[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 188 (Thursday, December 8, 2011)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1337-D1338]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




[[Page D1337]]




                        House of Representatives


Chamber Action
Public Bills and Resolutions Introduced: 25 public bills, H.R. 3605-
3629, were introduced.                                   
  Pages H8317-18
Additional Cosponsors:                                   
  Pages H8319-20
Reports Filed: Reports were filed today as follows:
  H.R. 443, to provide for the conveyance of certain property from the 
United States to the Maniilaq Association located in Kotzebue, Alaska, 
with an amendment (H. Rept. 112-318 Pt. 1);
  H.R. 1466, to resolve the status of certain persons legally residing 
in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands under the 
immigration laws of the United States (H. Rept. 112-319 Pt. 1);
  H.R. 1740, to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate a 
segment of Illabot Creek in Skagit County, Washington, as a component 
of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, with an amendment (H. 
Rept. 112-320);
  H.R. 2719, to ensure public access to the summit of Rattlesnake 
Mountain in the Hanford Reach National Monument for educational, 
recreational, historical, scientific, cultural, and other purposes (H. 
Rept. 112-321);
  H.R. 3069, to amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to 
reduce predation on endangered Columbia River salmon and other 
nonlisted species, and for other purposes (H. Rept. 112-322); and
  H.R. 2829, to promote transparency, accountability, and reform within 
the United Nations system, and for other purposes, with an amendment 
(H. Rept. 112-323).                                          
Page H8317
Speaker: Read a letter from the Speaker wherein he appointed 
Representative Miller (MI) to act as Speaker pro tempore for today. 
                                                             Page H8265
Recess: The House recessed at 9:50 a.m. and reconvened at 10:30 a.m. 
                                                             Page H8271
Journal: The House agreed to the Speaker's approval of the Journal by a 
recorded vote of 312 ayes to 94 noes with 1 answering ``present'', Roll 
No. 905.                                          
  Pages H8265, H8273-74
Suspension--Proceedings Resumed: The House agreed to suspend the rules 
and pass the following measure which was debated yesterday, December 
7th:
  Synthetic Drug Control Act of 2011: H.R. 1254, amended, to amend the 
Controlled Substances Act to place synthetic drugs in Schedule I, by a 
\2/3\ recorded vote of 317 ayes to 98 noes, Roll No. 904. 
                                                         Pages H8272-73
Farm Dust Regulation Prevention Act of 2011: The House passed H.R. 
1633, to establish a temporary prohibition against revising any 
national ambient air quality standard applicable to coarse particulate 
matter and to limit Federal regulation of nuisance dust in areas in 
which such dust is regulated under State, tribal, or local law, by a 
recorded vote of 268 ayes to 150 noes, Roll No. 912.     
  Pages H8274-96
  Rejected the DeGette motion to recommit the bill to the Committee on 
Energy and Commerce with instructions to report the same back to the 
House forthwith with an amendment, by a recorded vote of 166 ayes to 
252 noes, Roll No. 911.                                  
Pages H8294-96
  Pursuant to the rule, the amendment in the nature of a substitute 
recommended by the Committee on Energy and Commerce now printed in the 
bill shall be considered as an original bill for the purpose of 
amendment under the five-minute rule.                        
Page H9282
Agreed to:
  Crawford amendment (No. 3 printed in H. Rept. 112-317) that directs 
the Environmental Protection Agency Administrator to consult with the 
Secretary of Agriculture when modifying National Ambient Air Quality 
Standards with respect to ``nuisance dust'' under exceptions provided 
in Sec. 132(b) of the Farm Dust Regulation Prevention Act of 2011; 
                                                         Pages H8284-85
  Flake amendment (No. 6 printed in H. Rept. 112-317) that adds sense 
of Congress language regarding an approach to excluding so-called 
``exceptional events'' (like massive dust storms that are not 
controllable or preventable) from determinations of whether an area is 
in compliance with the coarse particulate matter standard; and 
                                                             Page H8287
  Schock amendment (No. 7 printed in H. Rept. 112-317) that requires 
the EPA to take agriculture jobs and the economic impact on the 
agriculture industry into account before they issue any new regulations 
relating to agriculture. If a proposed regulation is found to cause the 
loss of more than 100 agriculturally related jobs or a decrease in more 
than $1,000,000 in agriculturally related economic activity then EPA 
has to give notice to the State's Congressional Delegation, Governor, 
and Legislature, and also hold a public hearing in the impacted State. 
                                                         Pages H8287-89
Rejected:
  Rush amendment (No. 1 printed in H. Rept. 112-317) that sought to 
clarify that nothing in the bill precludes the EPA Administrator from 
enforcing National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)

[[Page D1338]]

for PM2.5 and would delete section 3, which allows the EPA to regulate 
``nuisance dust'' in areas where states and localities do not do so if 
it substantially hurts public health and if the benefits of applying 
standards would outweigh the costs (by a recorded vote of 150 ayes to 
255 noes, Roll No. 906);                       
Pages H8282-83, H8290-91
  Christensen amendment (No. 2 printed in H. Rept. 112-317) that sought 
to allow the EPA the authority under the Clean Air Act to step in and 
take action to reduce dangerous particle pollution if state, local, or 
tribal laws are not sufficient to protect public health (by a recorded 
vote of 159 ayes to 250 noes, Roll No. 907);   
Pages H8283-84, H8291-92
  Markey amendment (No. 4 printed in H. Rept. 112-317) that sought to 
ensure that particulate matter containing arsenic and other heavy 
metals that are hazardous to human health is not nuisance dust and 
remains subject to the Clean Air Act (by a recorded vote of 165 ayes to 
249 noes, Roll No. 908);                          
Pages H8285-86, H8292
  Waxman amendment (No. 5 printed in H. Rept. 112-317) that sought to 
require that particulate pollution produced from mining activities is 
not defined as ``nuisance dust'' and thus remains subject to the Clean 
Air Act (by a recorded vote of 158 ayes to 257 noes, Roll No. 909); and
                                               Pages H8286-87, H8292-93
  Al Green amendment (No. 8 printed in H. Rept. 112-317) that sought to 
require EPA to provide a report of the increase or decrease in the 
number of jobs as a result of enactment of the bill (by a recorded vote 
of 170 ayes to 247 noes, Roll No. 910).        
Pages H8289-90, H8293-94
  H. Res. 487, the rule providing for consideration of the bill, was 
agreed to by a recorded vote of 249 ayes to 161 noes, Roll No. 903, 
after the previous question was ordered by a yea-and-nay vote of 241 
yeas to 173 nays, Roll No. 902.                
Pages H8267-71, H8271-72
Meeting Hour: Agreed that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to 
meet at 11 a.m. tomorrow, and further, when the House adjourns on that 
day, it adjourn to meet at 12 noon on Monday, December 12th for morning 
hour debate and 2 p.m. for legislative business.             
  Page H8299
Senate Messages: Messages received from the Senate today appear on 
pages H8266-67 and H8296.
Senate Referrals: S. 1958 was referred to the Committee on Financial 
Services.                                                    
  Page H8316
Quorum Calls--Votes: One yea-and-nay vote and 10 recorded votes 
developed during the proceedings of today and appear on pages H8271-72, 
H8272, H8273, H8273-74, H8291, H8291-92, H8292, H8293, H8293-94, H8295-
96, and H8296. There were no quorum calls.
Adjournment: The House met at 9 a.m. and adjourned at 5:15 p.m.