[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 138 (Tuesday, September 18, 2007)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1215-D1216]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




[[Page D1215]]




                        House of Representatives


Chamber Action
Public Bills and Resolutions Introduced: 21 public bills, H.R. 3558-
3578; and 6 resolutions, H.J. Res. 50; H. Con. Res. 213-214; and H. 
Res. 658, 661-662 were introduced.                      
  Pages H10509-10
Additional Cosponsors:                                  
  Pages H10510-11
Reports Filed: Reports were filed today as follows:
  H. Res. 659, waiving a requirement of clause 6(a) of rule XIII with 
respect to consideration of certain resolutions reported from the 
Committee on Rules (H. Rept. 110-332) and
  H. Res. 660, providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 2761) to 
extend the Terrorism Insurance Program of the Department of the 
Treasury (H. Rept. 110-333).                                
Page H10509
Speaker: Read a letter from the Speaker wherein she appointed 
Representative Cohen to act as Speaker Pro Tempore for today. 
                                                            Page H10437
Recess: The House recessed at 9:01 a.m. and reconvened at 10 a.m. 
                                                            Page H10437
Chaplain: The prayer was offered by the guest Chaplain, Rabbi Frederick 
L. Klein, Director of Community Chaplaincy, Greater Miami Jewish 
Federation, Miami, Florida.                                 
  Page H10437
Journal: The House agreed to the Speaker's approval of the Journal by a 
yea-and-nay vote of 217 yeas to 183 nays, with 1 voting ``present'', 
Roll No. 870.                                      
  Pages H10437, H10445
Expanding American Homeownership Act of 2007: The House passed H.R. 
1852, to modernize and update the National Housing Act and enable the 
Federal Housing Administration to use risk-based pricing to more 
effectively reach underserved borrowers, by a recorded vote of 348 ayes 
to 72 noes, Roll No. 876.        
  Pages H10440-45, H10445-47, H110447-81
  Rejected the Price (GA) motion to recommit the bill to the Committee 
on Financial Services with instructions that the Committee report the 
same back promptly with an amendment, by a yea-and-nay vote of 209 yeas 
to 216 nays, Roll No. 875.                              
Pages H10478-80
  Pursuant to the rule, the amendment in the nature of a substitute 
recommended by the Committee on Financial Services now printed in the 
bill, modified by the amendment printed in part A of H. Rept. 110-330, 
shall be considered as adopted in the House and in the Committee of the 
Whole and shall be considered as an original bill for the purpose of 
further amendment.                                      
Pages H10456-63
  Agreed by unanimous consent that amendment No. 2 printed in part B of 
H. Rept. 110-330 may be offered out of sequence.            
Page H10447
Accepted:
  Cardoza amendment (No. 2 printed in H. Rept. 110-330) that raises the 
FHA single family loan limit, by establishing such limit in each area 
as the lower of (a) 125% of the local median area home price or (b) 
175% of the national GSE conforming loan limit; retains the FHA loan 
floor provision in the reported bill of 65% of the GSE conforming loan 
limit; and also gives HUD authority to raise these resulting loan limit 
amounts by up to $100,000 by area and/or by unit size ``if market 
conditions warrant'';                                   
Pages H10463-65
  Tierney amendment (No. 1 printed in H. Rept. 110-330) that directs 
the Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development to 
provide mortgage insurance premium refunds to eligible borrowers of FHA 
insured loans, which were closed prior to December 8, 2004, but which 
were not endorsed until December 8, 2004 or after that date, and 
authorizes such sums as may be necessary for such refunds; 
                                                            Page H10465
  Gary G. Miller (CA) amendment (No. 3 printed in H. Rept. 110-330) 
that allows qualified down payment assistance providers to participate 
in the FHA Program if certain conditions are satisfied (i.e. no 
obligation for mortgagor to repay and net worth requirement); 
                                                        Pages H10465-67
  Bishop (NY) amendment (No 4 printed in H. Rept. 110-330) that 
clarifies requirements on reverse mortgages for seniors who own 
permanent foundation homes on leased land; and              
Page H10467
  Tiberi amendment (No. 6 printed in H. Rept. 110-330) that requires 
the Secretary to ensure that the mortgagor receives counseling at the 
time of application.                                    
Pages H10469-70
Rejected:
  Hensarling amendment (No. 5 printed in H. Rept. 110-330) that sought 
to strike the allowable use of FHA savings for an affordable housing 
fund (by a recorded vote of 148 ayes to 280 noes, Roll No. 873) and 
                                                Pages H10467-69, H10477
  Biggert amendment in the nature of a substitute (No. 7 printed in H. 
Rept. 110-330) that sought to reform the Federal Housing 
Administration's (FHA) single-family mortgage insurance activities and 
allow FHA to base each borrower's mortgage insurance premiums on the 
risk that the borrower poses to the

[[Page D1216]]

FHA Mortgage Insurance Fund, with slight variations. Under this 
proposal, mortgage insurance premiums would be based on the borrower's 
credit history, loan-to-value ratio, debt-to-income ratio, and on FHA's 
historical experience with similar borrowers. This amendment maintained 
FHA reserves within the insurance fund to preserve the future solvency 
of the FHA program (by a recorded vote of 175 ayes to 252 noes, Roll 
No. 874).                                    
Pages H10470-76, H10477-78
  Agreed that the Clerk be authorized to make technical and conforming 
changes to reflect the actions of the House.            
Pages H10481-82
  H. Res. 650, the rule providing for consideration of the bill, was 
agreed to by a recorded vote of 227 ayes to 190 noes, Roll No. 872, 
after agreeing to order the previous question by a yea-and-nay vote of 
226 yeas to 191 nays, Roll No. 871.                     
Pages H10446-47
Suspension--Proceedings Resumed: The House agreed to suspend the rules 
and pass the following measure which was debated on Monday, September 
17th:
  Vietnam Human Rights Act of 2007: H.R. 3096, amended, to promote 
freedom and democracy in Vietnam, by a \2/3\ yea-and-nay vote of 414 
yeas to 3 nays, Roll No. 877.                               
  Page H10481
Suspensions: The House agreed to suspend the rules and pass the 
following measures:
  Commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial: 
H. Res. 326, amended, to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the 
Vietnam Veterans Memorial;                              
  Pages H10482-84
  Recognizing the service of the 65th Infantry Borinqueneers during the 
Korean War, honoring the people of Puerto Rico who continue to serve 
and volunteer for service in the Armed Forces and make sacrifices for 
the country, and commending all efforts to promote and preserve the 
history of the 65th Infantry Borinqueneers: H. Res. 443, amended, to 
recognize the service of the 65th Infantry Borinqueneers during the 
Korean War, to honor the people of Puerto Rico who continue to serve 
and volunteer for service in the Armed Forces and make sacrifices for 
the country, and to commend all efforts to promote and preserve the 
history of the 65th Infantry Borinqueneers;             
  Pages H10484-86
  Expressing the nation's sincerest appreciation and thanks for the 
service of the members of the 303rd Bombardment Group (Heavy) upon the 
occasion of the final reunion of the 303rd Bomb Group (H) Association: 
H. Res. 604, amended, to express the nation's sincerest appreciation 
and thanks for the service of the members of the 303rd Bombardment 
Group (Heavy) upon the occasion of the final reunion of the 303rd Bomb 
Group (H) Association; and                              
  Pages H10486-88
  Recognizing the 60th anniversary of the United States Air Force as an 
independent military service: H. Con. Res. 207, to recognize the 60th 
anniversary of the United States Air Force as an independent military 
service.                                                
  Pages H10488-94
Quorum Calls--Votes: Four yea-and-nay votes and four recorded votes 
developed during the proceedings of today and appear on pages H10445, 
H10446, H10446-47, H10477, H10477-78, H10480, H10480-81, H10481. There 
were no quorum calls.
Adjournment: The House met at 9 a.m. and adjourned at 6:45 p.m.