[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 145 (Thursday, September 27, 2007)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1281-D1283]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                        House of Representatives


Chamber Action
Public Bills and Resolutions Introduced: 29 public bills, H.R. 3678-
3706; and 11 resolutions, H.J. Res. 54; H. Con. Res. 220; and H. Res. 
685-693 were introduced.                                
  Pages H11026-28
Additional Cosponsors:                                  
  Pages H11028-29
Reports Filed: Reports were filed today as follows:
  H.R. 2740, to require accountability for contractors and contract 
personnel under Federal contracts, with an amendment (H. Rept. 110-
352);
  H.R. 400, to prohibit profiteering and fraud relating to military 
action, relief, and reconstruction efforts, with an amendment (H. Rept. 
110-353);
  H.R. 928, to amend the Inspector General Act of 1978 to enhance the 
independence of the Inspectors General and to create a Council of the 
Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency, with an amendment (H. 
Rept. 110-354); and
  Interim Report of the Select Committee to Investigate the Voting 
Irregularities of August 2, 2007 (H. Rept. 110-355).        
Page H11026
Speaker: Read a letter from the Speaker wherein she appointed 
Representative Blumenauer to act as Speaker Pro Tempore for today. 
                                                           Pages H10941
Chaplain: The prayer was offered by the guest Chaplain, Rev. James T. 
Golden, Ward Temple A.M.E. Church, Bradenton, Florida.      
  Page H10941
Motion to Adjourn: Rejected the Sessions motion to adjourn by a yea-
and-nay vote of 175 yeas to 229 nays, Roll No. 914.         
  Page H10952
Flood Insurance Reform and Modernization Act of 2007: The House passed 
H.R. 3121, to restore the financial solvency of the national flood 
insurance

[[Page D1282]]

program and to provide for such program to make available multiperil 
coverage for damage resulting from windstorms and floods, by a yea-and-
nay vote of 263 yeas to 146 nays, Roll No. 921.         
  Pages H10956-94
  Rejected the Bachmann motion to recommit the bill to the Committee on 
Financial Services with instructions to report the same back to the 
House forthwith with amendments, by a recorded vote of 179 ayes to 232 
noes, Roll No. 920.                                     
Pages H10991-93
  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. 110-351, 
shall be considered as adopted in the House and in the Committee of the 
Whole and shall be considered as the original bill for the purpose of 
further amendment.                                          
Page H10966
Accepted:
  Frank (MA) manager's amendment (No. 1 printed in part B of H. Rept. 
110-351) that (1) requires that homes insured by wind/water policies 
comply with existing model building codes from the International Code 
Council pursuant to request from the National Association of Home 
Builders; (2) requires that specific technologies be used for mapping 
floodplains; (3) adds a professional mapping association to the Mapping 
Advisory Council; (4) prohibits FEMA from enforcing penalties assessed 
against individual condo owners where the condo complex is underinsured 
regarding flood coverage; (5) directs FEMA to develop a plan to verify 
that the recipients of Homeowner Assistance Grants in Mississippi and 
Road Home Grants in Louisiana, funded by HUD Community Development 
Block Grants, maintain flood insurance on their properties as required 
as a condition of the grants; and (6) codifies recommendations in a 
recently released GAO report with respect to the National Flood 
Insurance Program's payments to insurance companies for their 
administrative costs without requiring the companies to report their 
costs or to comply with the existing audit requirements; 
                                                        Pages H10972-73
  Cardoza amendment (No. 2 printed in part B of H. Rept. 110-351) that 
states that people forced to purchase flood insurance as a result of 
the new map who have lived in an area where the levees were previously 
certified, and have now been decertified, will receive a grace period 
of 5 years in which they will be entitled to a 50% reduction in their 
flood insurance premium while the levees are being recertified; 
                                                        Pages H10973-75
  Castor amendment (No. 3 printed in part B of H. Rept. 110-351) that 
commissions a study by the GAO to examine the effect of the new 
multiperil policy on state insurance programs;          
Pages H10975-77
  Castor amendment (No. 4 printed in part B of H. Rept. 110-351) that 
clarifies some of the priorities for wind risk criteria generation; 
                                                        Pages H10977-78
  Blumenauer amendment (No. 5 printed in part B of H. Rept. 110-351) 
that requires FEMA, when updating and maintaining flood maps, to take 
into consideration the impacts of global warming, the potential future 
impacts of global climate change-related weather events, and use the 
best available climate science in assessing flood and storm risks; 
                                                        Pages H10978-80
  Murphy (PA) amendment (No. 6 printed in part B of H. Rept. 110-351) 
that creates the position of National Flood Insurance Advocate in FEMA 
which: (1) transmits a comprehensive report to Congress about the major 
problems facing the Flood Insurance Program; and (2) reports to 
Congress about the feasibility and effectiveness of establishing an 
Office of the Flood Insurance Advocate, headed by the National Flood 
Insurance Advocate, to assist insureds in resolving problems with FEMA;
                                                        Pages H10980-82
  Taylor amendment (No. 7 printed in part B of H. Rept. 110-351) that 
allows multiple peril and flood insurance coverage of apartment 
buildings up to the total of the number of dwelling units times the 
maximum coverage limit per residential unit (by a recorded vote of 268 
ayes to 143 noes, Roll No. 919);                
Pages H10982-86, H10991
  Taylor amendment (No. 8 printed in part B of H. Rept. 110-351) that 
prohibits a company that sells and services flood insurance policies 
from including language in its own windstorm policies that would 
exclude coverage of wind damage solely because flooding also 
contributed to the damage and also requires the contract between an 
insurance company and NFIP to state that the company has a fiduciary 
responsibility to federal taxpayers and will act in the best interests 
of NFIP;                                                
Pages H10986-87
  Costello amendment (No. 9 printed in part B of H. Rept. 110-351) that 
provides that no changes in flood insurance status can go into effect 
until the remapping process is completed for the entire district of the 
Corps of Engineers affected by that map;                
Pages H10986-87
  Gene Green (TX) amendment (No. 10 printed in part B of H. Rept. 110-
351) that provides a five year phase-in of flood insurance premiums for 
low-income homeowners or renters whose primary residence is placed 
within a flood plain through an updating of the flood insurance program 
maps if the value of the home does not exceed 75% of the state median 
home value;                                             
Pages H10987-88
  Berry amendment (No. 11 printed in part B of H. Rept. 110-351) that 
authorizes the Director of FEMA to include a note on flood insurance 
rate maps identifying 100-year and 500-year certified

[[Page D1283]]

levees and encouraging property owners to evaluate their risk of 
flooding and also clarifies that the note shall not be considered a 
legal requirement of participation in the national flood insurance 
program;                                                
Pages H10988-89
  Walz (MN) amendment (No. 12 printed in part B of H. Rept. 110-351) 
that adds to the flood map modernization provisions of the bill a 
requirement that FEMA map areas in the 100-year floodplain that would 
flood if not for a ``levee, dam, or other man-made structure''; and 
                                                        Pages H10989-90
  Stark amendment (No. 13 printed in part B of H. Rept. 110-351) that 
requires written notification by first class mail to each property 
owner affected by a proposed change in flood elevations, prior to the 
90-day appeal period; notification would include an explanation of the 
appeal process and contact information for responsible officials. 
                                                        Pages H10990-91
  Agreed that the Clerk be authorized to make technical and conforming 
changes to reflect the actions of the House.                
Page H10994
  H. Res. 683, the rule providing for consideration of the bill, was 
agreed to by a recorded vote of 220 ayes to 188 noes with 1 voting 
``present'', Roll No. 918, after agreeing to order the previous 
question by a recorded vote of 220 ayes to 193 noes with 1 voting 
``present'', Roll No. 917.                   
Pages H10946-53, H10955-56
Small Business Investment Expansion Act of 2007: The House passed H.R. 
3567, to amend the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 to expand 
opportunities for investments in small businesses, by a yea-and-nay 
vote of 325 yeas to 72 nays, Roll No. 923.          
  Pages H10994-H11008
  Rejected the Walberg motion to recommit the bill to the Committee on 
Small Business with instructions to report the same back to the House 
forthwith with amendments, by a yea-and-nay vote of 183 yeas to 213 
nays, Roll No. 922.                                     
Pages H11006-08
Accepted:
  Chabot amendment (No. 1 printed in H. Rept. 110-350) that establishes 
a bright line standard of majority stock ownership for determining 
whether a venture capital company is affiliated with the companies in 
which it invests;                                       
Pages H11004-05
  Inslee amendment (No. 2 printed in H. Rept. 110-350) that expands the 
definition of operational assistance in Section 351 of the Small 
Business Investment Act to include assistance to help small businesses 
achieve energy efficiency and implement sustainable practices that 
reduce the use of non-renewable resources or minimize environmental 
impact and reduce overall costs and increase health of employees; and 
                                                            Page H11005
  Inslee amendment (No. 3 printed in H. Rept. 110-350) that directs the 
SBA Administrator to give consideration to investments for small 
businesses that are creating new technologies, manufactured goods, or 
materials, or providing services to reduce carbon emissions in the 
U.S., reduce the use of non-renewable resources, minimize environmental 
impact and relate people with the natural environment. 
                                                        Pages H11005-06
  Agreed that the Clerk be authorized to make technical and conforming 
changes to reflect the actions of the House.                
Page H11008
  H. Res. 682, the rule providing for consideration of the bill, was 
agreed to by a yea-and-nay vote of 222 yeas to 181 nays, Roll No. 916, 
after agreeing to order the previous question by a yea-and-nay vote of 
222 yeas to 190 nays, Roll No. 915.          
Pages H10944-46, H10954-55
Calendar Wednesday: Agreed by unanimous consent to dispense with the 
Calendar Wednesday business of Wednesday, October 3rd.      
  Page H11009
Meeting Hour: Agreed by unanimous consent that when the House adjourns 
today, it adjourn to meet at 12:30 p.m. on Monday, October 1st for 
morning hour debate.                                        
  Page H11002
Presidential Message: Read a message from the President wherein he 
transmitted legislation and supporting documents to implement the 
United States-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement--referred to the Committee 
on Ways and Means and ordered printed (H. Doc. 110-60).     
  Page H11004
Senate Message: Message received from the Senate today appears on pages 
H10941 and H11025
Senate Referrals: S. 2085 was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
Commerce.                                                   
  Page H11025
Quorum Calls--Votes: Six yea-and-nay votes and four recorded votes 
developed during the proceedings of today and appear on pages H10952, 
H10954, H10954-55, H10955, H10956, H10991, H10993, H10994, H111007, and 
H11008. There were no quorum calls.
Adjournment: The House met at 10:00 a.m. and adjourned at 8:40 p.m.