ombudsman and greater oversight of agency compliance
with regulatory flexibility statutes are more reasons to support H.R.
1772.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to protect the private sector of
our economy from unnecessary governmental burdens by passing this bill.
Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
No one disputes the accomplishments and the importance of the Office
of Advocacy. Just as the role of small business is more critical during
an economic downturn, so is the need for an independent Office of
Advocacy. To achieve the goal of independence, it needs a delicate
balancing act.
As a voice of small business, the chief counsel is often in a
difficult situation because his office is a part of the same Federal
Government it has been charged with monitoring, and many of these
bodies within the Federal Government have incentives to limit the chief
counsel's effectiveness.
In our efforts to increase independence, we need to make sure that an
SBA administrator can no longer meddle in the affairs of the Office of
Advocacy. The chief counsel should be able to perform his or her role
without having to look over their shoulder.
Legislation must strengthen the ability of advocates to speak out
against all agencies, including the Office of Management and Budget.
OMB must not be able to hold funding over the head of the chief counsel
as a threat to fall in line with an administration.
Finally, in our efforts to solve this problem, we must not create new
ones. We do not want a situation where we are robbing Peter to pay
Paul. Advocacy funding must not come at the expense of Small Business
Administration programs designed to help our Nation's small businesses.
To do so would be a step backward for this Nation's small business.
I am confident that because of the bipartisan nature of this debate
it will allow us to fashion a solution that gives advocacy the
necessary freedom to operate. Today we have started that process, and I
look forward to working with our colleagues to increase the voice of
small business.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. MANZULLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
This is a good bill. It advances the cause of an independent Office
of Advocacy. It enhances the budget. It makes the administration,
whether Republican or Democratic, more responsive to the person who
occupies the Office of Advocacy; and I would urge my colleagues for a
``yes'' vote.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Petri). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Manzullo) that the House
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1772, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof)
[[Page H5724]]
the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________