[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 64 (Wednesday, May 11, 2011)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D483-D485]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                        House of Representatives


Chamber Action
Public Bills and Resolutions Introduced: 32 public bills, H.R. 1825-
1856; 1 private bill, H.R. 1857; and 7 resolutions, H.J. Res. 58-61; 
and H. Res. 263, 265-266 were introduced.                
  Pages H3217-20
Additional Cosponsors:                                   
  Pages H3220-21
Report Filed: A report was filed today as follows:
  H. Res. 264, providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 754) to 
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2011 for intelligence and 
intelligence-related activities of the United States Government, the 
Community Management Account, and the Central Intelligence Agency 
Retirement and Disability System, and for other purposes (H. Rept. 112-
75).                                                         
Page H3217
Speaker: Read a letter from the Speaker wherein he appointed 
Representative Ellmers to act as Speaker pro tempore for today. 
                                                             Page H3163
Recess: The House recessed at 10:45 a.m. and reconvened at 12 noon. 
                                                             Page H3168
Chaplain: The prayer was offered by the guest chaplain, Reverend 
Wallace Shepherd, Second Baptist Church, Santa Barbara, California. 
                                                             Page H3168
Report Filing: Agreed by unanimous consent that the Committee on Armed 
Services have until 5 p.m. on Tuesday, May 17, 2011 to file its report 
to accompany H.R. 1540.                                      
  Page H3171
Putting the Gulf of Mexico Back to Work Act: The House passed H.R. 
1229, to amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to facilitate the 
safe and timely production of American energy resources from the Gulf 
of Mexico, by a recorded vote of 263 ayes to 163 noes, Roll No. 309. 
Consideration of the measure began yesterday, May 10th. 
                                                         Pages H3180-86
  Rejected the Connolly 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 186 ayes to 
239 noes, Roll No. 308.                                  
Pages H3185-86
Rejected:
  Hanabusa amendment (No. 4 printed in part A of H. Rept. 112-73) that 
was debated on May 10th that sought to state that the Secretary shall 
not issue an offshore drilling permit without certifying that the 
applicant has calculated a worst-case discharge scenario for the 
proposed drilling operations; and has demonstrated to the satisfaction 
of the Secretary that the applicant possesses the capability and 
technology to respond immediately and effectively to such worst-case 
discharge scenario (by a recorded vote of 187 ayes to 235 noes, Roll 
No. 302);                                                    
Page H3180
  Holt amendment (No. 6 printed in part A of H. Rept. 112-73) that was 
debated on May 10th that sought to strike a provision in the underlying 
bill that would ``deem'' drilling permits approved after

[[Page D484]]

60 days even if the necessary safety and environmental reviews have not 
be completed. The amendment leaves in place a timeline for approving 
drilling permits, but prevents permits from being ``deemed'' approved 
before the safety review has been completed (by a recorded vote of 179 
ayes to 247 noes, Roll No. 303);                         
Pages H3180-81
  Polis amendment (No. 7 printed in part A of H. Rept. 112-73) that was 
debated on May 10th that sought to lift timeline requirements if the 
agency lacks an adequate budget or lacks staff expertise to properly 
review permits (by a recorded vote of 174 ayes to 254 noes, Roll No. 
304);                                                    
Pages H3181-82
  Hastings (FL) amendment (No. 8 printed in part A of H. Rept. 112-73) 
that was debated on May 10th that sought to require a detailed 
description of the extent to which and by when any oil found on the 
leased property will decrease the price of crude oil and at the pump 
for hardworking Americans (by a recorded vote of 169 ayes to 258 noes, 
Roll No. 305);                                               
Page H3182
  Deutch amendment (No. 9 printed in part A of H. Rept. 112-73) that 
was debated on May 10th that sought to strike section 202 of H.R. 1229, 
so that states outside of the 5th Circuit could have their courts hear 
civil actions relating to energy projects in the Gulf of Mexico (by a 
recorded vote of 205 ayes to 222 noes, Roll No. 306); and 
                                                         Pages H3182-83
  Hastings (FL) amendment (No. 11 printed in part A of H. Rept. 112-73) 
that was debated on May 10th that sought to strike section 207 of the 
bill which pertains to limitations on attorneys' fees (by a recorded 
vote of 185 ayes to 239 noes, Roll No. 307).             
Pages H3183-84
  H. Res. 245, the rule providing for consideration of the bill, was 
agreed to on May 5th.
  Pursuant to section 3 of the rule, in the engrossment of H.R. 1229, 
the Clerk shall (1) add the text of H.R. 1230, as passed by the House, 
as new matter at the end of H.R. 1229; (2) conform the title of H.R. 
1229 to reflect the addition of H.R. 1230, as passed by the House, to 
the engrossment; (3) assign appropriate designations to provisions 
within the engrossment; and (4) conform cross-references and provisions 
for short titles within the engrossment.
Committee Resignation: Read a letter from Representative Fincher, 
wherein he resigned from the Committee on Agriculture and the Committee 
on Transportation and Infrastructure.                        
  Page H3188
Committee Election: The House agreed to H. Res. 263, electing Members 
to certain standing committees of the House of Representatives. 
                                                             Page H3188
Report Filing: Agreed by unanimous consent that the Committee on the 
Judiciary have until 5 p.m. on Wednesday, May 18, 2011 to file its 
report to accompany H.R. 1800.                               
  Page H3188
Report Filings: Agreed by unanimous consent that the Committee on 
Veterans Affairs have until 5 p.m. on Friday, May 20, 2011 to file its 
reports to accompany H.R. 1407, H.R. 1484, H.R. 1627, H.R. 1383, H.R. 
1657, and H.R. 802.                                          
  Page H3188
Authorizing the use of the Capitol Grounds for the Greater Washington 
Soap Box Derby: The House agreed to discharge and agree to H. Con. Res. 
16, to authorize the use of the Capitol Grounds for the Greater 
Washington Soap Box Derby.                               
  Pages H3188-89
Authorizing the use of the Capitol Grounds for the National Peace 
Officers' Memorial Service: The House agreed to discharge and agree to 
H. Con. Res. 46, to authorize the use of the Capitol Grounds for the 
National Peace Officers' Memorial Service.                   
  Page H3189
Reversing President Obama's Offshore Moratorium Act: The House began 
consideration of H.R. 1231, to amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands 
Act to require that each 5-year offshore oil and gas leasing program 
offer leasing in the areas with the most prospective oil and gas 
resources and to establish a domestic oil and natural gas production 
goal. Consideration is expected to resume tomorrow, May 12th. 
                                  Pages H3171-80, H3186-88, H3189-H3207
  Pursuant to the rule, the amendment recommended by the Committee on 
Natural Resources now printed in the bill shall be considered as 
adopted in the House and in the Committee of the Whole.
Agreed to:
  Young (AK) amendment (No. 1 printed in H. Rept. 112-74) that makes 
technical numbering corrections to section 2 of the bill.    
Page H3196
Rejected:
  Connolly amendment (No. 2 printed in H. Rept. 112-74) that sought to 
clarify that new offshore drilling would not conflict with military 
operations (by a recorded vote of 193 ayes to 228 noes, Roll No. 312); 
                                                  Pages H3196-98, H3205
  Markey amendment (No. 3 printed in H. Rept. 112-74) that sought to 
require that new 5-year leasing plans require that companies bidding on 
new leases first renegotiate any royalty-free leases they own; thus 
raising more than $2 billion over 10 years (by a recorded vote of 189 
ayes to 238 noes, Roll No. 313); and           
Pages H3189-99, H3205-06
  Keating amendment (No. 4 printed in H. Rept. 112-74) that sought to 
require the Secretary to make public information about the lessee's 
executive

[[Page D485]]

bonuses from the most recent quarter (by a recorded vote of 186 ayes to 
240 noes, Roll No. 314).                       
Pages H3199-H3200, H3206
Proceedings Postponed:
  Tsongas amendment (No. 5 printed in H. Rept. 112-74) that seeks to 
require that all applicants for a drilling permit under a lease issued 
under H.R. 1231 would have to submit a worst-case scenario oil spill 
containment and clean-up plan;                           
Pages H3200-01
  Brown (FL) amendment (No. 6 printed in H. Rept. 112-74) that seeks to 
make permanent the current moratorium on drilling in the eastern gulf 
of Mexico that expires in 2022;                          
Pages H3201-02
  Thompson (CA) amendment (No. 7 printed in H. Rept. 112-74) that seeks 
to clarify that the legislation does not allow for oil and gas drilling 
on the northern coast of California; and                 
Pages H3202-03
  Inslee amendment (No. 8 printed in H. Rept. 112-74) that seeks to 
require the Washington state Governor and legislature approve any 
leasing of the Outer Continental Shelf off of Washington state. 
                                                         Pages H3203-04
  H. Res. 257, the rule providing for consideration of the bill, was 
agreed to by a recorded vote of 243 ayes to 179 noes, Roll No. 311, 
after the previous question was ordered by a yea-and-nay vote of 241 
yeas to 179 nays, Roll No. 310.                
Pages H3171-80, H3186-88
Senate Message: Message received from the Senate today appears on page 
H3164.
Senate Referral: S. Con. Res. 16 was referred to the Committee on House 
Administration.                                      
  Pages H3164, H3216
Quorum Calls--Votes: One yea-and-nay vote and twelve recorded votes 
developed during the proceedings of today and appear on pages H3180, 
H3181, H3181-82, H3182, H3183, H3183-84, H3185, H3186, H3187, H3187-88, 
H3205, H3205-06 and H3206. There were no quorum calls.
Adjournment: The House met at 10 a.m. and adjourned at 8:08 p.m.