[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 69 (Tuesday, May 15, 2012)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D468-D470]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




[[Page D468]]




                        House of Representatives


Chamber Action
Public Bills and Resolutions Introduced: 41 public bills, H.R. 5740-
5780; and 3 resolutions, H. Con. Res. 124; and H. Res. 657-658 were 
introduced.                                              
  Pages H2712-14
Additional Cosponsors:                                       
  Page H2715
Reports Filed: Reports were filed today as follows:
  H.R. 4970, to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act of 1994, 
with an amendment (H. Rept. 112-480, Pt. 1);
  Supplemental report on H.R. 4310, to authorize appropriations for 
fiscal year 2013 for military activities of the Department of Defense, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for fiscal year 2013, and for 
other purposes (H. Rept. 112-479, Pt. 2); and
  H. Res. 656, providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 4970) to 
reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act of 1994, and providing for 
consideration of the bill (H.R. 4310) to authorize appropriations for 
fiscal year 2013 for military activities of the Department of Defense, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for fiscal year 2013, and for 
other purposes (H. Rept. 112-481).                           
Page H2712
Speaker: Read a letter from the Speaker wherein he appointed 
Representative Bishop (UT) to act as Speaker pro tempore for today. 
                                                             Page H2665
Recess: The House recessed at 12:05 p.m. and reconvened at 2 p.m. 
                                                             Page H2665
Recess: The House recessed at 2:14 p.m. and reconvened at 4:06 p.m. 
                                                             Page H2667
Suspensions: The House agreed to suspend the rules and pass the 
following measures:
  Mobile Workforce State Income Tax Simplification Act: H.R. 1864, 
amended, to limit the authority of States to tax certain income of 
employees for employment duties performed in other States; 
                                                         Pages H2667-69
  National Blue Alert Act of 2012: H.R. 365, to encourage, enhance, and 
integrate Blue Alert plans throughout the United States in order to 
disseminate information when a law enforcement officer is seriously 
injured or killed in the line of duty, by a \2/3\ yea-and-nay vote of 
394 yeas to 1 nay, Roll No. 250;               
  Pages H2673-76, H2693-94
  Security in Bonding Act: H.R. 3534, amended, to amend title 31, 
United States Code, to revise requirements related to assets pledged by 
a surety;                                                
  Pages H2676-78
  Black Hills Cemetery Act: H.R. 3874, amended, to provide for the 
conveyance of eight cemeteries that are located on National Forest 
System land in Black Hills National Forest, South Dakota, by a \2/3\ 
yea-and-nay vote of 400 yeas to 1 nay, Roll No. 251; 
                                                  Pages H2681-82, H2694
  Agreed to amend the title so as to read: ``To provide for the 
conveyance of certain cemeteries that are located on National Forest 
System land in Black Hills National Forest, South Dakota.'' 
                                                             Page H2695
  HEARTH Act: H.R. 205, amended, to amend the Act titled ``An Act to 
authorize the leasing of restricted Indian lands for public, religious, 
educational, recreational, residential, business, and other purposes 
requiring the grant of long-term leases'', approved August 9, 1955, to 
provide for Indian tribes to enter into certain leases without prior 
express approval from the Secretary of the Interior, by a \2/3\ yea-
and-nay vote of 400 yeas with none voting ``nay,'' Roll No. 252; and 
                                                  Pages H2682-85, H2695
  Agreed to amend the title so as to read: ``To amend the Act titled 
`An Act to authorize the leasing of restricted Indian lands for public, 
religious, educational, recreational, residential, business, and other 
purposes requiring the grant of long-term leases', approved August 9, 
1955, to provide for Indian tribes to enter into certain leases without 
prior express approval from the Secretary of the Interior, and for 
other purposes.''                                            
Page H2695
  Ambassador James R. Lilley and Congressman Stephen J. Solarz North 
Korea Human Rights Reauthorization Act of 2012: H.R. 4240, amended, to 
reauthorize the North Korean Human Rights Act of 2004; and 
                                                         Pages H2685-87
  Modifying the Department of Defense Program Guidance relating to the 
award of Post-Deployment/Mobilization Respite Absence administrative 
absence days to members of the reserve components: H.R. 4045, amended, 
to modify the Department of Defense Program Guidance relating to the 
award of Post-Deployment/Mobilization Respite Absence administrative 
absence days to members of the reserve components to exempt any member 
whose qualified mobilization commenced before October 1, 2011, and 
continued on or after that date, from the changes to the program 
guidance that took effect on that date.                  
  Pages H2695-98
Recess: The House recessed at 6:21 p.m. and reconvened at 6:30 p.m. 
                                                             Page H2693

[[Page D469]]

Suspensions--Proceedings Postponed: The House debated the following 
measures under suspension of the rules. Further proceedings were 
postponed:
  Border Tunnel Prevention Act of 2012: H.R. 4119, amended, to reduce 
the trafficking of drugs and to prevent human smuggling across the 
Southwest Border by deterring the construction and use of border 
tunnels;                                                 
  Pages H2669-73
  Chimney Rock National Monument Establishment Act: H.R. 2621, amended, 
to establish the Chimney Rock National Monument in the State of 
Colorado;                                                
  Pages H2678-80
  Amending the Mesquite Lands Act of 1986 to facilitate implementation 
of a multispecies habitat conservation plan: H.R. 2745, amended, to 
amend the Mesquite Lands Act of 1986 to facilitate implementation of a 
multispecies habitat conservation plan for the Virgin River in Clark 
County, Nevada; and                                      
  Pages H2680-81
  Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the 
importance of preventing the Government of Iran from acquiring a 
nuclear weapons capability: H. Res. 568, amended, to express the sense 
of the House of Representatives regarding the importance of preventing 
the Government of Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapons capability. 
                                                         Pages H2687-93
Supplemental Report: Agreed that the Committee on Armed Services be 
authorized to file a supplemental report on H.R. 4310, to authorize 
appropriations for fiscal year 2013 for military activities of the 
Department of Defense, to prescribe military personnel strengths for 
fiscal year 2013, and for other purposes.                    
  Page H2693
Commission on International Religious Freedom--Appointment: The Chair 
announced the Speaker's appointment of the following member on the part 
of the House to the Commission on International Religious Freedom for a 
term ending May 14, 2014: Mr. Elliot Abrams of Virginia.     
  Page H2698
Senate Messages: Message received from the Senate by the Clerk and 
subsequently presented to the House today and a message received from 
the Senate today appear on page H2693.
Senate Referral: S. 418 was held at the desk.                
  Page H2667
Quorum Calls Votes: Three yea-and-nay votes developed during the 
proceedings of today and appear on pages H2693-94, H2694, H2695. There 
were no quorum calls.
Adjournment: The House met at 12 noon and adjourned at 9:31 p.m.

Committee Meeting
CHEN GUANGCHENG: HIS CASE, CAUSE, FAMILY, AND THOSE WHO ARE HELPING HIM
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, 
and Human Rights held a hearing entitled ``Chen Guangcheng: His Case, 
Cause, Family, and Those Who are Helping Him''. Testimony was heard 
from public witnesses.
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2012; NATIONAL DEFENSE 
AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2013
Committee on Rules: Granted, by a record vote of 7 to 2, a closed rule 
for H.R. 4970, Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2012. The 
rule provides one hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the 
chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on the Judiciary. 
The rule waives all points of order against consideration of the bill. 
The rule provides that the amendment in the nature of a substitute 
recommended by the Committee on the Judiciary now printed in the bill, 
as modified by the amendment printed in the Rules Committee report, 
shall be considered as adopted. The bill, as amended, shall be 
considered as read. The rule waives all points of order against 
provisions in the bill, as amended. The rule provides one motion to 
recommit with or without instructions.
  The resolution further provides for a general debate rule for H.R. 
4310, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013. The rule 
provides one hour of general debate equally divided and controlled by 
the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Armed 
Services. The rule waives all points of order against consideration of 
the bill. Finally, the rule provides that no further consideration of 
the bill shall occur except pursuant to a subsequent order of the 
House. Testimony on H.R. 4310 was heard from Chairman McKeon and 
Representative Smith of Washington. Testimony on H.R. 4970 was heard 
from Representative Gowdy, LoBiondo, Griffith of Virginia, Biggert, 
Scott of Virginia, Zoe Lofgren of California, Jackson Lee of Texas, 
Visclosky, Schakowsky, and Moore.

Joint Meetings
POLITICAL PRISONERS IN CENTRAL ASIA
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe. Commission received a 
briefing on political prisoners in Central Asia, focusing on 
Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan from 
Cathy Cosman, United States Commission on International

[[Page D470]]

Religious Freedom, Washington, D.C.; Sanjar Umarov, Sunshine Coalition, 
Memphis, Tennessee; and Muzaffar Suleymanov, Committee to Protect 
Journalists, New York, New York.