[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 144 (Wednesday, September 26, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H10913-H10920]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS, FISCAL YEAR 2008
Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 677, I call up
the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 52) making continuing appropriations
for the fiscal year 2008, and for other purposes, and ask for its
immediate consideration.
The Clerk read the title of the joint resolution.
The text of House Joint Resolution 52 is as follows:
H.J. Res. 52
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled, That the
following sums are hereby appropriated, out of any money in
the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, and out of
applicable corporate or other revenues, receipts, and funds,
for the several departments, agencies, corporations, and
other organizational units of Government for fiscal year
2008, and for other purposes, namely:
Sec. 101. Such amounts as may be necessary, at a rate for
operations as provided in the applicable appropriations Acts
for fiscal year 2007 and under the authority and conditions
provided in such Acts, for continuing projects or activities
(including the costs of direct loans and loan guarantees)
that are not otherwise specifically provided for in this
joint resolution, that were conducted in fiscal year 2007,
and for which appropriations, funds, or other authority were
made available in the following appropriations Acts:
(1) The Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2007
(division A of Public Law 109-289).
(2) The Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act,
2007 (Public Law 109-295).
(3) The Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2007
(division B of Public Law 109-289, as amended by Public Law
110-5).
Sec. 102. (a) No appropriation or funds made available or
authority granted pursuant to section 101 for the Department
of Defense shall be used for (1) the new production of items
not funded for production in fiscal year 2007 or prior years;
(2) the increase in production rates above those sustained
with fiscal year 2007 funds; or (3) the initiation,
resumption, or continuation of any project, activity,
operation, or organization (defined as any project,
subproject, activity, budget activity, program element, and
subprogram within a program element, and for any investment
items defined as a P-1 line item in a budget activity within
an appropriation account and an R-1 line item that includes a
program element and subprogram element within an
appropriation account) for which appropriations, funds, or
other authority were not available during fiscal year 2007.
(b) No appropriation or funds made available or authority
granted pursuant to section 101 for the Department of Defense
shall be used to initiate multi-year procurements utilizing
advance procurement funding for economic order quantity
procurement unless specifically appropriated later.
(c) Notwithstanding this section, the Secretary of Defense
may, following notification of the congressional defense
committees, initiate projects or activities required to be
undertaken for force protection purposes using funds
available from the Iraq Freedom Fund.
Sec. 103. Appropriations made by section 101 shall be
available to the extent and in the manner that would be
provided by the pertinent appropriations Act.
Sec. 104. Except as otherwise provided in section 102, no
appropriation or funds made available or authority granted
pursuant to section 101 shall be used to initiate or resume
any project or activity for which appropriations, funds, or
other authority were not available during fiscal year 2007.
Sec. 105. Appropriations made and authority granted
pursuant to this joint resolution shall cover all obligations
or expenditures incurred for any project or activity during
the period for which funds or authority for such project or
activity are available under this joint resolution.
Sec. 106. Unless otherwise provided for in this joint
resolution or in the applicable appropriations Act for fiscal
year 2008, appropriations and funds made available and
authority granted pursuant to this joint resolution shall be
available until whichever of the following first occurs: (1)
the enactment into law of an appropriation for any project or
activity provided for in this joint resolution;
[[Page H10914]]
(2) the enactment into law of the applicable appropriations
Act for fiscal year 2008 without any provision for such
project or activity; or (3) November 16, 2007.
Sec. 107. Expenditures made pursuant to this joint
resolution shall be charged to the applicable appropriation,
fund, or authorization whenever a bill in which such
applicable appropriation, fund, or authorization is contained
is enacted into law.
Sec. 108. Appropriations made and funds made available by
or authority granted pursuant to this joint resolution may be
used without regard to the time limitations for submission
and approval of apportionments set forth in section 1513 of
title 31, United States Code, but nothing in this joint
resolution may be construed to waive any other provision of
law governing the apportionment of funds.
Sec. 109. Notwithstanding any other provision of this joint
resolution, except section 106, for those programs that would
otherwise have high initial rates of operation or complete
distribution of appropriations at the beginning of fiscal
year 2008 because of distributions of funding to States,
foreign countries, grantees, or others, such high initial
rates of operation or complete distribution shall not be
made, and no grants shall be awarded for such programs funded
by this joint resolution that would impinge on final funding
prerogatives.
Sec. 110. This joint resolution shall be implemented so
that only the most limited funding action of that permitted
in the joint resolution shall be taken in order to provide
for continuation of projects and activities.
Sec. 111. (a) For entitlements and other mandatory payments
whose budget authority was provided in appropriations Acts
for fiscal year 2007, and for activities under the Food Stamp
Act of 1977, activities shall be continued at the rate to
maintain program levels under current law, under the
authority and conditions provided in the applicable
appropriations Act for fiscal year 2007, to be continued
through the date specified in section 106(3).
(b) Notwithstanding section 106, obligations for mandatory
payments due on or about the first day of any month that
begins after October 2007 but not later than 30 days after
the date specified in section 106(3) may continue to be made,
and funds shall be available for such payments.
Sec. 112. Amounts made available under section 101 for
civilian personnel compensation and benefits in each
department and agency may be apportioned up to the rate for
operations necessary to avoid furloughs within such
department or agency, consistent with the applicable
appropriations Act for fiscal year 2007, except that such
authority provided under this section shall not be used until
after the department or agency has taken all necessary
actions to reduce or defer non-personnel-related
administrative expenses.
Sec. 113. Funds appropriated by this joint resolution may
be obligated and expended notwithstanding section 10 of
Public Law 91-672 (22 U.S.C. 2412), section 15 of the State
Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 (22 U.S.C. 2680),
section 313 of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act,
Fiscal Years 1994 and 1995 (22 U.S.C. 6212), and section
504(a)(1) of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C.
414(a)(1)).
Sec. 114. Notwithstanding section 20106 of the Continuing
Appropriations Resolution, 2007 (division B of Public Law
109-289, as amended by Public Law 110-5), the Secretary of
Agriculture is authorized to enter into or renew contracts
under section 521(a)(2) of the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C.
1490a(a)(2)) for 1 year.
Sec. 115. The authority provided by section 3a of the Act
of March 3, 1927 (commonly known as the ``Cotton Statistics
and Estimates Act'') (7 U.S.C. 473a) shall continue in effect
through the date specified in section 106(3) of this joint
resolution.
Sec. 116. The authority of the Secretary of Agriculture to
carry out the adjusted gross income limitation contained in
section 1001D of the Food Security Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C.
1308-3a) shall continue through the end of the period
specified in subsection (e) of such section or the date
specified in section 106(3) of this joint resolution,
whichever occurs later.
Sec. 117. The provisions of title VIII of the Departments
of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related
Agencies Appropriations Act, 2005 (Public Law 108-447,
division B) that apply during fiscal year 2007 shall continue
to apply through the date specified in section 106(3) of this
joint resolution.
Sec. 118. The authority provided by section 1202 of the
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006
(Public Law 109-163) shall continue in effect through the
earlier of the date of enactment of the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 or the date specified
in section 106(3) of this joint resolution.
Sec. 119. The authority provided by section 1477(d) of
title 10, United States Code, as amended by section 3306 of
Public Law 110-28, shall continue in effect through the date
of enactment of the National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2008.
Sec. 120. The authority provided by section 1208 of the
Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2005 (Public Law 108-375) shall continue in
effect through the earlier of the date of enactment of the
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 or
the date specified in section 106(3) of this joint
resolution.
Sec. 121. The authority provided by section 1022 of the
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004
(Public Law 108-136), as amended by section 1022 of the
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006
(Public Law 109-163), shall continue in effect through the
earlier of the date of enactment of the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 or the date specified
in section 106(3) of this joint resolution.
Sec. 122. The authority provided by section 1051a of title
10, United States Code, shall continue in effect through the
earlier of the date of enactment of the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 or the date specified
in section 106(3) of this joint resolution.
Sec. 123. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law or
this joint resolution, and in addition to amounts otherwise
made available by this joint resolution, there is
appropriated $5,200,000,000 for a ``Mine Resistant Ambush
Protected Vehicle Fund'', to remain available until September
30, 2008.
(b) The funds provided by subsection (a) shall be available
to the Secretary of Defense to continue technological
research and development and upgrades, to procure Mine
Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles and associated support
equipment, and to sustain, transport, and field Mine
Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles.
(c)(1) The Secretary of Defense shall transfer funds
provided by subsection (a) to appropriations for operation
and maintenance; procurement; and research, development, test
and evaluation to accomplish the purposes specified in
subsection (b). Such transferred funds shall be merged with
and be available for the same purposes and for the same time
period as the appropriation to which they are transferred.
(2) The transfer authority provided by this subsection
shall be in addition to any other transfer authority
available to the Department of Defense.
(3) The Secretary of Defense shall, not less than 5 days
prior to making any transfer under this subsection, notify
the congressional defense committees in writing of the
details of the transfer.
(d) The amount provided by this section is designated as an
emergency requirement and necessary to meet emergency needs
pursuant to subsections (a) and (b) of section 204 of S. Con.
Res. 21 (110th Congress), the concurrent resolution on the
budget for fiscal year 2008.
Sec. 124. Section 14704 of title 40, United States Code,
shall be applied by substituting the date specified in
section 106(3) of this joint resolution for ``October 1,
2007''.
Sec. 125. Section 382N of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2009aa-13) shall be applied by
substituting the date specified in section 106(3) of this
joint resolution for ``October 1, 2007''.
Sec. 126. Of the funds made available to the Department of
Energy under this joint resolution, $484,000 may be
transferred to another agency for carrying out the provisions
of division C of Public Law 108-324. Funds so transferred
shall be refunded to the Department after passage of the
regular appropriations Act for that agency.
Sec. 127. (a) In addition to the amounts otherwise provided
under section 101, an additional amount is available under
``General Services Administration--Operating Expenses
Account'', at a rate for operations of $4,340,000, for the
costs of agency activities transferred to the Civilian Board
of Contract Appeals pursuant to section 847 of the National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006 (Public Law
109-163).
(b) For purposes of section 101, the rate for operations
for each of the accounts from which funds were transferred in
fiscal year 2007 pursuant to section 847(b) of the National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006 (Public Law
109-163; 41 U.S.C. 607 note) is reduced by an amount equal to
the annualized level of the funds transferred.
Sec. 128. Notwithstanding any other provision of this joint
resolution, except section 106, the District of Columbia may
expend local funds for programs and activities under the
heading ``District of Columbia Funds'' for such programs and
activities under title IV of H.R. 2829 (110th Congress), as
passed by the House of Representatives, at the rate set forth
under ``District of Columbia Funds--Summary of Expenses'' as
included in the Fiscal Year 2008 Proposed Budget and
Financial Plan submitted to the Congress by the District of
Columbia on June 7, 2007, as amended on June 29, 2007.
Sec. 129. Section 403(f) of the Government Management
Reform Act of 1994 (Public Law 103-356; 31 U.S.C. 501 note)
shall be applied by substituting the date specified in
section 106(3) of this joint resolution for ``October 1,
2006''.
Sec. 130. Section 204(e) of the Veterans Benefits
Improvement Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-454; 38 U.S.C. 4301
note) shall be applied by substituting the date specified in
section 106(3) of this joint resolution for ``September 30,
2007''.
Sec. 131. Any funds made available pursuant to section 101
for United States Customs and Border Protection may be
obligated to support hiring, training, and equipping of new
border patrol agents at a rate for operations not exceeding
that necessary to sustain the numbers of new border patrol
agents hired, trained, and equipped in the final quarter of
fiscal year 2007. The Commissioner of United States Customs
and Border Protection shall notify the Committees on
Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Senate
on each use of the authority provided in this section.
[[Page H10915]]
Sec. 132. The Secretary of Homeland Security may continue,
through the date specified in section 106(3) of this joint
resolution, to obligate funds at the rate the Secretary
determines necessary to maintain not more than the average
monthly number of detention bed spaces in use during
September 2007 at detention facilities operated or contracted
by the Department of Homeland Security.
Sec. 133. During the period specified in section 106 of
this joint resolution, section 517(b) of Public Law 109-295
shall not be in effect.
Sec. 134. Section 105(f)(1)(B)(ix) of the Compact of Free
Association Amendments Act of 2003 (48 U.S.C.
1921d(f)(1)(B)(ix)) shall be applied by substituting the date
specified in section 106(3) of this joint resolution for
``the end of fiscal year 2007''.
Sec. 135. (a) Activities authorized by chapters 2, 3, 5,
and 6 of title II of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2271 et
seq.) shall continue through the date specified in section
106(3) of this joint resolution.
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this joint
resolution, except section 106, there is appropriated to
carry out chapter 6 of title II of the Trade Act of 1974 (19
U.S.C. 2401 et seq.) $5,000,000.
Sec. 136. (a) Appropriation for CHIP Program.--
(1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of
this joint resolution, there is hereby appropriated, out of
any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated for
fiscal year 2008, $5,000,000,000 for purposes of providing
allotments to States, the District of Columbia, and
commonwealths and territories under section 2104 of the
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1397dd), and, in addition,
$40,000,000 for the purpose of providing additional
allotments under subsection (c)(4)(A) of such section.
(2) Availability.--Funds made available from any allotment
under subsection (b) shall not be available for obligation
for child health assistance for items and services furnished
after the termination date specified in section 106(3) of
this joint resolution, or, if earlier, the date of the
enactment of an Act that provides funding for fiscal year
2008 and for one or more subsequent fiscal years for the
Children's Health Insurance Program under title XXI of the
Social Security Act.
(b) Allotments.--Notwithstanding any other provision of
this joint resolution, the Secretary of Health and Human
Services shall make allotments to States, the District of
Columbia, and commonwealths and territories under section
2104 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1397dd) from the
amounts appropriated under subsection (a) for the entire
fiscal year 2008.
(c) Redistribution of Unused Fiscal Year 2005 Allotments to
States With Estimated Funding Shortfalls for Fiscal Year
2008.--Section 2104 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
1397dd) is amended by adding at the end the following new
subsection:
``(i) Redistribution of Unused Fiscal Year 2005 Allotments
to States With Estimated Funding Shortfalls for Fiscal Year
2008.--
``(1) In general.--Notwithstanding subsection (f) and
subject to paragraphs (3) and (4), with respect to months
beginning during fiscal year 2008, the Secretary shall
provide for a redistribution under such subsection from the
allotments for fiscal year 2005 under subsection (b) that are
not expended by the end of fiscal year 2007, to a fiscal year
2008 shortfall State described in paragraph (2), such amount
as the Secretary determines will eliminate the estimated
shortfall described in such paragraph for such State for the
month.
``(2) Fiscal year 2008 shortfall state described.--A fiscal
year 2008 shortfall State described in this paragraph is a
State with a State child health plan approved under this
title for which the Secretary estimates, on a monthly basis
using the most recent data available to the Secretary as of
such month, that the projected expenditures under such plan
for such State for fiscal year 2008 will exceed the sum of--
``(A) the amount of the State's allotments for each of
fiscal years 2006 and 2007 that was not expended by the end
of fiscal year 2007; and
``(B) the amount of the State's allotment for fiscal year
2008.
``(3) Funds redistributed in the order in which states
realize funding shortfalls.--The Secretary shall redistribute
the amounts available for redistribution under paragraph (1)
to fiscal year 2008 shortfall States described in paragraph
(2) in the order in which such States realize monthly funding
shortfalls under this title for fiscal year 2008. The
Secretary shall only make redistributions under this
subsection to the extent that there are unexpended fiscal
year 2005 allotments under subsection (b) available for such
redistributions.
``(4) Proration rule.--If the amounts available for
redistribution under paragraph (1) are less than the total
amounts of the estimated shortfalls determined for the month
under that paragraph, the amount computed under such
paragraph for each fiscal year 2008 shortfall State for the
month shall be reduced proportionally.
``(5) Retrospective adjustment.--The Secretary may adjust
the estimates and determinations made to carry out this
subsection as necessary on the basis of the amounts reported
by States not later than November 30, 2007, on CMS Form 64 or
CMS Form 21, as the case may be, and as approved by the
Secretary.
``(6) 1-year availability; no further redistribution.--
Notwithstanding subsections (e) and (f), amounts
redistributed to a State pursuant to this subsection for
fiscal year 2008 shall only remain available for expenditure
by the State through September 30, 2008, and any amounts of
such redistributions that remain unexpended as of such date,
shall not be subject to redistribution under subsection
(f).''.
(d) Extending Authority for Qualifying States To Use
Certain Funds for Medicaid Expenditures.--Section
2105(g)(1)(A) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1397ee) is amended by
striking ``or 2007'' and inserting ``2007, or 2008''.
(e) Applicability.--The amendments made by subsection (c)
and (d) shall be in effect through the date specified in
section 106(3) of this joint resolution or, if earlier, the
date of the enactment of an Act that provides funding for
fiscal year 2008 and for one or more subsequent fiscal years
for the Children's Health Insurance Program under title XXI
of the Social Security Act.
Sec. 137. Notwithstanding any other provision of this joint
resolution, there is appropriated for payment to Susan
Thomas, widow of Craig Thomas, late a Senator from the State
of Wyoming, $165,200, and for payment to Karen L. Gillmor,
widow of Paul E. Gillmor, late a Representative from the
State of Ohio, $165,200.
Sec. 138. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall carry out
subparagraph (B) of section 1710(f)(2) of title 38, United
States Code, and subparagraph (E) of section 1729(a)(2) of
such title by substituting the date specified in section
106(3) of this joint resolution for the date specified in
each such subparagraph.
Sec. 139. Notwithstanding section 101, amounts are provided
for ``Department of Defense Base Closure Account 2005'' at a
rate for operations of $5,626,223,000.
Sec. 140. Notwithstanding any other provision of this joint
resolution, except section 106, the Department of Veterans
Affairs may expend funds for programs and activities under
the heading ``Information Technology Systems'' for pay and
associated cost for operations and maintenance associated
staff.
Sec. 141. Notwithstanding any other provision of this joint
resolution, except section 106, in addition to the amount
made available for fiscal year 2008 to carry out section 3674
of title 38, United States Code, there is appropriated to
carry out that section an additional amount equal to
$6,000,000 multiplied by the ratio of the number of days
covered by this joint resolution to 366.
Sec. 142. Notwithstanding section 235(a)(2) of the Foreign
Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2195(a)(2)), the authority
of subsections (a) through (c) of section 234 of such Act
shall remain in effect through the date specified in section
106(3) of this joint resolution.
Sec. 143. Notwithstanding section 101, amounts are provided
for ``Department of State--Administration of Foreign
Affairs--Diplomatic and Consular Programs'' at a rate for
operations of $4,435,013,000, of which not less than
$778,449,000 shall be for worldwide security upgrades.
Sec. 144. The provisions of title II of the McKinney-Vento
Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11311 et seq.) shall
continue in effect, notwithstanding section 209 of such Act,
through the earlier of (1) the date specified in section
106(3) of this joint resolution; or (2) the date of enactment
of an authorization Act relating to the McKinney-Vento
Homeless Assistance Act.
Sec. 145. Funds made available under section 101 for the
National Transportation Safety Board shall include amounts
necessary to make lease payments due in fiscal year 2008
only, on an obligation incurred in 2001 under a capital
lease.
Sec. 146. Notwithstanding the limitation in the first
sentence of section 255(g) of the National Housing Act (12
U.S.C. 1715z-20(g)), the Secretary of Housing and Urban
Development may, until the date specified in section 106(3)
of this joint resolution, insure and may enter into
commitments to insure mortgages under section 255 of the
National Housing Act (12 U.S.C. 1715z-20(g)).
Sec. 147. Section 24(o) of the United States Housing Act of
1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437v(o)) shall be applied by substituting
the date specified in section 106(3) of this joint resolution
for ``September 30, 2007''.
Sec. 148. (a) Section 48103(4) of title 49, United States
Code, shall be applied (1) by substituting the amount
specified in such section with an amount that equals
$3,675,000,000 multiplied by the ratio of the number of days
covered by this joint resolution to 366; and (2) by
substituting the fiscal year specified in such section with
the period beginning October 1, 2007, through the date
specified in section 106(3) of this joint resolution.
(b) Section 47104(c) of title 49, United States Code, shall
be applied by substituting ``2008'' for ``2007''.
(c) Nothing in this section shall affect the availability
of any balances of contract authority provided under section
48103 of title 49, United States Code, for fiscal year 2007
and any prior fiscal year.
Sec. 149. (a) Sections 4081(d)(2)(B), 4261(j)(1)(A)(ii),
4271(d)(1)(A)(ii), 9502(d)(1), and 9502(f)(2) of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986 shall each be applied by substituting
the date specified in section 106(3) of this joint resolution
for ``September 30, 2007'' or ``October 1, 2007'', as the
case may be.
(b) Subparagraph (A) of section 9502(d)(1) of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by inserting ``or any joint
resolution making continuing appropriations for the fiscal
year 2008'' before the semicolon at the end.
[[Page H10916]]
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 677, the
gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey) and the gentleman from California
(Mr. Lewis) each will control 30 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Wisconsin.
General Leave
Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks
on House Joint Resolution 52.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Wisconsin?
There was no objection.
Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute.
Mr. Speaker, this resolution keeps government functioning until
Congress and the President can make final decisions on appropriation
issues for fiscal year 2008. It is a clean CR. It funds all departments
at last year's level. The only exception is a $5.2 billion
appropriation for MRAPs, which are essential to protect our troops. It
expires November 16. I ask Members to do the responsible thing and vote
``aye.''
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, the chairman of the committee
often talks about thoughts and wisdom of Archie the cockroach, but
today I am reminded of the words of Yogi Berra, ``It's deja vu all over
again.''
It was 1 year ago that the House passed the first of several
continuing resolutions to ensure the continuation of government-funded
programs in the new fiscal year.
My friend, David Obey, came to the floor as the ranking member during
the debate to criticize Republicans in the House and the Senate for
their failure to pass the annual spending bills by the end of the
fiscal year. He spoke of the breakdown of the budget process and vowed
that things would be different under a Democrat majority.
We are now 4 days away from the end of the fiscal year, and once
again the ranking member of the Appropriations Committee is on the
floor decrying the breakdown of regular order. The only difference is
that David Obey is now Chairman Obey and I am a mere struggling
committee ranking member.
At this time last year, we had sent President Bush two appropriations
conference reports. This year, not one appropriations conference
meeting has taken place between the two bodies, even though there are
bills available.
When we passed the first CR last year, my hope was it would provide
strong motivation for Congress to complete its work in regular order. I
was hopeful that our colleagues in the Senate would complete their work
so we could send to the White House the remaining individual conference
reports before the end of our legislative session.
I come to the floor today with the same hopeful expectation that the
Senate will soon complete its work. But, based on recent history, I'm
not holding my breath.
My appropriations colleague, Senator Cochran of Mississippi, could
not have been a better partner as we attempted to bring regular order
to the appropriations process. Unfortunately, Chairman Cochran was
poorly served by his own leadership.
The breakdown of regular order in the last Congress, indeed the
failure to get our bills done, was placed squarely at the feet of the
former Senate majority leader who failed to schedule floor time for the
consideration of appropriations bills. One year later, the failure of
the appropriations process can be laid squarely at the feet of the
present Senate majority leader.
The House has passed each of its spending bills; and, while I believe
these bills spend too much, the House Appropriations Committee has kept
its word by completing its work.
During my tenure as chairman, the Appropriations Committee was
strongly committed to bringing to the floor individual conference
reports for each and every bill. I did not then support, and do not now
support, an omnibus spending bill in any form. But that is exactly the
direction in which the Democrat majority is now moving.
I am convinced that moving bills individually is the only way for us
to control government spending. Lacking regular order, there is a
tendency for spending on the remaining bills to grow out of control.
That challenge is particularly acute this year with the Democrat
majority writing and passing spending bills that exceed the President's
budget request by about $23 billion.
We are today passing a CR that continues for the next 6 weeks Federal
programs under the terms and conditions established in the 2007 fiscal
year resolution.
In 6 weeks, I am afraid we will be here once again to pass yet
another continuing resolution, and that will lead us well into the
free-spending holiday season.
My colleagues, we are moving ever closer to a massive year-end
omnibus spending bill. That course of action would be an admission of
failure on the part of this Congress.
At this moment, there is still time for Democrats and Republicans to
find common ground on spending. There is still time for the House and
the Senate to complete its work in regular order. There is still time
to pass and send to the White House individual conference reports. But
we must act now.
I would like to close by quoting my friend, Mr. Obey, from a past
continuing resolution debate: ``This continuing resolution is a
monument to institutional failure. This Congress is failing to meet
even the most basic and minimal expectations that the country has for
it by way of doing our routine business. This is governing in a pitiful
way,'' Mr. Obey said, ``and I wish that I could say something more
positive about it, but, indeed, I cannot.''
Mr. Speaker, and I would say, ``Madam Speaker,'' if I could find the
gentlelady on the floor, ``Madam Speaker, this is deja vu all over
again.''
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, let me recite a slightly different version of recent
history with respect to appropriation bills.
After 12 years of rule by the Republican Party, the American people
gave the Democratic Party the privilege of moving into the majority in
the last election. We were sworn in on January 4. At that point, not a
single domestic appropriation bill had been passed by the previous
Congress.
So before we could move to our own business for this year, we had to
first clean up the unfinished business left by the previous Republican-
controlled Congress. That took us 6 weeks. And in 6 weeks we passed the
entire domestic budget; and, at the time we did that, we eliminated all
earmarks.
Then we also set about to implement the earmark reform process which
was spoken for by both political parties in this House. That took us an
extra 3 weeks. During that time, we ramped up the number of hearings
and the intensity of congressional oversight; and by the end of the
hearing process we had doubled the number of hearings held by the
previous Congress and restored a much more tenacious set of oversight
habits.
We also were forced to confront the President on Iraq because of the
unraveling situation in that misbegotten war. And we also, as we tried
to pass our appropriation bills, had to endure filibuster by amendment
on the part of the minority. They took more than 60 hours above the
amount taken by the minority in the previous year on appropriation
bills.
Republicans offered 339 amendments to the appropriation bills that we
passed in the House, compared to 172 amendments that were offered by
Democrats when we were in the minority. Despite all of that, we still
managed to pass every single appropriation bill before the August
recess. That is only the second time during the Bush administration
that this House has passed all of its appropriation bills before the
August recess.
Then those bills went to the Senate; and, as the gentleman indicated,
they ran into considerable trouble. The Senate has passed four bills. I
have asked them to proceed to pass as many additional bills as they
can, and I hope that they do. And, incidentally, when they do bring up
bills, I was told yesterday that you have between two and three hundred
amendments filed to several of the bills, so you face a filibuster by
amendment on the part of the minority in the Senate. As you know, under
Senate rules, debate cannot be shut down unless you have 60 votes,
rather than 50.
[[Page H10917]]
So that's the record as I see it. The gentleman from California has
recited the record as he sees it. But I would suggest that what is
important is what we do now. Where do we go from here?
Even as the Senate makes an effort to complete action on its bills, I
would hope that we could shorten the process by sitting down now with
the administration to work out compromises on those bills so that we
don't have to spend the next 6 weeks continuing to define our
differences.
{time} 1145
I'm an old-fashioned legislator, and I believe that the way the
parties ought to proceed is that we first ought to define our
differences and then we ought to resolve them. We've already defined
our differences with the passage of the 12 bills in the House. I doubt
that the Senate bills are going to get any better from our standpoint,
and so it seems to me that time's awasting. It seems to me that we
would best serve the needs of the country if the administration would
be willing to sit down with us now and begin discussions about how we
might reach compromises on these bills so that we can move forward.
Now, let me make one additional point. The President is asking us to
spend about $200 billion, every dollar of that borrowed, in order to
finance the supplemental for the war in Iraq, and yet he is objecting
to the fact that in the House-passed bills we tried to take about 1/
10th that amount and use it for crucial investments in our country's
future.
The job of this Congress, the job certainly of this committee, is to
make investments that will benefit the country over the long haul, make
us a stronger country, and make us a stronger society over the next 10
years. We don't believe on this side of the aisle, and I think in fact
we had significant bipartisan agreement if you take a look at the
votes, we don't believe that you accomplish that strengthening of the
country by cutting vocational education by 50 percent, as the President
does in his budget; by eliminating all student aid programs except work
study and Pell Grant, as the President does in his budget; by gutting
education technology grants, as the President does in his budget; by
actually reducing the number of medical research grants at NIH, as the
President does in his budget. I've never had anybody come up to me in
my life and say, ``Obey, why don't you guys in Congress get your act
together and cut cancer research.'' And yet, that's what the Congress
has done the last 2 years. We don't think that ought to happen. So
that's why we depart from the President on that score.
We also don't think we strengthen the country when we cut special
education by $300 million, and there are a good many Republicans who
agree with that. In fact, Mr. Walsh, the ranking Republican on the
Labor, Health, Education and Social Services Subcommittee, Mr. Walsh,
led the effort to increase the funds that our committee provided for
special education, and I commend him for it.
We also don't think it's good to cut mental health and drug abuse
funding by $160 million. We don't think that we strengthen the society
or this country when we cut minority health professions training by 66
percent. We don't think that we improve health care for children by
cutting the training of medical personnel in children's hospitals by 63
percent, and we don't think we strengthen rural America by cutting
rural health programs by 54 percent.
We don't think we help make our communities better and cleaner by
cutting the clean water revolving fund by 37 percent, as the President
does. We don't believe that we meet the needs of our logging industry
and the recreational needs of the American people when we cut the
forest service budget by 15 percent, as the President's budget does.
And we don't believe that we ought to cut housing for disabled
Americans by 47 percent or senior housing by 20 percent. In an age of
high gas prices and high energy prices, we don't believe that we ought
to cut the low-income heating assistance program by 18 percent.
And let me say that Democrats are not the only ones who believe that.
If you take a look and analyze the votes on the various appropriations
bills that went through the House, you will see that on average we had
65 Republicans who voted with us in support of the appropriations bills
that we sent over to the Senate. In fact, if you average out each of
the rollcalls for each of the bills that passed, you will see that
exactly two-thirds of this body voted for those bills.
So I think we have established a bipartisan foundation in the House
for moving forward, and I hope this continuing resolution gives us the
necessary time to do that.
I would hope that the Senate can move forward and complete its work
on a bill-by-bill basis, but frankly, it is immaterial to me whether
the bills are produced one by one or if they are produced in bunches.
What counts is not the form. What counts is the substance. What counts
is whether we make the right investments to make this country stronger
over the long haul. That's our obligation, no matter how we package it.
So I would once again simply urge the administration to sit down with
us and begin to talk about how, as adults, we can reach a compromise on
these issues.
The President would have the country believe that we are blowing the
lid outrageously on budgets and pouring money into the domestic budget.
I would suggest that restoring $16 billion in Presidential cuts is
mighty small potatoes in comparison to the $200 billion that he wants
us to spend in Iraq and the $50 billion that he still wants us to
provide for tax cuts for people making a million bucks a year.
Let me remind the House, Mr. Speaker, that in 1980 the appropriations
for domestic budgets equaled 4.8 percent of our total national income.
Today, they have been reduced to 2.9 percent of our total national
income, and the President's budget would take us, by the year 2012,
down to 2.4 percent of the Nation's income. That means that we would
have cut in half our investments relative to our national wealth. We
would have cut in half those domestic investments since 1980. I don't
believe, and I think there are many in both parties who don't believe,
that that is the way that we build a stronger future for this country.
So I would simply point out what we have here is an effort on our
part to add about 2 percent to what the President is doing in the area
of education, health care, science, law enforcement and all of that,
and I'd simply suggest that, instead of continuing to talk about it, we
sit down and have some more productive actions; we sit down and try to
work out these differences between us so that we can leave town at a
reasonable time, having completed our action on these bills and having
met our responsibilities to make the investments that will, over the
long haul, make this a stronger country.
With that, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to know if Mr.
Obey wanted to continue speaking or I can yield back my time. I'm ready
to yield back the balance of my time. I just wondered if you were ready
to yield more time.
Mr. OBEY. I'm ready to yield back.
Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, As a result of Republican obstructionism
and the President's threats to veto our Democratic Congress' new
investments in health, the environment and infrastructure, Congress is
being forced to pass a resolution to keep the government operating
beyond next week's end of the fiscal year. Unfortunately, this bill
included money to continue funding the war in Iraq. I have pledged:
``not another dime for the war,'' and voted ``no.'' I will continue to
vote against any appropriations bill that continues military operations
in Iraq.
At the same time, the motion to condemn Moveon.org was both
irrelevant and hypocritical. It was irrelevant in that it had nothing
to do with the underlying bill and hypocritical because the Republicans
have tolerated, and in some cases encouraged, some of the most savage
Swift-boating of candidates and individuals without ever raising a
voice in protest.
People have deep concerns about this administration and they have the
right to question the testimony General Petraeus gave before Congress.
The twisted factual basis for some of his statements, which charitably
can only be deemed convoluted, has been made clear in numerous
independent press accounts. I voted ``no,'' choosing not to be a part
of the irrelevance and hypocrisy.
Mr OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.J. Res. 52, making
continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2008, and for other
[[Page H10918]]
purposes. H.J. Res. 52 provides continuing appropriations for Federal
programs, including the aviation investment programs.
H.J. Res. 52 includes a provision extending the Federal Aviation
Administration's Airport Improvement Program, AIP. Specifically,
section 148 of H.J. Res. 52 provided mandatory AIP contract authority
only for the term covered by the Continuing Resolution at a level that,
when annualized, equals the amount of mandatory AIP contract authority
included in the fiscal year 2008 budget baseline.
The Congressional Budget Office, the House Budget Committee, the
House and Senate Appropriations Committees, the Senate Commerce
Committee, and the Office of Management and Budget all concur that
section 148 provides mandatory contract authority. Moreover, section
148 is a change to a mandatory program and therefore, the amount of
contract authority provided by the Continuing Resolution will
ultimately be rebased in the baseline and put on the mandatory side of
the budget. The baseline for the AIP program will remain mandatory.
Based on my shared understanding that section 148 will not in any way
change the nature of the AIP program, I urge my colleagues to join me
in supporting H.J. Res. 52.
Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my
time.
Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. All time for debate has expired.
Pursuant to House Resolution 677, the joint resolution is considered
read, and the previous question is ordered.
The question is on the engrossment and third reading of the joint
resolution.
The joint resolution was ordered to be engrossed and read a third
time, and was read the third time.
Motion to Recommit Offered by Mr. Lewis of California
Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I offer a motion to recommit.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is the gentleman opposed to the resolution?
Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I am certainly in its present
form.
Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I reserve a point of order.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. A point of order is reserved.
The Clerk will report the motion to recommit.
The Clerk read as follows:
Mr. Lewis moves to recommit House Joint Resolution 52 to
the Committee on Appropriations with instructions to report
the same back to the House forthwith with the following
amendment:
At the end of the joint resolution, insert the following
section:
Sec. 150. (a) Congress makes the following findings:
(1) General David H. Petraeus was confirmed by a unanimous
vote of 8l-0 in the Senate on January 26, 2007, to be the
Commander of the Multi-National Forces--Iraq;
(2) General David H. Petraeus assumed command of the Multi-
National Forces--Iraq on February 10, 2007;
(3) General David H. Petraeus previously served in
Operation Iraqi Freedom as the Commander of the Multi-
National Security Transition Command--Iraq, as the Commander
of the NATO Training Mission--Iraq, and as Commander of the
101st Airborne Division (Air--Assault) during the first year
of combat operations in Iraq;
(4) General David H. Petraeus has received numerous awards
and distinctions during his career, including the Defense
Distinguished Service Medal, two awards of the Distinguished
Service Medal, two awards of the Defense Superior Service
Medal, four awards of the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star
Medal for valor, the State Department Superior Honor Award,
the NATO Meritorious Service Medal, and the Gold Award of the
Iraqi Order of the Date Palm; and
(5) The leadership of the majority party in both the House
of Representatives and the Senate implored the American
people and Members of Congress early in January 2007 to
listen to the generals on the ground.
(b) It is the Sense of the Congress that the House of
Representatives--
(1) recognizes the service of General David H. Petraeus, as
well as all other members of the Armed Forces serving in good
standing, in the defense of the United States and the
personal sacrifices made by General Petraeus and his family,
and other members of the Armed Forces and their families, to
serve with distinction and honor;
(2) commits to judge the merits of the sworn testimony of
General David H. Petraeus without prejudice or personal bias,
including refraining from unwarranted personal attacks;
(3) condemns in the strongest possible terms the personal
attacks made by the advocacy group MoveOn.org impugning the
integrity and professionalism of General David H.Petraeus;
(4) honors all members of the Armed Forces and civilian
personnel serving in harm's way, as well as their families;
and
(5) pledges to debate any supplemental funding request or
any policy decisions regarding the war in Iraq with the
solemn respect and the commitment to intellectual integrity
that the sacrifices of these members of the Armed Forces and
civilian personnel deserve.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Lewis) is recognized for 5 minutes in support of his
motion.
Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, this simple motion is to
recommend or recommit. It is a sense of the Congress resolution that
recognizes the service of General David Petraeus as well as all other
members of our Armed Forces. It expresses our appreciation for his
personal sacrifices and those of his family as well as the sacrifices
of those who served in the Armed Forces and their families.
{time} 1200
Further, this sense of the Congress resolution condemns, in the
strongest possible terms, the unfair personal attacks made by the
advocacy group, MoveOn.org, on the character, integrity and
professionalism of General David Patraeus. Such unwarranted attacks
should be strongly condemned by Republicans and Democrats alike in the
House.
I strongly urge a ``yea'' vote on the motion to recommit.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to claim the time in
opposition.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Does the gentleman withdraw his reservation?
Mr. OBEY. Yes, I do.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the gentleman from
Wisconsin is recognized for 5 minutes.
There was no objection.
Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I want to urge support for this motion. As
those in this House who know me well understand, I come from the State
of Joe McCarthy. And one of the reasons that I changed political
parties, because I grew up in a Republican family, is because I saw
what the local McCarthy supporters did to the best teacher I ever had
when they impugned his patriotism by calling him a Bolshevik back
during the McCarthy heyday. And to this day there is nothing that gets
my dander up more than to have someone's patriotism questioned on this
House floor or anywhere else in the political realm. And if I'm going
to get upset when that kind of juvenile activity occurs on the part of
the political right, then I've got an obligation to be equally upset
when that kind of juvenile debate emanates from the left.
It seems to me that we all ought to recognize that we can have honest
and profound differences with the policy that the general was selling 2
weeks ago without getting personal about it. I think what we ought to
do is accept this motion, vote for it, send the continuing resolution
to the Senate and get on with the business of negotiating out the
content of these appropriation bills so that we can do our duty to the
country.
I yield back the balance of my time and ask for an ``aye'' vote.
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 ayes appeared to have it.
Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the
ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a
quorum is not present.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Evidently a quorum is not present.
The Sergeant at Arms will notify absent Members.
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--yeas 341,
nays 79, not voting 12, as follows:
[Roll No. 910]
YEAS--341
Aderholt
Akin
Alexander
Altmire
Andrews
Arcuri
Baca
Bachmann
Baird
Baker
Barrett (SC)
Barrow
Bartlett (MD)
Barton (TX)
Bean
Berkley
Berry
Biggert
Bilbray
Bilirakis
Bishop (GA)
Bishop (NY)
Bishop (UT)
Blackburn
Blunt
Boehner
Bonner
[[Page H10919]]
Bono
Boozman
Boren
Boswell
Boucher
Boustany
Boyd (FL)
Boyda (KS)
Brady (PA)
Brady (TX)
Braley (IA)
Broun (GA)
Brown (SC)
Brown-Waite, Ginny
Buchanan
Burgess
Burton (IN)
Butterfield
Buyer
Calvert
Camp (MI)
Campbell (CA)
Cannon
Cantor
Capito
Cardoza
Carnahan
Carney
Carter
Castle
Chabot
Chandler
Cleaver
Clyburn
Coble
Cole (OK)
Conaway
Cooper
Costa
Costello
Courtney
Cramer
Crenshaw
Cuellar
Culberson
Davis (AL)
Davis (CA)
Davis (KY)
Davis, David
Davis, Lincoln
Davis, Tom
Deal (GA)
DeFazio
Delahunt
DeLauro
Dent
Diaz-Balart, L.
Diaz-Balart, M.
Dicks
Dingell
Doggett
Donnelly
Doolittle
Doyle
Drake
Dreier
Duncan
Edwards
Ehlers
Ellsworth
Emanuel
Emerson
Engel
English (PA)
Eshoo
Etheridge
Everett
Fallin
Farr
Fattah
Feeney
Ferguson
Flake
Forbes
Fortenberry
Fossella
Foxx
Franks (AZ)
Frelinghuysen
Gallegly
Garrett (NJ)
Gerlach
Giffords
Gilchrest
Gillibrand
Gingrey
Gohmert
Gonzalez
Goode
Goodlatte
Granger
Graves
Green, Gene
Hall (NY)
Hall (TX)
Hare
Harman
Hastert
Hastings (WA)
Hayes
Heller
Hensarling
Herseth Sandlin
Higgins
Hill
Hobson
Hodes
Hoekstra
Holden
Hooley
Hoyer
Hulshof
Hunter
Inglis (SC)
Israel
Issa
Jackson (IL)
Johnson (IL)
Johnson, Sam
Jones (NC)
Jordan
Kagen
Kanjorski
Kaptur
Keller
Kennedy
Kildee
Kind
King (IA)
King (NY)
Kingston
Kirk
Klein (FL)
Kline (MN)
Knollenberg
Kuhl (NY)
LaHood
Lamborn
Lampson
Langevin
Lantos
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
Latham
LaTourette
Levin
Lewis (CA)
Lewis (KY)
Linder
Lipinski
LoBiondo
Loebsack
Lowey
Lucas
Lungren, Daniel E.
Lynch
Mack
Mahoney (FL)
Maloney (NY)
Manzullo
Marchant
Marshall
Matheson
McCarthy (CA)
McCarthy (NY)
McCaul (TX)
McCollum (MN)
McCotter
McCrery
McHenry
McHugh
McIntyre
McKeon
McMorris Rodgers
McNerney
McNulty
Meeks (NY)
Melancon
Mica
Miller (FL)
Miller (MI)
Miller, Gary
Mitchell
Mollohan
Moore (KS)
Moran (KS)
Murphy (CT)
Murphy, Patrick
Murphy, Tim
Murtha
Musgrave
Myrick
Napolitano
Neugebauer
Nunes
Oberstar
Obey
Ortiz
Pascrell
Pastor
Paul
Pearce
Pence
Perlmutter
Peterson (MN)
Peterson (PA)
Petri
Pickering
Pitts
Platts
Poe
Pomeroy
Porter
Price (GA)
Pryce (OH)
Putnam
Radanovich
Rahall
Ramstad
Rangel
Regula
Rehberg
Reichert
Renzi
Reyes
Reynolds
Richardson
Rodriguez
Rogers (AL)
Rogers (KY)
Rogers (MI)
Rohrabacher
Ros-Lehtinen
Roskam
Ross
Rothman
Roybal-Allard
Royce
Ruppersberger
Ryan (WI)
Salazar
Sali
Sanchez, Loretta
Sarbanes
Saxton
Schiff
Schmidt
Schwartz
Scott (GA)
Sensenbrenner
Sessions
Sestak
Shadegg
Shays
Shea-Porter
Shimkus
Shuler
Shuster
Simpson
Sires
Skelton
Smith (NE)
Smith (NJ)
Smith (TX)
Smith (WA)
Snyder
Space
Spratt
Stearns
Stupak
Sullivan
Tancredo
Tanner
Tauscher
Taylor
Terry
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Thornberry
Tiahrt
Tiberi
Turner
Udall (CO)
Udall (NM)
Upton
Visclosky
Walberg
Walden (OR)
Walsh (NY)
Walz (MN)
Wamp
Welch (VT)
Weldon (FL)
Weller
Westmoreland
Whitfield
Wicker
Wilson (NM)
Wilson (OH)
Wilson (SC)
Wolf
Wu
Young (AK)
Young (FL)
NAYS--79
Abercrombie
Ackerman
Allen
Baldwin
Becerra
Berman
Blumenauer
Brown, Corrine
Capps
Capuano
Castor
Clarke
Clay
Cohen
Conyers
Crowley
Davis (IL)
DeGette
Ellison
Filner
Frank (MA)
Green, Al
Grijalva
Gutierrez
Hastings (FL)
Hinchey
Hirono
Holt
Honda
Inslee
Jackson-Lee (TX)
Jefferson
Johnson (GA)
Jones (OH)
Kilpatrick
Kucinich
Lee
Lewis (GA)
Lofgren, Zoe
Markey
Matsui
McDermott
McGovern
Meek (FL)
Michaud
Miller (NC)
Miller, George
Moore (WI)
Moran (VA)
Nadler
Neal (MA)
Olver
Pallone
Payne
Price (NC)
Rush
Ryan (OH)
Sanchez, Linda T.
Schakowsky
Scott (VA)
Serrano
Sherman
Slaughter
Solis
Stark
Tierney
Towns
Van Hollen
Velazquez
Wasserman Schultz
Waters
Watson
Watt
Waxman
Weiner
Wexler
Woolsey
Wynn
Yarmuth
NOT VOTING--12
Bachus
Carson
Cubin
Cummings
Davis, Jo Ann
Gordon
Herger
Hinojosa
Jindal
Johnson, E. B.
Souder
Sutton
{time} 1232
Mr. BECERRA, Mr. CROWLEY, Ms. SOLIS, Mr. STARK, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr.
McDERMOTT, Ms. DeGETTE, Messrs. TIERNEY, SCOTT of Virginia, MILLER of
North Carolina, ALLEN, RUSH, Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida, Messrs. AL
GREEN of Texas, VAN HOLLEN, BERMAN, INSLEE, NEAL of Massachusetts and
SHERMAN changed their vote from ``yea to ``nay.''
Mr. LINDER, Mrs. TAUSCHER, Mr. PORTER, Mr. BRALEY of Iowa, Mr.
THOMPSON of California, Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota and Messrs. PETERSON
of Minnesota, OBERSTAR, BACA, DOGGETT, BUTTERFIELD and LARSON of
Connecticut changed their vote from ``nay'' to ``yea.''
Mr. COHEN changed his vote from ``present'' to ``nay.''
So the motion to recommit was agreed to.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to the instructions of the House on
the motion to recommit, I report H.J. Res. 52 back to the House with an
amendment.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the amendment.
The Clerk read as follows:
Amendment:
At the end of the joint resolution, insert the following
new section:
Sec. 150 (a) Congress makes the following findings:
(1) General David H. Petraeus was confirmed by a unanimous
vote of 81-0 in the Senate on January 26, 2007, to be the
Commander of the Multi-National Forces-Iraq;
(2) General David H. Petraeus assumed command of the Multi-
National Forces-Iraq on February 10, 2007;
(3) General David H. Petraeus previously served in
Operation Iraqi Freedom as the Commander of the Multi-
National Security Transition Command-Iraq, as the Commander
of the NATO Training Mission-Iraq, and as Commander of the
101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) during the first year
of combat operations in Iraq;
(4) General David H. Petraeus has received numerous awards
and distinctions during his career, including the Defense
Distinguished Service Medal, two awards of the Distinguished
Service Medal, two awards of the Defense Superior Service
Medal, four awards of the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star
Medal for valor, the State Department Superior Honor Award,
the NATO Meritorious Service Medal, and the Gold Award of the
Iraqi Order of the Date Palm; and
(5) The leadership of the majority party in both the House
of Representatives and the Senate implored the American
people and Members of Congress early in January 2007 to
listen to the generals on the ground.
(b) It is the Sense of the Congress that the House of
Representatives--
(1) recognizes the service of General David H. Petraeus, as
well as all other members of the Armed Forces serving in good
standing, in the defense of the United States and the
personal sacrifices made by General Petraeus and his family,
and other members of the Armed Forces and their families, to
serve with distinction and honor;
(2) commits to judge the merits of the sworn testimony of
General David H. Petraeus without prejudice or personal bias,
including refraining from unwarranted personal attacks;
(3) condemns in the strongest possible terms the personal
attacks made by the advocacy group MoveOn.org impugning the
integrity and professionalism of General David H. Petraeus;
(4) honors all members of the Armed Forces and civilian
personnel serving in harm's way, as well as their families;
and
(5) pledges to debate any supplemental funding request or
any policy decisions regarding the war in Iraq with the
solemn respect and the commitment to intellectual integrity
that the sacrifices of these members of the Armed Forces and
civilian personnel deserve.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the amendment.
The amendment was agreed to.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the engrossment and third
reading of the joint resolution.
The joint resolution was ordered to be engrossed and read a third
time, and was read the third time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the passage of the joint
resolution.
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that
the ayes appeared to have it.
Recorded Vote
Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.
A recorded vote was ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. This will be a 5-minute vote.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--ayes 404,
noes 14, not voting 14, as follows:
[Roll No. 911]
AYES--404
Abercrombie
Ackerman
Aderholt
Akin
Alexander
Allen
Altmire
Andrews
Arcuri
[[Page H10920]]
Baca
Bachmann
Baird
Baker
Baldwin
Barrett (SC)
Barrow
Bartlett (MD)
Barton (TX)
Bean
Becerra
Berkley
Berman
Berry
Biggert
Bilbray
Bilirakis
Bishop (GA)
Bishop (NY)
Bishop (UT)
Blackburn
Blunt
Boehner
Bonner
Bono
Boozman
Boren
Boswell
Boucher
Boustany
Boyd (FL)
Boyda (KS)
Brady (PA)
Brady (TX)
Braley (IA)
Broun (GA)
Brown (SC)
Brown, Corrine
Brown-Waite, Ginny
Buchanan
Burgess
Burton (IN)
Butterfield
Buyer
Calvert
Camp (MI)
Campbell (CA)
Cannon
Cantor
Capito
Capps
Capuano
Cardoza
Carnahan
Carney
Carter
Castle
Castor
Chabot
Chandler
Clarke
Cleaver
Clyburn
Coble
Cohen
Cole (OK)
Conaway
Conyers
Cooper
Costa
Costello
Courtney
Cramer
Crenshaw
Crowley
Cuellar
Culberson
Cummings
Davis (AL)
Davis (CA)
Davis (IL)
Davis (KY)
Davis, David
Davis, Lincoln
Davis, Tom
Deal (GA)
DeFazio
DeGette
Delahunt
DeLauro
Dent
Diaz-Balart, L.
Diaz-Balart, M.
Dicks
Dingell
Doggett
Donnelly
Doolittle
Doyle
Drake
Dreier
Duncan
Edwards
Ehlers
Ellsworth
Emanuel
Emerson
Engel
English (PA)
Eshoo
Etheridge
Everett
Fallin
Farr
Fattah
Feeney
Ferguson
Flake
Forbes
Fortenberry
Fossella
Foxx
Franks (AZ)
Frelinghuysen
Gallegly
Garrett (NJ)
Gerlach
Giffords
Gilchrest
Gillibrand
Gingrey
Gohmert
Gonzalez
Goode
Goodlatte
Granger
Graves
Green, Al
Green, Gene
Grijalva
Gutierrez
Hall (NY)
Hall (TX)
Hare
Harman
Hastert
Hastings (FL)
Hastings (WA)
Hayes
Heller
Hensarling
Herseth Sandlin
Higgins
Hill
Hirono
Hobson
Hodes
Hoekstra
Holden
Holt
Honda
Hooley
Hoyer
Hulshof
Hunter
Inglis (SC)
Inslee
Israel
Issa
Jackson (IL)
Jackson-Lee (TX)
Jefferson
Johnson (GA)
Johnson (IL)
Johnson, Sam
Jones (NC)
Jones (OH)
Jordan
Kagen
Kanjorski
Kaptur
Keller
Kennedy
Kildee
Kilpatrick
Kind
King (IA)
King (NY)
Kingston
Kirk
Klein (FL)
Kline (MN)
Knollenberg
Kuhl (NY)
LaHood
Lamborn
Lampson
Langevin
Lantos
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
Latham
Levin
Lewis (CA)
Lewis (GA)
Lewis (KY)
Linder
Lipinski
LoBiondo
Loebsack
Lofgren, Zoe
Lowey
Lucas
Lungren, Daniel E.
Lynch
Mack
Mahoney (FL)
Maloney (NY)
Manzullo
Marchant
Markey
Marshall
Matheson
Matsui
McCarthy (CA)
McCarthy (NY)
McCaul (TX)
McCollum (MN)
McCotter
McCrery
McGovern
McHenry
McHugh
McIntyre
McKeon
McMorris Rodgers
McNerney
McNulty
Meek (FL)
Meeks (NY)
Melancon
Mica
Michaud
Miller (FL)
Miller (MI)
Miller (NC)
Miller, Gary
Miller, George
Mitchell
Mollohan
Moore (KS)
Moore (WI)
Moran (KS)
Moran (VA)
Murphy (CT)
Murphy, Patrick
Murphy, Tim
Murtha
Musgrave
Myrick
Nadler
Napolitano
Neal (MA)
Neugebauer
Nunes
Oberstar
Obey
Ortiz
Pallone
Pascrell
Pastor
Pearce
Pence
Perlmutter
Peterson (MN)
Peterson (PA)
Petri
Pickering
Pitts
Platts
Poe
Pomeroy
Porter
Price (GA)
Price (NC)
Pryce (OH)
Putnam
Radanovich
Rahall
Ramstad
Rangel
Regula
Rehberg
Reichert
Renzi
Reyes
Reynolds
Richardson
Rodriguez
Rogers (AL)
Rogers (KY)
Rogers (MI)
Rohrabacher
Ros-Lehtinen
Roskam
Ross
Rothman
Roybal-Allard
Ruppersberger
Rush
Ryan (OH)
Ryan (WI)
Salazar
Sali
Sanchez, Linda T.
Sanchez, Loretta
Sarbanes
Saxton
Schakowsky
Schiff
Schmidt
Schwartz
Scott (GA)
Scott (VA)
Sensenbrenner
Serrano
Sessions
Sestak
Shadegg
Shays
Shea-Porter
Sherman
Shimkus
Shuler
Shuster
Simpson
Sires
Skelton
Slaughter
Smith (NE)
Smith (NJ)
Smith (TX)
Smith (WA)
Snyder
Solis
Space
Spratt
Stark
Stearns
Stupak
Sullivan
Tancredo
Tanner
Tauscher
Taylor
Terry
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Thornberry
Tiahrt
Tiberi
Tierney
Towns
Turner
Udall (CO)
Udall (NM)
Upton
Van Hollen
Velazquez
Visclosky
Walberg
Walden (OR)
Walsh (NY)
Walz (MN)
Wamp
Wasserman Schultz
Watt
Waxman
Weiner
Welch (VT)
Weldon (FL)
Weller
Westmoreland
Wexler
Whitfield
Wicker
Wilson (NM)
Wilson (OH)
Wilson (SC)
Wolf
Wu
Wynn
Yarmuth
Young (AK)
Young (FL)
NOES--14
Blumenauer
Clay
Ellison
Filner
Frank (MA)
Hinchey
Kucinich
Lee
McDermott
Paul
Payne
Waters
Watson
Woolsey
NOT VOTING--14
Bachus
Carson
Cubin
Davis, Jo Ann
Gordon
Herger
Hinojosa
Jindal
Johnson, E. B.
LaTourette
Olver
Royce
Souder
Sutton
Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore
The SPEAKER pro tempore (during the vote). Members are advised that
there are 2 minutes remaining in this vote.
{time} 1244
So the joint resolution was passed.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
Stated for:
Mr. LaTOURETTE on rollcall No. 911, I was unavoidably detained. Had I
been present, I would have voted ``aye.''
____________________