[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 82 (Thursday, May 17, 2007)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D703-D706]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




[[Page D703]]




                        House of Representatives


Chamber Action
Public Bills and Resolutions Introduced: 40 public bills, H.R. 2338, 
2356-2394; and 7 resolutions, H.J. Res. 43; H. Con. Res. 150; and H. 
Res. 412-416 were introduced.                            
  Pages H5470-72
Additional Cosponsors:                                   
  Pages H5472-73
Report Filed: A report was filed today as follows:
  H.R. 1100, to revise the boundary of the Carl Sandburg Home National 
Historic Site in the State of North Carolina, with an amendment (H. 
Rept. 110-157).                                              
Page H5445
Speaker: Read a letter from the Speaker wherein she appointed 
Representative Weiner to act as Speaker Pro Tempore for today. 
                                                             Page H5335
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008: The House 
passed H.R. 1585, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2008 for 
military activities of the Department of Defense and to prescribe 
military personnel strengths for fiscal year 2008, by a recorded vote 
of 397 ayes to 27 noes, Roll No. 373. Consideration of the bill began 
on Wednesday, May 16th.                                      
  Page H5343
  Agreed to the Hunter motion to recommit the bill to the Committee on 
Armed Services with instructions to report the same back to the House 
forthwith with an amendment, by a recorded vote of 394 ayes to 30 noes, 
Roll No. 372. Subsequently, Representative Skelton reported the bill 
back to the House with the amendment and the amendment was agreed to. 
                                                         Pages H5351-53
  Agreed to amend the title so as to read: ``To authorize 
appropriations for fiscal year 2008 for military activities of the 
Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense 
activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel 
strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes.''.   
Page H5354
Agreed to:
  Moran (VA) amendment (No. 15 printed in H. Rept. 110-151), that was 
debated on May 16th, that requires the Office of the Secretary of 
Defense to submit a report identifying the current capacity at 
Department of Defense facilities in the United States to securely hold 
and try before a military commission the detainees currently held at 
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (by a recorded vote of 220 ayes to 208 noes, Roll 
No. 370).                                                
Pages H5346-47
Rejected:
  Tierney amendment (No. 30 printed in H. Rept. 110-151), that was 
debated on May 16th, that sought to reduce the $8.1 billion specified 
for Missile Defense Agency (MDA) activities by $1.084 billion from 
specified programs (by a recorded vote of 127 ayes to 299 noes, Roll 
No. 367);                                                    
Page H5344
  Franks amendment (No. 11 printed in H. Rept. 110-151), that was 
debated on May 16th, that sought to increase by $764 million the amount 
authorized for ballistic missile defense (by a recorded vote of 199 
ayes to 226 noes, Roll No. 368);                         
Pages H5344-45
  King (IA) amendment (No. 41 printed in H. Rept. 110-151), that was 
debated on May 16th, that sought to add language to section 1222 to 
explain that the bill's prohibition on the establishment of permanent 
military bases in Iraq should not be construed to prohibit the United 
States from establishing a temporary military base or installation by 
entering into basing rights agreements between the United States and 
Iraq and also states that Congress recognizes the United States has not 
established any permanent military installations inside or outside the 
United States (by a recorded vote of 201 ayes to 219 noes, Roll No. 
369); and                                                
Pages H5345-46
  Holt amendment (No. 32 printed in H. Rept. 110-151), that was debated 
on May 16th, that sought to require the videotaping of interrogations 
and other pertinent interactions between U.S. military personnel and/or 
contractors and detainees arrested and held, directs the Judge 
Advocates General of the respective military services to develop 
uniform guidelines for such videotaping, and provide access to 
detainees for representatives of the International Red Cross and Red 
Crescent, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the UN Special 
Rapporteur on Torture for independent monitoring of detainee conditions 
and treatment (by a recorded vote of 199 ayes to 229 noes, Roll No. 
371).                                                    
Pages H5347-48
  Agreed that the Clerk be authorized to make technical and conforming 
changes to reflect the actions of the House, and that the Clerk be 
authorized to make the additional technical corrections which are at 
the desk.                                                    
Page H5355
  H. Res. 403, the rule providing for consideration of the bill, was 
agreed to on Wednesday, May 16th.
Presidential Message: Read a message from the President wherein he 
notified Congress of the continuation of the Burma emergency beyond May 
20, 2007--referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs and ordered 
printed (H. Doc. 110-35).                                    
  Page H5361
Budget Resolution for FY 2008: The House agreed to the conference 
report on S. Con. Res. 21, setting forth the congressional budget for 
the United

[[Page D704]]

States Government for fiscal year 2008 and including the appropriate 
budgetary levels for fiscal years 2007 and 2009 through 2012, by a yea-
and-nay vote of 214 yeas to 209 nays, Roll No. 377.       
  Page H5355-74
  H. Res. 409, the rule providing for consideration of the conference 
report, was agreed to by recorded vote of 225 ayes to 194 noes, Roll 
No. 376, after agreeing to order the previous question by a yea-and-nay 
vote of 224 yeas to 193 nays, Roll No. 375.              
Pages H5355-61
  Pursuant to the provisions of the conference report accompanying S. 
Con. Res. 21, H.J. Res. 43, increasing the statutory limit on the 
public debt, is considered passed by the House.
Federal Housing Finance Reform Act of 2007: The House began 
consideration of H.R. 1427, to reform the regulation of certain 
housing-related Government-sponsored enterprises. Consideration is 
expected to resume Tuesday, May 22nd.       
  Pages H5338-43, H5374-H5467
  Pursuant to the rule, the amendment in the nature of a substitute 
recommended by the Committee on Financial Services now printed in the 
bill, modified by the amendment printed in H. Rept. 110-152, shall be 
considered as the original bill for the purpose of amendment and shall 
be considered by title rather than by section.           
Pages H5338-39
Agreed to:
  Kanjorski amendment (first No. 22 printed in the Congressional Record 
of May 16th) that clarifies that both the Federal Housing Enterprise 
Board and the Federal Home Loan Bank may recommend individuals for 
selection as independent directors at the Federal Home Loan Bank; 
                                                         Pages H5421-22
  Hinojosa amendment (No. 21 printed in the Congressional Record of May 
16th) that permits the director, at the request of a State, to waive 
the requirement that homebuyers attend in-person financial management 
counseling before receiving affordable housing grants, and allows the 
homebuyers to receive the counseling through alternate forms such as 
online, or over the phone;                                   
Page H5424
  Neugebauer amendment (No. 4 printed in the Congressional Record of 
May 16th) that gives the regulator the authority to limit the size of 
growth of a GSEs portfolio only to specifically address the safety and 
soundness concerns with respect to the institution;      
Pages H5424-27
  Frank en bloc amendment consisting of the following amendments: Eddie 
Bernice Johnson (TX) modified amendment (No. 2 printed in the 
Congressional Record of May 15th) that relates to a program of 
financial literacy and education to promote an understanding of 
consumer, economic, and personal finance issues and concepts; Boozman 
amendment (No. 3 printed in the Congressional Record of May 16th) that 
requires any homebuyer who purchases a house assisted with amounts 
under the affordable housing fund or who gets down payment or other 
assistance from amounts from the fund be ``lawfully present in the 
United States''; Terry amendment (No. 6 printed in the Congressional 
Record of May 16th) that amends the Federal Home Loan Bank Act to give 
the Board of Directors of an FHLB the authority to increase the minimum 
number of directors from each state; Donnelly amendment (No. 7 printed 
in the Congressional Record of May 16th) that prohibits financial 
counseling entities from discriminating against any particular form of 
housing; Blunt amendment (No. 11 printed in the Congressional Record of 
May 16th) that adds a new section relating to funding accountability 
and transparency; McCaul (TX) amendment (No. 20 printed in the 
Congressional Record of May 16th) that clarifies that monies going into 
any successor trust fund will be subject to the same prohibited uses as 
the fund created in the bill; and Baker amendment (No. 31 printed in 
the Congressional Record of May 16th) that reduces the number of 
members of the Board of the Federal Housing Enterprise from 5 to 3; and
                                                         Pages H5427-29
  Garrett (NJ) modified amendment (second No. 22 printed the 
Congressional Record of May 16th) that prohibits GSEs from redirecting 
the costs of making allocations to the affordable housing fund through 
increased fees, decreased premiums, or any other manner. 
                                                         Pages H5462-63
Rejected:
  Bachus amendment (No. 12 printed in the Congressional Record of May 
16th) that sought to strike section 139 which relates to the Affordable 
Housing Fund (by a recorded vote of 148 ayes to 269 noes, Roll No. 
378);                                             
Pages H5417-21, H5443
  Hensarling amendment (No. 29 printed in the Congressional Record of 
May 16th) that sought to provide that the director shall suspend 
allocations if it is determined that allocations are contributing to an 
increase in the cost of mortgage rates to homebuyers (by a recorded 
vote of 154 ayes to 253 noes, Roll No. 379);   
Pages H5422-24, H5443-44
  McHenry amendment (No. 14 printed in the Congressional Record of May 
16th) that sought to require a GAO study be conducted on the effects 
the affordable housing fund will have on the availability and 
affordability of credit for homebuyers, and the extent to which the 
costs are passed on to the homebuyers (by a recorded vote of 176 ayes 
to 240 noes, Roll No. 380);                    
Pages H5429-30, H5444-45
  Kanjorski amendment (No. 15 printed in the Congressional Record of 
May 16th) that sought to

[[Page D705]]

clarify the Director's authority to determine the appropriate size of 
the board of directors of the Federal National Mortgage Association 
between 7 and 15 members (by a recorded vote of 154 ayes to 263 noes, 
Roll No. 381);                                    
Pages H5431-32, H5445
  Roskam amendment (No. 27 printed in the Congressional Record of May 
16th) that sought to add a new paragraph limiting contributions to the 
affordable housing fund when the government has an on-budget and an 
off-budget surplus (by a recorded vote of 173 ayes to 245 noes, Roll 
No. 382); and                                  
Pages H5432-36, H5445-46
  Garrett (NJ) amendment (No. 17 printed in the Congressional Record of 
May 16th) that sought to insert new language requiring GSEs to limit 
their retained portfolios to mortgages and mortgage backed securities 
that exclusively support affordable housing, and particularly mortgages 
extended to households having incomes below the median income for the 
area in which the property subject to the mortgage is located (by a 
recorded vote of 92 ayes to 322 noes, Roll No. 383). 
                                               Pages H5437-42, H5446-47
Withdrawn:
  Blumenauer amendment (No. 26 printed in the Congressional Record of 
May 16th) that was offered but subsequently withdrawn that sought to 
add a new section providing for consideration of location and energy 
efficiency in enterprise underwriting guidelines;        
Pages H5436-37
  Al Green (TX) amendment (No. 5 printed in the Congressional Record of 
May 16th) that was offered but subsequently withdrawn that sought to 
redistribute affordable housing grants for use in disaster areas to 
include both Alabama and Texas in addition to Louisiana and 
Mississippi;                                                 
Page H5442
  Hensarling amendment (No. 32 printed in the Congressional Record of 
May 16th) that was offered but subsequently withdrawn that sought to 
strike the High Cost Area increases in Section 133 to the Conforming 
Loan Limit; and                                          
Pages H5459-60
  Gary G. Miller (CA) amendment (No. 33 printed in the Congressional 
Record of May 16th) that was offered but subsequently withdrawn that 
related to conditions on conforming loan limit for high-cost areas. 
                                                             Page H5460
Point of Order sustained against:
  Doolittle amendment (No. 25 printed in the Congressional Record of 
May 16th) that sought to make economically disadvantaged counties that 
receive payments under the Secure Rural Roads and Community Self-
Determination Act eligible to receive Affordable Housing fund grants. 
                                                         Pages H5458-59
Proceedings Postponed:
  Feeney modified amendment (No. 6 printed in the Congressional Record 
of May 16th) that seeks to strike low income housing grants from the 
affordable housing fund and inserts housing assistance provisions for 
the areas affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, strikes language 
outlining affordable housing grant formulas for Indian tribal members 
and directs funds to be allocated ``based on the formula used for the 
Continuum of Care competition of the Department of Housing and Urban 
Development'', and inserts language requiring that affordable housing 
grants after 2007 be reserved only for rental housing voucher 
assistance in accordance with the Housing act of 1937;
  Price (GA) amendment (No. 8 printed in the Congressional Record of 
May 16th) that seeks to prevent illegal immigrants from owning or 
renting housing built by funds from the affordable housing fund by 
requiring adult occupants of that housing to establish their legal 
residency through the use of secure forms of identification; 
                                                         Pages H5448-51
  Sessions amendment (No. 10 printed in the Congressional Record of May 
16th) that seeks to require the Director of the new GSE Regulator to 
provide information to mortgage originators about any added mortgage 
costs to consumers associated with the new Housing Fund; in turn, 
originators would have to furnish this written information to 
homebuyers at or before closing to qualify their mortgages for 
purchase, service, holding, lending on the security of or selling by 
the GSEs;                                                
Pages H5451-55
  Brady (TX) amendment (No. 34 printed in the Congressional Record of 
May 16th) that seeks to redistribute the affordable housing grants for 
use in disaster areas from a ratio of 75% for Louisiana and 25% for 
Mississippi to create 10% for Texas by taking 5% each from the 
allotment for Louisiana and Mississippi;                 
Pages H5455-58
  Price (GA) amendment (No. 9 printed in the Congressional Record of 
May 16th) that seeks to require the director of a GSE to study and 
certify to Congress that its contributions to the affordable housing 
fund wouldn't contribute to its financial instability or impair its 
safety and soundness;                                    
Pages H5460-61
  Doolittle amendment (No. 19 printed in the Congressional Record of 
May 16th) that seeks to prohibit all three mortgage lending government-
sponsored enterprises (GSE's) from obtaining primary residential 
mortgages being granted to any person who does not have a valid Social 
Security number;                                         
Pages H5461-62
  Hensarling amendment (No. 30 printed in the Congressional Record of 
May 16th) that seeks to strike the Affordable Housing Trust Fund 
budgetary placeholder language in the bill; and          
Pages H5463-65

[[Page D706]]


  Neugebauer amendment (No. 1 printed in the Congressional Record of 
May 14th) that pertains to allocations of amounts by enterprise. 
                                                         Pages H5465-67
  H. Res. 404, the rule providing for consideration of the bill, was 
agreed to by a yea-and-nay vote of 223 yeas to 186 nays, Roll No. 374, 
after agreeing to order the previous question.           
Pages H5354-55
Calendar Wednesday: Agreed by unanimous consent to dispense with the 
Calendar Wednesday business of Wednesday, May 23rd.          
  Page H5467
Meeting Hour: Agreed that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to 
meet at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, May 21st for Morning Hour debate. 
                                                             Page H5468
Senate Messages: Messages received from the Senate today appear on 
pages H5335, H5430.
Quorum Calls--Votes: Three yea-and-nay votes and fourteen recorded 
votes developed during the proceedings of today and appear on pages 
H5344, H5345, H5345-46, H5346-47, H5347-48, H5352-53, H5354, H5354-55, 
H5360, H5360-61, H5373, H5443, H5443-44, H5444-45, H5445, H5445-46, 
H5446-47. There were no quorum calls.
Adjournment: The House met at 10 and adjourned at 12:36 a.m. on Friday, 
May 18th.