[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 102 (Thursday, June 19, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H5608-H5611]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
FEDERAL EMPLOYEES PAID PARENTAL LEAVE ACT OF 2008
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Blumenauer). The question is on the
engrossment and third reading of the bill.
The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, and was
read the third time.
Motion to Recommit Offered by Mr. Jordan of Ohio
Mr. JORDAN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I offer a motion to recommit.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is the gentleman opposed to the bill?
Mr. JORDAN of Ohio. In its present form, I am.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the motion to
recommit.
The Clerk read as follows:
Mr. Jordan of Ohio moves to recommit the bill (H.R. 5781)
to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform with
instructions to report the bill back to the House promptly in
the form to which it may be perfected at the time of this
motion with the following amendments:
In the matter proposed to be inserted by section 2(a)(3) of
the bill, insert at the end the following:
``(7) An employee who is a father and who is not in
compliance with a court ordered child support arrangement
shall not be eligible for any paid leave under paragraph
(2).''.
In the matter proposed to be inserted by section 3(a)(3) of
the bill, insert at the end the following:
``(5) Exclusion of deadbeat dads.--An employee who is a
father and who is not in compliance with a court ordered
child support arrangement shall not be eligible for any paid
leave under this subsection.''.
In the matter proposed to be inserted by section 4 of the
bill, insert at the end the following:
``(E) Exclusion of deadbeat dads.--An employee who is a
father and who is not in compliance with a court ordered
child support arrangement shall not be eligible for any paid
leave under this paragraph.''.
Mr. JORDAN of Ohio (during the reading). I ask unanimous consent that
the motion to recommit be considered as read and printed in the Record.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Ohio?
There was no objection.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Ohio is recognized for 5 minutes in support of his motion.
{time} 1400
Mr. JORDAN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I offer this motion to recommit with
instructions.
This motion to recommit is simple and straightforward, one of these
important issues that I think we can all agree on, and, frankly, an
issue I would have brought as an amendment in committee if I had
thought about the idea then. It says that people who are not compliant
with their court-ordered child support arrangements, deadbeat dads, are
not eligible for the expanded Federal benefits included in the bill.
This motion sends a clear message to the American people that we have
respect for their hard-earned tax dollars they send to Washington, DC.
The underlying bill, however, sends a far different message about the
priorities of the majority party in Congress.
Think about it: American families are paying more than $4 a gallon
for gasoline, but are we acting to bring more energy to this country?
America faces unprecedented terrorist threats from abroad, but are we
renewing legislation to help better secure the homeland? Are we
addressing out-of-control Federal spending? Are we acting to better
secure our borders? We are approaching a $10 trillion national debt, a
problem that threatens our Nation's economic future, but are we cutting
spending or reforming the out-of-control earmark process?
Here is what Congress is doing, Mr. Speaker. Congress is spending its
time and energy on H.R. 5781, a bill to give Federal bureaucrats,
including deadbeat dads, a new handout, a vast expansion to the already
generous benefits package they receive at the expense of
[[Page H5609]]
the American taxpayer, at the expense of every single American family.
That is our priority? That is our answer to $4 gasoline, expanding
benefits to Washington bureaucrats and deadbeat dads?
I ask you, Mr. Speaker, what will you tell the folks about back home?
What will you tell the folks who are worried about the economy, worried
about higher taxes on the horizon, worried about paying more than $4 a
gallon for gasoline for the rest of the summer? Will you tell them not
to worry, that their problems belong on the back burner? That the
priority of their Member of Congress is to take their tax dollars and
expand the benefits package of deadbeat dads in the Federal workplace?
Will you tell them that these deadbeat dads, who already receive among
the richest benefit packages in the Nation, are more deserving of
relief than law-abiding families and taxpayers of your district who are
paying $4 a gallon for gasoline?
Mr. Speaker, like most issues, the people get it. The American people
know what the priorities of Congress should be. Millions of them have
signed petitions and communicated to our offices that we need to focus
on their priorities. They know our priorities should not be giving
deadbeat dads a new taxpayer-funded benefit. They know we should adopt
this motion to recommit and move on with the important business facing
our Nation.
Mr. Speaker, there is another old line that I think is appropriate.
``Most politicians don't see the light; they feel the heat.'' With $4
gasoline, possibly headed for $5 this summer, can you handle the heat
you will feel back home once your constituents find out that your
priority is to lend a hand to deadbeat dads, or will you see the light
and join me in supporting this motion to recommit?
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the motion to
recommit.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from California is recognized
for 5 minutes.
Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, there they go again, coming up with a
gimmick because they don't want the underlying bill. If they don't want
the underlying bill, let them vote no. But what they have offered
instead is a motion to recommit promptly, which kills the bill. So I
would urge all of my colleagues who believe that parents ought to be
able to bond with their children and have a paid family leave on the
birth of a child or the adoption of a newborn, that they vote against
this motion to recommit.
Federal law is very clear. If you are behind in your child support
payments, you can get your wages garnished. That means there is an
automatic reduction in your paycheck to pay for the support of your
children. The fact is that no one who is behind in childcare can get
paid parental leave. The reason is their wages will already be
garnished. That is why this amendment is a gimmick.
No amendment like this was offered in our committee. This was never
brought up in our deliberations. In fact, the gentleman was very clear
in his arguments for the motion to recommit. He is against the bill. He
was against the bill in committee, and he is against the bill now.
Now, I think we ought to understand that if this were a serious
amendment, it would have been a ``forthwith'' motion. But it is not. It
is a ``promptly'' motion to kill the bill.
There are 400,000 civilian DOD employees around the Nation. They have
been working overtime to protect our Nation, often serving in Iraq and
Afghanistan. But what this motion says to them, and to all other hard-
working Federal employees, is you won't get any paid leave, and if you
are sick and have used up your leave, you can't take the time to bond
with your family.
It is wrong, it is anti-family, and I believe this motion to recommit
should be defeated. It is like so many other motions to recommit that
we have seen on this floor. When it is designed ``promptly,'' it sends
the bill back to the committee, and those who didn't like it in
committee will fight it some more. But if you are for this bill, vote
against the motion to recommit and vote ``yes'' on final passage.
I would like to yield the balance of the time to the gentleman from
Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), our majority leader.
Mr. HOYER. I thank the chairman for yielding, and I thank him for his
work on this bill. I thank Mrs. Maloney as well.
Ladies and gentlemen of the House, I would hope we would defeat this
motion. Again, this is a motion to recommit promptly. If in fact the
motion maker wanted to change the substance and offer an amendment that
would go into effect, he would have offered a motion to amend and
report back forthwith. The effect of this motion, as we all know, is to
delay for some period of time the passage of this bill. My friend from
Georgia will get up and ask the rhetorical question that we all know
the answer to, does it kill it? It does not kill it. But, my friends,
we have 5 legislative days to go in this session before we break. We
ought to pass this bill now. We ought to pass this bill and tell the
Federal employees of this country, who work for all of us, all 300
million of us, some 2 million civilian Federal employees, that we honor
their service.
But, more importantly, this is not just about those who will get
leave. It is, as I said in my statement, much more about the children,
who will have better nurturing and a sense of self-confidence in their
early months of life. Scientist after scientist, educator after
educator, tell us that if that occurs, if that bonding occurs in the
early months, children are much better off, and if those children are
better off, our communities and our society and our families are better
off.
I would ask all my colleagues to oppose this motion. Pass this bill.
Say to the children who are perhaps yet to be born and have just been
born, we want to ensure the best start we can for you in life in
America.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. All time has expired.
Parliamentary Inquiry
Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Speaker, parliamentary inquiry.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Please state the inquiry.
Mr. WESTMORELAND. I feel like I know the answer to this, but if this
motion should pass, could the bill not be referred back to the
committee from which it came and be reported out the next legislative
day?
The SPEAKER pro tempore. As the Chair reaffirmed on November 15,
2007, and a couple of times after that, at some subsequent time the
committee could meet and report the bill back to the House.
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 noes appeared to have it.
Mr. JORDAN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. 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 206,
nays 220, not voting 8, as follows:
[Roll No. 427]
YEAS--206
Aderholt
Akin
Alexander
Altmire
Bachmann
Bachus
Barrett (SC)
Bartlett (MD)
Barton (TX)
Biggert
Bilbray
Bilirakis
Bishop (UT)
Blackburn
Blunt
Boehner
Bonner
Bono Mack
Boozman
Boustany
Brady (TX)
Broun (GA)
Brown (SC)
Brown-Waite, Ginny
Buchanan
Burgess
Burton (IN)
Buyer
Calvert
Camp (MI)
Campbell (CA)
Cannon
Cantor
Capito
Carney
Carter
Castle
Chabot
Childers
Coble
Cole (OK)
Conaway
Crenshaw
Cubin
Culberson
Davis (KY)
Davis, David
Deal (GA)
Dent
Diaz-Balart, L.
Diaz-Balart, M.
Donnelly
Doolittle
Drake
Dreier
Duncan
Ehlers
Ellsworth
Emerson
English (PA)
Everett
Fallin
Feeney
Ferguson
Flake
Forbes
Fortenberry
Fossella
Foxx
Franks (AZ)
Frelinghuysen
Gallegly
Garrett (NJ)
Gerlach
Giffords
Gingrey
Gohmert
Goode
Goodlatte
Granger
Graves
Hall (TX)
Hastings (WA)
Hayes
Heller
Hensarling
Herger
Hobson
Hoekstra
Hunter
Inglis (SC)
Issa
Johnson (IL)
Johnson, Sam
Jones (NC)
Jordan
Keller
King (IA)
King (NY)
Kingston
Kirk
Kline (MN)
Knollenberg
Kuhl (NY)
[[Page H5610]]
LaHood
Lamborn
Lampson
Latham
LaTourette
Latta
Lewis (CA)
Lewis (KY)
Linder
LoBiondo
Lucas
Lungren, Daniel E.
Mack
Manzullo
Marchant
Marshall
McCarthy (CA)
McCaul (TX)
McCotter
McCrery
McHenry
McHugh
McIntyre
McKeon
McMorris Rodgers
McNerney
Mica
Miller (FL)
Miller (MI)
Miller, Gary
Moran (KS)
Murphy, Tim
Musgrave
Myrick
Neugebauer
Nunes
Paul
Pearce
Pence
Peterson (PA)
Petri
Pickering
Pitts
Platts
Poe
Porter
Price (GA)
Pryce (OH)
Putnam
Radanovich
Ramstad
Regula
Rehberg
Reichert
Renzi
Reynolds
Rogers (AL)
Rogers (KY)
Rogers (MI)
Rohrabacher
Ros-Lehtinen
Roskam
Royce
Ryan (WI)
Sali
Saxton
Scalise
Schmidt
Sensenbrenner
Sessions
Shadegg
Shays
Shimkus
Shuler
Shuster
Simpson
Smith (NE)
Smith (NJ)
Smith (TX)
Souder
Space
Stearns
Sullivan
Tancredo
Terry
Thornberry
Tiberi
Turner
Upton
Walberg
Walden (OR)
Walsh (NY)
Wamp
Weldon (FL)
Weller
Westmoreland
Whitfield (KY)
Wilson (NM)
Wilson (SC)
Wittman (VA)
Young (AK)
Young (FL)
NAYS--220
Abercrombie
Ackerman
Allen
Andrews
Arcuri
Baca
Baird
Baldwin
Barrow
Bean
Becerra
Berkley
Berman
Berry
Bishop (GA)
Bishop (NY)
Blumenauer
Boren
Boswell
Boucher
Boyd (FL)
Boyda (KS)
Brady (PA)
Braley (IA)
Brown, Corrine
Butterfield
Capps
Capuano
Cardoza
Carnahan
Carson
Castor
Cazayoux
Chandler
Clarke
Clay
Cleaver
Clyburn
Cohen
Conyers
Cooper
Costa
Costello
Courtney
Cramer
Crowley
Cuellar
Cummings
Davis (AL)
Davis (CA)
Davis (IL)
Davis, Lincoln
Davis, Tom
DeFazio
DeGette
Delahunt
DeLauro
Dicks
Dingell
Doggett
Doyle
Edwards (MD)
Edwards (TX)
Ellison
Emanuel
Engel
Eshoo
Etheridge
Farr
Fattah
Filner
Foster
Frank (MA)
Gillibrand
Gonzalez
Gordon
Green, Al
Green, Gene
Grijalva
Gutierrez
Hall (NY)
Hare
Harman
Hastings (FL)
Herseth Sandlin
Higgins
Hill
Hinchey
Hinojosa
Hirono
Hodes
Holden
Holt
Honda
Hooley
Hoyer
Inslee
Israel
Jackson (IL)
Jackson-Lee (TX)
Jefferson
Johnson (GA)
Johnson, E. B.
Jones (OH)
Kagen
Kanjorski
Kaptur
Kennedy
Kildee
Kilpatrick
Kind
Klein (FL)
Kucinich
Langevin
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
Lee
Levin
Lewis (GA)
Lipinski
Lofgren, Zoe
Lowey
Lynch
Mahoney (FL)
Maloney (NY)
Markey
Matheson
Matsui
McCarthy (NY)
McCollum (MN)
McDermott
McGovern
McNulty
Meek (FL)
Melancon
Michaud
Miller (NC)
Miller, George
Mitchell
Mollohan
Moore (KS)
Moore (WI)
Moran (VA)
Murphy (CT)
Murphy, Patrick
Murtha
Nadler
Napolitano
Neal (MA)
Oberstar
Obey
Olver
Ortiz
Pallone
Pascrell
Pastor
Payne
Perlmutter
Peterson (MN)
Pomeroy
Price (NC)
Rahall
Rangel
Reyes
Richardson
Rodriguez
Ross
Rothman
Roybal-Allard
Ruppersberger
Ryan (OH)
Salazar
Sanchez, Linda T.
Sanchez, Loretta
Sarbanes
Schakowsky
Schiff
Schwartz
Scott (GA)
Scott (VA)
Serrano
Sestak
Shea-Porter
Sherman
Sires
Skelton
Slaughter
Smith (WA)
Snyder
Solis
Speier
Spratt
Stupak
Sutton
Tanner
Tauscher
Taylor
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Tierney
Towns
Tsongas
Udall (CO)
Udall (NM)
Van Hollen
Velazquez
Visclosky
Walz (MN)
Wasserman Schultz
Waters
Watson
Watt
Waxman
Weiner
Welch (VT)
Wexler
Wilson (OH)
Woolsey
Wu
Yarmuth
NOT VOTING--8
Gilchrest
Hulshof
Loebsack
Meeks (NY)
Rush
Stark
Tiahrt
Wolf
Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore
The SPEAKER pro tempore (during the vote). There are 2 minutes left
in the vote.
{time} 1431
Messrs. CARNAHAN and BOUCHER changed their vote from ``yea'' to
``nay.''
Mrs. MUSGRAVE, Messrs. BOOZMAN, SHULER, and CHILDERS changed their
vote from ``nay'' to ``yea.''
So the motion to recommit was rejected.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the passage of the bill.
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that
the noes appeared to have it.
Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and
nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. This will be a 5-minute vote.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 278,
nays 146, not voting 10, as follows:
[Roll No. 428]
YEAS--278
Abercrombie
Ackerman
Alexander
Allen
Altmire
Andrews
Arcuri
Baca
Baird
Baldwin
Barrow
Bean
Becerra
Berkley
Berman
Berry
Bilbray
Bishop (GA)
Bishop (NY)
Blumenauer
Boren
Boswell
Boucher
Boyd (FL)
Boyda (KS)
Brady (PA)
Braley (IA)
Brown, Corrine
Butterfield
Buyer
Capito
Capps
Capuano
Cardoza
Carnahan
Carney
Carson
Castor
Cazayoux
Chandler
Childers
Clarke
Clay
Cleaver
Clyburn
Cohen
Conyers
Cooper
Costa
Costello
Courtney
Cramer
Crowley
Cuellar
Cummings
Davis (AL)
Davis (CA)
Davis (IL)
Davis, Lincoln
Davis, Tom
DeFazio
DeGette
Delahunt
DeLauro
Dent
Diaz-Balart, L.
Diaz-Balart, M.
Dicks
Dingell
Doggett
Donnelly
Doyle
Drake
Edwards (MD)
Ellison
Ellsworth
Emanuel
Emerson
Engel
English (PA)
Eshoo
Etheridge
Farr
Fattah
Ferguson
Filner
Forbes
Fortenberry
Foster
Frank (MA)
Gerlach
Giffords
Gillibrand
Gonzalez
Gordon
Green, Al
Green, Gene
Grijalva
Gutierrez
Hall (NY)
Hall (TX)
Hare
Harman
Hastings (FL)
Hayes
Herseth Sandlin
Higgins
Hill
Hinchey
Hinojosa
Hirono
Hobson
Hodes
Holden
Holt
Hooley
Hoyer
Inslee
Israel
Jackson (IL)
Jackson-Lee (TX)
Jefferson
Johnson (GA)
Johnson (IL)
Johnson, E. B.
Jones (NC)
Jones (OH)
Kagen
Kaptur
Kennedy
Kildee
Kilpatrick
Kind
Kirk
Klein (FL)
Kucinich
LaHood
Lampson
Langevin
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
LaTourette
Lee
Levin
Lewis (GA)
Lipinski
LoBiondo
Lofgren, Zoe
Lowey
Lynch
Mahoney (FL)
Maloney (NY)
Markey
Marshall
Matheson
Matsui
McCarthy (NY)
McCollum (MN)
McCotter
McDermott
McGovern
McHugh
McIntyre
McNerney
McNulty
Meek (FL)
Melancon
Michaud
Miller (MI)
Miller (NC)
Miller, George
Mitchell
Mollohan
Moore (KS)
Moore (WI)
Moran (VA)
Murphy (CT)
Murphy, Patrick
Murphy, Tim
Murtha
Nadler
Napolitano
Neal (MA)
Oberstar
Obey
Olver
Ortiz
Pallone
Pascrell
Pastor
Payne
Pearce
Perlmutter
Peterson (MN)
Peterson (PA)
Platts
Pomeroy
Porter
Price (NC)
Pryce (OH)
Rahall
Ramstad
Rangel
Regula
Rehberg
Reichert
Reyes
Richardson
Rodriguez
Rogers (AL)
Ros-Lehtinen
Ross
Rothman
Roybal-Allard
Ruppersberger
Ryan (OH)
Salazar
Sanchez, Linda T.
Sanchez, Loretta
Sarbanes
Saxton
Schakowsky
Schiff
Schwartz
Scott (GA)
Scott (VA)
Serrano
Sestak
Shays
Shea-Porter
Sherman
Shuler
Simpson
Sires
Skelton
Slaughter
Smith (NJ)
Smith (TX)
Smith (WA)
Snyder
Solis
Space
Speier
Spratt
Stupak
Sutton
Tanner
Tauscher
Taylor
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Tiberi
Tierney
Towns
Tsongas
Turner
Udall (CO)
Udall (NM)
Upton
Van Hollen
Velazquez
Visclosky
Walz (MN)
Wasserman Schultz
Waters
Watson
Watt
Waxman
Weiner
Welch (VT)
Wexler
Wilson (OH)
Wittman (VA)
Woolsey
Wu
Yarmuth
Young (AK)
Young (FL)
NAYS--146
Aderholt
Akin
Bachmann
Bachus
Barrett (SC)
Bartlett (MD)
Barton (TX)
Biggert
Bilirakis
Bishop (UT)
Blackburn
Blunt
Boehner
Bonner
Bono Mack
Boozman
Boustany
Brady (TX)
Broun (GA)
Brown (SC)
Brown-Waite, Ginny
Buchanan
Burgess
Burton (IN)
Calvert
Camp (MI)
Campbell (CA)
Cannon
Cantor
Carter
Castle
Chabot
Coble
Cole (OK)
Conaway
Crenshaw
Cubin
Culberson
Davis (KY)
Davis, David
Deal (GA)
Doolittle
Dreier
Duncan
Ehlers
Everett
Fallin
Feeney
Flake
Fossella
Foxx
Franks (AZ)
Frelinghuysen
Gallegly
Garrett (NJ)
Gingrey
Gohmert
Goode
Goodlatte
Granger
Graves
Hastings (WA)
Heller
Hensarling
Herger
Hoekstra
Hunter
Inglis (SC)
Issa
Johnson, Sam
Jordan
Kanjorski
Keller
King (IA)
King (NY)
Kingston
Kline (MN)
Knollenberg
Kuhl (NY)
Lamborn
Latham
Latta
Lewis (CA)
Lewis (KY)
Linder
Lucas
Lungren, Daniel E.
Mack
Manzullo
Marchant
McCarthy (CA)
McCaul (TX)
McCrery
McHenry
McKeon
McMorris Rodgers
Mica
Miller (FL)
Miller, Gary
Moran (KS)
Musgrave
Myrick
Neugebauer
Nunes
Paul
Pence
Petri
Pickering
Pitts
Poe
Price (GA)
Putnam
Radanovich
Renzi
Reynolds
Rogers (KY)
Rogers (MI)
Rohrabacher
Roskam
Royce
[[Page H5611]]
Ryan (WI)
Sali
Scalise
Schmidt
Sensenbrenner
Sessions
Shadegg
Shimkus
Shuster
Smith (NE)
Souder
Stearns
Sullivan
Tancredo
Terry
Thornberry
Walberg
Walden (OR)
Walsh (NY)
Wamp
Weldon (FL)
Weller
Westmoreland
Whitfield (KY)
Wilson (NM)
Wilson (SC)
NOT VOTING--10
Edwards (TX)
Gilchrest
Honda
Hulshof
Loebsack
Meeks (NY)
Rush
Stark
Tiahrt
Wolf
Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore
The SPEAKER pro tempore (during the vote). Two minutes remain in the
vote.
{time} 1439
Mr. PICKERING changed his vote from ``yea'' to ``nay.''
Mrs. DRAKE changed her vote from ``nay'' to ``yea.''
So the bill was passed.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
Stated for:
Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, this afternoon I was on an official leave of
absense to attend the commencement ceremony for Potomac Falls High
School, a high school in my congressional district, at which I was the
main commencement speaker. Had I been present and voting, I would have
voted ``yea'' on H.R. 5781, the Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave
Act of 2008.
Mr. EDWARDS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I missed rollcall 428 today. It
was my intention to vote ``yea'' on that vote.
____________________