[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 76 (Wednesday, May 9, 2007)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D646-D649]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                        House of Representatives


Chamber Action
Public Bills and Resolutions Introduced: 32 public bills, H.R. 2228-
2259; and 6 resolutions, H. Con. Res. 146; and H. Res. 385-386, 389-391 
were introduced.                                         
  Pages H4751-53
Additional Cosponsors:                                   
  Pages H4753-54
Reports Filed: Reports were filed today as follows:
  H.R. 1469, to establish the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad 
Foundation under the authorities of the Mutual Educational and Cultural 
Exchange Act of 1961 (H. Rept. 110-138);
  H.R. 692, to amend title 4, United States Code, to authorize the 
Governor of a State, territory, or possession of the United States to 
order that the National flag be flown at half-staff in that State, 
territory, or possession in the event of the death of a member of the 
Armed Forces from that State, territory, or possession who dies while 
serving on active duty, with an amendment (H. Rept. 110-139);
  H.R. 1593, to reauthorize the grant program for reentry of offenders 
into the community in the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 
1968, to improve reentry planning and implementation (H. Rept. 110-
140);
  H.R. 401, to amend the National Capital Transportation Act of 1969 to 
authorize additional Federal contributions for maintaining and 
improving the transit system of the Washington Metropolitan Area

[[Page D647]]

Transit Authority, with an amendment (H. Rept. 110-141);
  H.R. 1427, to reform the regulation of certain housing-related 
Government-sponsored enterprises, and for other purposes, with an 
amendment (H. Rept. 110-142);
  H. Res. 387, providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 2237) to 
provide for the redeployment of United States Armed Forces and defense 
contractors form Iraq, providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 
2206) making emergency supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year 
ending September 30, 2007, and for other purposes, and providing for 
consideration of the bill (H.R. 2207) making supplemental 
appropriations for agricultural and other emergency assistance for the 
fiscal year ending September 30, 2007, and for other purposes (H. Rept. 
110-143); and
  H. Res. 388, providing for the consideration of the bill (H.R. 2082) 
to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2008 for intelligence and 
intelligence-related activities of the United States Government, the 
Community Management Account and the Central Intelligence Agency 
Retirement and Disability System, and for other purposes (H. Rept. 110-
144).                                                        
Page H4751
Speaker: Read a letter from the Speaker wherein she appointed 
Representative McNulty to act as Speaker Pro Tempore for today. 
                                                             Page H4631
Suspension: The House agreed to suspend the rules and pass the 
following measure:
  Student Loan Sunshine Act: H.R. 890, amended, to establish 
requirements for lenders and institutions of higher education in order 
to protect students and other borrowers receiving educational loans, by 
a \2/3\ yea-and-nay vote of 414 yeas to 3 nays, Roll No. 313. 
                                               Pages H4634-42, H4655-56
Member Resignation: Read a letter from Representative Meehan, wherein 
he resigned as Representative of the 5th Congressional District of 
Massachusetts, effective close of business July 1, 2007.     
  Page H4656
Department of Homeland Security Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008: 
The House passed H.R. 1684, amended, to authorize appropriations for 
the Department of Homeland Security for fiscal year 2008, by a recorded 
vote of 296 ayes to 126 noes, Roll No. 318. 
                                            Pages H4646-55, H4656-H4718
  Agreed to the Dent motion to recommit the bill to the Committee on 
Homeland Security with instructions to report the same back to the 
House forthwith with an amendment, by a yea-and-nay vote of 264 yeas to 
160 nays, Roll No. 317. Subsequently, Representative Thompson (MS) 
reported the bill back to the House with the amendment and the 
amendment was agreed to.                                 
Pages H4714-16
  Pursuant to the rule, the amendment in the nature of a substitute 
recommended by the Committee on Homeland Security now printed in the 
bill shall be considered as the original bill for the purpose of 
amendment.                                                   
Page H4669
  On a demand for a separate vote on a certain amendment agreed to in 
the Committee of the Whole:
  By a yea-and-nay vote of 212 yeas to 209 nays, Roll No. 316, agreed 
to the Thompson (MS) manager's amendment (No. 1 printed in H. Rept. 
110-136) that adds reporting requirements, revises annuitant 
provisions, requires a GAO report on law enforcement retirement 
systems, adds a provision related to travel efficiency and strikes some 
provisions of the bill (agreed to in the Committee of the Whole by a 
recorded vote of 216 ayes to 209 noes, Roll No. 314).   
Pages H4687-91, H4704-05, H4710-14
  Earlier, agreed to amendments in the Committee of the Whole:
Agreed to:
  Langevin amendment (No. 3 printed in H. Rept. 110-136) that directs 
the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Disability Coordinator 
at the Department of Homeland Security to enter a cooperative agreement 
with the National Organization on Disability (NOD) to carry out NOD's 
Emergency Preparedness Initiative;                       
Pages H4692-93
  Andrews amendment (No. 4 printed in H. Rept. 110-136) that provides 
up to 14 days per calendar year of job protection for volunteer 
emergency service personnel who respond to a Presidentially-declared 
disaster in an official capacity and allows any individual 
discriminated against in violation of the provision to seek redress in 
court;                                                   
Pages H4693-95
  Corrine Brown (FL) amendment (No. 5 printed in H. Rept. 110-136) that 
directs the Secretary of Homeland Security, in awarding grants under 
the Urban Area Security Initiative, to consider the number of tourists 
that have visited an urban area in the two years preceding the year the 
Secretary awards the grant;                              
Pages H4695-96
  Castle amendment (No. 6 printed in H. Rept. 110-136) that requires 
the Secretary of Homeland Security to study foreign rail security 
practices that are not currently used in the U.S. and submit a report 
on recommendations for implementing such practices within one year of 
enactment;                                               
Pages H4696-97
  Hastings (FL) amendment (No. 7 printed in H. Rept. 110-136) that 
establishes a FEMA long-term recovery office in Florida; 
                                                         Pages H4697-98
  Stupak amendment (No. 9 printed in H. Rept. 110-136) that requires 
the Secretary of Homeland

[[Page D648]]

Security to issue a report to Congress outlining the resources 
currently devoted to Integrated Border Enforcement Teams (IBETs) and 
making recommendations on how to improve the effectiveness of the IBET 
program;                                                 
Pages H4698-99
  Hastings (WA) amendment (No. 10 printed in H. Rept. 110-136) that 
requires the Department of Homeland Security's strategic plan to 
include a plan for fulfilling existing National Laboratory 
infrastructure commitments to maintain current capabilities and mission 
needs;                                                
Pages H4699-H4700
  Terry amendment (No. 15 printed in H. Rept. 110-136) that requires 
the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to consult with states prior 
to sharing information on forthcoming grant awards, including when 
sharing information with the U.S. Congress;                  
Page H4700
  Cardoza amendment (No. 17 printed in H. Rept. 110-136) that expresses 
the Sense of the Congress that efforts to achieve local, regional and 
national interoperable emergency communications in the near term should 
be supported and are critical in assisting communities with their local 
and regional efforts to properly coordinate and execute their 
interoperability plans;                                  
Pages H4701-04
  Van Hollen amendment (No. 18 printed in H. Rept. 110-136) that 
requires DHS to use such funds necessary to take all necessary actions 
to protect the security of personal information submitted 
electronically to the DHS website for the Travelers Redress Inquiry 
Program and other websites for the Department related to the program; 
                                                         Pages H4705-06
  Castor amendment (No. 19 printed in H. Rept. 110-136) that directs 
the Secretary of Homeland Security to work with the State of Florida 
and other States, as appropriate, to resolve the differences between 
the Transportation Worker Identification Credential and existing access 
control credentials;                                     
Pages H4707-08
  Lampson amendment (No. 20 printed in H. Rept. 110-136) that allows an 
Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security to authorize 
his or her staff to provide assistance on and conduct reviews of the 
inactive case files, or ``cold cases'' involving children or offenders 
outside the US, stored at the National Center for Missing & Exploited 
Children (NCMEC) and to develop recommendations for further 
investigations; and                                      
Pages H4708-09
  Royce amendment (No. 21 printed in H. Rept. 110-136) that requires 
the Secretary of Homeland Security to implement at primary inspection 
points at U.S. ports of entry the Stolen and Lost Travel Document 
database managed by Interpol.                            
Pages H4709-10
Rejected:
  Mica amendment (No. 16 printed in H. Rept. 110-136) that sought to 
amend section 1102(a) (critical infrastructure study) to require that 
the Secretary of Transportation, in addition to the Secretary of 
Homeland Security as is in the original bill, work with the Center for 
Risk and Economic Analysis of Terrorism Events to evaluate the 
feasibility and practicality of creating further incentives for private 
sector stakeholders to share protected critical information with the 
Department of Transportation in addition to the Department of Homeland 
Security, as is in the original bill and                 
Pages H4700-01
  Tom Davis (VA) amendment (No. 2 printed in H. Rept. 110-136) that 
sought to remove section 407 of the bill, which requires that 
identification cards, uniforms, protective gear, and badges of Homeland 
Security personnel be manufactured in the United States (by a recorded 
vote of 36 ayes to 390 noes, Roll No. 315).       
Pages H4691-92, H4705
  Agreed that the Clerk be authorized to make technical and conforming 
changes to reflect the actions of the House.                 
Page H4735
  H. Res. 382, the rule providing for consideration of the bill, was 
agreed to by a yea-and-nay vote of 222 yeas to 197 nays, Roll No. 311, 
after agreeing to order the previous question by a yea-and-nay vote of 
217 yeas to 199 nays, Roll No. 310.                      
Pages H4646-55
Small Business Fairness in Contracting Act: The House began debate on 
H.R. 1873, to reauthorize the programs and activities of the Small 
Business Administration relating to procurement. Further consideration 
is expected to resume Thursday, May 10th.     
  Pages H4643-46, H4655-56, H4720-35
  Pursuant to the rule, the amendment in the nature of a substitute 
recommended by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform now 
printed in the bill shall be considered as the original bill for the 
purpose of amendment.                                        
Page H4723
Agreed to:
  Reyes amendment (No. 1 printed in H. Rept. 110-137) that aids small 
businesses that have been included in the Small Business Subcontracting 
Plans of prime contractors that obtain federal contracts; 
                                                         Pages H4729-30
  Welch amendment (No. 5 printed in H. Rept. 110-137) that sets a 5 
percent procurement goal for the Federal government to contract with 
``green'' small businesses;                              
Pages H4731-32
  Wynn amendment (No. 6 printed in H. Rept. 110-137) that commissions 
the Small Business Administration to complete a study on the 
feasibility and desirability of providing financial incentives to 
federal prime contractors who meet the goals set forth in their 
subcontracting plan of utilizing small

[[Page D649]]

business concerns owned by economically or socially disadvantaged 
individuals;                                             
Pages H4732-33
  Jackson-Lee amendment (No. 7 printed in H. Rept. 110-137) that 
provides that, whenever the SBA and the contracting procurement agency 
fail to agree and the Administrator decides to take action to further 
the interests of a small business concern, the SBA is required to make 
available on their website any action taken and result achieved by the 
Administrator; and                                       
Pages H4733-34
  Jackson-Lee amendment (No. 8 printed in H. Rept. 110-137) that 
requires that, when the SBA and the contracting procurement agency fail 
to agree and the Administrator submits the matter to the head of the 
agency for a determination, a copy of the written response to the 
Administrator be sent to the Committee of the House and Senate that has 
jurisdiction over the agency concerned, in addition to the Committees 
on Small Business and Oversight and Government Reform.       
Page H4734
  Agreed that the Clerk be authorized to make technical and conforming 
changes to reflect the actions of the House.                 
Page H4734
  H. Res. 383, the rule providing for consideration of the bill, was 
agreed to by a yea-and-nay vote of 223 yeas to 197 nays, Roll No. 312, 
after agreeing to order the previous question.               
Page H4655
Presidential Message: Read a message from the President wherein he 
notified Congress of the continuation of the national emergency 
authorizing the blocking of property of certain persons and prohibiting 
the exportation and reexportation of certain goods to Syria--referred 
to the Committee on Foreign Affairs and ordered printed (H. Doc. 110-
33).                                                     
  Pages H4734-35
Senate Message: Message received from the Senate today appears on page 
H4631.
Recess: The House recessed at 10:24 p.m. and reconvened at 11:08 p.m. 
                                                             Page H4749
Quorum Calls--Votes: Six yea-and-nay votes and three recorded votes 
developed during the proceedings of today and appear on pages H4654, 
H4654-55, H4655-56, H4656, H4704, H4705, H4713-14, H4715-16 and H4718. 
There were no quorum calls.
Adjournment: The House met at 10:00 a.m. and adjourned at 11:11 p.m.