[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 83 (Thursday, June 4, 2009)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D643-D645]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




[[Page D643]]




                        House of Representatives


Chamber Action
Public Bills and Resolutions Introduced: 48 public bills, H.R. 2695-
2742; and 14 resolutions, H.J. Res. 56; H. Con. Res. 144; and H. Res. 
503-514, were introduced.                                
  Pages H6262-65
Additional Cosponsors:                                   
  Pages H6265-67
Reports Filed: Reports were filed today as follows:
  H. Res. 404, directing the Secretary of Homeland Security to transmit 
to the House of Representatives, not later than 14 days after the date 
of the adoption of this resolution, copies of documents relating to the 
Department of Homeland Security Intelligence Assessment titled, 
``Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling 
Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment'', with an amendment (H. 
Rept. 111-134);
  H.R. 1320, to amend the Federal Advisory Committee Act to increase 
the transparency and accountability of Federal advisory committees (H. 
Rept. 111-135); and
  H.R. 2410, to authorize appropriations for the Department of State 
and the Peace Corps for fiscal years 2010 and 2011 and to modernize the 
Foreign Service, with an amendment (H. Rept. 111-136).       
Page H6262
Chaplain: The prayer was offered by the Guest Chaplain, Reverend 
Kenneth L. Simon, New Bethel Baptist Church, Youngstown, Ohio. 
                                                             Page H6157
Suspension--Proceedings Resumed: The House agreed to suspend the rules 
and pass the following measure which was debated on Wednesday, June 
3rd:
  John S. Wilder Post Office Building Designation Act: H.R. 1817, to 
designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
116 North West Street in Somerville, Tennessee, as the ``John S. Wilder 
Post Office Building'', by a \2/3\ yea-and-nay vote of 420 yeas with 
none voting ``nay'', Roll No. 302.                       
  Pages H6168-69
Suspensions--Proceedings Resumed: The House agreed to suspend the rules 
and agree to the following measures which were debated on Tuesday, June 
2nd:
  Congratulating the University of Tennessee women's basketball team 
(the ``Lady Vols'') and Head Coach Pat Summitt on her 1000th victory: 
H. Res. 196, to congratulate the University of Tennessee women's 
basketball team (the ``Lady Vols'') and Head Coach Pat Summitt on her 
1000th victory, by a \2/3\ recorded vote of 417 ayes with none voting 
``no'', Roll No. 303 and                                 
  Pages H6169-70
  Recognizing and commending the Toys for Tots Literacy Program: H. 
Res. 232, to recognize and commend the Toys for Tots Literacy Program 
for its contributions in raising awareness of illiteracy, promoting 
children's literacy, and fighting poverty through the support of 
literacy.                                                    
  Page H6240
Transportation Security Administration Authorization Act: The House 
passed H.R. 2200, to authorize the Transportation Security 
Administration's programs relating to the provision of transportation 
security, by a recorded vote of 397 ayes to 25 noes, Roll No. 307. 
                                                      Pages H6170-H6216
  Agreed to the King (NY) motion to recommit the bill to the Committee 
on Homeland Security with instructions to report the same back to the 
House forthwith with an amendment by voice vote. Subsequently, 
Representative Thompson (MS) reported the bill back to the House with 
the amendment and the amendment was agreed to by a recorded vote of 412 
ayes to 12 noes, Roll No. 306.                           
Pages H6213-15
  Pursuant to the rule, the amendment in the nature of a substitute 
recommended by the Committee on Homeland Security now printed in the 
bill shall be considered as an original bill for the purpose of 
amendment under the 5-minute rule.                           
Page H6183
Agreed to:
  Thompson (MS) manager's amendment (No. 1 printed in H. Rept. 111-127) 
that clarifies which aviation facilities qualify for general aviation 
security grants, including helicopter operators and heliports, 
establishes a plan and implements a program for screening air 
passengers with metal implants, improves transportation security 
assistance, studies the creation of new transportation security 
positions at TSA, and has a GAO review of other transportation security 
functions at TSA;                                        
Pages H6193-96
  Mica amendment (No. 3 printed in H. Rept. 111-127), as modified, that 
requires the Assistant Secretary to establish a ``known air traveler 
credential'' that incorporates biometric identifier technology; 
                                                      Pages H6198-H6200
  Bachus amendment (No. 4 printed in H. Rept. 111-127) that directs the 
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to develop and implement 
an expedited security screening program for members of the Armed Forces 
traveling on official orders while in uniform through commercial 
airports. Additionally, family members would be eligible to accompany 
the servicemembers through the expedited screening process onto the 
concourse;                                               
Pages H6200-01

[[Page D644]]


  Hastings (FL) amendment (No. 5 printed in H. Rept. 111-127) that 
requires the TSA, within 6 months of enactment, to submit a report to 
Congress on complaints and claims received by the TSA for loss of 
property with respect to passenger baggage screened by the TSA; 
                                                             Page H6201
  Lincoln Diaz-Balart (FL) amendment (No. 6 printed in H. Rept. 111-
127), as modified, that reimburses airports for eligible costs incurred 
before August 3, 2007, that were previously reimbursed at 90% of such 
costs. The Secretary will reimburse such airports an amount equal to 
the difference for such eligible costs;                  
Pages H6201-02
  Castor (FL) amendment (No. 7 printed in H. Rept. 111-127) that 
directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to prohibit states from 
requiring separate security background checks for transportation 
security cards, and waives application of the prohibition if a 
compelling homeland security reason necessitates a separate background 
check;                                                   
Pages H6202-05
  Flake amendment (No. 8 printed in H. Rept. 111-127) that prevents 
earmarking in a new grant program established in the bill, and 
clarifies that Congress presumes that grants awarded through that 
program will be awarded on a risk-based competitive basis, and if they 
are not, require the Assistant Secretary to submit a report to Congress 
explaining the reason;                                       
Page H6205
  Lynch amendment (No. 9 printed in H. Rept. 111-127) that provides 
that any TSA personnel voluntarily may wear personal protective 
equipment (including surgical and N95 masks, gloves, and hand 
sanitizer) during any public health emergency;           
Pages H6205-06
  Bordallo amendment (No. 11 printed in H. Rept. 111-127) that directs 
the Secretary of Homeland Security to report to Congress on a review to 
be conducted by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for 
preferred and alternative methods of having the airports in U.S. 
territories comply with TSA security regulations. The report will also 
address the cost differences and financing opportunities for such 
airports to fully comply with the TSA regulations;       
Pages H6208-09
  Hastings (WA) amendment (No. 12 printed in H. Rept. 111-127) that 
requires TSA to increase the number of canine detection teams used for 
air cargo screening by a minimum of 100 from the date of enactment; 
                                                         Pages H6209-10
  Butterfield amendment (No. 13 printed in H. Rept. 111-127) that 
requires a study on the use of the combination of facial and iris 
recognition to rapidly identify individuals in security checkpoint 
lines. The study will focus on increased accuracy of facial and iris 
recognition and the possibility of using this advanced technology 
broadly for accurate identification of individuals;      
Pages H6210-11
  Roskam amendment (No. 14 printed in H. Rept. 111-127) that requires 
the Secretary of Homeland Security to collect public comments from 
transit agencies to determine the extent to which current allowable 
uses of grant funds under the Transit Security Grant Program are 
sufficient to address security improvement priorities identified by 
transit agencies. Where security improvement priorities identified by 
local transit agencies are not met by the regulations implementing the 
grant program, the Secretary will report to Congress on how such 
regulations should be changed to accommodate them or why these are not 
appropriate priorities;                                      
Page H6211
  Mica amendment (No. 2 printed in H. Rept. 111-127) that alters the 
standard for when TSA can issue an emergency regulation or security 
device without adhering to the rule making and public notice and 
comment provisions of the Administrative Procedures Act (APA). Allows 
TSA to issue a regulation or security directive when needed ``to 
respond to an imminent threat of finite duration'' and requires TSA to 
comply with the rule making requirements of the APA when a security 
directive or emergency order has been in place for more than 180 days 
(by a recorded vote of 219 ayes to 211 noes, Roll No. 304); and 
                                                  Pages H6196-98, H6212
  Chaffetz amendment (No. 10 printed in H. Rept. 111-127) that 
prohibits the TSA from using Whole Body-Imaging machines for primary 
screening at airports, and requires the TSA to give passengers the 
option of a pat-down search in place of going through a WBI machine, 
information on the images generated by the WBI, the privacy policies in 
place, and the right to request a pat-down search, and prohibits the 
TSA from storing, transferring, or copying the images (by a recorded 
vote of 310 ayes to 118 noes, Roll No. 305).             
Pages H6206-08
  Agreed that the Clerk be authorized to make technical and conforming 
changes to reflect the actions of the House.                 
Page H6216
  H. Res. 474, the rule providing for consideration of the bill, was 
agreed to by a yea-and-nay vote of 243 yeas to 179 nays, Roll No. 301, 
after it was agreed to order the previous question without objection. 
                                                         Pages H6161-68
Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act of 2009: The House passed 
H.R. 626, to provide that 4 of the 12 weeks of parental leave made 
available to a Federal employee shall be paid leave, by a recorded vote 
of 258 ayes to 154 noes with 1 voting ``present'', Roll No. 310. 
                                                         Pages H6223-40
  Rejected the Issa motion to recommit the bill to the Committee on 
Oversight and Government Reform with instructions to report the bill 
back to the

[[Page D645]]

House forthwith with an amendment, by a recorded vote of 171 ayes to 
241 noes, Roll No. 309.                                  
Pages H6237-39
Agreed to:
  Al Green (TX) amendment (No. 2 printed in H. Rept. 111-133) that 
directs the Office of Personnel Management to take into consideration 
the impact of increased paid parental leave on lower-income and 
economically disadvantaged employees and their children when evaluating 
whether to promulgate regulations increasing the amount of paid 
parental leave offered to federal employees and          
Pages H6235-36
  Bright amendment (No. 3 printed in H. Rept. 111-133) that clarifies 
that federal employees (including those in the executive branch, 
legislative branch, Library of Congress, and GAO) who are called into 
active duty as members of the National Guard or Reserves will be 
allowed to count the time of that service towards their total time of 
employment, for purposes of receiving benefits created in the 
underlying bill.                                         
Pages H6236-37
Rejected:
  Issa amendment (No. 1 printed in H. Rept. 111-133) that would have 
required employees to use all accrued leave before receiving additional 
paid parental leave and would require additional paid parental leave to 
be treated as a repayable advance (by a recorded vote of 157 ayes to 
258 noes, Roll No. 308).                          
Pages H6234-35, H6237
  H. Res. 501, the rule providing for consideration of the bill, was 
agreed to by voice vote after it was agreed to order the previous 
question without objection.                              
Pages H6216-23
Meeting Hour: Agreed that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to 
meet at 12:30 p.m. on Monday, June 8th for morning hour debate, and 
further, when the House adjourns on that day, it adjourn to meet at 
10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, June 9th for morning hour debate. 
                                                         Pages H6242-43
Late Report: Agreed that the Committee on Energy and Commerce have 
until 11:59 p.m. on June 5th to file a report on H.R. 2454, to create 
clean energy jobs, achieve energy independence, reduce global warming 
pollution and transition to a clean energy economy.          
  Page H6243
Quorum Calls--Votes: Two yea-and-nay votes and eight recorded votes 
developed during the proceedings of today and appear on pages H6168, 
H6168-69, H6169-70, H6212, H6213, H6215, H6216, H6237, H6238-39, and 
H6239-40. There were no quorum calls.
Adjournment: The House met at 10 a.m. and adjourned at 11:27 p.m.