[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 195 (Wednesday, December 19, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H16866-H16867]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            AMENDING COURT SECURITY IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2007

  Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in 
the Senate concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 62) to correct the 
enrollment of H.R. 660.
  The Clerk read the title of the Senate concurrent resolution.
  The text of the Senate concurrent resolution is as follows:

                            S. Con. Res. 62

       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That in the enrollment of H.R. 660, an Act to 
     amend title 18, United States Code, to protect judges, 
     prosecutors, witnesses, victims, and their family members, 
     and for other purposes, the Clerk of the House of 
     Representatives shall strike section 502 of the Act and 
     insert the following:

     ``SEC. 502. MAGISTRATE JUDGES LIFE INSURANCE.

       ``(a) In General.--Section 604(a)(5) of title 28, United 
     States Code, is amended by inserting after `hold office 
     during good behavior', the following: `magistrate judges 
     appointed under section 631 of this title,'.
       ``(b) Construction.--For purposes of construing and 
     applying chapter 87 of title 5, United States Code, including 
     any adjustment of insurance rates by regulation or otherwise, 
     the following categories of judicial officers shall be deemed 
     to be judges of the United States as described under section 
     8701 of title 5, United States Code:
       ``(1) Magistrate judges appointed under section 631 of 
     title 28, United States Code.
       ``(2) Magistrate judges retired under section 377 of title 
     28, United States Code.
       ``(c) Effective Date.--Subsection (b) and the amendment 
     made by subsection (a) shall apply with respect to any 
     payment made on or after the first day of the first 
     applicable pay period beginning on or after the date of 
     enactment of this Act.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Michigan (Mr. Conyers) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gohmert) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Michigan.


                             General Leave

  Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include 
extraneous material on this concurrent resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Michigan?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, this concurrent resolution enables us to agree with 
the Senate on H.R. 660, the Court Security Improvement Act, and send 
that important bill to the President by correcting a PAYGO problem in 
the version of H.R. 660 that the Senate passed on Monday.
  The Senate passed this concurrent resolution last night. When we pass 
it now, it will have the effect of removing

[[Page H16867]]

the problematic provision from the Senate amendment to H.R. 660. We 
will next turn to final passage of H.R. 660, and it will be sent to the 
President stripped of that provision.
  I pause now to personally commend the gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
Gohmert) for the wonderful job that he has done in helping us work out 
the matters that needed final adjustment.
  I urge our Members to support this concurrent resolution so we can 
send this much-needed legislation on its way to final enactment.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GOHMERT. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in support of S. Con. Res. 62 to correct the 
enrollment of H.R. 660, the Court Security Improvement Act of 2007. I 
would also like to commend the Speaker, and through the Speaker, our 
chairman. I assume you are the people responsible for the added heat in 
the room today. I presume that is to help light a fire under the 
majority to help get the business done today, and I applaud that.
  Madam Speaker, today the House will consider H.R. 660, a bill to 
improve court security and ensure the safety of those who dedicate 
their lives to America's judicial system, as well as to the safety of 
millions of Americans who visit our courthouses every day.
  This concurrent resolution substitutes section 502 of H.R. 660 to 
make a technical correction to the bill and allow the House to move 
forward in order to consider the important bipartisan legislation. I 
urge my colleagues to adopt this resolution.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the 
resolution as well, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GOHMERT. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers) that the House suspend the rules 
and concur in the Senate concurrent resolution, S. Con. Res. 62.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the Senate concurrent resolution was concurred 
in.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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