[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 102 (Friday, June 22, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H6982-H6999]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2008

  The Committee resumed its sitting.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Chairman, at this time I would like to 
yield 1 minute to the distinguished chair of the House Administration 
Committee, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Brady).
  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Madam Chairman, I just want to say a few 
quick things.
  We had a problem in House Administration when Chairwoman Millender-
McDonald passed away. There was a void. But taking over as chairman, I 
have a great working relationship with my ranking minority member, Mr. 
Ehlers. I have a great working relationship with the ranking minority 
member of this subcommittee, Zach Wamp. I also have tremendous respect 
for and a great working relationship with the chairwoman.
  We have had some conversations that we did not need to discuss here. 
I have been assured and am extremely comfortable with the fact that we 
will be together working out our jurisdictional problems. I thank the 
gentlewoman for stepping in at a time when it was needed. Again, with 
my ranking minority member, we have a great relationship. We probably 
have the best committee in that we get along all the time. We are going 
to continue to do that. I thank, again, the ranking member.
  I look forward to working with you, and I have your assurance that we 
will be doing that.
  Madam Chairman, I want to express my appreciation for the work of the 
gentlelady from Florida to craft the FY08 appropriations bill for the 
Legislative Branch. As we are well aware in the Committee on House 
Administration, working on this bill may not be very glamorous, but it 
is essential to keeping the House running.
  The Committee on Appropriations has done a good job of balancing the 
many needs of the House--paying our employees, keeping the physical 
plant running, and operating the various agencies that serve Capitol 
Hill.
  I am particularly pleased to see in this bill an additional $5 
million toward upgrading the radio systems of the Capitol Police. 
Establishing a secure communications system for our police force is 
essential to the security of the Hill.
  I also appreciate the Committee's commitment of funds for the ``Green 
the Capitol'' initiative. According to the House Chief Administrative 
Officer's calculations, we can eventually recoup these costs from 
savings on our utility bills when we make the House more energy-
efficient.
  I look forward to continuing our strong working relationship in the 
future.
  Finally, as Chairman of the Joint Committee on Printing, I urge the 
Members to reject the amendment by the gentleman from Arizona [Mr. 
Flake]. It is essential that the Congressional Printing and Binding 
Appropriation be funded at least at the level recommended by the 
Appropriations Committee. The Government Printing Office must have 
enough resources to provide Congress with the printing and digital 
services fundamental to our legislative process.
  The congressional printing account has been flat-funded since 2005. 
As a result, in order to deliver what we require to do our jobs in 
Congress, GPO has had to reach into its own working capital. When GPO 
depletes it working capital, it consumes funds otherwise available to 
keep pace with technology, train employees, even to maintain plant and 
equipment.
  GPO receives no salaries-and-expenses appropriation for its printing 
operations. GPO runs just like a business, and the Congressional 
Printing and Binding Appropriation is Congress' prepayment for its own 
orders. As a GPO customer, like many other Federal agencies, Congress 
has to pay its way and cannot expect GPO to underwrite printing needs, 
especially as we increase congressional activity in this 110th 
Congress. If Congress continues to underfund its own printing, GPO will 
eventually face a financial crisis that we caused, threatening its 
ability to operate for any of its agency customers. Let's reject the 
Flake amendment to keep that from happening.
  Mr. WAMP. Madam Chairman, I continue to reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Chairman, at this time I yield 3 minutes 
to the distinguished gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. 
Norton).
  Ms. NORTON. Madam Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.
  I thank her for her excellent work on her maiden voyage as chair.
  I have come to say a few words that I think need saying about the 
performance of GAO with respect to the grand experiment that our 
committee allowed on pay for performance. We allowed it. We have not 
tried to interfere with it. But the actions taken by the Comptroller 
General where you would at least have expected it has produced nothing 
short of a revolution within, of all places, the GAO workforce.
  They were chosen for this grand experiment because they were a fairly 
upscale part of the Federal workforce. And what have we got? How would 
you feel if you had worked at or above performance, and yet you were 
among 300 employees of, what is it, 2 million Federal employees who did 
not receive the across-the-board pay increase that everybody else 
receives? Well, some of you might have sued or filed a claim with the 
Personnel Appeals Board within the GAO. And those employees, all 12 of 
them, have received their COLA, have been promoted, and have had their 
retirement fixed.
  But there are 300 employees from 2006, 130 from 2007 who have been 
punished as to their pensions and pay because the Comptroller did not 
keep his promise with the Congress, which was that nobody's across-the-
board pay would be affected. In fact, what he did was to insert a 
market-based study without informing the subcommittee, an unvalidated 
study, and now he has a whole racial claim on top of it because the 
African Americans have been disproportionately affected by his action.
  If the Comptroller wanted some help, he could have gone to the OPM. 
Instead, he used a market-based study from a consultant. If he wanted 
to know how to deal with unionization which is now upon him, he could 
have gone to the OPM. He could have gone to the Federal Labor Relations 
Authority. Instead, he is spending taxpayer funds in order to try to 
beat a union within the Federal sector, the first time ever. If we 
allow taxpayer funds to be used that way, then it seems to me we ought 
to be called to account.
  Mr. WAMP. Madam Chairman, I continue to reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Chairman, at this time I yield 3 minutes 
to the distinguished gentlewoman from California (Ms. Linda T. 
Sanchez).
  Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California. Madam Chair, I rise in support of 
H.R. 2771, the legislative branch appropriations bill. I want to thank 
Chairwoman Wasserman Schultz, Ranking Member Wamp, and the 
appropriations staff for their hard work in crafting this fiscally 
responsible bill.
  The bill on the floor today is ``lean and mean,'' providing just the 
resources that we need to serve the people in an honest, transparent 
manner.
  I strongly believe that as our Nation's elected leaders, we have a 
responsibility here in the people's House to lead the Nation in 
creating an environmentally friendly workplace. This is why I crafted 
two amendments for today's bill that would have directed the Architect 
of the Capitol to take small but significant steps toward ``greening'' 
the Capitol complex.
  I am pleased that Subcommittee Chairwoman Wasserman Schultz shares my 
support for the Speaker's Greening of the Capitol Initiative. Since she 
has enthusiastically agreed to consider them during conference, I won't 
be offering them today.
  But I would like to draw the House's attention to these two 
initiatives because they demonstrate how small investments can reap 
large rewards.
  Both initiatives were drawn from the Greening of the Capital report 
recently

[[Page H6983]]

completed by the Architect of the Capitol, and both are endorsed by the 
American Society of Landscape Architects.
  The first initiative would study the feasibility of constructing a 
``green roof'' on the Ford House Office Building. A green roof is a 
rooftop that is carefully planted with vegetation. It can be anything 
from a simple plot of grass to a park-like setting.
  Green roofs have proved to be tremendous economic and environmental 
benefits. They are great insulators, reducing heating and cooling costs 
often by as much as 25 percent. And they save on maintenance costs as 
well since they are more protective than traditional roofs. Green roofs 
cool the surrounding neighborhood by reducing the amount of heat that 
is reflected back into the surrounding atmosphere, the so-called urban 
heat island effect. Vegetation on green roofs celebrates our natural 
heritage and also absorbs rainwater, reducing contaminated runoff.
  Even with all these benefits, green roofs have not caught on. They 
are not very popular yet in the United States. And as Members of 
Congress, we now have the opportunity to lead by example. A successful 
demonstration of the economic benefits of green roofs right here in the 
Capitol Complex can help promote green roofs across the Nation.
  My second proposal concerns the planting of more trees around parking 
lots in the Capitol Complex. My colleagues who closely follow 
environmental issues already know that trees have a remarkable ability 
to reduce the air temperature in our urban areas. Trees remove carbon 
from our atmosphere, shade our buildings and cars, and even reduce 
asthma by filtering out air pollutants. According to the nonpartisan 
Congressional Budget Office, this proposal would even save the 
taxpayers money.
  Without action this year, many of the Speaker's Greening of the 
Capitol Initiatives, including the two I have just discussed, won't get 
funding until 2009 or 2010. These proposals would get us started 
modestly but promptly and don't require additional funds.
  I look forward to working with Chairwoman Wasserman Schultz to 
incorporate these projects into the legislative branch's plans for 
2008.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Chairman, I yield myself 30 seconds.
  I want to thank the gentlewoman from California for her leadership on 
environmental issues and look forward to working with her on continuing 
the Speaker's leadership on the Green the Capitol Initiative, both in 
terms of planting of the trees and the greening of roofs, and I look 
forward and appreciate her input.
  At this time, Madam Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman 
from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).
  (Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to revise 
and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Madam Chairman, this place, this House is 
always at its best when Members of the United States Congress work 
together. And I want to congratulate the chairwoman of this committee 
and the ranking member of this committee for working together.
  Most people don't understand that the legislative branch creates an 
atmosphere of hospitality in this place. As I look and see the number 
of visitors that we have, your responsibility is to secure them and to 
welcome them. Let me thank you personally for the task that you have 
undertaken.
  I want to thank you for the increase in the House Child Care Center, 
and I hope that our community does not criticize the fact that we are 
family friendly so that employees have the opportunity to have child 
care.
  I want to thank you for supporting the Speaker's Green Initiative 
because we, too, must do what we ask Americans to do.
  And, of course, the brave men and women that serve us, I welcome the 
increase in the Capitol Police, and I also look forward to their 
continuing to address the questions of discrimination and equality as 
they increase the numbers of police.
  Let me join in the words of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton and 
hope that we will challenge, if you will, the GAO to be responsible in 
its dealings with its employees and unionization.
  But I came today to be able to offer to the American public the sense 
of pride and the sense of humbleness that I am now experiencing because 
of your grand leadership and that of the Appropriations Committee. And 
my good friend Congressman Jesse Jackson and, of course, members of the 
Congressional Black Caucus signed a letter, which I was proud to sign, 
because this picture reflects something that is near and dear to Texas.
  My good friend comes from Tennessee. He knows that we have a lot of 
continuity or connection between Tennessee and Texas and the good State 
of Florida.
  But we celebrated this week the Emancipation Proclamation. We 
celebrated, in particular, Juneteenth. Those of us in the South 
remember Major General Gordon Granger coming 2 years late to indicate 
that we might be free. Isn't it wonderful that now we will name the 
Visitors Center, and we hope for our good friends in the other body to 
be as reasonable, the Emancipation Hall.
  I went through the hall just outside this door before I came to the 
floor, and I saw the name of William Jennings Bryan. I saw the name 
Wheeler of Alabama, Huey Pierce Long, Lew Wallace, Sequoyah, Sam 
Houston.

                              {time}  1145

  I met a woman who told me about her grandfather, Levi Coffin, who had 
helped slaves in the Underground Railroad. Her name was Ms. Holt. She 
was just standing there talking to me.
  That's what naming the Emancipation Hall means to America. It 
reflects the wholeness of America, the wonderment of our history, the 
dignity of our history. Yes, slaves built this place, but all Americans 
will be able to go into Emancipation Hall, and it will symbolize the 
freedom of this Nation. I am so grateful that we have come to this 
place at this time.
  I ask my colleagues to support this legislation, Emancipation Hall.
  Madam Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 2771, the Legislative 
Branch Appropriations Act of 2008 and to commend Chairwoman Wasserman 
Schultz for her leadership in shepherding this bill though the 
legislative process. This legislation funds the House, Senate and 
various entities in the legislative branch, including the Library of 
Congress, the Capitol Police, the Government Accountability Office, and 
the Government Printing Office.
  But it does more than that, Madam Chairman. The bill provides funding 
for ``Greening the Capitol'' to reduce carbon emissions from the 
operations of House buildings and the Capitol. It makes the necessary 
investments for critical health and safety needs by funding security 
upgrades and addressing health hazards and safety requirements in law. 
In short, this legislation demonstrates a commitment by the new 
Democratic majority to increased oversight, accountability and fiscal 
responsibility.
  H.R. 2771 appropriates $3.1 billion for legislative branch entities, 
including $1.2 billion for House operations and $1.9 billion for 
legislative branch agencies and other offices. The total provided is 
$275.7 million (8 percent) less than requested by legislative offices 
and agencies and only $122.2 million (4 percent) more than comparable 
FY 2007 funding. Nearly 25 percent of this increased funding is 
directly attributable to costs associated with the 2008 presidential 
election and subsequent inauguration.
  Following the long-established practice that each house of Congress 
determines its own housekeeping requirements without interference from 
the other body, the bill contains no funding for Senate operations. The 
bill appropriates $1.2 billion for operations of the House of 
Representatives, which is $36.5 million (3 percent) less than 
requested, but $54.1 million (5 percent) more than current funding.
  The total for the House includes $581 million for members' offices, 
also known as MRA's, 5 percent more than current funding, but 5 percent 
less than requested and $162.8 million for House committees, 8 percent 
more than current funding and 4 percent more than requested. The bill 
also provides $169.4 million for the various House officers and 
employees, including the Clerk of the House, the Sergeant at Arms, and 
the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), 8 percent more than current 
funding, but 3 percent less than requested.
  H.R. 2771 provides $21.1 million for joint House-Senate items, 13 
percent less than current funding and 23 percent less than requested, 
when the recent June 8 supplemental request for the Capitol guides is 
taken into account. The appropriated amount includes $9.4 million for 
the Joint Committee on Taxation, 7 percent more than current funding.

[[Page H6984]]

  Madam Chairman, H.R. 2771 provides a total of $1.9 billion for other 
offices and legislative branch agencies that directly or indirectly 
support congressional operations. This funding is $71.2 million (4 
percent) more than current levels but $232.8 million (11 percent) less 
than requested. Among the agencies this bill funds are the Architect of 
the Capitol; the Capitol Police; the Library of Congress; the 
Government Printing Office, the Congressional Budget Office, and the 
Government Accountability Office.

  For the Architect of the Capitol, the bill provides $348.4 million, 9 
percent less than current funding and 12 percent less than requested. 
Included in the bill is $27.5 million for the Capital Visitors Center. 
I cite with particular approval that the bill renames the center's 
Great Hall as ``Emancipation Hall'' in remembrance of the slave labor 
that created this mighty edifice.
  Earlier this week, the House passed H. Con. Res. 155, which 
recognized the historical significance of June 19, 1865, or 
``Juneteenth,'' the oldest known celebration of the ending of slavery. 
On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, 
landed at Galveston, TX, with news that the war had ended and that all 
slaves were now free. But this was 2\1/2\ years after President 
Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation--which had become official January 
1, 1863.
  Madam Chairman, I suppose it may just be another irony of life that 
the U.S. Capitol was rebuilt during the Civil War and completed around 
the time of Juneteenth. This magnificent symbol of democracy, freedom, 
and equality could not have been brought in to being without the blood 
and sweat and unrequited toil of slave labor. For much of our history 
the contributions to our country by slaves and their descendants has 
not been fully acknowledged. But in renaming the Great Hall to the 
Capitol Visitor Center as ``Emancipation Hall,'' we begin to rectify 
this error. It is a wonderful thing we are doing.
  The bill also provides $3.9 million to implement the ``Green the 
Capitol'' initiative, including $2.7 for shifting from coal to natural 
gas for heating in the Capitol power plant, and the report requires the 
House CAO to purchase carbon credits. The bill also requires the hiring 
of an inspector general.
  The bill provides the Capitol Police $286 million, which is $13.1 
million (4 percent) less than requested, but $20.3 million (8 percent) 
more than current funding. The Library of Congress is slated to receive 
$572.5 million, $63.8 million (13 percent) more than the current level, 
but $89.1 million (13 percent) less than requested. There is $125.8 
million for the Government Printing Office; $37.8 million for the 
Congressional Budget Office (CBO); and $503.3 million in net funding 
for the Government Accountability Office (GAO). The bill does not 
contain any earmarks as defined under House rules.
  To conclude, Madam Chairman, I strongly support H.R. 2771 because it 
makes the necessary investments for critical health and safety needs by 
funding security upgrades and addressing health and safety hazards. I 
support this legislation because it reflects the commitment by the new 
Democratic majority to increased oversight, accountability and fiscal 
responsibility.
  I thank Chairwoman Wasserman Schultz for her fine work in bringing 
this exceptional legislation to the House floor where it should receive 
an overwhelmingly favorable vote.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Chairman, I reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. WAMP. Madam Chairman, with the understanding that the 
distinguished Chair from Florida will close, I would like to yield 
myself 1 minute before yielding the balance of our time to the 
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Kingston).
  I congratulate our chairwoman for just working really hard, having a 
lot of hearings, digging in, learning a lot, and then finding a way to 
work together through the process, and I'm grateful.
  Also, I want to say, with regard to the GAO issue and outside 
counsel, using outside counsel is actually commonplace; even the House 
itself has used it, the legislative branch agencies have used that. And 
then also to say about the greening of the Capitol issue, what we've 
heard today should remind us to use great caution because we are all 
for greening and environmental efficiency, but we need to be careful 
that the Congress itself is not a guinea pig to try a whole lot of 
things just to see how they work.
  With that, Madam Chairman, I yield the balance of my time to the 
gentleman from Georgia, the former chairman of the subcommittee, Mr. 
Kingston.
  Mr. KINGSTON. Thank you, Mr. Wamp. And I thank the Chair and 
congratulate both of you on your work for this bill.
  I want to say, however, I do not support it. I am very disappointed 
that after the bill left the Appropriations Committee and went to the 
Rules Committee, a funny thing happened. All this transparency and all 
this promise of open government and open rules seemed to fade away in a 
dark corner room up on the third floor of this building, because there 
were 23 amendments offered, and yet only three of them were accepted.
  We talk about bipartisanship and we talk about sunshine in the 
process, and yet this is the very bill that basically funds and perhaps 
even governs our own body, our own congressional branch, and yet it has 
the closed rule. And 20 amendments won't get the sunshine, will not get 
the debate because of the Rules Committee under Democrat leadership. I 
would say you need to go back to your campaign brochures and look at 
all the promises that you made before you pass another rule like this.
  One of the casualties of this closed process was an amendment that I 
offered that deals with contractors who deal with the Federal 
Government, who work for the Federal Government. I'll give you some 
examples. December 2005, 22 Mexican nationals were found illegally 
working in Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico. January 
27, 2001, illegal aliens were found working at Fort Benning, Georgia. 
March 2007, the Golden State Fence Company was actually fined because, 
in building a border security fence, they had hired 10 illegal aliens.
  It doesn't stop there. In Louisiana, December 2005, a local company 
was busted working on a Veterans Administration hospital because they 
had illegal aliens. This is absurd. Now, I've heard from many people 
the theme of ``leading by example.'' Perhaps one thing we could do and 
absolutely should do is require that if you are contracting for the 
Federal Government, that you have a Social Security verification 
process going in your business, more than the sham, more than the, 
Yeah, but we have an I-9 kind of approach that we're seeing. And this 
would actually say you need to be in the ICE, which is the Customs and 
Immigration Enforcement Service, you need to be in the ICE Basic Pilot 
Program, which is a way to know that your employees have correct and 
legal Social Security numbers. That's all the amendment would have 
done.
  I would predict that this amendment would get lots of bipartisan 
support because we see that the biggest issue facing America, besides 
Iraq and perhaps energy, is the issue of illegal immigration. And here 
was an opportunity for us to make a definitive statement, to have a 
significant amendment added to the bill, and the Democrats said no.
  I hope they'll reconsider on future legislation.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Chair, I think it's unfortunate that the 
gentleman from Georgia, the distinguished former chairman of this 
committee, has chosen this opportunity as a message opportunity, as 
opposed to working together in a bipartisan way, like the ranking 
member and I have done, to make sure that we can provide for the safety 
and security of the facilities of this institution.
  He knows full well that the Capitol Visitors Center and the employees 
of the subcontractors that have been engaged to build that facility, 
while moving entirely too slowly, and we certainly have decried the 
cost overruns, are required to hire people who legally may work in this 
country and are required to ensure that a background check and a 
security check has been done on them. So his remarks are unfortunate, 
but everybody makes their own choices.
  In conclusion, Madam Chair, I am really proud of the work that the 
subcommittee and I have engaged in. We offer this legislation to the 
House and ask for their support. We have endeavored to make sure that 
this bill is fiscally responsible, provides for the life, safety and 
security of the needs of the people who work here as well as the people 
who visit us here, and make sure that we can engage in Congress's 
oversight role and provide for accountability for the American people.
  I look forward to continuing to work with Mr. Wamp from Tennessee on 
making sure that we can consistently

[[Page H6985]]

provide those initiatives for the American people.
  Mr. HOYER. Madam Chairman, I rise today to express concerns about 
GAO's response to GAO employees' petition for a union election, which 
was filed on May 8 of this year. As a legislative branch agency it is 
imperative that GAO conduct its labor relations in a manner that is a 
model for all Federal agencies.
  I am particularly concerned by GAO's decision to challenge the 
eligibility of one-third of the employees covered by the union 
petition. GAO is asserting that these employees are not eligible for 
representation because they perform a supervisory role.
  The facts of their employment status at GAO strongly suggests 
otherwise. If these employees are in fact determined to be supervisors, 
then they are supervisors in name only because they are prohibited from 
performing supervisory functions. Moreover, GAO would have a 1:3 ratio 
of supervisors to nonsupervisors. That would be one of the smallest 
ratios in any public or private organization.
  I am deeply concerned that GAO's challenge is an attempt to delay 
balloting until the end of the year, one that will entail a 
considerable expenditure of resources that will only distract the 
agency from carrying out critical investigatory and oversight work for 
the U.S. Congress.
  I strongly urge GAO to reconsider its challenge, which will be 
costly, undermine agency morale, and distract it from its mission.
  Mr. WYNN. Madam Chairman, today I rise to express my concerns with 
Government Accountability Office, GAO, management's response to the GAO 
employees' petition seeking a union election.
  It should be noted that applicable law strictly prohibits the GAO 
management from expressing any personal view, argument, opinion, or 
statements relating to a union election except to: publicize election 
and encourage employees to vote; correct the record with respect to any 
false or misleading statement; or inform employees of the Government's 
policy relating to labor-management relations and representation as 
long as these statements do contain a threat or reprisal or promise of 
benefit and are not made under coercive conditions.
  Despite these restrictions, Comptroller General Walker was quoted in 
a January 23, 2007 publication as stating that he ``will present to the 
employees [his] views on the advantages and disadvantages of 
unionization.''
  Shortly after this statement was published, attorneys for the union 
sent a letter advising Comptroller General Walker of his obligation to 
remain ``neutral'' during the employees' deliberations regarding 
unionization.
  The GAO's General Counsel responded acknowledging GAO management's 
legal obligation to maintain strict neutrality during a union 
organizing campaign.
  Further, the Comptroller General met with me shortly before I sent a 
letter to him regarding his response to the union organizing 
activities.
  In that meeting, the Comptroller General tried to discourage me from 
sending the letter, and promised not to interfere with the unionization 
effort. I informed Mr. Walker that I appreciated his assurances but 
that would be sending the letter all the same.
  I have the letter dated February 23rd of this year, and signed by a 
bipartisan group of 19 House Members and 3 Senators with me and wish to 
submit it for the Record.
  I am sorry to say that despite these assurances, and since the union 
filed the election petition on May 8, 2007, the Comptroller General has 
made additional statements that are at odds with his obligation to 
remain neutral.
  I am very concerned that I have received reports from GAO employees 
that Mr. Walker has used his staff meetings to make statements that are 
seen by employees as a breach of GAO management's neutrality 
obligation.
  For example, they report that Mr. Walker has urged employees to ``get 
all the facts'', that a union could ``make things different . . . 
seriously impact agency decision-making'', and ``slow things down.''
  He refers to the GAO employees who seek to form a union as a ``vocal 
minority in GAO'' and that ``[d]ue to union organizing efforts, labor 
law prevents [him] from helping employees unilaterally. Both of [my] 
hands are tied due to the union organizing efforts. . .''
  By implication, Mr. Walker asserts that if employees reject union-
representation, Mr. Walker will ``help'' them.
  Mr. Walker's statements are not neutral. I find it hard to believe 
that GAO analysts need to be reminded to ``get all the facts'' and the 
very purpose of a union is to ``impact'' the employer's decision-
making.
  Further, it cannot be clearer that the reference to potentially 
``slowing things down'' is intended as a negative reference about 
unionization.
  I rise today not only to call on Mr. Walker to stop interfering with 
GAO employees' right to organize and petition for a union election, but 
to call on my colleagues to stand together with these GAO employees who 
serve Congress and the public.
  Let us do all we can to help these dedicated public servants get a 
vote on their union election petition this summer.
  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Chairman, I am grateful for the opportunity to 
add my voice of support to our valued public servants at the Government 
Accountability Office, GAO. Just as Congress relies on the GAO for the 
gold standard of fair and even-handed analysis, so too must we ensure 
that our GAO workforce receives that same standard of fairness and 
even-handedness when it comes to matters of their own employment.
  The issues that gave rise to the language in today's underlying 
Legislative Branch Appropriations bill are not new to the Government 
Oversight Committee on which I sit, or to the Federal employee 
community I am privileged to serve. Like many of my colleagues on the 
committee, I have received reports expressing concern about the process 
surrounding the recent Band II Restructuring Project, as well as the 
methodology used in the 2004 Watson Wyatt Worldwide, WWW, compensation 
study. In that regard, I am particularly troubled that the WWW study is 
being cited as the reason over 300 hard-working GAO employees who met 
or exceeded their performance expectations have been denied annual cost 
of living adjustments, notwithstanding public commitments to the 
contrary.
  As a majority of GAO analysts have now exercised their employment 
rights to organize a union, it is critical that the requisite election 
process go forward expeditiously and without interference. I thank my 
colleagues for this opportunity to voice my support for the GAO 
workforce and the rest of our valued Federal employee community.
  Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Madam Chairman, I want to begin by taking 
the time to congratulate Chairwoman Wasserman Schultz for her excellent 
work on this bill as well as in the subcommittee the past couple of 
months. It has been a pleasure to work with you and I look forward to 
working with all other Members as we continue to address the concerns 
of all people working in and visiting the Nation's Capitol.
  I would also like to commend Ranking Member Wamp for his work. 
Together the chairwoman and ranking member have fostered a collegial 
bipartisan atmosphere.
  The bill before us is a good bill, a bill that brings us necessary 
security upgrades, that shows a commitment to increased oversight, and 
does it in a fiscally responsible manner.
  Among the bill's many important provisions is funding for the 
Greening the Capitol Initiative. This initiative will enable us to 
start switching from coal to cleaner burning natural gas for the 
running of the Capitol powerplant. Pages live in the shadow of the 
Capitol powerplant. It will allow us to purchase energy efficient light 
bulbs, and will allow us to begin other energy savings operations 
throughout the Capitol Complex.
  The bill includes necessary funding for the Office of Compliance, 
which will allow that office to conduct oversight of the utility tunnel 
improvement efforts and health and safety issues. During hearings in 
the subcommittee, I have raised concerns, along with several of my 
colleagues, about the utility tunnels and workers and I am pleased to 
see that the Office of Compliance will receive the resources it needs 
to oversee the ongoing situation.
  This bill also includes funding for the Library of Congress and 
several of its extremely important programs, such as the Books for the 
Blind Program, which provides services to blind and physically 
handicapped patrons including the production and distribution of books 
and magazines in Braille and electronic media.
  Again, I urge my colleagues to support this bill and thank Chairwoman 
Wasserman Schultz and Ranking Member Wamp for the efforts they have put 
in to the subcommittee this year to ensure that the Capitol Complex and 
various agencies around us are run well and efficiently.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Chairman, I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  The CHAIRMAN. All time for general debate has expired.
  Pursuant to the rule, the bill is considered read for amendment under 
the 5-minute rule.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2771

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the 
     following sums are appropriated, out of any money in the 
     Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the Legislative 
     Branch for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2008, and for 
     other purposes, namely:

                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES


                         salaries and expenses

       For salaries and expenses of the House of Representatives, 
     $1,198,560,000, as follows:


                        house leadership offices

       For salaries and expenses, as authorized by law, 
     $23,648,000, including: Office of the

[[Page H6986]]

     Speaker, $4,761,000, including $25,000 for official expenses 
     of the Speaker; Office of the Majority Floor Leader, 
     $2,188,000, including $10,000 for official expenses of the 
     Majority Leader; Office of the Minority Floor Leader, 
     $4,090,000, including $10,000 for official expenses of the 
     Minority Leader; Office of the Majority Whip, including the 
     Chief Deputy Majority Whip, $1,894,000, including $5,000 for 
     official expenses of the Majority Whip; Office of the 
     Minority Whip, including the Chief Deputy Minority Whip, 
     $1,420,000, including $5,000 for official expenses of the 
     Minority Whip; Speaker's Office for Legislative Floor 
     Activities, $499,000; Republican Steering Committee, 
     $943,000; Republican Conference, $1,631,000; Republican 
     Policy Committee, $325,000; Democratic Steering and Policy 
     Committee, $1,295,000; Democratic Caucus, $1,604,000; nine 
     minority employees, $1,498,000; training and program 
     development--majority, $290,000; training and program 
     development--minority, $290,000; Cloakroom Personnel--
     majority, $460,000; and Cloakroom Personnel--minority, 
     $460,000.

                  Members' Representational Allowances

   Including Members' Clerk Hire, Official Expenses of Members, and 
                             Official Mail

       For Members' representational allowances, including 
     Members' clerk hire, official expenses, and official mail, 
     $581,000,000.

                          Committee Employees

                Standing Committees, Special and Select

       For salaries and expenses of standing committees, special 
     and select, authorized by House resolutions, $133,000,000: 
     Provided, That such amount shall remain available for such 
     salaries and expenses until December 31, 2008.

                      Committee on Appropriations

       For salaries and expenses of the Committee on 
     Appropriations, $29,800,000, including studies and 
     examinations of executive agencies and temporary personal 
     services for such committee, to be expended in accordance 
     with section 202(b) of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 
     1946 and to be available for reimbursement to agencies for 
     services performed: Provided, That such amount shall remain 
     available for such salaries and expenses until December 31, 
     2008.

                    Salaries, Officers and Employees

       For compensation and expenses of officers and employees, as 
     authorized by law, $169,393,000, including: for salaries and 
     expenses of the Office of the Clerk, including not more than 
     $13,000, of which not more than $10,000 is for the Family 
     Room, for official representation and reception expenses, 
     $22,881,000; for salaries and expenses of the Office of the 
     Sergeant at Arms, including the position of Superintendent of 
     Garages, and including not more than $3,000 for official 
     representation and reception expenses, $7,024,000; for 
     salaries and expenses of the Office of the Chief 
     Administrative Officer, $116,891,000, of which $6,269,000 
     shall remain available until expended; for salaries and 
     expenses of the Office of the Inspector General, $4,457,000; 
     for salaries and expenses of the Office of Emergency 
     Planning, Preparedness and Operations, $3,111,000, to remain 
     available until expended; for salaries and expenses of the 
     Office of General Counsel, $1,202,000; for the Office of the 
     Chaplain, $166,000; for salaries and expenses of the Office 
     of the Parliamentarian, including the Parliamentarian, $2,000 
     for preparing the Digest of Rules, and not more than $1,000 
     for official representation and reception expenses, 
     $1,828,000; for salaries and expenses of the Office of the 
     Law Revision Counsel of the House, $3,046,000; for salaries 
     and expenses of the Office of the Legislative Counsel of the 
     House, $7,406,000; for salaries and expenses of the Office of 
     Interparliamentary Affairs, $752,000; for other authorized 
     employees, $170,000; and for salaries and expenses of the 
     Office of the Historian, $459,000.

                        Allowances and Expenses

       For allowances and expenses as authorized by House 
     resolution or law, $261,719,000, including: supplies, 
     materials, administrative costs and Federal tort claims, 
     $3,688,000; official mail for committees, leadership offices, 
     and administrative offices of the House, $410,000; Government 
     contributions for health, retirement, Social Security, and 
     other applicable employee benefits, $237,410,000; supplies, 
     materials, and other costs relating to the House portion of 
     expenses for the Capitol Visitor Center, $2,308,000, to 
     remain available until expended; Business Continuity and 
     Disaster Recovery, $17,200,000, of which $5,408,000 shall 
     remain available until expended; and miscellaneous items 
     including purchase, exchange, maintenance, repair and 
     operation of House motor vehicles, interparliamentary 
     receptions, and gratuities to heirs of deceased employees of 
     the House, $703,000.

                           Child Care Center

       For salaries and expenses of the House of Representatives 
     Child Care Center, such amounts as are deposited in the 
     account established by section 312(d)(1) of the Legislative 
     Branch Appropriations Act, 1992 (2 U.S.C. 2112), subject to 
     the level specified in the budget of the Center, as submitted 
     to the Committee on Appropriations of the House of 
     Representatives.

                       Administrative Provisions

       Sec. 101. (a) Requiring Amounts Remaining in Members' 
     Representational Allowances To Be Used for Deficit Reduction 
     or To Reduce the Federal Debt.--Notwithstanding any other 
     provision of law, any amounts appropriated under this Act for 
     ``HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES--Salaries and Expenses--Members' 
     Representational Allowances'' shall be available only for 
     fiscal year 2008. Any amount remaining after all payments are 
     made under such allowances for fiscal year 2008 shall be 
     deposited in the Treasury and used for deficit reduction (or, 
     if there is no Federal budget deficit after all such payments 
     have been made, for reducing the Federal debt, in such manner 
     as the Secretary of the Treasury considers appropriate).
       (b) Regulations.--The Committee on House Administration of 
     the House of Representatives shall have authority to 
     prescribe regulations to carry out this section.
       (c) Definition.--As used in this section, the term ``Member 
     of the House of Representatives'' means a Representative in, 
     or a Delegate or Resident Commissioner to, the Congress.
       Sec. 102. Contract for Exercise Facility.--(a) Section 
     103(a) of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2005 
     (Public Law 108-447; 118 Stat. 3175), is amended by striking 
     ``private entity'' and inserting ``public or private 
     entity''.
       (b) The amendment made by subsection (a) shall take effect 
     as if included in the enactment of the Legislative Branch 
     Appropriations Act, 2005.
       Sec. 103. Deposits.--(a) The second sentence of section 101 
     of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1996 (2 U.S.C. 
     117j) is amended by striking ``deposited in the Treasury as 
     miscellaneous receipts'' and inserting ``deposited in the 
     Treasury for credit to the account of the Office of the Chief 
     Administrative Officer''.
       (b) The amendments made by this section shall apply with 
     respect to fiscal year 2008 and each succeeding fiscal year.
       Sec. 104. House Services Revolving Fund.--(a) Section 
     105(b) of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2005 (2 
     U.S.C. 117m(b)) is amended by striking ``the Chief 
     Administrative Officer'' and inserting the following: ``the 
     Chief Administrative Officer, including purposes relating to 
     energy and water conservation and environmental activities 
     carried out in buildings, facilities, and grounds under the 
     Chief Administrative Officer's jurisdiction,''.
       (b) The amendments made by this section shall apply with 
     respect to fiscal year 2008 and each succeeding fiscal year.
       Sec. 105. Adjustment.--The first sentence of section 5 of 
     House Resolution 1238, Ninety-first Congress, agreed to 
     December 22, 1970 (as enacted into permanent law by chapter 
     VIII of the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1971) (2 U.S.C. 
     31b-5), is amended by striking ``step 1 of level 6'' and 
     inserting ``step 7 of level 11''.

                              JOINT ITEMS

       For Joint Committees, as follows:

                        Joint Economic Committee

       For salaries and expenses of the Joint Economic Committee, 
     $4,398,000, to be disbursed by the Secretary of the Senate.

                      Joint Committee on Taxation

       For salaries and expenses of the Joint Committee on 
     Taxation, $9,416,000, to be disbursed by the Chief 
     Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives.
       For other joint items, as follows:

                   Office of the Attending Physician

       For medical supplies, equipment, and contingent expenses of 
     the emergency rooms, and for the Attending Physician and his 
     assistants, including: (1) an allowance of $2,175 per month 
     to the Attending Physician; (2) an allowance of $725 per 
     month each to four medical officers while on duty in the 
     Office of the Attending Physician; (3) an allowance of $725 
     per month to two assistants and $580 per month each not to 
     exceed 11 assistants on the basis heretofore provided for 
     such assistants; and (4) $2,023,000 for reimbursement to the 
     Department of the Navy for expenses incurred for staff and 
     equipment assigned to the Office of the Attending Physician, 
     which shall be advanced and credited to the applicable 
     appropriation or appropriations from which such salaries, 
     allowances, and other expenses are payable and shall be 
     available for all the purposes thereof, $2,820,000, to be 
     disbursed by the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of 
     Representatives.

           Capitol Guide Service and Special Services Office

       For salaries and expenses of the Capitol Guide Service and 
     Special Services Office, $4,448,000, to be disbursed by the 
     Secretary of the Senate.

                      Statements of Appropriations

       For the preparation, under the direction of the Committees 
     on Appropriations of the Senate and the House of 
     Representatives, of the statements for the first session of 
     the 110th Congress, showing appropriations made, indefinite 
     appropriations, and contracts authorized, together with a 
     chronological history of the regular appropriations bills as 
     required by law, $30,000, to be paid to the persons 
     designated by the chairmen of such committees to supervise 
     the work.

                             CAPITOL POLICE


                                salaries

       For salaries of employees of the Capitol Police, including 
     overtime, hazardous duty pay differential, and Government 
     contributions for health, retirement, social security, 
     professional liability insurance, and other applicable 
     employee benefits, $224,500,000, to be disbursed by the Chief 
     of the Capitol Police or his designee.

[[Page H6987]]

                            general expenses

       For necessary expenses of the Capitol Police, including 
     motor vehicles, communications and other equipment, security 
     equipment and installation, uniforms, weapons, supplies, 
     materials, training, medical services, forensic services, 
     stenographic services, personal and professional services, 
     the employee assistance program, the awards program, postage, 
     communication services, travel advances, relocation of 
     instructor and liaison personnel for the Federal Law 
     Enforcement Training Center, and not more than $5,000 to be 
     expended on the certification of the Chief of the Capitol 
     Police in connection with official representation and 
     reception expenses, $61,500,000, of which $5,000,000 shall 
     remain available until expended for a radio modernization 
     program, to be disbursed by the Chief of the Capitol Police 
     or his designee: Provided, That, notwithstanding any other 
     provision of law, the cost of basic training for the Capitol 
     Police at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center for 
     fiscal year 2008 shall be paid by the Secretary of Homeland 
     Security from funds available to the Department of Homeland 
     Security.

                       Administrative Provisions


                     (including transfer of funds)

       Sec. 1001. Transfer Authority.--Amounts appropriated for 
     fiscal year 2008 for the Capitol Police may be transferred 
     between the headings ``salaries'' and ``general expenses'' 
     upon the approval of the Committees on Appropriations of the 
     House of Representatives and the Senate.
       Sec. 1002. Educational Assistance Program.--Section 908 of 
     the Emergency Supplemental Act, 2002 (2 U.S.C. 1926, Public 
     Law 107-117; 115 Stat. 2319), as amended, is further amended 
     in subsection (c) by striking ``$40,000'' and inserting 
     ``$60,000''.
       Sec. 1003. Advance Payments.--Notwithstanding any other 
     provision of law, the United States Capitol Police is 
     authorized to make advanced payments for obligations when it 
     has been determined that making such payments is in the best 
     interest of the government.

                          OFFICE OF COMPLIANCE

                         Salaries and Expenses

       For salaries and expenses of the Office of Compliance, as 
     authorized by section 305 of the Congressional Accountability 
     Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1385), $3,806,000, of which $780,000 
     shall remain available until September 30, 2009: Provided, 
     That the Executive Director of the Office of Compliance may, 
     within the limits of available appropriations, dispose of 
     surplus or obsolete personal property by interagency 
     transfer, donation, or discarding: Provided further, That not 
     more than $500 may be expended on the certification of the 
     Executive Director of the Office of Compliance in connection 
     with official representation and reception expenses.

                       Administrative Provisions

       Sec. 1101. Lump-Sum Payments.--(a) The Executive Director 
     of the Office of Compliance shall have the authority to make 
     lump-sum payments to reward exceptional performance by an 
     employee or a group of employees.
       (b) Subsection (a) shall apply with respect to fiscal years 
     beginning after September 30, 2007.
       Sec. 1102. Training Programs for Personnel. (a) In 
     General.--Chapter 41 of title 5, United States Code, is 
     amended by adding at the end the following new section:

     ``Sec. 4122. Training for employees of the Office of 
       Compliance

       ``(a) The Executive Director of the Office of Compliance 
     may, by regulation, make applicable such provisions of this 
     chapter as the Executive Director determines necessary to 
     provide for training of employees of the Office of 
     Compliance. The regulations shall provide for training which, 
     in the determination of the Executive Director, is consistent 
     with the training provided by agencies under the preceding 
     sections of this chapter.
       ``(b) The Director of the Office of Personnel Management 
     shall provide the Executive Director of the Office of 
     Compliance with such advice and assistance as the Executive 
     Director may request in order to enable the Executive 
     Director to carry out the purposes of this section.''.
       (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections for chapter 
     4122 of such title is amended by adding at the end the 
     following:

``4122. Training for employees of the Office of Compliance.''.

       Sec. 1103. Reimbursement.--(a) Section 415 of the 
     Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1415) is 
     amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
       ``(d) Reimbursement.--
       ``(1) Notification of payments made from account.--As soon 
     as practicable after the Executive Director is made aware 
     that a payment of an award or settlement under this chapter 
     has been made from the account described in subsection (a), 
     the Executive Director shall notify the head of the office to 
     which the payment is attributable that the payment has been 
     made, and shall include in the notification a statement of 
     the amount of the payment.
       ``(2) Reimbursement by office.--Not later than 180 days 
     after receiving a notification from the Executive Director 
     under paragraph (1), the head of the office involved shall 
     transfer to the account described in subsection (a), out of 
     any funds available for operating expenses of the office, a 
     payment equal to the amount specified in the notification.''.
       (b) The amendment made by subsection (a) shall apply with 
     respect to payments made under section 415 of the 
     Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 on or after the date 
     of the enactment of this Act.

                      CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE

                         Salaries and Expenses

       For salaries and expenses necessary for operation of the 
     Congressional Budget Office, including not more than $4,000 
     to be expended on the certification of the Director of the 
     Congressional Budget Office in connection with official 
     representation and reception expenses, $37,805,000.

                        ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL

                         General Administration

       For salaries for the Architect of the Capitol, and other 
     personal services, at rates of pay provided by law; for 
     surveys and studies in connection with activities under the 
     care of the Architect of the Capitol; for all necessary 
     expenses for the general and administrative support of the 
     operations under the Architect of the Capitol including the 
     Botanic Garden; electrical substations of the Capitol, Senate 
     and House office buildings, and other facilities under the 
     jurisdiction of the Architect of the Capitol; including 
     furnishings and office equipment; including not more than 
     $5,000 for official reception and representation expenses, to 
     be expended as the Architect of the Capitol may approve; for 
     purchase or exchange, maintenance, and operation of a 
     passenger motor vehicle, $81,733,000, of which $400,000 shall 
     remain available until September 30, 2012.

                            Capitol Building

       For all necessary expenses for the maintenance, care and 
     operation of the Capitol, $24,567,000, of which $8,790,000 
     shall remain available until September 30, 2012.

                            Capitol Grounds

       For all necessary expenses for care and improvement of 
     grounds surrounding the Capitol, the Senate and House office 
     buildings, and the Capitol Power Plant, $9,310,000, of which 
     $500,000 shall remain available until September 30, 2012.

                         House Office Buildings

       For all necessary expenses for the maintenance, care and 
     operation of the House office buildings, $66,151,000, of 
     which $25,400,000 shall remain available until September 30, 
     2012.

                          Capitol Power Plant

       For all necessary expenses for the maintenance, care and 
     operation of the Capitol Power Plant; lighting, heating, 
     power (including the purchase of electrical energy) and water 
     and sewer services for the Capitol, Senate and House office 
     buildings, Library of Congress buildings, and the grounds 
     about the same, Botanic Garden, Senate garage, and air 
     conditioning refrigeration not supplied from plants in any of 
     such buildings; heating the Government Printing Office and 
     Washington City Post Office, and heating and chilled water 
     for air conditioning for the Supreme Court Building, the 
     Union Station complex, the Thurgood Marshall Federal 
     Judiciary Building and the Folger Shakespeare Library, 
     expenses for which shall be advanced or reimbursed upon 
     request of the Architect of the Capitol and amounts so 
     received shall be deposited into the Treasury to the credit 
     of this appropriation, $83,017,000, of which $4,945,000 shall 
     remain available until September 30, 2012: Provided, That not 
     more than $8,000,000 of the funds credited or to be 
     reimbursed to this appropriation as herein provided shall be 
     available for obligation during fiscal year 2008.

                     Library Buildings and Grounds

       For all necessary expenses for the mechanical and 
     structural maintenance, care and operation of the Library 
     buildings and grounds, $31,638,000, of which $10,140,000 
     shall remain available until September 30, 2012.

            Capitol Police Buildings, Grounds, and Security

       For all necessary expenses for the maintenance, care and 
     operation of buildings, grounds and security enhancements of 
     the United States Capitol Police, wherever located, the 
     Alternate Computer Facility, and AOC security operations, 
     $16,109,000, of which $2,500,000 shall remain available until 
     September 30, 2012.

                             Botanic Garden

       For all necessary expenses for the maintenance, care and 
     operation of the Botanic Garden and the nurseries, buildings, 
     grounds, and collections; and purchase and exchange, 
     maintenance, repair, and operation of a passenger motor 
     vehicle; all under the direction of the Joint Committee on 
     the Library, $8,310,000: Provided, That of the amount made 
     available under this heading, the Architect may obligate and 
     expend such sums as may be necessary for the maintenance, 
     care and operation of the National Garden established under 
     section 307E of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 
     1989 (2 U.S.C. 2146), upon vouchers approved by the Architect 
     or a duly authorized designee.

                         Capitol Visitor Center

       For an additional amount for the Capitol Visitor Center 
     project, $20,000,000 to remain available until expended, and 
     in addition, $7,545,000 for Capitol Visitor Center operation 
     costs: Provided, That the Architect of the Capitol may not 
     obligate any of the funds which are made available for the 
     Capitol Visitor Center project without an obligation plan 
     approved by the Committees on

[[Page H6988]]

     Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the 
     Senate.

                       Administrative Provisions

       Sec. 1201. Rosa Parks Statue.--(a) Section 1(a) of Public 
     Law 109-116 (2 U.S.C. 2131a note) is amended by adding at the 
     end the following new sentence: ``The Joint Committee may 
     authorize the Architect of the Capitol to enter into the 
     agreement required under this subsection on its behalf, under 
     such terms and conditions as the Joint Committee may 
     require.''.
       (b) The amendment made by subsection (a) shall take effect 
     as if included in the enactment of Public Law 109-116.
       Sec. 1202. (a) Establishment of Office.--There is 
     established in the Office of the Architect of the Capitol the 
     Office of the Inspector General, headed by the Inspector 
     General of the Office of the Architect of the Capitol 
     (hereafter in this section referred to as the ``Inspector 
     General'').
       (b) Inspector General.--
       (1) Appointment.--The Inspector General shall be appointed 
     by the Architect of the Capitol, in consultation with the 
     Committee on House Administration of the House of 
     Representatives and the Committee on Rules and Administration 
     of the Senate, and shall be appointed without regard to 
     political affiliation and solely on the basis of integrity 
     and demonstrated ability in accounting, auditing, financial 
     analysis, law, management analysis, public administration, or 
     investigations.
       (2) Term of service.--The Inspector General shall serve for 
     a term of 5 years, and an individual serving as Inspector 
     General may be reappointed for not more than 2 additional 
     terms.
       (3) Removal.--The Inspector General may be removed from 
     office prior to the expiration of his term only by the 
     Architect of the Capitol. Upon such removal, the Architect 
     shall promptly communicate the reasons for the removal in 
     writing to the Committee on House Administration of the House 
     of Representatives and the Committee on Rules and 
     Administration of the Senate.
       (4) Salary.--The Inspector General shall be paid at an 
     annual rate equal to $1,500 less than the annual rate of pay 
     in effect for the Architect of the Capitol.
       (c) Duties.--
       (1) Applicability of duties of inspector general of 
     executive branch establishment.--The Inspector General shall 
     carry out the same duties and responsibilities with respect 
     to the Architect of the Capitol as an Inspector General of an 
     establishment carries out with respect to an establishment 
     under section 4 of the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 
     U.S.C. App. 4), under the same terms and conditions which 
     apply under such section.
       (2) Semiannual reports.--The Inspector General shall 
     prepare and submit semiannual reports summarizing the 
     activities of the Office of the Inspector General in the same 
     manner, and in accordance with the same deadlines, terms, and 
     conditions, as an Inspector General of an establishment under 
     section 5 of the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App. 
     5). For purposes of applying section 5 of such Act to the 
     Inspector General, the Architect of the Capitol shall be 
     considered the head of the establishment.
       (3) Investigations of complaints of employees.--
       (A) Authority.--The Inspector General may receive and 
     investigate complaints or information from an employee of the 
     Office of the Architect of the Capitol concerning the 
     possible existence of an activity constituting a violation of 
     law, rules, or regulations, or mismanagement, gross waste of 
     funds, abuse of authority, or a substantial and specific 
     danger to the public health and safety.
       (B) Nondisclosure.--The Inspector General shall not, after 
     receipt of a complaint or information from an employee, 
     disclose the identity of the employee without the consent of 
     the employee, unless the Inspector General determines such 
     disclosure is unavoidable during the course of the 
     investigation.
       (C) Prohibiting retaliation.--An employee of the Office of 
     the Architect of the Capitol who has authority to take, 
     direct others to take, recommend, or approve any personnel 
     action, shall not, with respect to such authority, take or 
     threaten to take any action against any employee as a 
     reprisal for making a complaint or disclosing information to 
     the Inspector General, unless the complaint was made or the 
     information disclosed with the knowledge that it was false or 
     with willful disregard for its truth or falsity.
       (4) Independence in carrying out duties.--Neither the 
     Architect of the Capitol nor any other employee of the Office 
     of the Architect of the Capitol may prevent or prohibit the 
     Inspector General from carrying out any of the duties or 
     responsibilities assigned to the Inspector General under this 
     section.
       (d) Powers.--
       (1) In general.--The Inspector General may exercise the 
     same authorities with respect to the Architect of the Capitol 
     as an Inspector General of an establishment may exercise with 
     respect to an establishment under section 6(a) of the 
     Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App. 6(a)), other 
     than paragraphs (7) and (8) of such section.
       (2) Staff.--
       (A) In general.--The Inspector General may appoint and fix 
     the pay of such personnel as the Inspector General considers 
     appropriate. Such personnel may be appointed without regard 
     to the provisions of title 5, United States Code, regarding 
     appointments in the competitive service, and may be paid 
     without regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter 
     III of chapter 53 of such title relating to classification 
     and General Schedule pay rates, except that no personnel of 
     the Office (other than the Inspector General) may be paid at 
     an annual rate greater than $500 less than the annual rate of 
     pay of the Inspector General under subsection (b)(4).
       (B) Experts and consultants.--The Inspector General may 
     procure temporary and intermittent services under section 
     3109 of title 5, United States Code, at rates not to exceed 
     the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay for 
     level IV of the Executive Schedule under section 5315 of such 
     title.
       (C) Independence in appointing staff.--No individual may 
     carry out any of the duties or responsibilities of the Office 
     unless the individual is appointed by the Inspector General, 
     or provides services procured by the Inspector General, 
     pursuant to this paragraph. Nothing in this subparagraph may 
     be construed to prohibit the Inspector General from entering 
     into a contract or other arrangement for the provision of 
     services under this section.
       (D) Applicability of architect of the capitol personnel 
     rules.--None of the regulations governing the appointment and 
     pay of employees of the Office of the Architect of the 
     Capitol shall apply with respect to the appointment and 
     compensation of the personnel of the Office, except to the 
     extent agreed to by the Inspector General. Nothing in the 
     previous sentence may be construed to affect subparagraphs 
     (A) through (C).
       (3) Equipment and supplies.--The Architect of the Capitol 
     shall provide the Office with appropriate and adequate office 
     space, together with such equipment, supplies, and 
     communications facilities and services as may be necessary 
     for the operation of the Office, and shall provide necessary 
     maintenance services for such office space and the equipment 
     and facilities located therein.
       (e) Transfer of Functions.--
       (1) Transfer.--To the extent that any office or entity in 
     the Office of the Architect of the Capitol prior to the 
     appointment of the first Inspector General under this section 
     carried out any of the duties and responsibilities assigned 
     to the Inspector General under this section, the functions of 
     such office or entity shall be transferred to the Office upon 
     the appointment of the first Inspector General under this 
     section.
       (2) No reduction in pay or benefits.--The transfer of the 
     functions of an office or entity to the Office under 
     paragraph (1) may not result in a reduction in the pay or 
     benefits of any employee of the office or entity, except to 
     the extent required under subsection (d)(2)(A).
       (f) Effective Date.--This section shall take effect on the 
     date of the enactment of this Act.
       Sec. 1203. Flexible Work Schedules.--For purposes of 
     subchapter II of chapter 61 of title 5, United States Code, 
     during fiscal year 2008 the Office of the Architect of the 
     Capitol shall be treated as an agency under section 6121(1) 
     of such title.
       Sec. 1204. Travel and Transportation.--(a) Section 5721 of 
     title 5, United States Code, is amended--
       (1) by redesignating subparagraphs (G) and (H) as 
     subparagraphs (H) and (I); and
       (2) by inserting after subparagraph (F) the following new 
     subparagraph:
       ``(G) the Architect of the Capitol;''.
       (b) Section 521(1)(B) of the National Energy Conservation 
     Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 8241(1)(B)) is amended by striking 
     ``(B) through (H)'' and inserting ``(B) through (I)''.
       Sec. 1205. Easements.--(a) Subject to subsection (e), the 
     Architect of the Capitol may grant easements upon such terms 
     and conditions as he considers advisable (including the 
     payment of monetary consideration) for rights-of-way over, 
     in, and upon the grounds of the United States Capitol or the 
     grounds of any other facility under the jurisdiction and 
     control of the Office of the Architect of the Capitol to any 
     person for--
       (1) railroad tracks;
       (2) gas, water, sewer, and oil pipe lines;
       (3) substations for electric power transmission lines and 
     pumping stations for gas, water, sewer, and oil pipe lines;
       (4) canals;
       (5) ditches;
       (6) flumes;
       (7) tunnels;
       (8) roads and streets;
       (9) poles and lines for the transmission or distribution of 
     electric power;
       (10) poles and lines for the transmission or distribution 
     of communications signals (including telephone and telegraph 
     signals) and structures and facilities for the transmission, 
     reception, and relay of such signals; and
       (11) any other purpose that the Architect considers 
     advisable.
       (b)(1) No easement granted under this section may include 
     more land than is necessary for the easement.
       (2) In lieu of, or in addition to, any monetary 
     consideration provided in exchange for granting of an 
     easement under this section, the Architect may accept in-kind 
     consideration with respect to the easement for--
       (A) maintenance, protection, alteration, repair, 
     improvement, or restoration (including environmental 
     restoration) of property or facilities which are subject to 
     or affected by the easement;

[[Page H6989]]

       (B) construction or acquisition of new facilities;
       (C) provision of other property or facilities;
       (D) support for facilities operation; and
       (E) provision of such other services as the Architect 
     considers appropriate.
       (c)(1) There is established in the Treasury a special 
     account for the Architect of the Capitol into which the 
     Architect shall deposit all of the funds which are paid as 
     consideration for the granting of easements under this 
     section, and all other proceeds received pursuant to the 
     granting of easements under this section.
       (2) Subject to paragraph (3), amounts in the special 
     account established under this subsection shall be available 
     to the Architect, in such amounts provided in appropriations 
     acts, for the following purposes:
       (A) The maintenance, protection, alteration, repair, 
     improvement, or restoration (including environmental 
     restoration) of property or facilities.
       (B) The construction or acquisition of new facilities.
       (C) Support for facilities operation.
       (3) Any amount paid as consideration for the granting of an 
     easement, or received pursuant to the granting of an 
     easement, which is deposited in the special account 
     established under this subsection may not be used by the 
     Architect for any purpose which is not related to the same 
     property or facility over which the easement was granted 
     unless such use is approved--
       (A) in the case of an amount paid as consideration for the 
     granting of an easement with respect to property under the 
     jurisdiction of the House of Representatives, by the 
     Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives;
       (B) in the case of an amount paid as consideration for the 
     granting of an easement with respect to property under the 
     jurisdiction of the Senate, by the Committee on 
     Appropriations of the Senate; and
       (C) in the case of an amount paid as consideration for the 
     granting of an easement with respect to any other property, 
     by the Committees on Appropriations of the House of 
     Representatives and the Senate.
       (d) The Architect of the Capitol may terminate all or part 
     of any easement granted under this section for--
       (1) failure to comply with the terms and conditions under 
     which the easement was granted;
       (2) nonuse of the easement for a two-year period; or
       (3) abandonment of the easement.
       (e) The Architect of the Capitol may grant an easement 
     under this section upon submission of written notice of the 
     intent to grant the easement (including notice of the amount 
     or type of consideration to be received in exchange for 
     granting the easement) to, and approval of the notice by--
       (1) in the case of an easement proposed to be granted with 
     respect to property under the jurisdiction of the House of 
     Representatives, the House Office Building Commission;
       (2) in the case of an easement proposed to be granted with 
     respect to property under the jurisdiction of the Senate, the 
     Committee on Rules and Administration of the Senate;
       (3) in the case of an easement proposed to be granted with 
     respect to any other property, the Committee on Rules and 
     Administration of the Senate and the House Office Building 
     Commission; and
       (4) in the case of an easement proposed to be granted with 
     respect to any other property, the Committee on House 
     Administration of the House of Representatives and the 
     Committee on Rules and Administration of the Senate.
       (f) This section shall apply with respect to fiscal year 
     2008 and each succeeding fiscal year.
       Sec. 1206. Design-Build Contracts.--(a) Notwithstanding any 
     other provision of law, the Architect of the Capitol may use 
     the two-phase selection procedures authorized in section 303M 
     of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 
     1949 (41 U.S.C. 253m) for entering into a contract for the 
     design and construction of a public building, facility, or 
     work in the same manner and under the same terms and 
     conditions as the head of an executive agency under such 
     section.
       (b) This section shall apply with respect to fiscal year 
     2008 and each succeeding fiscal year.
       Sec. 1207. Advance Payments.--During fiscal year 2008 and 
     each succeeding fiscal year, the Architect of the Capitol may 
     make payments in advance for obligations of the Office of the 
     Architect of the Capitol for subscription services if the 
     Architect determines it to be more prompt, efficient, or 
     economical to do so.
       Sec. 1208. Casualty and Other Insurance for Exhibits and 
     Works of Art.--(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of 
     law, the Architect of the Capitol may use funds made 
     available to the Office of the Architect of the Capitol 
     during a fiscal year to acquire insurance against the loss of 
     or damage to any exhibit or work of art which is loaned or 
     leased to the Architect for the United States Capitol, the 
     Capitol Visitor Center, or the Botanic Garden.
       (b) This section shall apply with respect to fiscal year 
     2008 and each succeeding fiscal year.
       Sec. 1209. CVC Maintenance.--Any expenses for the 
     maintenance of the Capitol Visitor Center shall be treated as 
     expenses for the maintenance of the Capitol under the heading 
     ``Architect of the Capitol, Capitol Building'', and shall be 
     subject to the same financial management and reporting 
     requirements applicable to amounts under such heading.
       Sec. 1210. Leasing Authority.--(a) Section 1102(b) of the 
     Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2004 (2 U.S.C. 
     1822(b)) is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``Committee on Rules and 
     Administration'' and inserting ``Committees on Appropriations 
     and Rules and Administration'';
       (2) in paragraph (2), by striking ``the House Office 
     Building Commission'' and inserting ``the Committee on 
     Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the House 
     Office Building Commission''; and
       (3) in paragraph (3), by striking the period at the end and 
     inserting ``, for space to be leased for any other entity 
     under subsection (a).''.
       (b) The amendments made by subsection (a) shall take effect 
     as if included in the enactment of the Legislative Branch 
     Appropriations Act, 2004.
       Sec. 1211. (a) The great hall of the Capitol Visitor Center 
     shall be known and designated as ``Emancipation Hall'', and 
     any reference to the hall in any law, rule, or regulation 
     shall be deemed to be a reference to Emancipation Hall.
       (b) This section shall apply with respect to fiscal year 
     2008 and each succeeding fiscal year.

                          LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

                         Salaries and Expenses

       For necessary expenses of the Library of Congress not 
     otherwise provided for, including development and maintenance 
     of the Library's catalogs; custody and custodial care of the 
     Library buildings; special clothing; cleaning, laundering and 
     repair of uniforms; preservation of motion pictures in the 
     custody of the Library; operation and maintenance of the 
     American Folklife Center in the Library; preparation and 
     distribution of catalog records and other publications of the 
     Library; hire or purchase of one passenger motor vehicle; and 
     expenses of the Library of Congress Trust Fund Board not 
     properly chargeable to the income of any trust fund held by 
     the Board, $401,000,000, of which not more than $6,000,000 
     shall be derived from collections credited to this 
     appropriation during fiscal year 2008, and shall remain 
     available until expended, under the Act of June 28, 1902 
     (chapter 1301; 32 Stat. 480; 2 U.S.C. 150) and not more than 
     $350,000 shall be derived from collections during fiscal year 
     2008 and shall remain available until expended for the 
     development and maintenance of an international legal 
     information database and activities related thereto: 
     Provided, That the Library of Congress may not obligate or 
     expend any funds derived from collections under the Act of 
     June 28, 1902, in excess of the amount authorized for 
     obligation or expenditure in appropriations Acts: Provided 
     further, That the total amount available for obligation shall 
     be reduced by the amount by which collections are less than 
     $6,350,000: Provided further, That of the total amount 
     appropriated, $16,451,000 shall remain available until 
     expended for the partial acquisition of books, periodicals, 
     newspapers, and all other materials including subscriptions 
     for bibliographic services for the Library, including $40,000 
     to be available solely for the purchase, when specifically 
     approved by the Librarian, of special and unique materials 
     for additions to the collections: Provided further, That of 
     the total amount appropriated, not more than $12,000 may be 
     expended, on the certification of the Librarian of Congress, 
     in connection with official representation and reception 
     expenses for the Overseas Field Offices: Provided further, 
     That of the total amount appropriated, $4,010,000 shall 
     remain available until expended for the digital collections 
     and educational curricula program: Provided further, That of 
     the total amount appropriated, $600,000 shall remain 
     available until expended, and shall be transferred to the 
     Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission for carrying out the 
     purposes of Public Law 106-173, of which $10,000 may be used 
     for official representation and reception expenses of the 
     Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission: Provided further, 
     That of the total amount appropriated, $6,500,000 shall 
     remain available until expended for the National Digital 
     Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program.

                            Copyright Office

                         Salaries and Expenses

       For necessary expenses of the Copyright Office, 
     $49,827,000, of which not more than $29,826,000, to remain 
     available until expended, shall be derived from collections 
     credited to this appropriation during fiscal year 2008 under 
     section 708(d) of title 17, United States Code: Provided, 
     That $10,000,000 shall be derived from prior year unobligated 
     balances: Provided further, That the Copyright Office may not 
     obligate or expend any funds derived from collections under 
     such section, in excess of the amount authorized for 
     obligation or expenditure in appropriations Acts: Provided 
     further, That not more than $4,398,000 shall be derived from 
     collections during fiscal year 2008 under sections 111(d)(2), 
     119(b)(2), 803(e), 1005, and 1316 of such title: Provided 
     further, That the total amount available for obligation shall 
     be reduced by the amount by which collections and unobligated 
     balances are less than $44,224,000: Provided further, That 
     not more than $100,000 of the amount appropriated is 
     available for the maintenance of an ``International Copyright 
     Institute'' in the Copyright Office of the Library of 
     Congress for

[[Page H6990]]

     the purpose of training nationals of developing countries in 
     intellectual property laws and policies: Provided further, 
     That not more than $4,250 may be expended, on the 
     certification of the Librarian of Congress, in connection 
     with official representation and reception expenses for 
     activities of the International Copyright Institute and for 
     copyright delegations, visitors, and seminars: Provided 
     further, That notwithstanding any provision of chapter 8 of 
     title 17, United States Code, any amounts made available 
     under this heading which are attributable to royalty fees and 
     payments received by the Copyright Office pursuant to 
     sections 111, 119, and chapter 10 of such title may be used 
     for the costs incurred in the administration of the Copyright 
     Royalty Judges program, with the exception of the costs of 
     salaries and benefits for the Copyright Royalty Judges and 
     staff under section 802(e).

                     Congressional Research Service


                         salaries and expenses

       For necessary expenses to carry out the provisions of 
     section 203 of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 
     U.S.C. 166) and to revise and extend the Annotated 
     Constitution of the United States of America, $104,518,000: 
     Provided, That no part of such amount may be used to pay any 
     salary or expense in connection with any publication, or 
     preparation of material therefor (except the Digest of Public 
     General Bills), to be issued by the Library of Congress 
     unless such publication has obtained prior approval of either 
     the Committee on House Administration of the House of 
     Representatives or the Committee on Rules and Administration 
     of the Senate.

             Books for the Blind and Physically Handicapped


                         salaries and expenses

       For salaries and expenses to carry out the Act of March 3, 
     1931 (chapter 400; 46 Stat. 1487; 2 U.S.C. 135a), 
     $67,741,000, of which $20,704,000 shall remain available 
     until expended: Provided, That of the total amount 
     appropriated, $650,000 shall remain available until expended 
     for telecommunications services for the blind.

                       Administrative Provisions

       Sec. 1301. Incentive Awards Program.--Of the amounts 
     appropriated to the Library of Congress in this Act, not more 
     than $5,000 may be expended, on the certification of the 
     Librarian of Congress, in connection with official 
     representation and reception expenses for the incentive 
     awards program.
       Sec. 1302. Reimbursable and Revolving Fund Activities. (a) 
     In General.--For fiscal year 2008, the obligational authority 
     of the Library of Congress for the activities described in 
     subsection (b) may not exceed $122,529,000.
       (b) Activities.--The activities referred to in subsection 
     (a) are reimbursable and revolving fund activities that are 
     funded from sources other than appropriations to the Library 
     in appropriations Acts for the legislative branch.
       (c) Transfer of Funds.--During fiscal year 2008, the 
     Librarian of Congress may temporarily transfer funds 
     appropriated in this Act, under the heading ``LIBRARY OF 
     CONGRESS'' under the subheading ``Salaries and Expenses'' to 
     the revolving fund for the FEDLINK Program and the Federal 
     Research Program established under section 103 of the Library 
     of Congress Fiscal Operations Improvement Act of 2000 (Public 
     Law 106-481; 2 U.S.C. 182c): Provided, That the total amount 
     of such transfers may not exceed $1,900,000: Provided 
     further, That the appropriate revolving fund account shall 
     reimburse the Library for any amounts transferred to it 
     before the period of availability of the Library 
     appropriation expires.
       Sec. 1303. Audit Requirement.--Section 207(e) of the 
     Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1998 (2 U.S.C. 182(e)) 
     is amended to read as follows:
       ``(e) Audit.--The revolving fund shall be subject to audit 
     by the Comptroller General at the Comptroller General's 
     discretion.''.
       Sec. 1304. Transfer Authority.--Amounts appropriated for 
     fiscal year 2008 for the Library of Congress may be 
     transferred between any of the headings for which the amounts 
     are appropriated upon the approval of the Committees on 
     Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the 
     Senate.

                       GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

                   Congressional Printing and Binding


                     (including transfer of funds)

       For authorized printing and binding for the Congress and 
     the distribution of Congressional information in any format; 
     printing and binding for the Architect of the Capitol; 
     expenses necessary for preparing the semimonthly and session 
     index to the Congressional Record, as authorized by law 
     (section 902 of title 44, United States Code); printing and 
     binding of Government publications authorized by law to be 
     distributed to Members of Congress; and printing, binding, 
     and distribution of Government publications authorized by law 
     to be distributed without charge to the recipient, 
     $87,892,000: Provided, That this appropriation shall not be 
     available for paper copies of the permanent edition of the 
     Congressional Record for individual Representatives, Resident 
     Commissioners or Delegates authorized under section 906 of 
     title 44, United States Code: Provided further, That this 
     appropriation shall be available for the payment of 
     obligations incurred under the appropriations for similar 
     purposes for preceding fiscal years: Provided further, That 
     notwithstanding the 2-year limitation under section 718 of 
     title 44, United States Code, none of the funds appropriated 
     or made available under this Act or any other Act for 
     printing and binding and related services provided to 
     Congress under chapter 7 of title 44, United States Code, may 
     be expended to print a document, report, or publication after 
     the 27-month period beginning on the date that such document, 
     report, or publication is authorized by Congress to be 
     printed, unless Congress reauthorizes such printing in 
     accordance with section 718 of title 44, United States Code: 
     Provided further, That any unobligated or unexpended balances 
     in this account or accounts for similar purposes for 
     preceding fiscal years may be transferred to the Government 
     Printing Office revolving fund for carrying out the purposes 
     of this heading, subject to the approval of the Committees on 
     Appropriations of the House of Representatives and Senate.

                 Office of Superintendent of Documents


                         salaries and expenses

                     (including transfer of funds)

       For expenses of the Office of Superintendent of Documents 
     necessary to provide for the cataloging and indexing of 
     Government publications and their distribution to the public, 
     Members of Congress, other Government agencies, and 
     designated depository and international exchange libraries as 
     authorized by law, $35,434,000: Provided, That amounts of not 
     more than $2,000,000 from current year appropriations are 
     authorized for producing and disseminating Congressional 
     serial sets and other related publications for fiscal years 
     2006 and 2007 to depository and other designated libraries: 
     Provided further, That any unobligated or unexpended balances 
     in this account or accounts for similar purposes for 
     preceding fiscal years may be transferred to the Government 
     Printing Office revolving fund for carrying out the purposes 
     of this heading, subject to the approval of the Committees on 
     Appropriations of the House of Representatives and Senate.

               Government Printing Office Revolving Fund

       For payment to the Government Printing Office Revolving 
     Fund, $2,450,000 for workforce retraining and restructuring, 
     information technology development, infrastructure, and 
     facilities repair: Provided, That the Government Printing 
     Office may make such expenditures, within the limits of funds 
     available and in accordance with law, and to make such 
     contracts and commitments without regard to fiscal year 
     limitations as provided by section 9104 of title 31, United 
     States Code, as may be necessary in carrying out the programs 
     and purposes set forth in the budget for the current fiscal 
     year for the Government Printing Office revolving fund: 
     Provided further, That not more than $5,000 may be expended 
     on the certification of the Public Printer in connection with 
     official representation and reception expenses: Provided 
     further, That the revolving fund shall be available for the 
     hire or purchase of not more than 12 passenger motor 
     vehicles: Provided further, That expenditures in connection 
     with travel expenses of the advisory councils to the Public 
     Printer shall be deemed necessary to carry out the provisions 
     of title 44, United States Code: Provided further, That the 
     revolving fund shall be available for temporary or 
     intermittent services under section 3109(b) of title 5, 
     United States Code, but at rates for individuals not more 
     than the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay for 
     level V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of such 
     title: Provided further, That activities financed through the 
     revolving fund may provide information in any format: 
     Provided further, That the revolving fund and the funds 
     provided under the headings ``Office of Superintendent of 
     Documents'' and ``salaries and expenses'' may not be used for 
     contracted security services at the GPO passport facility.

                    GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE

                         Salaries and Expenses

       For necessary expenses of the Government Accountability 
     Office, including not more than $12,500 to be expended on the 
     certification of the Comptroller General of the United States 
     in connection with official representation and reception 
     expenses; temporary or intermittent services under section 
     3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, but at rates for 
     individuals not more than the daily equivalent of the annual 
     rate of basic pay for level IV of the Executive Schedule 
     under section 5315 of such title; hire of one passenger motor 
     vehicle; advance payments in foreign countries in accordance 
     with section 3324 of title 31, United States Code; benefits 
     comparable to those payable under sections 901(5), (6), and 
     (8) of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 4081(5), 
     (6), and (8)); and under regulations prescribed by the 
     Comptroller General of the United States, rental of living 
     quarters in foreign countries, $503,328,000: Provided, That 
     not more than $5,413,000 of payments received under section 
     782 of title 31, United States Code, shall be available for 
     use in fiscal year 2008: Provided further, That not more than 
     $2,097,000 of reimbursements received under section 9105 of 
     title 31, United States Code, shall be available for use in 
     fiscal year 2008: Provided further, That of the total amount 
     provided $2,500,000 shall remain available until expended for 
     technology assessment studies: Provided further, That this 
     appropriation and appropriations for administrative expenses 
     of any other department or agency which is a member of the 
     National Intergovernmental Audit Forum or a Regional 
     Intergovernmental Audit Forum shall

[[Page H6991]]

     be available to finance an appropriate share of either 
     Forum's costs as determined by the respective Forum, 
     including necessary travel expenses of non-Federal 
     participants: Provided further, That payments hereunder to 
     the Forum may be credited as reimbursements to any 
     appropriation from which costs involved are initially 
     financed.

                        Administrative Provision

       Sec. 1401. Annuity of the Comptroller General.--(a) Section 
     772 of title 31, United States Code, is repealed.
       (b) Title 31, United States Code, is amended as follows:
       (1) In section 735(a), by striking ``772, 775(a) and (d)'' 
     and inserting ``or 775(b)''.
       (2) In the second sentence of section 773(a), by striking 
     ``or, if an election is made'' and all that follows and 
     inserting a period.
       (3) In section 774(b)(2), by striking ``or while receiving 
     an annuity under section 772 of this title''.
       (4) In section 775--
       (A) by striking subsections (a) and (b) and redesignating 
     subsections (c) through (f) as subsections (a) through (d);
       (B) in subsection (a) (as so redesignated)--
       (i) by striking ``sections 772 and 773'' and inserting 
     ``section 773'', and
       (ii) by striking ``subsection (d)'' and inserting 
     ``subsection (b)'';
       (C) in subsection (c) (as so redesignated), by striking 
     ``subsection (c) or (d)'' and inserting ``subsection (a) or 
     (b)''; and
       (D) in subsection (d) (as so redesignated)--
       (i) by striking ``sections 772 and 773'' and inserting 
     ``section 773'', and
       (ii) by striking ``subsection (d)'' and inserting 
     ``subsection (b)''.
       (5) In section 776(d)(1), by striking ``section 775(d)'' 
     and inserting ``section 775(b)''.
       (6) In section 777(b), by striking the first sentence.
       (c) The table of sections for subchapter V of chapter 7 of 
     subtitle I of title 31, United States Code, is amended by 
     striking the item relating to section 772.
       (d) The amendments made by this section shall apply with 
     respect to any individual who is appointed as Comptroller 
     General after the date of the enactment of this Act.

                OPEN WORLD LEADERSHIP CENTER TRUST FUND

       For a payment to the Open World Leadership Center Trust 
     Fund for financing activities of the Open World Leadership 
     Center under section 313 of the Legislative Branch 
     Appropriations Act, 2001 (2 U.S.C. 1151), $6,000,000.

                        Administrative Provision

       Sec. 1501. (a) Transfer of Open World Leadership Center to 
     Department of State.--On October 1, 2008, there shall be 
     transferred (1) to the Department of State, the Open World 
     Leadership Center established by section 313 of the 
     Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2001 (2 U.S.C. 1151) 
     and all functions, personnel, assets, and obligations of the 
     Center; and (2) to the Secretary of State, all authority of 
     the Board of Trustees and the Library of Congress under such 
     section 313.
       (b) Maintenance as Distinct Entity.--Following the transfer 
     under subsection (a), the Open World Leadership Center shall 
     be maintained as a distinct entity within the Department of 
     State and, except as otherwise provided in this section, the 
     provisions of section 313 of the Legislative Branch 
     Appropriations Act, 2001 (2 U.S.C. 1151) shall continue to 
     apply to the Center.
       (c) Consultation.--The Secretary of State shall consult 
     with the Board of Trustees of the Open World Leadership 
     Center to plan and implement the transfer required by 
     subsection (a).

   JOHN C. STENNIS CENTER FOR PUBLIC SERVICE TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

       For payment to the John C. Stennis Center for Public 
     Service Development Trust Fund established under section 116 
     of the John C. Stennis Center for Public Service Training and 
     Development Act (2 U.S.C. 1105), $430,000.

                      TITLE II--GENERAL PROVISIONS

       Sec. 201. Maintenance and Care of Private Vehicles.--No 
     part of the funds appropriated in this Act shall be used for 
     the maintenance or care of private vehicles, except for 
     emergency assistance and cleaning as may be provided under 
     regulations relating to parking facilities for the House of 
     Representatives issued by the Committee on House 
     Administration and for the Senate issued by the Committee on 
     Rules and Administration.
       Sec. 202. Fiscal Year Limitation.--No part of the funds 
     appropriated in this Act shall remain available for 
     obligation beyond fiscal year 2008 unless expressly so 
     provided in this Act.
       Sec. 203. Rates of Compensation and Designation.--Whenever 
     in this Act any office or position not specifically 
     established by the Legislative Pay Act of 1929 (46 Stat. 32 
     et seq.) is appropriated for or the rate of compensation or 
     designation of any office or position appropriated for is 
     different from that specifically established by such Act, the 
     rate of compensation and the designation in this Act shall be 
     the permanent law with respect thereto: Provided, That the 
     provisions in this Act for the various items of official 
     expenses of Members, officers, and committees of the Senate 
     and House of Representatives, and clerk hire for Senators and 
     Members of the House of Representatives shall be the 
     permanent law with respect thereto.
       Sec. 204. Consulting Services.--The expenditure of any 
     appropriation under this Act for any consulting service 
     through procurement contract, under section 3109 of title 5, 
     United States Code, shall be limited to those contracts where 
     such expenditures are a matter of public record and available 
     for public inspection, except where otherwise provided under 
     existing law, or under existing Executive order issued under 
     existing law.
       Sec. 205. Awards and Settlements.--Such sums as may be 
     necessary are appropriated to the account described in 
     subsection (a) of section 415 of the Congressional 
     Accountability Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1415(a)) to pay awards 
     and settlements as authorized under such subsection.
       Sec. 206. Costs of LBFMC.--Amounts available for 
     administrative expenses of any legislative branch entity 
     which participates in the Legislative Branch Financial 
     Managers Council (LBFMC) established by charter on March 26, 
     1996, shall be available to finance an appropriate share of 
     LBFMC costs as determined by the LBFMC, except that the total 
     LBFMC costs to be shared among all participating legislative 
     branch entities (in such allocations among the entities as 
     the entities may determine) may not exceed $2,000.
       Sec. 207. Landscape Maintenance.--The Architect of the 
     Capitol, in consultation with the District of Columbia, is 
     authorized to maintain and improve the landscape features, 
     excluding streets and sidewalks, in the irregular shaped 
     grassy areas bounded by Washington Avenue, SW on the 
     northeast, Second Street SW on the west, Square 582 on the 
     south, and the beginning of the I-395 tunnel on the 
     southeast.
       Sec. 208. Limitation on Transfers.--None of the funds made 
     available in this Act may be transferred to any department, 
     agency, or instrumentality of the United States Government, 
     except pursuant to a transfer made by, or transfer authority 
     provided in, this Act or any other appropriation Act.
       This Act may be cited as the ``Legislative Branch 
     Appropriations Act, 2008''.

  The CHAIRMAN. No amendment to the bill shall be in order except those 
printed in House Report 110-201. Each amendment may be offered only in 
the order printed in the report, by a Member designated in the report, 
shall be considered read, shall be debatable for the time specified in 
the report, equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an 
opponent, shall not be subject to amendment, and shall not be subject 
to a demand for division of the question.


        Amendment No. 1 Offered by Mr. Inglis of South Carolina

  The CHAIRMAN. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 1 printed 
in House Report 110-201.
  Mr. INGLIS of South Carolina. Madam Chairman, I offer an amendment.
  The CHAIRMAN. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
  The text of the amendment is as follows:

       Amendment No. 1 offered by Mr. Inglis of South Carolina:
       At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the 
     following:
       Sec. ___. None of the funds made available in this Act may 
     be used to purchase light bulbs unless the light bulbs have 
     the ``ENERGY STAR'' or ``Federal Energy Management Program'' 
     designation.

  The CHAIRMAN. Pursuant to House Resolution 502, the gentleman from 
South Carolina (Mr. Inglis) and a Member opposed each will control 5 
minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from South Carolina.
  Mr. INGLIS of South Carolina. I thank the gentlelady.
  I rise with the support of several Members of this amendment. The 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Lipinski), the gentlelady from California 
(Ms. Harman), and the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Upton) and I are 
offering an amendment that would require that light bulbs purchased in 
the Leg Branch appropriations would comply with the ENERGY STAR and 
Federal Energy Management Program identifications. The idea here is to 
save some money easily and to save a lot of energy, and of course 
energy is money.
  Most Americans are still using, and most of the light bulbs in my 
house are incandescent bulbs that Thomas Edison invented more than 100 
years ago. But only 10 percent of the energy of those light bulbs turns 
out to be light; 90 percent is wasted as heat. So we've got something 
better. And like many, I'm switching to CFLs. Those lights provide much 
more efficient lighting. And it's amazing to think that if every 
American just switched one incandescent bulb to an energy-efficient 
alternative, we would collectively save more than $8 billion in energy 
costs, prevent the burning of 300 billion pounds of coal, and remove 2 
million cars' worth of greenhouse gas emissions from our atmosphere.

[[Page H6992]]

  This small step in this amendment is part of something else that Mr. 
Lipinski and I are working on, which is a Bulb Replacement in 
Government and High Efficiency Technology, BRIGHT we call it, Energy 
Savings Act, along with Representative Harman, that would require GSA 
to replace burned out light bulbs with more efficient options like 
compact fluorescent lighting.
  The BRIGHT Act has 82 cosponsors, and we look forward to its 
adoption. This amendment is a good step toward that goal.
  Madam Chair, I am happy to yield to the gentlelady from California 
(Ms. Harman).
  Ms. HARMAN. I thank the gentleman for yielding, and commend him for 
the role that he is playing on a bipartisan basis to assure that 
existing standards, the ENERGY STAR standards and the Federal Energy 
Management Program standards are adhered to. This effort that we're 
making on every appropriations bill will ensure that our practice 
complies with our law.
  I agree with him that CFLs offer much more efficiency. There are also 
LEDs. And hopefully the incandescent bulb makers in America will adjust 
their own manufacturing so that they produce efficient light bulbs as 
well.
  Another bill that we're all cosponsoring that's pending in the Energy 
Subcommittee of Energy and Commerce will provide incentives to U.S. 
manufacturers to produce more efficient lighting and set proper goals.
  Finally, I want to say that bipartisanship has been hailed all 
morning. It takes 270 Members of Congress and 60 Members of the Senate 
and hopefully one willing President to change the light bulb policy, 
and I think we're proceeding that way this morning.
  Mr. INGLIS of South Carolina. Madam Chair, I yield to the gentleman 
from Michigan (Mr. Upton).
  Mr. UPTON. I would just like to compliment the gentleman for his 
leadership on this issue, Mr. Lipinski and Ms. Harman. We are seeing 
efforts move. And we've learned already that if everyone did this 
across the country, we would save 65 billion kilowatts of energy, which 
is the equivalent of 80 coal-fired plants. Obviously this is something 
we want the Federal Government to do.
  I compliment Chairman Obey and Ranking Member Lewis on the floor for 
allowing us to proceed without a lot of debate, knowing that we have 
strong support for this. I look forward to having this adopted.
  Mr. WAMP. Will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. INGLIS of South Carolina. I would be happy to yield to the 
gentleman from Tennessee.
  Mr. WAMP. I just want to commend the authors, commend the ENERGY STAR 
Program. This is the kind of greening initiative that actually 
resonates. We will accept the amendment.
  Mr. INGLIS of South Carolina. Madam Chair, we appreciate very much 
the committee's willingness to accept this amendment. It is a good step 
forward.
  Mr. MICA. Will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. INGLIS of South Carolina. I yield to the gentleman from Florida.
  Mr. MICA. Madam Chair, I'm pleased to see we're doing something about 
this, but the Members should be aware of the procedure in the House of 
trying to change a light bulb. I tried to change one. It took filling 
out forms. This is to get an energy efficient one. Then two people 
appeared several days later, one with a form, one with a light bulb; an 
incredible waste of time, energy and taxpayer money to put in one 
fluorescent light bulb. I hope the procedure improves in the House.
  Mr. INGLIS of South Carolina. I agree with the gentleman. I certainly 
hope that we can improve that procedure.
  In the meantime, we're improving the bulbs, making us more energy 
efficient here in the Capitol, and hopefully throughout these 
appropriations bills in this season.
  Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Chair, I ask unanimous consent to claim 
the time in opposition even though I am supportive of the amendment.
  The CHAIRMAN. Without objection, the gentlewoman from Florida is 
recognized for 5 minutes.
  There was no objection.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Chair, very briefly, I fully support 
this amendment and appreciate the bipartisan cooperation that was 
endeavored in moving it forward.
  I do want to express some concern about how the light bulbs will be 
adapted to the historical lighting that we have in this facility, in 
the Capitol complex.
  I look forward to working with the sponsors of the amendment as we 
move this legislation through conference to ensure that that occurs.
  Ms. HARMAN. Will the gentlewoman yield?
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. I would be happy to yield to the gentlewoman 
from California.
  Ms. HARMAN. We do have language in our bill that I just described, 
the one pending in the Energy and Commerce Committee to exempt 
historical lighting from the new goals. Hopefully we can invent light 
bulbs for historical lighting that are more efficient too, but we're 
trying to be reasonable here.
  In response to earlier comments by Mr. Peterson, the goal is to help 
the domestic industry be able to produce efficient lighting. And the 
goal is also to set tough enough standards so that we save the enormous 
amount of energy that Mr. Upton was just mentioning.
  Mr. UPTON. Will the gentlewoman yield?
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. I am happy to yield to the gentleman from 
Michigan.
  Mr. UPTON. We just want to be on the record for this. Working with 
the Parliamentarians to make sure that the amendment is germane, we 
were not able to use the words ``or equivalent'' when we said ``ENERGY 
STAR or equivalent.'' We would like to see that happen in the 
conference, but we know that that is legislating on an appropriation 
bill.
  We would also like to have a provision for historical lighting. 
Again, that needs to happen in conference, it cannot happen on the 
House floor, and that's why we proceeded in that way. We look forward 
to working with all parties to make sure those concerns are addressed.
  Mr. INGLIS of South Carolina. Will the gentlewoman yield?
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Reclaiming my time, I would be happy to yield 
to the gentleman from South Carolina.
  Mr. INGLIS of South Carolina. I think that, as Ms. Harman just 
pointed out and as the Chair of the committee has pointed out, there 
are some issues involving the aesthetics. You've got to choose the 
right light bulb, that's for sure. We've heard some discussion this 
morning about how they glow moon glow, or whatever. Well, if you pick 
the wrong kind, they do glow moon glow. I've got some in my garage, and 
it's a really freaky kind of look in there. But I've got some in the 
house that look yellow and nice.
  So you've got to pick the right bulbs. And of course in the 
historical context we have to pick the right bulbs. And we do have to 
deal with the recycling of these. Just like we don't have a sufficient 
program for recycling lead batteries around, we toss those in the 
trash, we have a problem with the mercury in these. But we can get 
there. We start by saving an awful lot of money and a lot of energy.

                              {time}  1200

  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. I yield to the gentlewoman from California.
  Ms. HARMAN. Madam Chairman, I did not mention earlier and would like 
to say that the Speaker's initiative, her Green Initiative, does also 
address this issue of trying to move away from inefficient incandescent 
bulbs. One more time, our goal would be to make incandescent bulbs, as 
well as other bulbs, more efficient.
  We are not choosing winners in this effort. But surely, everyone must 
understand that it takes 18 seconds to change a light bulb. This is 
something all of us can do quite quickly, except you have to comply 
with the House procedures that we just heard about.
  I am very excited about the notion that we are setting an example in 
this House and in this Congress about more efficient lighting.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. I look forward to working with all of my 
colleagues and Mr. Wamp as we move through the conference process and 
commend them, as well as Speaker

[[Page H6993]]

Pelosi, for including the shifting from the light bulbs we use now to 
energy-efficient and environmentally friendly light bulbs as part of 
the initiative of the greening of the Capitol.
  I yield back my time.
  The CHAIRMAN. The question is on the amendment offered by the 
gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Inglis).
  The amendment was agreed to.


                  Amendment No. 2 offered by Mr. Flake

  The CHAIRMAN. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 2 printed 
in House Report 110-201.
  Mr. FLAKE. Madam Chairman, I offer an amendment.
  The CHAIRMAN. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
  The text of the amendment is as follows:
       Amendment No. 2 offered by Mr. Flake:
       In the item relating to ``Government Printing Office--
     Congressional Printing and Binding'', insert after the dollar 
     amount the following: ``(reduced by $3,200,000)''.

  The CHAIRMAN. Pursuant to House Resolution 502, the gentleman from 
Arizona (Mr. Flake) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arizona.
  Mr. FLAKE. I thank the Chair.
  I brought with me today a stack of Congressional Records. All of us 
are familiar with these. We used to use them quite a bit, but today not 
so much. Today most of us just simply go on the computer and have a 
searchable version that is much faster, searchable back to 1989. With 
the click of a button, you can find what you are looking for. So we 
don't use these as much. Unfortunately, we haven't caught up with the 
times.
  These are just a few of the thousands and thousands that are 
delivered that are never read. This was just from one office, the 
Legislative Research Center in the Cannon Building near my office. 
These are those that are just going to be thrown away today. One office 
that collects a few of these will throw these away just today.
  This year alone these records will cost the American taxpayer over 
$25 million. Recently my office did an informal survey of about 100 
offices. We went in and said, ``What do you do with the Congressional 
Record that comes?'' Virtually all of them, nearly every one of those 
100 offices, said, ``We throw them away. We wish they would stop 
delivering them.'' We had some offices say that they had requested that 
they stop being delivered. They are still delivered.
  So they stack up. They are thrown away. They fill up landfills. I 
believe the figure is something like 57 tons of paper each year are 
thrown away just here.
  Before the Congressional Record was put on line, as I mentioned, they 
were useful, but they are not now. We obviously do have to have some 
paper copies. We simply don't need so many.
  Our amendment would simply do this, and I should add, this amendment 
was offered by myself and Mr. Blumenauer 2 years ago and was accepted 
by the then majority. It was simply taken out in the conference. I 
think we would do well to accept it again today.
  This amendment would simply save $3.2 million annually by instructing 
the Government Printing Office to print only half as many copies. Today 
only 5,600 are printed. Half would do us just fine. That amendment 
would not reduce the funding for preparation, data collection or other 
aspects of the Record. It would simply reduce the ink-and-paper copies 
for half of what we print. So those who might oppose this amendment 
might say that it is going to cut deep and cut personal and others. It 
won't as long as fewer records are printed. The costs will go down.
  This is simply a good way to save taxpayer money. It will show the 
country that we are interested ourselves in cleaning up our own house, 
making sure that we move ahead in a fiscally responsible manner.
  Mr. WAMP. Will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. FLAKE. I yield to the gentleman from Tennessee.
  Mr. WAMP. I thank the gentleman.
  You know, when we were in the majority, we supported and accepted 
this approach. I believe this is part, or should be part, of the 
Speaker's Green the Capitol Initiative. This is a lot of trees. It is a 
space efficiency issue. They are storing all this paper. It is a 
government efficiency issue.
  Why don't we, Madam Chair, just accept this amendment, as we have in 
previous years, address this issue in conference, move right along and 
get Members on their way this afternoon?
  I thank the gentleman for offering this amendment. I certainly 
support it.
  Mr. FLAKE. I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Chair, I claim the time in opposition.
  The CHAIRMAN. The gentlewoman from Florida is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Chair, I rise in opposition to this 
amendment for a number of reasons.
  While I support the gentleman, who is from the same generation that I 
am, in his endeavor to make sure that we can communicate and receive 
information in an electronic format, the approach that the gentleman is 
taking is absolutely inappropriate and won't accomplish his goal.
  We have crafted a tight and fiscally responsible bill. As I outlined 
in general debate, we have held the bill to a 4.1 percent increase. We 
actually held it to $276 million below the total request.
  In their traditional views, the minority agreed. They said that, on 
balance, the funding provided in this bill to operate the legislative 
branch agencies is fiscally responsible. This amendment would add to 
existing shortfalls. It would add to what is already a growing funding 
shortfall in this account.
  To be fiscally responsible, we have had to make some tough choices, 
including funding levels for GPO. The bill already, our colleagues 
should know, holds congressional printing and binding $62,000 below 
what was provided in fiscal year 2007. GPO is expecting an $8 million 
shortfall in this account in fiscal year 2007 in addition to a $3 
million shortfall in fiscal year 2006. These shortfalls are due to the 
flat funding provided to this account since fiscal year 2007, in spite 
of increasing costs and workloads. These shortfalls will continue in 
fiscal year 2008. Eventually they are going to have to be paid.
  This amendment would make that situation even worse. Most of the 
appropriation for congressional printing and binding goes towards 
Congress' printing requirements. I want to point out that the gentleman 
is incorrect when he states that there is a statute. While there is a 
statutory number in the Code that the GPO is told to print, they only 
print the number that is requisitioned. In other words, they only 
print, on a daily basis, the number that they are asked for. We have a 
deficit in the account that allows them to print the number that is 
asked for. GPO has no control over those requirements. It's required by 
law to produce the information.
  If the gentleman is concerned about the number of printed materials 
being produced, he should take it up with the authorizing committee, 
the Joint Committee on Printing, and seek reductions in the amount of 
material that GPO is required to print in the Code.
  Simply gratuitously cutting out and leaving people with the 
impression that we are doing something, when we are not, and all we are 
doing here is cutting $3.2 million when GPO will still be required to 
print the Code, is the wrong approach. The suggestion that this 
amendment was accepted previously but then cut out in conference also 
leads people to believe that we have done something when we have not.
  I refuse to be disingenuous when it comes to being forthright with 
the American people. We do need to make sure that in the future the 
Congressional Record is produced electronically. This is not the right 
way to do it. It is irresponsible. I urge my colleagues to oppose this 
amendment.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. FLAKE. May I inquire as to the time remaining.
  The CHAIRMAN. The gentleman controls 1\1/2\ minutes.
  Mr. FLAKE. Before yielding 1 minute to the gentleman from Oregon, let 
me point out, here is the Code. The Code states that we are supposed to 
print 30,000 a day, yet we only print 5,600. So, it is not the case 
that the GPO has to follow what the statute says. They are

[[Page H6994]]

required to do by demand. And they already do under; they can simply do 
less and save a lot of money.
  I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer).
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. I appreciate the opportunity to join with my 
colleague again in this effort to try and reduce this output. I respect 
my friend, the chairwoman of the subcommittee, but I do think it is 
time for us to take a more aggressive action to reduce what is a 
gratuitous waste of resources and is a signal, I think, for us all to 
find ways to be able to deal with the electronic era.
  This is a holdover. We have attempted in the past to be able to scale 
it down. I have also checked with legislative counsel to find out what 
we need to repeal. But I have been told that simply by enacting our 
amendment today, we will, in fact, achieve that objective in terms of 
reducing the number of unnecessary printed copies.

                              {time}  1215

  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Chair, I just want to point out that the 
amendment offered by Mr. Flake does not say anything about reducing the 
number of copies printed of the Congressional Record. It simply cuts 
$3.2 million out of the Congressional Printing and Binding account. It 
provides no direction. It simply cuts that funding. There is no 
assumption that any of what the gentleman is suggesting would occur. It 
would simply further add to the deficit.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. FLAKE. Will the gentlelady yield, since I am out of time?
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. I believe the gentleman has his own time.
  The CHAIRMAN. The gentleman's time has expired.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. How much time do I have left?
  The CHAIRMAN. The gentlewoman controls 1\1/2\ minutes.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. I yield the gentleman 30 seconds.
  Mr. FLAKE. Thank you. I appreciate the courtesy.
  Let me point out, just as with any program that is not an 
entitlement, everything is subject to appropriation. The Government 
Printing Office is not bound, no pun intended, to print as many copies 
as they think they need. They can print as many as they have money for. 
We were very careful in taking $3.2 million, to take only the printing 
costs for half of the number that are printed already. I think that is 
reasonable.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Chair, I really believe that we should 
approach this in the appropriate way. If we want to change the statute 
and go to electronic production of the Congressional Record, that is 
what we should do. We should not simply hamstring the GPO by requiring 
them to print a Congressional Record and not ensuring they have 
adequate funds to do that, when they are already in a deficit 
situation.
  I urge my colleagues to oppose the amendment.
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Chairman, this amendment is simple: by 
instructing the Government Printing Office (GPO) to print half the 
number of Congressional Records daily, we will save $3.2 million in 
taxpayer dollars and 57 tons of paper annually.
  An unofficial survey of House offices revealed that many swiftly 
discard their daily copy of the Congressional Record. And why shouldn't 
they? The full, easily searchable text of the Record is available 
online back to the year 1989. As electronic viewing of this resource 
becomes more widespread, we must continue to adjust the number of 
printed copies accordingly. In fact, since 1995 we have reduced the 
number of daily printed Congressional Records from 18,000 to 5,600 per 
day.
  We have an opportunity to save millions of dollars by taking 
advantage of paperless technology and pushing House operations into the 
21st Century. I commend Speaker Pelosi in her recent effort to ``Green 
the Capitol'' and this is a common-sense amendment that is consistent 
with that initiative.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. I yield back the balance of my time.
  The CHAIRMAN. The question is on the amendment offered by the 
gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Flake).
  The question was taken; and the Chairman announced that the noes 
appeared to have it.
  Mr. FLAKE. Madam Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.
  The CHAIRMAN. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further proceedings 
on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Arizona will be 
postponed.


             Amendment No. 3 Offered by Mr. Jordan of Ohio

  The CHAIRMAN. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 3 printed 
in House Report 110-201.
  Mr. JORDAN of Ohio. Madam Chairman, I offer an amendment.
  The CHAIRMAN. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
  The text of the amendment is as follows:

       Amendment No. 3 offered by Mr. Jordan of Ohio:
       At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the 
     following:
       Sec. __. Across-the-Board Reduction.--Each amount 
     appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act that is 
     not required to be appropriated or otherwise made available 
     by a provision of law is hereby reduced by 4 percent.

  The CHAIRMAN. Pursuant to House Resolution 502, the gentleman from 
Ohio (Mr. Jordan) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio.
  Mr. JORDAN of Ohio. I thank the Chair.
  I want to thank the Chair of the committee and the ranking member for 
their good work and the committee's work. I know for the Chair in 
particular, I want to congratulate her on the first bill coming through 
her subcommittee, a very important subcommittee of the Appropriations 
Committee. So I appreciate the fine work done there and the oversight 
of the visitors center. The passion with which the ranking member spoke 
about Emancipation Hall I thought was right on target. So I appreciate 
the work done.
  This amendment, just like the amendment I offered last night to the 
Foreign Operations bill, simply says this: instead of increasing 
spending by 4 percent, let's hold the line. I articulated reasons last 
night in the long debate that this body had over why that is 
appropriate, why that makes sense. Because there is in fact a crisis 
looming for this country if we don't get control of the spending here 
in the United States Congress, in the United States Senate and the 
United States Government.
  It is important that we recognize that. I articulated last night too, 
don't take my word for it. Yesterday's Washington Post talked about 
this growing problem that is coming in the very near future, and it is 
important we understand that.
  I won't go through all the arguments again here, because I know we 
have had a long debate and people want to get on their way and get back 
to their district.
  I will just say this: ever-increasing spending inevitably leads to 
ever-increasing taxes. The American families, the American people are 
overtaxed because our government spends too much. It has been a problem 
for both parties. We need to get it under control.
  Millions of families, millions of families across this country are 
going to live on last year's budget. It is not too much to ask the 
United States Government, in particular the United States Congress, to 
do the same.
  Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Chair, I rise in opposition to the 
amendment.
  The CHAIRMAN. The gentlewoman from Florida is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Chair, this is a fiscally responsible 
bill. Again, we have held the bill to a 4.1 percent increase, only $122 
million over actual spending in fiscal year 2007, and if you take into 
consideration the $50 million rescission in the CR, we are at a 2.3 
percent increase. That is $276 million below the total budget request.
  Again, I want to point to the minority views, where the minority 
agreed this bill is fiscally responsible. They say, ``On balance, the 
funding provided in this bill to operate the legislative branch 
agencies is fiscally responsible.''
  This bill funds the must-have's, not the nice-to-have's, by targeting 
increases towards keeping the agencies running, providing Congress with 
the tools it needs to perform its oversight responsibility, and funding 
critical security and life safety projects.

[[Page H6995]]

  The amendment, if adopted, would eliminate $50 million worth of 
critical health and safety and security projects that we would be 
unable to fund if a 4 percent across-the-board reduction were adopted.
  This amendment would eliminate funding for things like the $5 million 
we have in this bill to ensure that the Capitol Police have 
interoperable radios. According to the new police chief, a new radio 
system is their number one priority. The existing radio system is 20 
years old. It is antiquated and outdated. It is not encrypted nor 
secure, and it is not interoperable. Hurricane Katrina showed the 
importance of interoperable communications during a crisis.
  It also would eliminate funding potentially monitoring the utility 
tunnel abatement. We had tunnel workers who were subjected to 
horrendous conditions and have been exposed to asbestos, and we are 
endeavoring to make sure that we can make up for that and provide the 
funding for the abatement. That would be impossible if this amendment 
were adopted.
  We provide $1.2 million for escape hoods for our Library visitors, $1 
million for emergency exit signs and lighting in the capital, and 
emergency lighting upgrades in Rayburn.
  The amendment would also impair our agency's work. It would put the 
legislative branch agencies back to a fiscal year 2006 funding level 
since there was no increase in 2007.
  In practical terms, the impact of this would be less capability on 
the part of GAO to assist Congress in its oversight responsibilities; 
fewer and less timely products from CRS to assist Members in their 
legislative duties, a further reduction in CBO's ability to score 
Member bills, which was pointed out in the Rules Committee as already 
being a problem; elimination of the digital talking book conversion 
program for the blind; a reduced ability for the Office of Compliance 
to pursue health safety issues around the Capitol complex, even as we 
get ready to add new space with the approaching opening of the CVC; the 
Architect's operations would be strained to keep up with increases in 
utility costs; and, finally, since 77 percent of this bill is labor 
costs, as is most of the increase, this amendment would surely result 
in a reduction in our workforce.
  It is irresponsible. Mr. Wamp and I have endeavored to put forward a 
bill that is fiscally responsible, fiscally tight, and ensures the 
life, safety and security needs of the people who work and visit here.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. JORDAN of Ohio. I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from 
Tennessee (Mr. Wamp), the distinguished ranking member of the 
committee.
  Mr. WAMP. I wasn't going to say anything, but I just want to say that 
because we have not accepted commonsense amendments like the previous 
amendment, and because the Rules Committee only granted three 
amendments in order, we are losing a lot of support for this bill on 
this side of the aisle unnecessarily because I do think we worked hard 
to make it fiscally responsible. But they are making a strong case, and 
we have closed the process down instead of opening it up.
  Mr. JORDAN of Ohio. I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman 
from Texas (Mr. Hensarling), the chairman of the Republican Study 
Committee.
  Mr. HENSARLING. I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I want to 
thank him for his outstanding leadership on the issue of fiscal 
responsibility, coming to the floor and offering this series of 
amendments.
  I do want to thank the chairman of the subcommittee and the ranking 
member. Certainly relative to many other appropriations bills that we 
have seen and will see on this floor, relatively speaking, this is a 
more fiscally responsible bill.
  But we can never forget that this is not our money; this is the 
people's money. And every time we are increasing some aspect of the 
Federal budget, we are taking it away from some family budget. We are 
taking it away from some family that had a dream of having a down 
payment on their first home. We are taking it away from some family who 
was putting that money away for college tuition for one of their 
children.
  So contrary to the debate we hear and the rhetoric about cuts, what 
this amendment does is say, you know, let's lead by example. In the big 
scheme of the Federal budget, I know this isn't a huge amount of money. 
But when you think about having to save us from the single largest tax 
increase in history that the Democrat majority put in their last 
budget, shouldn't we lead by example? Is this apocalyptic vision that 
we hear, is this going to happen if we give the legislative branch the 
same money they had last year? Somehow there are families all across 
America who are having to make do on the same income they had last 
year.
  Now, again, relative to other bills, this is more fiscally 
responsible. But it comes down to a simple choice: Do you want to put 
us on the path for the largest single tax increase in American history 
that would impose $3,000 of additional tax burden on American families, 
or do you want to put us on the path of fiscal responsibility? We 
should support the gentleman's amendment.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Chair, how much time do I have left?
  The CHAIRMAN. The gentlewoman controls 2 minutes. The gentleman from 
Ohio controls 1 minute.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. I would ask that he speak for 1 minute and 
then we will close in opposition.
  Mr. JORDAN of Ohio. I will be brief and just point out this: we heard 
some of the terrible things that are going to happen if we keep the 
spending at the same level we had last year.
  The American people need to understand this, Madam Chair: $3.1 
billion is what this bill spends. My amendment would say $3 billion, $3 
billion to run the United States Congress. You ask American families 
that, they would probably say, you know, that is probably enough. They 
can probably get by on $3 billion versus $3.1 billion. That is all this 
does. As the gentleman from Texas pointed out, in the course of the 
appropriation bills we have been dealing with, this is fairly fiscally 
responsible. But $3 billion is enough to run the United States 
Congress.
  That is all this amendment would do, keep us where we are right now. 
Things are working fine now. Why can't we do that in the future?
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Chair, at this time I yield the balance 
of our time to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran), the former 
ranking member of this subcommittee.
  The CHAIRMAN. The gentleman from Virginia is recognized for 2 
minutes.
  Mr. MORAN of Virginia. I thank the Chair, and I particularly want to 
congratulate Chairman Wasserman Schultz, because she took on a very 
difficult responsibility and she has performed in a conscientious, 
extraordinarily fiscally responsible manner.
  This is a bill that all of the Members have an interest in, and all 
of the Members have issues within this bill that they would 
particularly like to see increased, and some decreased. But it is a 
difficult one.
  She has told me how much she appreciates the ranking member, Mr. 
Wamp, and I hope Mr. Wamp is listening, how much she appreciates Mr. 
Wamp's cooperation in coming up with a bill that was acceptable to the 
overwhelming number of the full Appropriations Committee members when 
they reported it out to the floor.
  Now, this bill is $276 million below the President's request. That is 
extraordinary, and it is the first time that the Legislative Branch 
appropriations bill has reflected that deep a cut versus the 
President's request. So if you are looking for fiscal responsibility, 
you will find it in this bill, more than any other appropriations bill. 
We congratulate Mr. Wamp, as well as the chairwoman, for coming up with 
a bill that accomplishes that kind of fiscal responsibility.
  But if anybody else wants to cut another $100 million, which this 
amendment would do, below that, then it is concomitant upon the 
proponent of that amendment to say exactly where you would make those 
cuts. Because this is the result of a lot of give and take, a lot of 
compromise, a lot of very conscientious investigation.
  The CHAIRMAN. The question is on the amendment offered by the 
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Jordan).
  The question was taken; and the Chairman announced that the noes 
appeared to have it.
  Mr. JORDAN of Ohio. Madam Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

[[Page H6996]]

  The CHAIRMAN. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further proceedings 
on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Ohio will be postponed.


                      Announcement by the Chairman

  The CHAIRMAN. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, proceedings will 
now resume on those amendments on which further proceedings were 
postponed, in the following order:
  Amendment No. 2 by Mr. Flake of Arizona.
  Amendment No. 3 by Mr. Jordan of Ohio.
  The Chair will reduce to 5 minutes the time for any electronic vote 
after the first vote in this series.


                  Amendment No. 2 Offered by Mr. Flake

  The CHAIRMAN. The unfinished business is the demand for a recorded 
vote on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Flake) 
on which further proceedings were postponed and on which the noes 
prevailed by voice vote.
  The Clerk will redesignate the amendment.
  The Clerk redesignated the amendment.


                             Recorded Vote

  The CHAIRMAN. A recorded vote has been demanded.
  A recorded vote was ordered.
  The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--ayes 218, 
noes 191, not voting 28, as follows:

                             [Roll No. 545]

                               AYES--218

     Aderholt
     Akin
     Alexander
     Altmire
     Bachmann
     Bachus
     Barrett (SC)
     Barrow
     Bartlett (MD)
     Barton (TX)
     Bean
     Biggert
     Bilbray
     Bilirakis
     Bishop (UT)
     Blackburn
     Blumenauer
     Blunt
     Boehner
     Bono
     Boozman
     Boustany
     Brady (TX)
     Buchanan
     Burgess
     Burton (IN)
     Buyer
     Calvert
     Camp (MI)
     Campbell (CA)
     Cannon
     Cantor
     Capito
     Carney
     Castle
     Chabot
     Coble
     Cohen
     Cole (OK)
     Conaway
     Cooper
     Crenshaw
     Cuellar
     Culberson
     Davis (KY)
     Davis, David
     Davis, Tom
     Deal (GA)
     Dent
     Diaz-Balart, M.
     Donnelly
     Doolittle
     Drake
     Dreier
     Duncan
     Ehlers
     Ellsworth
     Emerson
     English (PA)
     Fallin
     Feeney
     Ferguson
     Filner
     Flake
     Forbes
     Fortenberry
     Fossella
     Foxx
     Franks (AZ)
     Frelinghuysen
     Gallegly
     Garrett (NJ)
     Gerlach
     Giffords
     Gilchrest
     Gillibrand
     Gillmor
     Gingrey
     Gohmert
     Goode
     Goodlatte
     Granger
     Graves
     Hall (NY)
     Hall (TX)
     Harman
     Hastings (WA)
     Hayes
     Heller
     Hensarling
     Herger
     Herseth Sandlin
     Hobson
     Hoekstra
     Hooley
     Hulshof
     Inglis (SC)
     Issa
     Jindal
     Johnson (IL)
     Johnson, Sam
     Jones (NC)
     Jordan
     Keller
     Kind
     King (IA)
     King (NY)
     Kingston
     Kirk
     Klein (FL)
     Kline (MN)
     Knollenberg
     Kuhl (NY)
     Lamborn
     Lampson
     Langevin
     Latham
     LaTourette
     Lewis (CA)
     Lewis (KY)
     Linder
     LoBiondo
     Lucas
     Lungren, Daniel E.
     Mack
     Mahoney (FL)
     Manzullo
     Marchant
     Marshall
     Matheson
     McCarthy (CA)
     McCaul (TX)
     McCotter
     McCrery
     McHenry
     McHugh
     McKeon
     McNerney
     Melancon
     Mica
     Miller (FL)
     Miller (MI)
     Miller, Gary
     Mitchell
     Murphy, Patrick
     Murphy, Tim
     Musgrave
     Myrick
     Neugebauer
     Pearce
     Pence
     Peterson (PA)
     Petri
     Pickering
     Pitts
     Platts
     Poe
     Porter
     Price (GA)
     Pryce (OH)
     Putnam
     Radanovich
     Ramstad
     Regula
     Rehberg
     Reichert
     Renzi
     Reynolds
     Rogers (AL)
     Rogers (KY)
     Rogers (MI)
     Rohrabacher
     Ros-Lehtinen
     Roskam
     Royce
     Ryan (WI)
     Sali
     Saxton
     Schmidt
     Schwartz
     Sensenbrenner
     Sessions
     Shadegg
     Shays
     Shimkus
     Shuster
     Simpson
     Skelton
     Smith (NE)
     Smith (NJ)
     Smith (TX)
     Smith (WA)
     Snyder
     Souder
     Stearns
     Taylor
     Terry
     Tiahrt
     Tiberi
     Turner
     Udall (CO)
     Upton
     Walberg
     Walden (OR)
     Walsh (NY)
     Wamp
     Welch (VT)
     Weldon (FL)
     Weller
     Westmoreland
     Whitfield
     Wilson (NM)
     Wilson (OH)
     Wilson (SC)
     Wolf
     Wu
     Young (AK)
     Young (FL)

                               NOES--191

     Abercrombie
     Ackerman
     Allen
     Andrews
     Arcuri
     Baca
     Baird
     Baldwin
     Becerra
     Berkley
     Berman
     Berry
     Bishop (GA)
     Bishop (NY)
     Bordallo
     Boren
     Boswell
     Boucher
     Boyd (FL)
     Boyda (KS)
     Brady (PA)
     Braley (IA)
     Brown, Corrine
     Butterfield
     Capps
     Capuano
     Cardoza
     Carnahan
     Carson
     Castor
     Chandler
     Christensen
     Clarke
     Clay
     Cleaver
     Clyburn
     Conyers
     Costa
     Costello
     Courtney
     Crowley
     Cummings
     Davis (AL)
     Davis (CA)
     Davis (IL)
     Davis, Lincoln
     DeFazio
     DeGette
     Delahunt
     DeLauro
     Diaz-Balart, L.
     Dicks
     Dingell
     Doggett
     Doyle
     Edwards
     Ellison
     Emanuel
     Engel
     Eshoo
     Etheridge
     Farr
     Fattah
     Frank (MA)
     Gonzalez
     Gordon
     Green, Al
     Green, Gene
     Grijalva
     Gutierrez
     Hare
     Higgins
     Hill
     Hinchey
     Hinojosa
     Hirono
     Hodes
     Holden
     Holt
     Honda
     Hoyer
     Inslee
     Israel
     Jackson (IL)
     Jackson-Lee (TX)
     Jefferson
     Johnson, E. B.
     Jones (OH)
     Kagen
     Kanjorski
     Kaptur
     Kennedy
     Kildee
     Kilpatrick
     Kucinich
     Lantos
     Larsen (WA)
     Larson (CT)
     Lee
     Levin
     Lewis (GA)
     Lipinski
     Loebsack
     Lofgren, Zoe
     Lowey
     Lynch
     Maloney (NY)
     Markey
     Matsui
     McCarthy (NY)
     McCollum (MN)
     McDermott
     McIntyre
     McNulty
     Meehan
     Meek (FL)
     Meeks (NY)
     Michaud
     Miller (NC)
     Miller, George
     Mollohan
     Moore (KS)
     Moore (WI)
     Moran (VA)
     Murphy (CT)
     Murtha
     Nadler
     Neal (MA)
     Norton
     Oberstar
     Obey
     Olver
     Pallone
     Pascrell
     Pastor
     Payne
     Perlmutter
     Peterson (MN)
     Pomeroy
     Price (NC)
     Rahall
     Rangel
     Reyes
     Rodriguez
     Ross
     Rothman
     Roybal-Allard
     Ruppersberger
     Rush
     Ryan (OH)
     Salazar
     Sanchez, Linda T.
     Sarbanes
     Schakowsky
     Schiff
     Scott (GA)
     Scott (VA)
     Serrano
     Sestak
     Shea-Porter
     Sherman
     Shuler
     Sires
     Slaughter
     Solis
     Space
     Spratt
     Stark
     Stupak
     Sutton
     Tanner
     Tauscher
     Thompson (CA)
     Thompson (MS)
     Thornberry
     Tierney
     Towns
     Udall (NM)
     Van Hollen
     Velazquez
     Visclosky
     Walz (MN)
     Wasserman Schultz
     Waters
     Watson
     Watt
     Weiner
     Wexler
     Woolsey
     Wynn
     Yarmuth

                             NOT VOTING--28

     Baker
     Bonner
     Brown (SC)
     Brown-Waite, Ginny
     Carter
     Cramer
     Cubin
     Davis, Jo Ann
     Everett
     Faleomavaega
     Fortuno
     Hastert
     Hastings (FL)
     Hunter
     Johnson (GA)
     LaHood
     McGovern
     McMorris Rodgers
     Moran (KS)
     Napolitano
     Nunes
     Ortiz
     Paul
     Sanchez, Loretta
     Sullivan
     Tancredo
     Waxman
     Wicker

                              {time}  1251

  Messrs. BAIRD, CHANDLER, MEEHAN, MEEK of Florida, CARNAHAN and RUSH 
changed their vote from ``aye'' to ``no.''
  Messrs. EHLERS, CRENSHAW, MAHONEY of Florida, LaTOURETTE, ELLSWORTH, 
Ms. HARMAN and Mr. PORTER changed their vote from ``no'' to ``aye.''
  So the amendment was agreed to.
  The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
  Stated against:
  Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Madam Speaker, on Friday, June 22, 2007, I was 
absent during rollcall vote No. 545. Had I been present, I would have 
voted ``no'' on agreeing to the Flake of Arizona amendment.


             Amendment No. 3 Offered by Mr. Jordan of Ohio

  The CHAIRMAN. The unfinished business is the demand for a recorded 
vote on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Jordan) 
on which further proceedings were postponed and on which the noes 
prevailed by voice vote.
  The Clerk will redesignate the amendment.
  The Clerk redesignated the amendment.


                             Recorded Vote

  The CHAIRMAN. A recorded vote has been demanded.
  A recorded vote was ordered.
  The CHAIRMAN. This will be a 5-minute vote.
  The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--ayes 177, 
noes 231, not voting 29, as follows:

                             [Roll No. 546]

                               AYES--177

     Aderholt
     Akin
     Alexander
     Altmire
     Bachmann
     Bachus
     Barrett (SC)
     Bartlett (MD)
     Barton (TX)
     Biggert
     Bilbray
     Bilirakis
     Bishop (UT)
     Blackburn
     Blunt
     Boehner
     Bono
     Boozman
     Brady (TX)
     Buchanan
     Burgess
     Burton (IN)
     Buyer
     Calvert
     Camp (MI)
     Campbell (CA)
     Cannon
     Cantor
     Capito
     Castle
     Chabot
     Coble
     Cole (OK)
     Conaway
     Crenshaw
     Culberson
     Davis (KY)
     Davis, David
     Davis, Tom
     Deal (GA)
     Dent
     Diaz-Balart, L.
     Diaz-Balart, M.
     Drake
     Dreier
     Duncan
     English (PA)
     Fallin
     Feeney
     Ferguson
     Flake
     Forbes
     Fossella
     Foxx
     Franks (AZ)
     Frelinghuysen
     Gallegly
     Garrett (NJ)
     Giffords
     Gingrey
     Gohmert
     Goode
     Goodlatte
     Granger
     Graves
     Hall (TX)
     Hastings (WA)
     Hayes
     Heller
     Hensarling
     Herger
     Hobson
     Hoekstra
     Hulshof
     Inglis (SC)
     Issa
     Jindal
     Johnson (IL)
     Johnson, Sam
     Jones (NC)
     Jordan
     Keller
     King (IA)
     King (NY)
     Kingston
     Kline (MN)
     Knollenberg
     Lamborn
     Lampson
     Latham
     Lewis (CA)
     Lewis (KY)
     Linder
     LoBiondo
     Lucas
     Lungren, Daniel E.
     Mack
     Mahoney (FL)
     Manzullo
     Marchant
     Marshall
     McCarthy (CA)
     McCaul (TX)
     McCotter
     McCrery
     McHenry
     McHugh
     McKeon
     McNerney
     Mica
     Miller (FL)
     Miller (MI)
     Miller, Gary

[[Page H6997]]


     Mitchell
     Murphy, Patrick
     Murphy, Tim
     Musgrave
     Myrick
     Neugebauer
     Pearce
     Pence
     Peterson (PA)
     Petri
     Pickering
     Pitts
     Platts
     Poe
     Price (GA)
     Putnam
     Radanovich
     Ramstad
     Regula
     Rehberg
     Reichert
     Renzi
     Reynolds
     Rogers (AL)
     Rogers (KY)
     Rogers (MI)
     Rohrabacher
     Ros-Lehtinen
     Roskam
     Royce
     Ryan (WI)
     Sali
     Saxton
     Schmidt
     Sensenbrenner
     Sessions
     Shadegg
     Shays
     Shimkus
     Shuster
     Smith (NE)
     Smith (NJ)
     Smith (TX)
     Souder
     Stearns
     Taylor
     Terry
     Thornberry
     Tiahrt
     Tiberi
     Turner
     Upton
     Walberg
     Walden (OR)
     Walsh (NY)
     Wamp
     Weldon (FL)
     Weller
     Westmoreland
     Whitfield
     Wilson (NM)
     Wilson (SC)
     Wolf
     Young (AK)

                               NOES--231

     Abercrombie
     Ackerman
     Allen
     Andrews
     Arcuri
     Baca
     Baird
     Baldwin
     Barrow
     Bean
     Becerra
     Berkley
     Berman
     Berry
     Bishop (GA)
     Bishop (NY)
     Blumenauer
     Bordallo
     Boren
     Boswell
     Boucher
     Boustany
     Boyd (FL)
     Boyda (KS)
     Brady (PA)
     Braley (IA)
     Brown, Corrine
     Butterfield
     Capps
     Capuano
     Cardoza
     Carnahan
     Carney
     Carson
     Castor
     Chandler
     Christensen
     Clarke
     Clay
     Cleaver
     Clyburn
     Cohen
     Conyers
     Cooper
     Costa
     Costello
     Courtney
     Crowley
     Cuellar
     Cummings
     Davis (AL)
     Davis (CA)
     Davis (IL)
     Davis, Lincoln
     DeFazio
     DeGette
     Delahunt
     DeLauro
     Dicks
     Dingell
     Doggett
     Donnelly
     Doolittle
     Doyle
     Edwards
     Ehlers
     Ellison
     Ellsworth
     Emanuel
     Emerson
     Engel
     Eshoo
     Etheridge
     Farr
     Fattah
     Filner
     Fortenberry
     Frank (MA)
     Gerlach
     Gilchrest
     Gillibrand
     Gillmor
     Gonzalez
     Gordon
     Green, Al
     Green, Gene
     Grijalva
     Gutierrez
     Hall (NY)
     Hare
     Harman
     Herseth Sandlin
     Higgins
     Hill
     Hinchey
     Hinojosa
     Hirono
     Hodes
     Holden
     Holt
     Honda
     Hooley
     Hoyer
     Inslee
     Israel
     Jackson (IL)
     Jackson-Lee (TX)
     Jefferson
     Johnson, E. B.
     Jones (OH)
     Kagen
     Kanjorski
     Kaptur
     Kennedy
     Kildee
     Kilpatrick
     Kind
     Kirk
     Klein (FL)
     Kucinich
     Kuhl (NY)
     Langevin
     Lantos
     Larsen (WA)
     Larson (CT)
     LaTourette
     Lee
     Levin
     Lewis (GA)
     Lipinski
     Loebsack
     Lofgren, Zoe
     Lowey
     Lynch
     Maloney (NY)
     Markey
     Matheson
     Matsui
     McCarthy (NY)
     McCollum (MN)
     McDermott
     McIntyre
     McNulty
     Meehan
     Meek (FL)
     Meeks (NY)
     Melancon
     Michaud
     Miller (NC)
     Miller, George
     Mollohan
     Moore (KS)
     Moore (WI)
     Moran (VA)
     Murphy (CT)
     Murtha
     Nadler
     Neal (MA)
     Norton
     Oberstar
     Obey
     Olver
     Pallone
     Pascrell
     Pastor
     Payne
     Perlmutter
     Peterson (MN)
     Pomeroy
     Porter
     Price (NC)
     Rahall
     Rangel
     Reyes
     Rodriguez
     Ross
     Rothman
     Roybal-Allard
     Ruppersberger
     Rush
     Ryan (OH)
     Salazar
     Sanchez, Linda T.
     Sarbanes
     Schakowsky
     Schiff
     Schwartz
     Scott (GA)
     Scott (VA)
     Serrano
     Sestak
     Shea-Porter
     Sherman
     Shuler
     Simpson
     Sires
     Skelton
     Slaughter
     Smith (WA)
     Snyder
     Solis
     Space
     Spratt
     Stark
     Stupak
     Sutton
     Tanner
     Tauscher
     Thompson (CA)
     Thompson (MS)
     Tierney
     Towns
     Udall (CO)
     Udall (NM)
     Van Hollen
     Velazquez
     Visclosky
     Walz (MN)
     Wasserman Schultz
     Waters
     Watson
     Watt
     Weiner
     Welch (VT)
     Wexler
     Wilson (OH)
     Woolsey
     Wu
     Wynn
     Yarmuth
     Young (FL)

                             NOT VOTING--29

     Baker
     Bonner
     Brown (SC)
     Brown-Waite, Ginny
     Carter
     Cramer
     Cubin
     Davis, Jo Ann
     Everett
     Faleomavaega
     Fortuno
     Hastert
     Hastings (FL)
     Hunter
     Johnson (GA)
     LaHood
     McGovern
     McMorris Rodgers
     Moran (KS)
     Napolitano
     Nunes
     Ortiz
     Paul
     Pryce (OH)
     Sanchez, Loretta
     Sullivan
     Tancredo
     Waxman
     Wicker


                      Announcement by the Chairman

  The CHAIRMAN (during the vote). Two minutes left in this vote.

                              {time}  1259

  So the amendment was rejected.
  The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
  Stated against:
  Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Madam Speaker, on Friday, June 22, 2007, I was 
absent during rollcall vote No. 546. Had I been present, I would have 
voted ``no'' on agreeing to the Jordan of Ohio Amendment.
  The CHAIRMAN. Under the rule, the Committee rises.
  Accordingly, the Committee rose; and the Speaker pro tempore (Mrs. 
Tauscher) having assumed the chair, Ms. Baldwin, Chairman of the 
Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union, reported that 
that Committee, having had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2771) 
making appropriations for the Legislative Branch for the fiscal year 
ending September 30, 2008, and for other purposes, pursuant to House 
Resolution 502, she reported the bill back to the House with sundry 
amendments adopted by the Committee of the Whole.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the rule, the previous question is 
ordered.
  Is a separate vote demanded on any amendment reported from the 
Committee of the Whole? If not, the Chair will put them en gros.
  The amendments were agreed to.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the engrossment and third 
reading of the bill.
  The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, and was 
read the third time.

                              {time}  1300


               Motion to Recommit Offered by Mr. Kingston

  Mr. KINGSTON. Madam Speaker, I offer a motion to recommit.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is the gentleman opposed to the bill?
  Mr. KINGSTON. I am in its current form.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the motion to 
recommit.
  The Clerk read as follows:

       Mr. Kingston moves to recommit the bill, H.R. 2771, to the 
     Committee on Appropriations with instructions to report the 
     same back to the House forthwith with the following 
     amendment:
       On page 16, line 14, after the dollar amount, insert the 
     following: ``(decreased by $16,000,000)''.
       On page 16, line 15, after the dollar amount, insert the 
     following: ``(decreased by $16,000,000)''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Georgia is recognized for 
5 minutes.
  Mr. KINGSTON. Madam Speaker, I offer this amendment to bring 
something to the Members' attention that I think is very important.
  We are about to create a fourth building for the House of 
Representatives. We have Cannon, we have Rayburn, we have Longworth. We 
are about to put on another 200,000-square-foot building. I think you 
should know about it, and I think we deserve a vote on it.
  Number one, this is an earmark. Now, we have been talking weeks and 
weeks and months and months about transparency and ending earmarks. Yet 
if you will look in the report on page 20, there is a $16 million 
earmark for a new House office building. There is no explanation of the 
project, no total cost, there have been no hearings and no oversight, 
and it is not in the Democrat budget. It was not requested by the 
Architect of the Capitol, and, yet, it's in the bill.
  Now, looks like a duck, walks like a duck, could be an earmark. 
That's where we are on this.
  Number two, I think Members have the right to vote on a fourth office 
building. As former chair of this committee, one of the big 
frustrations I have about the Capitol Visitors Center is none of us 
owned the project. There wasn't one person that you could say it's his 
or her fault. It was all diluted and by committee. We never had a vote 
on it.
  Indeed, when I was a chairman of this committee, a staffer put in $18 
million to renovate the House floor, which none of us knew about. I 
took the money out of it, as did Chairman Lewis last year.
  But things get stuck in the bills that we don't know about that we 
deserve a vote on. This gives you an opportunity, unlike the CVC, which 
started out as a $260 million project, with partial private funding, 
and now is up to $600 million.
  This motion to recommit gives you the opportunity to vote on 
something and say no to something that has already cost this House $140 
million. This is a 200,000-square-foot building. That's the size of 15 
House floors. It's the size of four White Houses. It's five football 
fields big. This isn't incidental swing space.
  What is this needed for? In case we renovate the Cannon House Office 
Building. Now, don't you want to vote on that? I haven't had a debate 
on renovating the Cannon Office Building, but I want to know about it. 
This is a big building of substance, and you deserve a vote.
  Incidentally, this isn't going to be the only new building. We are 
adding 580,000 square feet in the form of the Capitol Visitors Center.

[[Page H6998]]

  This building is huge. To move forward, it's going to cost us not the 
$16 million that's in the bill, but actually $56 million, and then 
another $12 million to lease it, plus $18 million for furniture for it.
  Think about it. How many times have we heard from some Members in a 
rather preachy fashion, we need to control our carbon footprints? 
Ladies and gentlemen, all of those of you who want to reduce our carbon 
footprint, here is your opportunity. Say ``no'' to a 200,000-square-
foot boondoggle which we are about to put in.
  This has not had the proper oversight, it has not had the proper 
hearings. The contracts have all been verbal. That's why we are all in 
the situation.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Speaker, I claim the time in opposition.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman from Florida is recognized 
for 5 minutes.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. I want to point out and remind my colleagues 
that Mr. Wamp and I are proud to report to you that we have brought the 
legislative branch appropriations bill in at $276 million below the 
request. The easiest thing in the world to do is jump on the table and 
to cry waste.
  I want to also point out that this is a security upgrade, funding for 
security upgrades requested by former Speaker Hastert and continued by 
Speaker Pelosi so that we can ensure that we provide swing space for 
our very cramped space so that we can properly renovate the Cannon and 
Longworth House Office Buildings.
  I ask my colleagues to come over and look at these pictures of the 
deterioration of our facilities. These are pictures of the 100-year-old 
Cannon House Office Building. If you take a look at the deterioration 
and life, safety and security upgrades that this facility needs, we can 
no longer wait to make these upgrades, and to make sure that we can 
protect the people who work here and the people who visit us. They are 
deteriorating and badly in need of renovation.
  What the gentleman from Georgia's motion to recommit would do is 
delay for years, if not make it impossible, for us to begin renovation 
and repairs on our aging House facilities.
  My colleagues, this committee does not deal with the sexiest of 
subjects that confront us every day, and I have only been here for 2 
years and the chair of this subcommittee for the last 5 months. You 
don't earn a reputation as an institutionalist in that short period of 
time, but it is my hope to be able to do that over time.
  We are stewards of this great institution, but we are also stewards 
just as much of these facilities. My colleague on the Appropriations 
Committee, Jose Serrano of New York, recently made a wonderful 
suggestion to remind us of the history embedded even in what may seem 
mundane, the space we occupy each day. He suggested that we each have 
plaques in our offices with the names of our predecessors in Congress 
who occupied that space before us. My own office, I was thrilled to 
learn, was once occupied by former Congressman Lyndon Johnson.
  My point is they may seem like buildings and office space to the 
outside world, but we know better. How many of us countless times have 
found ourselves approaching this beautiful building we are now in and 
marveling privately to ourselves, wow, I work here, what an incredible 
privilege.
  But with privilege comes responsibility. We must think about the 
institution, but we must also think about our hard-working staff. The 
number of hours they toil in these facilities is mind-boggling. You 
might be surprised to learn that the average work space for each of our 
staff is about 36 square feet. And I want to show you what 36 square 
feet is. This is 36 square feet. That is how much space that we allot, 
on average, to our employees.
  GSA recommends an average of 100 square feet of space per employee. 
We need to renovate so that we can make sure we are not cramming our 
staff into unreasonable boxes for hours on end. Our staff make 
incredible sacrifices to serve the public, our constituents, and they 
help us do our job. We must make sure that we keep these facilities, 
the place they work every day and night, safe for them. We must make 
sure we keep these facilities safe and in good condition for our 
constituents and our successors.
  Mr. Kingston's amendment is well-meaning, but it is not responsible, 
and it is not an eye toward the future with respect for our past. I 
strongly urge you to vote against the motion to recommit.
  Mr. HOYER. Would the gentlelady yield?
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. I would be happy to yield to the gentleman.
  Mr. HOYER. It was my understanding you indicated this is the 
initiative of Speaker Hastert; am I accurate?
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Yes, it is. It is an initiative from former 
Speaker Hastert.
  I strongly urge you to vote against the motion to recommit.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the previous question is 
ordered on the motion to recommit.
  There was no objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion to recommit.
  The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that 
the noes appeared to have it.


                             Recorded Vote

  Mr. KINGSTON. Madam Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.
  A recorded vote was ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 9 of rule XX, the Chair 
will reduce to 5 minutes the minimum time for any electronic vote on 
the question of passage.
  The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--ayes 181, 
noes 217, not voting 34, as follows:

                             [Roll No. 547]

                               AYES--181

     Aderholt
     Alexander
     Altmire
     Bachmann
     Bachus
     Barrett (SC)
     Bartlett (MD)
     Barton (TX)
     Biggert
     Bilbray
     Bilirakis
     Bishop (UT)
     Blackburn
     Blunt
     Boehner
     Bono
     Boozman
     Boustany
     Brady (TX)
     Buchanan
     Burgess
     Burton (IN)
     Buyer
     Calvert
     Camp (MI)
     Cannon
     Cantor
     Capito
     Castle
     Chabot
     Coble
     Cole (OK)
     Conaway
     Crenshaw
     Culberson
     Davis (KY)
     Davis, David
     Davis, Tom
     Deal (GA)
     Dent
     Diaz-Balart, L.
     Diaz-Balart, M.
     Doolittle
     Drake
     Dreier
     Duncan
     Ehlers
     Emerson
     English (PA)
     Fallin
     Feeney
     Ferguson
     Flake
     Forbes
     Fortenberry
     Foxx
     Franks (AZ)
     Frelinghuysen
     Gallegly
     Garrett (NJ)
     Gerlach
     Gilchrest
     Gillmor
     Gingrey
     Gohmert
     Goode
     Goodlatte
     Granger
     Graves
     Hall (TX)
     Hastings (WA)
     Hayes
     Heller
     Hensarling
     Herger
     Hobson
     Hoekstra
     Hulshof
     Inglis (SC)
     Issa
     Jindal
     Johnson (IL)
     Johnson, Sam
     Jones (NC)
     Jordan
     Keller
     King (IA)
     King (NY)
     Kingston
     Kline (MN)
     Knollenberg
     Kuhl (NY)
     Lamborn
     Latham
     LaTourette
     Lewis (CA)
     Lewis (KY)
     LoBiondo
     Lucas
     Lungren, Daniel E.
     Mack
     Manzullo
     Marchant
     Marshall
     McCarthy (CA)
     McCaul (TX)
     McCotter
     McCrery
     McHenry
     McHugh
     McKeon
     McMorris Rodgers
     McNerney
     Mica
     Miller (FL)
     Miller (MI)
     Miller, Gary
     Murphy, Tim
     Musgrave
     Myrick
     Neugebauer
     Pearce
     Pence
     Peterson (PA)
     Petri
     Pickering
     Pitts
     Platts
     Poe
     Porter
     Price (GA)
     Putnam
     Radanovich
     Ramstad
     Regula
     Rehberg
     Reichert
     Renzi
     Reynolds
     Rogers (AL)
     Rogers (KY)
     Rogers (MI)
     Rohrabacher
     Ros-Lehtinen
     Roskam
     Royce
     Ryan (WI)
     Sali
     Saxton
     Schmidt
     Sensenbrenner
     Sessions
     Shadegg
     Shays
     Shimkus
     Shuster
     Simpson
     Smith (NE)
     Smith (NJ)
     Smith (TX)
     Souder
     Stearns
     Terry
     Thornberry
     Tiahrt
     Tiberi
     Turner
     Upton
     Walberg
     Walden (OR)
     Walsh (NY)
     Wamp
     Weldon (FL)
     Weller
     Westmoreland
     Whitfield
     Wilson (NM)
     Wilson (SC)
     Wolf
     Young (AK)
     Young (FL)

                               NOES--217

     Abercrombie
     Ackerman
     Allen
     Andrews
     Arcuri
     Baca
     Baird
     Baldwin
     Barrow
     Bean
     Becerra
     Berkley
     Berry
     Bishop (GA)
     Bishop (NY)
     Blumenauer
     Boren
     Boswell
     Boucher
     Boyda (KS)
     Brady (PA)
     Braley (IA)
     Brown, Corrine
     Butterfield
     Campbell (CA)
     Capps
     Capuano
     Cardoza
     Carnahan
     Carney
     Carson
     Castor
     Chandler
     Clarke
     Clyburn
     Cohen
     Conyers
     Cooper
     Costa
     Costello
     Courtney
     Crowley
     Cuellar
     Cummings
     Davis (AL)
     Davis (CA)
     Davis (IL)
     Davis, Lincoln
     DeFazio
     DeGette
     Delahunt
     DeLauro
     Dicks
     Dingell
     Doggett
     Donnelly
     Doyle
     Edwards
     Ellison
     Ellsworth
     Emanuel
     Engel
     Eshoo
     Etheridge
     Farr
     Fattah
     Filner
     Frank (MA)
     Giffords

[[Page H6999]]


     Gillibrand
     Gonzalez
     Gordon
     Green, Al
     Green, Gene
     Grijalva
     Gutierrez
     Hall (NY)
     Hare
     Harman
     Herseth Sandlin
     Higgins
     Hill
     Hinchey
     Hinojosa
     Hirono
     Hodes
     Holden
     Holt
     Honda
     Hooley
     Hoyer
     Inslee
     Israel
     Jackson (IL)
     Jackson-Lee (TX)
     Jefferson
     Johnson, E. B.
     Jones (OH)
     Kagen
     Kanjorski
     Kaptur
     Kennedy
     Kildee
     Kilpatrick
     Kind
     Kirk
     Klein (FL)
     Kucinich
     Lampson
     Langevin
     Lantos
     Larsen (WA)
     Larson (CT)
     Lee
     Levin
     Lewis (GA)
     Lipinski
     Loebsack
     Lowey
     Lynch
     Mahoney (FL)
     Maloney (NY)
     Markey
     Matheson
     Matsui
     McCarthy (NY)
     McCollum (MN)
     McDermott
     McIntyre
     McNulty
     Meehan
     Meek (FL)
     Meeks (NY)
     Melancon
     Michaud
     Miller (NC)
     Miller, George
     Mitchell
     Mollohan
     Moore (KS)
     Moore (WI)
     Moran (VA)
     Murphy (CT)
     Murphy, Patrick
     Murtha
     Nadler
     Neal (MA)
     Oberstar
     Obey
     Olver
     Pallone
     Pascrell
     Pastor
     Payne
     Perlmutter
     Peterson (MN)
     Pomeroy
     Price (NC)
     Rahall
     Rangel
     Reyes
     Rodriguez
     Ross
     Rothman
     Roybal-Allard
     Ruppersberger
     Rush
     Ryan (OH)
     Salazar
     Sanchez, Linda T.
     Sarbanes
     Schakowsky
     Schiff
     Schwartz
     Scott (GA)
     Scott (VA)
     Serrano
     Sestak
     Shea-Porter
     Sherman
     Shuler
     Sires
     Skelton
     Slaughter
     Smith (WA)
     Snyder
     Solis
     Space
     Spratt
     Stark
     Stupak
     Sutton
     Tanner
     Tauscher
     Taylor
     Thompson (CA)
     Thompson (MS)
     Tierney
     Towns
     Udall (CO)
     Udall (NM)
     Van Hollen
     Velazquez
     Visclosky
     Walz (MN)
     Wasserman Schultz
     Waters
     Watson
     Watt
     Weiner
     Welch (VT)
     Wexler
     Wilson (OH)
     Woolsey
     Wu
     Wynn
     Yarmuth

                             NOT VOTING--34

     Akin
     Baker
     Berman
     Bonner
     Boyd (FL)
     Brown (SC)
     Brown-Waite, Ginny
     Carter
     Clay
     Cleaver
     Cramer
     Cubin
     Davis, Jo Ann
     Everett
     Fossella
     Hastert
     Hastings (FL)
     Hunter
     Johnson (GA)
     LaHood
     Linder
     Lofgren, Zoe
     McGovern
     Moran (KS)
     Napolitano
     Nunes
     Ortiz
     Paul
     Pryce (OH)
     Sanchez, Loretta
     Sullivan
     Tancredo
     Waxman
     Wicker


                Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (during the vote). Two minutes remain on this 
vote.
  Members are advised that this vote will close precisely when time has 
expired.

                              {time}  1326

  Mr. McDERMOTT changed his vote from ``aye'' to ``no.''
  So the motion to recommit was rejected.
  The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
  Stated for:
  Mr. FOSSELLA. Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 547, had I been present, 
I would have voted ``aye.''
  Stated against:
  Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Madam Speaker, on Friday, June 22, 2007, I was 
absent during rollcall vote No. 547. Had I been present, I would have 
voted ``no'' on the motion to recommit on H.R. 2771, Legislative Branch 
Appropriations for FY 2008.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the passage of the bill.
  Under clause 10 of rule XX, the yeas and nays are ordered.
  This will be a 5-minute vote.
  The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 216, 
nays 176, not voting 40, as follows:

                             [Roll No. 548]

                               YEAS--216

     Abercrombie
     Ackerman
     Allen
     Altmire
     Andrews
     Arcuri
     Baca
     Baird
     Baldwin
     Barrow
     Becerra
     Berkley
     Bishop (GA)
     Bishop (NY)
     Blumenauer
     Boren
     Boswell
     Boucher
     Boyda (KS)
     Brady (PA)
     Braley (IA)
     Brown, Corrine
     Butterfield
     Capps
     Capuano
     Cardoza
     Carnahan
     Carney
     Carson
     Chandler
     Clarke
     Clyburn
     Cohen
     Conyers
     Cooper
     Costa
     Costello
     Courtney
     Crenshaw
     Crowley
     Cuellar
     Cummings
     Davis (AL)
     Davis (CA)
     Davis (IL)
     Davis, Lincoln
     DeFazio
     DeGette
     Delahunt
     DeLauro
     Diaz-Balart, L.
     Diaz-Balart, M.
     Dicks
     Dingell
     Doolittle
     Edwards
     Ellison
     Ellsworth
     Emanuel
     Engel
     Eshoo
     Etheridge
     Farr
     Fattah
     Filner
     Frank (MA)
     Gilchrest
     Gillibrand
     Gonzalez
     Gordon
     Green, Al
     Green, Gene
     Grijalva
     Gutierrez
     Hall (NY)
     Hare
     Harman
     Herseth Sandlin
     Higgins
     Hill
     Hinchey
     Hinojosa
     Hirono
     Hobson
     Hodes
     Holt
     Honda
     Hooley
     Hoyer
     Inslee
     Israel
     Jackson (IL)
     Jackson-Lee (TX)
     Jefferson
     Johnson, E. B.
     Jones (OH)
     Kagen
     Kanjorski
     Kaptur
     Kennedy
     Kildee
     Kilpatrick
     Kind
     Kirk
     Klein (FL)
     Knollenberg
     Kucinich
     Lampson
     Langevin
     Lantos
     Larsen (WA)
     Larson (CT)
     Lee
     Levin
     Lewis (CA)
     Lewis (GA)
     Lipinski
     Loebsack
     Lowey
     Lynch
     Mahoney (FL)
     Maloney (NY)
     Markey
     Matsui
     McCarthy (NY)
     McCollum (MN)
     McDermott
     McIntyre
     McNulty
     Meek (FL)
     Meeks (NY)
     Melancon
     Michaud
     Miller (NC)
     Miller, George
     Mollohan
     Moore (KS)
     Moore (WI)
     Moran (VA)
     Murphy (CT)
     Murtha
     Nadler
     Neal (MA)
     Oberstar
     Obey
     Olver
     Pallone
     Pascrell
     Pastor
     Payne
     Perlmutter
     Peterson (MN)
     Pomeroy
     Price (NC)
     Rahall
     Rangel
     Regula
     Reyes
     Rodriguez
     Ros-Lehtinen
     Ross
     Rothman
     Roybal-Allard
     Ruppersberger
     Rush
     Salazar
     Sanchez, Linda T.
     Sarbanes
     Schakowsky
     Schiff
     Schwartz
     Scott (GA)
     Scott (VA)
     Serrano
     Sestak
     Shea-Porter
     Sherman
     Shuler
     Simpson
     Sires
     Skelton
     Slaughter
     Smith (WA)
     Snyder
     Solis
     Space
     Spratt
     Stark
     Stupak
     Sutton
     Tanner
     Tauscher
     Taylor
     Thompson (CA)
     Thompson (MS)
     Tierney
     Towns
     Udall (CO)
     Udall (NM)
     Van Hollen
     Velazquez
     Visclosky
     Walz (MN)
     Wamp
     Wasserman Schultz
     Waters
     Watson
     Watt
     Weiner
     Welch (VT)
     Wexler
     Woolsey
     Wu
     Wynn
     Yarmuth
     Young (FL)

                               NAYS--176

     Aderholt
     Alexander
     Bachmann
     Bachus
     Barrett (SC)
     Bartlett (MD)
     Barton (TX)
     Bean
     Berry
     Biggert
     Bilbray
     Bilirakis
     Bishop (UT)
     Blackburn
     Blunt
     Boehner
     Bono
     Boozman
     Boustany
     Brady (TX)
     Buchanan
     Burgess
     Burton (IN)
     Buyer
     Calvert
     Camp (MI)
     Campbell (CA)
     Cannon
     Cantor
     Capito
     Castle
     Chabot
     Coble
     Cole (OK)
     Conaway
     Culberson
     Davis (KY)
     Davis, David
     Davis, Tom
     Deal (GA)
     Dent
     Donnelly
     Drake
     Dreier
     Duncan
     Ehlers
     English (PA)
     Fallin
     Feeney
     Ferguson
     Flake
     Forbes
     Fortenberry
     Fossella
     Foxx
     Franks (AZ)
     Frelinghuysen
     Gallegly
     Garrett (NJ)
     Gerlach
     Giffords
     Gillmor
     Gingrey
     Gohmert
     Goode
     Goodlatte
     Granger
     Graves
     Hall (TX)
     Hastings (WA)
     Hayes
     Heller
     Hensarling
     Herger
     Hoekstra
     Holden
     Inglis (SC)
     Issa
     Jindal
     Johnson (IL)
     Johnson, Sam
     Jones (NC)
     Jordan
     Keller
     King (IA)
     King (NY)
     Kingston
     Kline (MN)
     Kuhl (NY)
     Lamborn
     Latham
     LaTourette
     Lewis (KY)
     LoBiondo
     Lucas
     Lungren, Daniel E.
     Mack
     Manzullo
     Marchant
     Marshall
     Matheson
     McCarthy (CA)
     McCaul (TX)
     McCotter
     McCrery
     McHenry
     McHugh
     McKeon
     McMorris Rodgers
     McNerney
     Mica
     Miller (FL)
     Miller (MI)
     Miller, Gary
     Mitchell
     Murphy, Patrick
     Murphy, Tim
     Musgrave
     Myrick
     Neugebauer
     Pearce
     Pence
     Peterson (PA)
     Petri
     Pickering
     Pitts
     Platts
     Poe
     Porter
     Price (GA)
     Putnam
     Radanovich
     Ramstad
     Rehberg
     Reichert
     Renzi
     Reynolds
     Rogers (AL)
     Rogers (KY)
     Rogers (MI)
     Rohrabacher
     Roskam
     Royce
     Ryan (WI)
     Sali
     Saxton
     Schmidt
     Sensenbrenner
     Sessions
     Shadegg
     Shays
     Shimkus
     Shuster
     Smith (NE)
     Smith (NJ)
     Smith (TX)
     Souder
     Stearns
     Terry
     Thornberry
     Tiahrt
     Tiberi
     Turner
     Upton
     Walberg
     Walden (OR)
     Walsh (NY)
     Weldon (FL)
     Weller
     Westmoreland
     Whitfield
     Wilson (NM)
     Wilson (OH)
     Wilson (SC)
     Wolf
     Young (AK)

                             NOT VOTING--40

     Akin
     Baker
     Berman
     Bonner
     Boyd (FL)
     Brown (SC)
     Brown-Waite, Ginny
     Carter
     Castor
     Clay
     Cleaver
     Cramer
     Cubin
     Davis, Jo Ann
     Doggett
     Doyle
     Emerson
     Everett
     Hastert
     Hastings (FL)
     Hulshof
     Hunter
     Johnson (GA)
     LaHood
     Linder
     Lofgren, Zoe
     McGovern
     Meehan
     Moran (KS)
     Napolitano
     Nunes
     Ortiz
     Paul
     Pryce (OH)
     Ryan (OH)
     Sanchez, Loretta
     Sullivan
     Tancredo
     Waxman
     Wicker

                              {time}  1332

  So the bill was passed.
  The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
  Stated for:
  Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Madam Speaker, on Friday, June 22, 2007, I was 
absent during rollcall vote No. 548. Had I been present, I would have 
voted ``yea'' on passage H.R. 2771, Legislative Branch Appropriations 
for FY 2008.

                          ____________________