[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 44 (Thursday, March 12, 2009)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D256-D258]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                        House of Representatives


Chamber Action
Public Bills and Resolutions Introduced: 55 public bills, H.R. 1454-
1508; and 11 resolutions, H.J. Res. 40; H. Con. Res. 71-72; and H. Res. 
237-244, were introduced.                             
  Pages H3399-H3401
Additional Cosponsors:                                   
  Pages H3401-02

[[Page D257]]

Reports Filed: There were no reports filed today.
Committee Election: The House agreed to H. Res. 237, electing the 
following Member to the Committee on Foreign Affairs: Representative 
Woolsey (to rank immediately after Representative Gene Green of Texas).
                                                             Page H3339
Water Quality Investment Act of 2009: The House passed H.R. 1262, to 
amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to authorize 
appropriations for State water pollution control revolving funds, by a 
recorded vote of 317 ayes to 101 noes, Roll No. 123.     
  Pages H3345-76
  Agreed by unanimous consent that the Chair may reduce to 2 minutes 
the minimum time for electronic voting on any question that otherwise 
could be subjected to 5-minute voting under clause 8 or 9 of rule 20 or 
under clause 6 of rule 18.                                   
Page H3345
  Pursuant to the rule, the amendment in the nature of a substitute 
recommended by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure now 
printed in the bill shall be considered as an original bill for the 
purpose of amendment under the 5-minute rule.                
Page H3354
Accepted:
  Oberstar amendment (No. 1 printed in H. Rept. 111-36) that authorizes 
tribal governments to be eligible for technical and management 
assistance for small publicly-owned sewerage agencies; amends an 
existing Clean Water Act authority for the Environmental Protection 
Agency (EPA) to carry out pilot projects by ensuring that certain 
``green technology'' activities are eligible for controlling stormwater 
runoff, and increase the authorization of appropriations for this 
authority to $100 million for each of fiscal years 2010 through 2014; 
clarifies the eligibility for construction of energy-efficient or 
renewable-energy generation technologies at publicly-owned sewerage 
agencies under the Clean Water State Revolving Fund; provides 
additional criteria for States to determine ``affordability criteria'' 
for waste-water infrastructure projects and activities, including 
factors related to per capita income and local unemployment rates; 
provides additional transparency and accountability for expenditures 
from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund by requiring EPA to conduct, 
and make publicly available, an annual performance review of 
expenditures from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, including a 
review of the types and categories of projects and activities carried 
out using the fund, and an estimate of the number of jobs created from 
proceeds of the fund; strikes a provision related to the collection of 
tonnage duties that was unnecessary; authorizes additional studies on 
the water-related infrastructure needs along the United States-Mexican 
border region, and the condition of wastewater infrastructure on the 
Great Lakes; requires States to set aside 20 percent of combined sewer 
and sanitary sewer grants to communities that implement green 
infrastructure or other water and energy efficient improvements; and 
requires the EPA Administrator to conduct a study on the presence of 
pharmaceuticals and personal care products in the waters of the United 
States;                                                  
Pages H3359-61
  Markey (CO) amendment (No. 3 printed in H. Rept. 111-36) that 
requires states to use at least 15 percent (instead of 10 percent as 
required in the bill) of each capitalization grant for water pollution 
control to provide assistance to municipalities of less than 10,000 
people to the extent that there are sufficient applications for 
assistance;                                              
Pages H3365-66
  Miller (MI) amendment (No. 4 printed in H. Rept. 111-36) that directs 
the EPA to convene a task force (EPA, FDA, and others appointed by the 
Administrator of the EPA) to develop recommendations on the proper 
disposal of unused pharmaceuticals and a strategy to educate the public 
on those recommendations. Also permits, at the request of the head of 
the task force, any federal agency or department to detail personnel to 
the task force;                                          
Pages H3366-67
  Flake amendment (No. 5 printed in H. Rept. 111-36) that prohibits 
earmarking of funds appropriated as a result of the reauthorization of 
the Water Pollution Control Revolving Loan Funds included in the bill; 
                                                         Pages H3367-68
  Oberstar amendment (No. 6 printed in H. Rept. 111-36) that requires 
that States, in the development of their priority methodology, give 
priority to projects that construct bioswales that filter and naturally 
store stormwater runoff and floodwaters for future water supply and 
recharge of natural aquifers;                            
Pages H3368-69
  Roskam amendment (No. 7 printed in H. Rept. 111-36) that requires the 
Director of OMB to study programs authorized by the Act under the 
Program Assessment Rating Tool or a successor performance assessment 
tool developed by OMB;                                       
Page H3369
  Dahlkemper amendment (No. 8 printed in H. Rept. 111-36) that requires 
certification by a system operator that both water and energy 
conservation are components of their fiscal sustainability plan; 
                                                         Pages H3369-70
  Wittman amendment (No. 9 printed in H. Rept. 111-36) that requires 
the OMB Director to submit to Congress a financial report containing an 
interagency crosscut budget for restoration activities that protect, 
conserve, or restore water quality in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. 
Also, the EPA Administrator will have to develop and update an adaptive 
management plan for Chesapeake Bay restoration activities; and 
                                                         Pages H3370-72

[[Page D258]]


  Driehaus amendment (No. 10 printed in H. Rept. 111-36), as modified, 
that increases from $1.8 billion to $2.5 billion the authorization 
level for the grant program that makes funds available for combined 
sewer overflows and sanitary sewer overflows.            
                                                         Pages H3372-74
                                                              Rejected:
  Mack amendment (No. 2 printed in H. Rept. 111-36) that sought to 
remove all Davis-Bacon prevailing wage provisions from the bill (by a 
recorded vote of 140 ayes to 284 noes, Roll No. 122).   
                                               Pages H3361-65, H3374-75
  H. Res. 235, the rule providing for consideration of the bill, was 
agreed to by voice vote after agreeing to order the previous question 
without objection.                                       
                                                         Pages H3341-45
  Pursuant to the rule, H. Res. 218, H. Res. 219, and H. Res. 229 are 
laid on the table.
Suspension--Proceedings Resumed: The House agreed to suspend the rules 
and agree to the following measure which was debated on Wednesday, 
March 11th:
  Supporting the designation of Pi Day: H. Res. 224, to support the 
designation of Pi Day, by a \2/3\ yea-and-nay vote of 391 yeas to 10 
nays, Roll No. 124.                                          
  Page H3376
Meeting Hour: Agreed that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to 
meet at 12:30 p.m. on Monday, March 16th for morning hour debate. 
                                                             Page H3378
Senate Message: Message received from the Senate today appears on page 
H3350.
Quorum Calls--Votes: One yea-and-nay vote and two recorded votes 
developed during the proceedings of today and appear on pages H3374, 
H3375, and H3376. There were no quorum calls.
Adjournment: The House met at 10 a.m. and adjourned at 5:50 p.m.