[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 44 (Wednesday, March 14, 2007)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D330-D331]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




[[Page D330]]




                        House of Representatives


Chamber Action
Public Bills and Resolutions Introduced: 16 public bills, H.R. 1513-
1528; 1 private bill, H.R. 1529; and 4 resolutions, H. Res. 243-246 
were introduced.
  Pages H2570-71
Additional Cosponsors:
  Page H2571
Reports Filed: Reports were filed today as follows:
  H.R. 1362, to reform acquisition practices of the Federal Government, 
with an amendment (H. Rept. 110-47, Pt. 2) and H. Res. 242, providing 
for consideration of H.R. 1362, to reform acquisition practices of the 
Federal Government (H. Rept. 110-49).
Page H2570
Chaplain: The prayer was offered by the guest Chaplain, Rev. Johann 
Arnold, Church Communities International, Rifton, New York. 
                                                             Page H2489
Journal: The House agreed to the Speaker's approval of the Journal by a 
yea-and-nay vote of 265 yeas to 157 nays with 1 voting ``present'', 
Roll No. 147.
  Page H2515
House Democracy Assistance Commission--Appointment: The Chair announced 
the Speaker's appointment of the following Members of the House of 
Representatives to the House Democracy Assistance Commission: 
Representative Price (NC), Chairman; Representatives Capps, Holt, 
Schiff, Schwartz, Payne, Pomeroy, Farr, Salazar, Ellison, and Hirono. 
                                                             Page H2493
House Democracy Assistance Commission--Appointment: Read a letter from 
the Minority Leader wherein he appointed the following Members of the 
House of Representative to the House Democracy Assistance Commission: 
Representatives Dreier, Boozman, Fortenberry, Wilson (SC), Biggert, 
Gilchrest, Weller, Miller (FL), and Shuster.
  Page H2493
United States Capitol Preservation Commission--Appointment: The Chair 
announced the Speaker's appointment of the following Members of the 
House of Representatives to the United States Capitol Preservation 
Commission: Representatives Obey and Kaptur.
  Page H2493
United States Capitol Preservation Commission--Appointment: Read a 
letter from the Minority Leader wherein he appointed Representative 
Wamp to the United States Capitol Preservation Commission.
  Page H2493
Suspensions: The House agreed to suspend the rules and pass the 
following measures:
  Presidential Library Donation Reform Act of 2007: H.R. 1254, to amend 
title 44, United States Code, to require information on contributors to 
Presidential library fundraising organizations, by a 2/3 yea-and-nay 
vote of 390 yeas to 34 nays, Roll No. 142;
  Pages H2493-96, H2507-08
  Presidential Records Act Amendments of 2007: H.R. 1255, amended, to 
amend chapter 22 of title 44, United States Code, popularly known as 
the Presidential Records Act, to establish procedures for the 
consideration of claims of constitutionally based privilege against 
disclosure of Presidential records, by a 2/3 yea-and-nay vote of 333 
yeas to 93 nays, Roll No. 143; and
  Pages H2496-H2500, H2508-09
  Freedom of Information Act Amendments of 2007: H.R. 1309, amended, to 
promote openness in Government by strengthening section 552 of title 5, 
United States Code (commonly referred to as the Freedom of Information 
Act), by a 2/3 yea-and-nay vote of 308 yeas to 117 nays, Roll No. 144. 
                                                  Pages H2500-07, H2509
Motion to Adjourn: Rejected the Westmoreland motion to adjourn by a 
recorded vote of 142 ayes to 258 noes, Roll No. 148.
  Pages H2516-17
Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2007: The House passed H.R. 
985, to amend title 5, United States Code, to clarify which disclosures 
of information are protected from prohibited personnel practices; to 
require a statement in nondisclosure policies, forms, and agreements to 
the effect that such policies, forms, and agreements are consistent 
with certain disclosure protections, by a yea-and-nay vote of 331 yeas 
to 94 nays, Roll No. 153.
  Pages H2510-15, H2517-43
  Agreed to the Westmoreland motion to recommit the bill to the 
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform with instructions to 
report the same back to the House forthwith with amendments, by a 
recorded vote of 426 ayes with none voting ``no'', Roll No. 152. 
Subsequently, Representative Braley reported the bill back to the House 
with amendments and the amendments were agreed to.
Pages H2540-42
  Pursuant to the rule, the amendment in the nature of a substitute 
consisting of the text of the bill, modified by the amendments 
recommended by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform now 
printed in the bill, shall be considered as adopted and shall be 
considered as the original bill for the purpose of further amendment. 
                                                             Page H2510
  Agreed by unanimous consent that the House vacate the ordering of the 
recorded vote on the Platts

[[Page D331]]

amendment (No. 2 printed in H. Rept. 110-48) and the previous vote by 
voice on that amendment to the end that the Chair may put the question 
on adopting the amendment de novo.
On a demand for a separate vote on an amendment agreed to in the 
    Committee of the Whole:
  By a yea-and-nay vote of 252 yeas to 173 nays, Roll No. 151, agreed 
to the Stupak amendment (No. 1 printed in H. Rept. 110-48) that 
clarifies that instances of political interference with science are to 
be considered ``abuses of authority'' and their disclosure therefore 
protected (agreed to in the Committee of the Whole by a recorded vote 
of 250 ayes to 178 noes, Roll No. 149) 
                                     Pages H2530-32, H2537-38, H2539-40
Earlier, agreed to amendments in the Committee of the Whole:
Agreed to:
  Platts amendment (No. 2 printed in H. Rept. 110-48) that requires 
that the Merit Systems Protection Board rely on a consistent standard 
for ``clear and convincing evidence''as the burden of proof that must 
be met to sustain an agency's affirmative defense (that it would have 
taken the same personnel action independent of an employee's protected 
conduct);
Pages H2532-33
  Platts amendment (No. 3 printed in H. Rept. 110-48) that clarifies 
that an otherwise-protected disclosure cannot be disqualified because 
of the forum in which it is communicated; and
Pages H2533-34
  Tierney amendment (No. 5 printed in H. Rept. 110-48) that changes the 
section on national security whistleblowers to limit which members of 
Congress can receive information about especially sensitive subjects. 
                                                         Pages H2536-37
Rejected:
  Sali amendment (No. 4 printed in H. Rept. 110-48) that sought to 
remove the provision that would make influencing federally funded 
scientific research a prohibited personnel practice (by a recorded vote 
of 159 ayes to 271 noes, Roll No. 150).
Pages H2534-36, H2538-39
  H. Res. 239, the rule providing for consideration of the bill, was 
agreed to by a yea-and-nay vote of 223 yeas to 193 nays, Roll No. 146, 
after agreeing to order the previous question by a yea-and-nay vote of 
224 yeas to 197 nays, Roll No. 145.
Pages H2510-15
Committee Elections: The House agreed to H. Res. 244, electing the 
following Members to serve on certain joint committees: Joint Committee 
on Printing: Representatives Brady (PA), Capuano, Ehlers, and McCarthy 
(CA), to serve with the Chair of the Committee on House Administration; 
Joint Committee of Congress on the Library: Representatives Zoe 
Lofgren, Ehlers, and Daniel E. Lungren, to serve with the chair of the 
Committee on House Administration.
  Page H2543
Senate Message: Message received from the Senate today appear on page 
H2489.
  Quorum Calls--Votes: Eight yea-and-nay votes and four recorded votes 
developed during the proceedings of today and appear on pages H2507-08, 
H2508-09, H2509, H2513-14, H2514-15, H2515, H2516-17, H2538, H2538-39, 
H2539-40, H2541, H2542-43. There were no quorum calls.
Adjournment: The House met at 10 a.m. and adjourned at 7:14 p.m.