[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 128 (Saturday, August 4, 2007)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1140-D1143]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                        House of Representatives


Chamber Action
Public Bills and Resolutions Introduced: 18 public bills, H.R. 3452-
3469, and 7 resolutions, H. Res. 622-628, were introduced. 
                                                        Pages H10016-17
Additional Cosponsors:
  Pages H10017-18
Reports Filed: Reports were filed today as follows:
  H.R. 189, to establish the Paterson Great Falls National Park in the 
State of New Jersey, with amendments (H. Rept. 110-310) and
  H.R. 1834, to authorize the national ocean exploration program and 
the national undersea research program within the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration, with an amendment (H. Rept. 110-311, Pt. 
1).
Page H10016
Journal: The House agreed to the Speaker's approval of the Journal by a 
yea-and-nay vote of 205 yeas to 187 nays, Roll No. 837. 
                                                     Pages H9713, H9966
Motion to Adjourn: Rejected the Westmoreland motion to adjourn by a 
yea-and-nay vote of 136 yeas to 246 nays, Roll No. 824. 
                                                         Pages H9718-19
New Direction for Energy Independence, National Security, and Consumer 
Protection Act: The House passed H.R. 3221, moving the United States 
toward greater energy independence and security, developing innovative 
new technologies, reducing carbon emissions, creating green jobs, 
protecting consumers, increasing clean renewable energy production, and 
modernizing our energy infrastructure, by a recorded vote of 241 ayes 
to 172 noes, Roll No. 832. 
                     Pages H9722-H9842, H9843-61, H9861-69, H9870-H9914
  Rejected the Barton (TX) motion to recommit the bill to the 
committees of jurisdiction with instructions to report the same back to 
the House forthwith with an amendment, by a recorded vote of 169 ayes 
to 244 noes, Roll No. 831.
Pages H9875-H9913
  Pursuant to the rule, the amendment printed in part A of H. Rept. 
110-300 shall be considered as adopted in the House and in the 
Committee of the Whole and the bill, as amended, shall be considered as 
the original bill for the purpose of further amendment. 
                                                         Pages H9749-50
Agreed to:
  Blumenauer amendment (No. 1 printed in part B of H. Rept. 110-300) 
that encourages natural gas utilities to plan for and prioritize energy 
efficiency and requires state regulators to consider crafting rate 
policies that align utility revenue recovery measures with incentives 
for energy conservation;
Pages H9839-40

[[Page D1141]]


  Shays amendment (No. 2 printed in part B of H. Rept. 110-300) that 
doubles the current level of funding for 2007 and 2008 for the 
weatherization assistance program in section 9034(a);
Pages H9840-41
  Hooley amendment (No. 3 printed in part B of H. Rept. 110-300) that 
authorizes the Administrator of the EPA to enter into an arrangement 
with the Secretary of Education and the Secretary of Energy to conduct 
a study of how sustainable building features such as energy efficiency 
affect multiple perceived indoor environmental quality stressors on 
students in K-12 schools;
Pages H9841-42
  Pitts amendment (No. 4 printed in part B of H. Rept. 110-300) that 
excepts boilers that operate without the need for electricity supply 
from the energy efficiency requirements in section 9003(4) of the bill, 
regarding appliance efficiency;
Page H9842
  Terry amendment (No. 5 printed in part B of H. Rept. 110-300) that 
adds a section to title IX to accelerate the adoption of geothermal 
heat pumps by the Federal government;
Pages H9843-44
  Van Hollen amendment (No. 7 printed in part B of H. Rept. 110-300) 
that adds a sixth policy option to the bill's existing ``State Must 
Consider'' language asking state regulatory authorities and 
nonregulated utilities to consider ``offering home energy audits, 
publicizing the financial and environmental benefits associated with 
home energy efficiency improvements and educating homeowners about all 
existing federal and state incentives, including the availability of 
low-cost loans, that make home energy efficiency improvements more 
affordable'';
Pages H9852-53
  Schwartz amendment (No. 8 printed in part B of H. Rept. 110-300) that 
requires all federal government agencies to change their acquisitions 
rules for planning meetings and conferences to consider the 
environmentally preferable features and practices of a vendor, similar 
to the acquisition rules of the Environmental Protection Agency; 
                                                         Pages H9853-54
  Hodes amendment (No. 10 printed in part B of H. Rept. 110-300) that 
orders the Secretary of Energy to conduct a study of the renewable 
energy system rebate program for homes and small businesses, described 
in section 206-c of the Energy Policy Act of 2005;
Pages H9856-57
  Barton (TX) amendment (No. 11 printed in part B of H. Rept. 110-300) 
that modifies Sec. 9502(a) of the bill to ensure that the Energy 
Information Administration restores its previously-terminated 
collection of data on solid by-products from coal-based energy 
producing facilities and makes improvements on these data;
Page H9857
  Welch (VT) amendment (No. 14 printed in part B of H. Rept. 110-300) 
that establishes a grant program for colleges and universities to 
invest in sustainable and efficient energy projects, up to $1 million 
for efficiency and $500,00 for sustainability;
Pages H9858-61
  Castle amendment (No. 15 printed in part B of H. Rept. 110-300) that 
requires the Minerals Management Service to submit a report to Congress 
on the status of regulations required to be issued with respect to 
offshore wind energy production;
Pages H9861-62
  Wu amendment (No. 16 printed in part B of H. Rept. 110-300) that 
requires the Secretary of Energy to establish a grant program for 
universities to research and develop renewable energy technologies; 
priority is given to universities in low income and rural communities 
with proximity to trees dying of disease or insect infestation; 
                                                         Pages H9862-63
  Giffords amendment (No. 17 printed in part B of H. Rept. 110-300) 
that creates a Solar Energy Industries Research and Promotion Board to 
increase consumer awareness nationwide of solar energy options and 
appropriate certifications;
Pages H9863-66
  Tauscher amendment (No. 18 printed in part B of H. Rept. 110-300) 
that creates a pilot program in urbanized and other than urbanized 
areas to increase the use of vanpooling and the number of vanpools in 
service;
Page H9866
  Holt amendment (No. 19 printed in part B of H. Rept. 110-300) that 
requires the Center for Climate Change Environment and the 
Environmental Protection Agency to examine the potential fuel savings 
from intelligent transportation systems that would help businesses and 
consumers to plan their travel and avoid delays, including web-based 
realtime transit information systems, congestion information systems, 
carpool information systems, parking information systems, freight route 
management, and traffic management systems;
Pages H9866-67
  Hastings (FL) amendment (No. 20 printed in part B of H. Rept. 110-
300) that makes findings regarding fuel supplies and expresses the 
sense of Congress that the U.S. should further global energy security 
and promote democratic development in resource rich foreign countries 
by encouraging further participation in the Extractive Industries 
Transparency Initiative and other international initiatives; 
                                                         Pages H9867-68
  Solis amendment (No. 21 printed in part B of H. Rept. 110-300) that 
requires an assessment of current and anticipated needs of developing 
countries in adapting to climate change, which includes a strategy to 
address these needs and an identification of funding sources for such 
purposes;
Pages H9868-69
  Sarbanes amendment (No. 23 printed in part B of H. Rept. 110-300) 
that requires Federal agencies to develop and implement a telework 
(work from home


[[Page D1142]]

or close to home) policy for eligible employees excluding those who handle 
secure materials or special equipment, are assigned to national security 
functions, or voluntarily decline the telework option;
  Pages H9871-72
  Udall (NM) amendment (No. 6 printed in part B of H. Rept. 110-300) that 
requires electric suppliers, other than governmental entities and rural 
electric cooperatives, to provide 15 percent of their electricity using 
renewable energy resources by the year 2020 (by a recorded vote of 220 ayes 
to 190 noes, Roll No. 827);
Pages H9844-52, H9872-73
  Sali amendment (No. 13 printed in part B of H. Rept. 110-300) that 
provides a sense of the Congress to recognize and support large and small 
scale conventional hydropower (by a recorded voted of 402 ayes to 9 noes, 
Roll No. 829); and
Pages H9858, H9873-74
  Cleaver amendment (No. 22 printed in part B of H. Rept. 110-300) that 
prohibits any Federal agency, including any office of the legislative 
branch, from acquiring a light duty motor vehicle or medium duty motor 
vehicle that is not a low greenhouse gas emitting vehicle (by a recorded 
vote of 218 ayes to 196 noes, Roll No. 830).
Pages H9870-71, H9874-75
Rejected:
  Arcuri amendment (No. 9 printed in part B of H. Rept. 110-300) that sought 
to repeal the availability of Federal eminent domain authority for use by 
companies permitted by FERC to construct or modify transmission lines within 
National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors and to replace with an 
amendment to section 216(e) of the Federal Power Act to require permitted 
companies to proceed in accordance with state law (by a recorded vote of 169 
ayes to 245 noes, Roll No. 828).
Pages H9854-56, H9873
Withdrawn:
  Murphy (CT) amendment (No. 12 printed in part B of H. Rept. 110-300) that 
was offered and subsequently withdrawn that would have required the Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission to hold one public meeting before issuing a 
permit, license, or authorization that will affect land use when a public 
meeting is requested by at least five individuals or an organization 
representing 30 or more people.
Pages H9857-58
  Agreed that the Clerk be authorized to make technical and conforming 
changes to reflect the actions of the House.
  H. Res. 615, the rule providing for consideration of the bill, was agreed 
to by a yea-and-nay vote of 215 yeas to 191 nays, Roll No. 826, after 
agreeing to order the previous question by a yea-and-nay vote of 220 yeas to 
186 nays, Roll No. 825.
Pages H9715-18, H9719-22
Privileged Resolution: The House agreed to table H. Res. 623, raising a 
question of the privileges of the House, by a yea-and-nay vote of 216 yeas 
to 182 nays, Roll No. 833.
  Page H9914
Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2007: The House passed 
H.R. 2776, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide tax 
incentives for the production of renewable energy and energy conservation, 
by a yea-and-nay vote of 221 yeas to 189 nays, Roll No. 835. 
                                                              Pages H9915-51
  Rejected the English (PA) motion to recommit the bill to the Committee on 
Ways and Means with instructions to report the same back to the House 
forthwith with an amendment, by a yea-and-nay vote of 65 yeas to 346 nays, 
Roll No. 834.
Pages H9944-51
  Pursuant to the rule, the amendment in the nature of a substitute 
recommended by the Committee on Ways and Means now printed in the bill shall 
be considered as adopted.
Page H9926
  Pursuant to section 3 of H. Res. 615, the text of H.R. 2776, as passed by 
the House, shall be inserted as new matter at the end of H.R. 3221. 
                                                                  Page H9951
  H. Res. 615, the rule providing for consideration of the bill, was agreed 
to by a yea-and-nay vote of 215 yeas to 191 nays, Roll No. 826, after 
agreeing to order the previous question by a yea-and-nay vote of 220 yeas to 
186 nays, Roll No. 825.
Pages H9715-18, H9719-22
Authorizing additional funds for emergency repairs and reconstruction of the 
Interstate I-35 bridge located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, that collapsed on 
August 1, 2007: The House agreed to concur in the Senate amendment to H.R. 
3311, to authorize additional funds for emergency repairs and reconstruction 
of the Interstate I-35 bridge located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, that 
collapsed on August 1, 2007, and to waive the $100,000,000 limitation on 
emergency relief funds for those emergency repairs and reconstruction--
clearing the measure for the President.
  Page H9952
Amending the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 to provide 
additional procedures for authorizing certain acquisitions of foreign 
intelligence information: The House passed S. 1927, to amend the Foreign 
Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 to provide additional procedures for 
authorizing certain acquisitions of foreign intelligence information, by a 
yea-and-nay vote of 227 yeas to 183 nays, Roll No. 836--clearing the measure 
for the President.
  Pages H9952-66
Summer District Work Period: The House agreed to S. Con. Res. 43, providing 
for a conditional adjournment or recess of the Senate, and a conditional 
adjournment of the House of Representatives.
  Pages H9966-67
Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2008: The House passed H.R. 3222, 
making appropriations for the Department of Defense for the fiscal

[[Page D1143]]

year ending September 30, 2008, by a yea-and-nay vote of 395 yeas to 13 
nays, Roll No. 846.
  Pages H9967-H10014
Agreed to:
  Issa amendment (No. 4 printed in the Congressional Record of July 31, 
2007) that prohibits funds from being used to disclose to the public the 
aggregate amount of funds appropriated by Congress for the National 
Intelligence Program for a fiscal year and
Page H9999
  Inslee amendment that prohibits funds from being used to waive or modify 
regulations promulgated under chapter 43, 71, 75, or 77 of title 5, United 
States Code.
Page H10000
Rejected:
  Campbell (CA) amendment (No. 17 printed in the Congressional Record of 
August 1, 2007) that sought to prohibit fund from being used for the Swimmer 
Detection Sonar Network;
Pages H10002-03
  Flake amendment that sought to prohibit funds from being used for Marine 
Desalination Systems, Inc. in St. Petersburg, Florida;
Pages H10003-04
  Flake amendment that sought to prohibit funds from being used for 
Concurrent Technologies Corporation;
Page H10004
  Sessions amendment (No. 10 printed in the Congressional Record of August 
1, 2007) that sought to strike section 8020 from the bill (by a recorded 
vote of 148 ayes to 259 noes, Roll No. 838);
Pages H9991-92, H10008
  Flake amendment that sought to strike funding for The Presidio Trust (by a 
recorded vote of 94 ayes to 311 noes, Roll No. 839); 
                                                   Pages H9998-99, H10008-09
  Franks (AZ) amendment regarding funding for missile defense (by a recorded 
vote of 161 ayes to 249 noes, Roll No. 840);
Pages H9999-10000, H10009
  Walberg amendment (No. 6 printed in the Congressional Record of July 31, 
2007) that sought to prohibit funds from being used to award a grant or 
contract based on the race, ethnicity, or sex of the grant applicant or 
prospective contractor (by a recorded vote of 126 ayes to 284 noes, Roll No. 
841);
Pages H10001, H10010
  Campbell (CA) amendment (No. 18 printed in the Congressional Record of 
August 1, 2007) that sought to prohibit funds from being used for the Paint 
Shield for Protecting People from Microbial Threats (by a recorded vote of 
91 ayes to 317 noes, Roll No. 842);
Pages H10001-02, H10010-11
  Flake amendment that sought to prohibit funds from being used for the 
Doyle Center for Manufacturing Technology (by a recorded vote of 98 ayes to 
312 noes, Roll No. 843);
Pages H10004-05, H10011
  Flake amendment that sought to redirect $3 million in funding from the 
Lewis Center for Education Research (by a recorded vote of 57 ayes to 353 
noes, Roll No. 844); and
Pages H10005-07, H10012
  Flake amendment that sought to prohibit funds from being used for the 
National Drug Intelligence Center in Johnstown, Pennsylvania (by a recorded 
vote of 109 ayes to 301 noes, Roll No. 845).
Pages H10007, H10012-13
Withdrawn:
  Rogers (MI) amendment (No. 8 printed in the Congressional Record of July 
31, 2007) that was offered and subsequently withdrawn that would have 
increased funding, by offset, for the Former Soviet Union Threat Reduction 
Account by $45 million and
Pages H9986-87
  Castle amendment (No. 16 printed in the Congressional Record of August 1, 
2007) that was offered and subsequently withdrawn that would have credited 
each member of the Armed Forces, including each member of a reserve 
component, with one additional day of leave for every month of the member's 
most recent previous deployment in a combat zone.
Pages H10000-01
  The bill was considered pursuant to an earlier unanimous consent order of 
the House.
Page H9952
Speaker Pro Tempore: Read a letter from the Speaker wherein she appointed 
Representative Hoyer and Representative Van Hollen to act as Speaker pro 
tempore to sign enrolled bills and joint resolutions through September 4, 
2007.
  Page H10014
Calendar Wednesday: Agreed to dispense with the Calendar Wednesday business 
of Wednesday, September 5th.
  Page H10014
Senate Messages: Message received from the Senate by the Clerk and 
subsequently presented to the House today and message received from the 
Senate today appear on pages H9842-43.
Senate Referrals: S. 1896 was referred to the Committee on Oversight and 
Government Reform and S. 1772 and S. 496 were held at the desk. 
                                                                 Page H10016
Quorum Calls--Votes: Nine yea-and-nay votes and fourteen recorded votes 
developed during the proceedings of today and appear on pages H9718-19, 
H9721-22, H9722, H9872-73, H9873, H9873-74. H9874-75, H9913, H9913-14, 
H9915, H9950, H9951, H9965-66, H9966, H10008, H10008-09, H10009, H10010, 
H10010-11, H10011, H10012, H11012-13, and H10013-14. There were no quorum 
calls.
Adjournment: The House met at 9 a.m. and at 1:12 a.m. on Sunday, August 5th, 
pursuant to the provisions of S. Con. Res. 43, the House stands adjourned 
until 2 p.m. on Tuesday, September 4, 2007.