[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 62 (Thursday, April 29, 2010)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D462-D463]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                        House of Representatives


Chamber Action
Public Bills and Resolutions Introduced: 22 public bills, H.R. 5175-
5196; and 15 resolutions, H. Con. Res. 271-272; and H. Res. 1307-1319 
were introduced.                                         
  Pages H3077-79
Additional Cosponsors:                                   
  Pages H3079-80
Reports Filed: There were no reports filed today.
Speaker: Read a letter from the Speaker wherein she appointed 
Representative Larsen (WA) to act as Speaker pro tempore for today. 
                                                             Page H3017
Recess: The House recessed at 11:23 a.m. and reconvened at 12:15 p.m. 
                                                             Page H3026
Puerto Rico Democracy Act: The House passed H.R. 2499, to provide for a 
federally sanctioned self-determination process for the people of 
Puerto Rico, by a yea-and-nay vote of 223 yeas to 169 nays with 1 
voting ``present'', Roll No. 242.                        
  Pages H3019-59
  Rejected the Hastings (WA) motion to recommit the bill to the 
Committee on Natural Resources with instructions to report the same 
back to the House forthwith with an amendment, by a recorded vote of 
194 ayes to 198 noes, Roll No. 241.                      
Pages H3057-58
  Pursuant to the rule, the amendment in the nature of a substitute 
recommended by the Committee on Natural Resources now printed in the 
bill shall be considered as an original bill for the purpose of 
amendment under the five-minute rule.                        
Page H3041
Agreed to:
  Foxx amendment (No. 1 printed in H. Rept. 111-468) that allows 
supporters of the commonwealth status quo the option of voting their 
preference during the second stage of the plebiscite (by a recorded 
vote of 223 ayes to 179 noes, Roll No. 234) and 
                                               Pages H3041-43, H3052-53
  Burton (IN) amendment (No. 4 printed in H. Rept. 111-468) that 
retains the requirement that all ballots used for authorized 
plebiscites include the full content of the ballot printed in English. 
It also requires the Puerto Rico State Elections Commission to inform 
voters in all authorized plebiscites that if Puerto Rico retains its 
current status or is admitted as a State: (1) any official language 
requirements of the Federal Government shall apply to Puerto Rico to 
the same extent as throughout the United States; and (2) it is the 
Sense of Congress that the teaching of English be promoted in Puerto 
Rico in order for English-language proficiency to be achieved (by a 
recorded vote of 301 ayes to 100 noes, Roll No. 237). 
                                               Pages H3045-47, H3054-55
Rejected:
  Gutierrez amendment (No. 2 printed in H. Rept. 111-468) that sought 
to provide the Puerto Rican people have the option to choose ``none of 
the above'' with regard to the status of Puerto Rico (by

[[Page D463]]

a recorded vote of 164 ayes to 236 noes, Roll No. 235); 
                                                   Pages H3043-44 H3053
  Gutierrez amendment (No. 3 printed in H. Rept. 111-468) that sought 
to provide that the ballots in the plebiscite to be conducted under 
H.R. 2499 are printed in Spanish (by a recorded vote of 13 ayes to 386 
noes, Roll No. 236);                           
Pages H3044-45, H3053-54
  Velazquez amendment (No. 5 printed in H. Rept. 111-468) that sought 
to expand eligibility to vote in any plebiscites authorized by this 
bill to U.S. citizens of Puerto Rican descent residing in any of the 50 
States (by a recorded vote of 11 ayes to 387 noes, Roll No. 238); 
                                                  Pages H3047-48, H3055
  Velazquez amendment (No. 6 printed in H. Rept. 111-468) that sought 
to eliminate the first round of voting in Section 2 of the bill and 
insert an option for Commonwealth as a fourth option to the ballot. It 
also sought to provide for a runoff process if no option receives more 
than 50 percent of the vote that would be between the two options that 
received the most votes (by a recorded vote of 112 ayes to 285 noes, 
Roll No. 239); and                             
Pages H3048-50, H3055-56
  Velazquez amendment in the nature of a substitute (No. 7 printed in 
H. Rept. 111-468) that sought to express that it is the Sense of 
Congress that a proposal for a change of status must come first from 
the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico before Congress decides to consider the 
issue, therefore respecting their right of self-determination (by a 
recorded vote of 171 ayes to 223 noes, Roll No. 240). 
                                               Pages H3050-51, H3056-57
Withdrawn:
  Hastings (WA) amendment in the nature of a substitute (No. 8 printed 
in H. Rept. 111-468) that was offered and subsequently withdrawn that 
would have stated that Puerto Rico has, and has had, the authority to 
conduct plebiscites.                                     
Pages H3051-52
  H. Res. 1305, the rule providing for consideration of the bill, was 
agreed to by a yea-and-nay vote of 222 yeas to 190 nays, Roll No. 232, 
and the subsequent motion to table the motion to reconsider the vote 
was agreed to by a recorded vote of 199 ayes to 186 noes, Roll No. 233. 
Earlier, the previous question was ordered on H. Res. 1305 by a yea-
and-nay vote of 218 yeas to 188 nays, Roll No. 231.      
Pages H3027-29
Order of Procedure: The House agreed by unanimous consent that the 
ordering of the yeas and nays be vacated with respect to the motion to 
suspend the rules and agree to the following resolution to the end that 
the resolution be considered as adopted in the form considered by the 
House on Tuesday, April 27th:
  Supporting the goals and ideals of Workers' Memorial Day: H. Res. 
375, amended, to support the goals and ideals of Workers' Memorial Day 
in order to honor and remember the workers who have been killed or 
injured in the workplace.                                    
  Page H3059
Meeting Hour: Agreed that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to 
meet at 10 a.m. on Monday, May 3rd, and further, when the House 
adjourns on that day, it adjourn to meet at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 
4th for morning hour debate.                                 
  Page H3060
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure--Communication: Read a 
letter from Chairman Oberstar wherein he transmitted copies of four 
resolutions for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers adopted by the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on April 29, 2010. 
                                                             Page H3060
Senate Message: Message received from the Senate today appears on page 
H3019.
Quorum Calls--Votes: Three yea-and-nay votes and nine recorded votes 
developed during the proceedings of today and appear on pages H3027, 
H3027-28, H3028-29, H3052-53, H3053, H3053-54, H3054-55, H3055, H3055-
56, H3056-57, H3058 and H3059. There were no quorum calls.
Adjournment: The House met at 10 a.m. and adjourned at 9:16 p.m.