[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 136 (Friday, October 4, 2013)]
[House]
[Pages H6254-H6262]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS 
                            RESOLUTION, 2014

  Mr. CARTER. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 371, I call up 
the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 85) making continuing appropriations 
for the Federal Emergency Management Agency for fiscal year 2014, and 
for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.
  The Clerk read the title of the joint resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 371, the joint 
resolution is considered read.
  The text of the joint resolution is as follows:

                              H.J. Res. 85

       Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
     United States of America in Congress assembled, That the 
     following sums are hereby appropriated, out of any money in 
     the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, and out of 
     applicable corporate or other revenues, receipts, and funds, 
     for the Federal Emergency Management Agency for fiscal year 
     2014, and for other purposes, namely:
       Sec. 101. (a) Such amounts as may be necessary, at a rate 
     for operations as provided in the Department of Homeland 
     Security Appropriations Act, 2013 (division D of Public Law 
     113-6) and under the authority and conditions provided in 
     such Act, for continuing projects or activities that are not 
     otherwise specifically provided for in this joint resolution, 
     that were conducted in fiscal year 2013, and for which 
     appropriations, funds, or other authority were made available 
     by such Act under the heading ``Protection, Preparedness, 
     Response, and Recovery--Federal Emergency Management 
     Agency''.
       (b) The rate for operations provided by subsection (a) for 
     each account shall be calculated to reflect the full amount 
     of any reduction required in fiscal year 2013 pursuant to--
       (1) any provision of division G of the Consolidated and 
     Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013 (Public Law 113-
     6), including section 3004; and
       (2) the Presidential sequestration order dated March 1, 
     2013, except as attributable to budget authority made 
     available by the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2013 
     (Public Law 113-2).
       Sec. 102.  Appropriations made by section 101 shall be 
     available to the extent and in the manner that would be 
     provided by the pertinent appropriations Act.
       Sec. 103.  Unless otherwise provided for in this joint 
     resolution or in the applicable appropriations Act for fiscal 
     year 2014, appropriations and funds made available and 
     authority granted pursuant to this joint resolution shall be 
     available until whichever of the following first occurs: (1) 
     the enactment into law of an appropriation for any project or 
     activity provided for in this joint resolution; (2) the 
     enactment into law of the applicable appropriations Act for 
     fiscal year 2014 without any provision for such project or 
     activity; or (3) December 15, 2013.
       Sec. 104.  Expenditures made pursuant to this joint 
     resolution shall be charged to the applicable appropriation, 
     fund, or authorization whenever a bill in which such 
     applicable appropriation, fund, or authorization is contained 
     is enacted into law.
       Sec. 105.  This joint resolution shall be implemented so 
     that only the most limited funding action of that permitted 
     in the joint resolution shall be taken in order to provide 
     for continuation of projects and activities.
       Sec. 106.  Amounts made available under section 101 for 
     civilian personnel compensation and benefits in each 
     department and agency may be apportioned up to the rate for 
     operations necessary to avoid furloughs within such 
     department or agency, consistent with the applicable 
     appropriations Act for fiscal year 2013, except that such 
     authority provided under this section shall not be used until 
     after the department or agency has taken all necessary 
     actions to reduce or defer non-personnel-related 
     administrative expenses.
       Sec. 107.  It is the sense of Congress that this joint 
     resolution may also be referred to as the ``National 
     Emergency and Disaster Recovery Act''.
        This joint resolution may be cited as the ``Federal 
     Emergency Management Agency Continuing Appropriations 
     Resolution, 2014''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The joint resolution shall be debatable for 
40 minutes, equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking 
minority member of the Committee on Appropriations.
  The gentleman from Texas (Mr. Carter) and the gentleman from North 
Carolina (Mr. Price) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.


                             General Leave

  Mr. CARTER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on H.J. Res. 85, and that I may include 
tabular material on the same.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. CARTER. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to present to the House a bill to fully sustain 
funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, commonly known as 
FEMA.
  Right now, at this very moment, dedicated men and women at FEMA are 
preparing for the possible landfall of Tropical Storm Karen along our 
gulf coast, and they're not being paid. Right now, at this very moment, 
FEMA has begun to recall furloughed employees in Atlanta, Georgia, and 
Denton, Texas, as the agency prepares for a potential significant 
natural disaster.
  According to the National Weather Service, a hurricane watch is 
currently in effect from Grand Isle, Louisiana, eastward to Destin, 
Florida. A tropical storm watch is currently in effect from west of 
Grand Isle to east of Morgan City, Louisiana, and New Orleans and east 
of Destin to Indian Pass, Florida.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a major storm, and we have to take it seriously. 
So this bill before us provides for continuing appropriations to ensure 
FEMA can fully render assistance to the impacted States and fully 
support our citizens and our brave first responders.
  Mr. Speaker, all of us were aware that the government is shut down 
despite numerous attempts to move forward. We have repeatedly offered 
visions of a continuing resolution to sustain this government's 
operations, but to no avail. Furthermore, we have offered to negotiate, 
to convene a conference, and to work out the differences in a 
professional and orderly manner, but such offers have been refused out 
of hand. So, Mr. Speaker, this bill is yet another offer to the other 
side of the aisle to at least fund vital components of this government.
  We have a duty to ensure that our Nation is adequately prepared for 
disasters and that our States are fully supported when they require 
Federal assistance. This bill does so without increasing the rate of 
spending and in a manner entirely consistent with the text of the 
noncontroversial H.J. Res. 59.
  In short, this bill before us today is all about getting our 
priorities right. It's my hope that passage of this bill will not only 
support our Nation's emergency preparedness but also lead to a 
reopening of the entire Federal Government.
  In closing, I urge my friends on the other side of the aisle to lower 
their partisan blinders, come to the table, and work out our current 
impasses so that we can get on with the business of fixing our Nation's 
budgetary mess.
  Mr. Speaker, with that, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as 
I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, how much longer are we going to continue this charade? 
At what expense are we going to continue this charade?
  The Federal employees who serve our country are being disserved, as 
well as the American people who depend on their services. How much 
longer are we going to continue this same tired old dishonest debate?
  Today it's about FEMA. We appreciate the Republicans' concern for 
FEMA. Like them, we are also anxiously watching the approach of 
Hurricane Karen. It's too bad that our Republican friends didn't think 
a little bit more about such things on Monday midnight when they shut 
the government down.
  The issue, of course, is not whether we want to provide funding for 
FEMA or for any other particular activity or particular group of 
Federal employees. I'll take a back seat to no one when it comes to 
supporting the men and women who serve on the front lines of our 
national disaster preparedness and response efforts. And we know they 
will be there, whatever Hurricane Karen amounts to.
  The issue here is whether we are going to pick winners and losers by 
providing temporary funding for governmental services, operations, and 
personnel when everyone in this body knows that we could reopen the 
entire

[[Page H6255]]

Federal Government in one fell swoop this afternoon by calling up the 
Senate-passed continuing resolution. That's what Democrats and a 
growing number of Republicans are advocating, and it's the only path 
that will get us out of this mess.
  Instead, the House majority continues to bring to the floor piecemeal 
measures like this one, measures that may be red meat for Ted Cruz, but 
they have no chance of passing the Senate or being signed by the 
President because they don't solve the basic problem.

                              {time}  1515

  Therefore, they are a cynical and cruel deception. We all know that. 
So let's quit playing games, and let's actually do our job for the 
American people.
  Mr. Speaker, if we're going to resume funding for parts of the 
Department of Homeland Security, I'd like to ask, where's the bill 
that's going to fund the Secret Service, whose importance was on full 
display yesterday?
  Where's the bill to ensure our aviation system remains safe and 
secure through TSA?
  Where's the bill to keep us safe from cyber attacks?
  Of course we all want to provide funding for FEMA, but what about all 
the other employees of the Department of Homeland Security who work 
every day to ensure the security of our Nation?
  What about the Border Patrol agents, Customs and Border Protection 
officers, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents?
  They're all protecting our Nation, and they're protecting it without 
pay at this moment.
  Well, maybe the House majority will eventually get to them or, then 
again, maybe they won't. It's becoming more and more difficult to tell 
whom the Republican majority cares about at any given moment.
  Now, there have been charges of a lack of willingness to negotiate 
and compromise on the part of the President and congressional 
Democrats.
  Let's be clear: the only ones who have compromised on anything 
related to funding the government are Democrats. We have compromised to 
the tune of $60 billion, that is, agreeing to a short-term continuing 
resolution well below the President's budget request, well below the 
Senate-passed budget resolution.
  And by the way, that's the same budget resolution that Republicans 
have refused to work on with the Senate and that would have headed off 
this shutdown in the first place. It really must take some nerve for 
our colleagues now, all of a sudden, to be singing the praises of 
conference committees!
  But as to the Senate's clean bipartisan funding bill, we don't need a 
conference committee. We don't need to talk. We need a vote. The clean 
continuing resolution would pass this House easily, right this minute, 
if the Republican leadership would simply put it up for a bipartisan 
vote.
  So let's dispense with this political theater. Let's get back to our 
basic job description which, surely, by any measure, involves keeping 
the government open. It also involves paying the country's bills, and 
it must involve a comprehensive budget plan that lifts sequestration, 
revives our economy, and reduces our deficit.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CARTER. Mr. Speaker, at this time I yield as much time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers), the chairman of 
the Appropriations Committee.
  Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for yielding me this 
time.
  And I say to my colleague from North Carolina, my friend, whom I've 
served together with on the Appropriations Committee and subcommittees 
for a number of years, I say to him, where is the bill for the Secret 
Service?
  Stay tuned.
  Where's the bill for ICE?
  Stay tuned.
  Where's the bill for Border Patrol?
  Stay tuned and be ready to talk about those when they come up 
shortly.
  Now, I rise in support of this bill, which will help ensure that our 
government can help prepare for emergency situations. As we well know, 
you can never be too prepared.
  Over the past year, we've seen the damage natural disasters can 
wreak. From Hurricane Sandy in the Northeast, to the tornados in the 
Midwest, to the raging wildfires out West, no area is immune to Mother 
Nature's wrath.
  And now, with a tropical storm brewing in the Gulf of Mexico, we are 
reminded, once again, that disaster can strike when you least expect it 
to, or when you can least stand it, though we hope that's not the case 
with Karen.
  This bill will provide immediate funding for the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency at the current annual funding rate of $10.2 billion. 
As with the previous five short-term funding bills this House has 
passed in the last 2 days, this will last until December 15, but could 
end sooner if we can find a way to fund the entire Federal Government 
before that time.
  And as with the previous five short-term funding bills, this 
language, for all intents and purposes, mirrors that of the clean CR 
that I offered several weeks ago.
  Passing this bill today is important to fulfill our duty to the 
people of this country that their government should help communities 
prepare for disasters and be there in their times of greatest need.
  However, our end goal isn't to fund each government program bit by 
bit; it's to reopen the whole Federal Government as soon as possible. I 
believe this bill inches us closer to that goal, but there's obviously 
much more to be done.
  And let me point this out, Mr. Speaker: if this bill is approved 
today, this will be the sixth clean, short-term funding bill we send to 
the other side of the Capitol. These bills provide more than $300 
billion in annual funding so far, and at the sequester level. That's 
one-third of the discretionary budget, and it's one-third of the 
original continuing resolution that we filed in September; one third of 
the way toward opening the entire Federal Government with clean funding 
bills.
  This is what the Senate says they want. So why aren't they voting on 
these bills?
  In addition to these clean bills, we've also sent over to the Senate 
seven other appropriations bills to fund portions of the Federal 
Government. The answer: a loud snore.
  This House, since the Republicans took over in 2011, has been serious 
about trying to return to regular order; but it takes two to tango, Mr. 
Speaker, and the Senate has passed zero regular appropriations bills 
this whole year. Zero.
  I say we must come together. On Monday night, the House passed 
another amendment, sent it to the Senate, that would have funded the 
entire government. And we asked for a conference with the Senate. We 
even appointed our conferees, the House, sent that to the Senate.
  What have we heard from the Senate since that time?
  Another loud snore. They will not agree to talk.
  It's the time-honored tradition of this Congress, in the United 
States of America, that when one body disagrees with the other body, 
which is quite frequent, what happens, we appoint conferees to work out 
the differences.
  The House appointed its conferees. The Senate has refused to appoint 
conferees. Otherwise, we could sit down and talk and solve this problem 
and put people back to work in the government and make sense of the 
mess that we're in. It just takes the Senate agreeing to go to a 
conference.
  What's difficult about that?
  That's as simple as pie. It's what we've done since we've been a 
Nation.
  I would urge the other body to appoint conferees. Let's sit down and 
work out the differences. We've got a table waiting downstairs, or we 
can meet over there, whatever. We can meet in their conference room or 
ours. We can sit down, as gentlemen and gentleladies, and work out the 
differences between the House bill and the Senate bill as we normally 
do.
  We've got to come together, Mr. Speaker, Senate, House, Republican, 
Democrat, Mugwump. We've got to have a meaningful discussion on how we 
can fund the entire Federal Government, first, to reopen its doors, 
then to fund it as it should be funded, with regular order, full-year 
appropriations bills.

[[Page H6256]]

  The bill before us continues trying to make sense of the situation 
we're in, working toward ending the shutdown, and to ensure that from 
today forward FEMA has the resources it needs to prepare for whatever 
should come our way.
  Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as 
I may consume.
  My friend from Kentucky, the chairman of the full committee is, in a 
time-honored House tradition, criticizing the other body. I've done 
some of that myself.
  But let's be clear about a couple of things. Our Republican friends, 
as I recall, for years were badgering the Senate to pass a budget 
resolution. This year they did it. They did it and were ready to go to 
conference months ago; they were ready to go to conference with a 
budget resolution that was comprehensive in dealing with the deficit. 
And had that been agreed upon between the two Houses, it could have 
prevented this whole mess.
  From all indications, it is the House Republicans, the leadership of 
this body, that has refused to go to conference. I don't really think 
that's in dispute.
  Secondly, my friend from Kentucky, and many speakers in the last few 
days, have talked about all those appropriations bills and how they 
didn't make it to the floor of the Senate. What they didn't tell you 
was why they didn't make it to the floor of the Senate.
  Again, I don't think this is open to dispute. The Transportation-HUD 
appropriations bill was ready for floor action on the Senate side. It 
was a threatened Republican filibuster that kept it off the floor and 
that has kept all subsequent bills off the floor.
  I assure you, the Senate leadership and Senator Mikulski, the 
appropriations chairman in the Senate, were more than ready to take 
those appropriations bills to the floor. In many cases, they had been 
written with good bipartisan cooperation.
  But it is the Republican leadership who dictated that the Senate 
would not pass those appropriations bills.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. 
Lowey), my friend, the ranking member of our full committee.
  Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to the reckless 
Republican shutdown.
  Of course we support disaster assistance. Time and time again, 
Democrats have voted to provide expeditious disaster assistance; but 
FEMA also needs State and local first responders, the National Weather 
Service, transportation, housing assistance, and other items that are 
not funded in this bill.
  This bill is perhaps the most cynical political ploy Republicans have 
put forward since the shutdown began. Just a week ago, this body 
strongly supported Federal assistance for devastating floods in 
Colorado. I'd like to remind my friends that its sponsor, ironically, 
voted against much-needed recovery funds following Superstorm Sandy.
  Too many of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle do not 
believe in the Federal Government until they need it; and, boy, do they 
need the Federal Government now. Since it shut down, they are paying a 
political price and using irresponsible bills like this one to shift 
the blame.
  Not only should the Federal Government be available to respond to 
every Federal disaster; it should be open to keep Americans on the job, 
to support law enforcement, to ensure Head Start centers are open so 
parents can work, and to continue lifesaving medical research, to name 
a few of its vital functions.
  You claim to want to negotiate. We have already said we will vote for 
your spending bill at your funding levels, and I know my friends on the 
other side of the aisle understand that.
  So let's stop playing games. Allow a vote on your bill to end the 
shutdown that the Senate passed and the President will sign.
  We can open this government in the next 30 minutes.
  Mr. CARTER. Mr. Speaker, at this time I yield 2 minutes to the 
gentlewoman from Indiana (Mrs. Brooks), the hardworking chair of the 
authorizing Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness and Response and 
Communications.
  Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, as chairman of the Committee on 
Homeland Security's Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response 
and Communications, I rise in support of the National Emergency and 
Disaster Recovery Act, which does provide the vital funding for Federal 
Emergency Management Agency, funding that can make a difference right 
now.
  And it is right now that we need to be caring about the citizens of 
Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi, as Tropical Storm Karen is in the 
Gulf of Mexico headed toward the gulf coast. Landfall is expected this 
weekend. We don't know what to expect, much like we didn't know what to 
expect when Hurricane Sandy hit.
  FEMA has begun its response of preparations and has recalled those 
furloughed staff because they know it's their duty to serve and 
protect. So this bill would ensure that all FEMA personnel and 
capabilities are available to respond to this storm and support the 
States in its path.

                              {time}  1530

  Hurricane season doesn't end this weekend. It doesn't end officially 
until November 30. We have to make sure that these agencies are ready 
to respond, whether it's a natural disaster, a terrorist attack, or 
other emergency needing Federal support.
  I have tell you, this is not a game. This is not a charade. And until 
now, I have been so pleased to serve on Homeland Security, where it 
enjoys so much bipartisan support. We have much bipartisan support when 
it comes to FEMA and homeland security. And I would like to say that, 
until now, they do not play games when it comes to supporting first 
responders, when it comes to supporting flood victims, when it comes to 
supporting storm and hurricane victims.
  But I must say the time to act with Congress is now. Do the right 
thing. We are encouraging our colleagues across the other side of the 
aisle to put the politics aside and join us in supporting this 
resolution.
  Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson), ranking member of the 
Homeland Security authorizing committee.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Thank you very much, Ranking Member 
Price, for yielding this time.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to H.J. Res. 85. This 
is the latest in a string of measures that the Republican majority has 
brought to the floor in an attempt to cherry-pick what gets funded in 
the Federal Government, or a piecemeal approach to running government.
  Later this weekend, Tropical Storm Karen is expected to hit the gulf 
coast. Last night, there were strong reports of tornados in Nebraska, 
and a strong storm is expected in our area. I guess that explains this 
cynical exercise where FEMA is funded in a mini-CR.
  When the majority learned that tourists could not visit our national 
monuments, they whipped up a mini-CR for the national parks. A storm is 
coming so their answer is a mini-CR for FEMA. The way the majority does 
business, there will need to be another West, Texas, explosion before 
they try to fund CFATS.
  We can't fund the government crisis to crisis. FEMA should have its 
full staff available this week to begin preparations for Tropical Storm 
Karen. Instead, FEMA is beginning to recall furloughed employees 
today--a rush to prepare for the storm.
  And as we know, restoring FEMA's funding alone is not enough to 
ensure a successful disaster response. We need the full resources of 
the Federal Government--from the Department of Transportation to the 
Department of Housing and Urban Development to the Small Business 
Administration. We also need the full resources of the Department of 
Homeland Security.
  It's time to stop the games. The events on Capitol Hill yesterday 
should have served as a wake-up call. The Speaker must allow a vote on 
a clean CR.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
  Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. I yield the gentleman an additional 30 
seconds.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Federal employees who return to work to help to respond to Tropical

[[Page H6257]]

Storm Karen, the forecasted tornados, or any other disaster that 
strikes should be able to do that work with the peace of mind that 
their paychecks are coming and that their bills will be paid. All 
Federal employees deserve that.
  Mr. CARTER. Mr. Speaker, at this time I yield 2 minutes to my good 
friend, the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Cassidy), whose State seems 
to be possibly in the path of this coming storm.
  Mr. CASSIDY. First, let's put in perspective exactly what is before 
the House for overall government funding.
  House Republicans have put forward a bill that would fund the 
government. We had two amendments, which are opposed. One would end the 
special deal that only Senators and Members of the House of 
Representatives get as regards ObamaCare exchanges. The other would 
treat employees of the employers whose mandate has been postponed the 
same. So if an employer's mandate to purchase insurance for employees 
has been postponed, the obligation of the employee to purchase is also.
  It's on these two amendments that these folks object, Mr. Speaker. 
One, they want to preserve the special deal for Members of Congress; 
and, two, they don't want workers to have the same deal as does the 
employer.
  Now that said, this brings us to this. If we can't fund the 
government because we have to preserve a special deal for Members of 
the Senate and of Congress, then at least we can mitigate its harmful 
effects.
  My gosh, a hurricane bearing down on your coastline is the ultimate 
in a harmful effect. I don't think we should hold hostage protection 
for those in harm's way so that Congress can preserve a special deal 
that only accrues to Members of Congress, speaking of cynicism. We 
cannot sacrifice the security of those on the gulf coast.
  I call upon the Senate to call on a vote both on these special 
amendments, but if not that, at least on funding of FEMA. In so doing, 
we can do something really good for those who do rely upon the Federal 
Government not all the time but in times of need.
  And also, if we can vote on those two special amendments, we can do 
something good for the taxpayers who really, despite all the effort to 
obfuscate, are beginning to understand that our budget agreement is 
being held up by the need to preserve a special deal for Senators and 
Representatives.
  Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Farr), a fellow Appropriations member.
  Mr. FARR. Thank you for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I'm an appropriator, like a lot of the speakers here 
today; and every time we have to deal with the CR, we're embarrassed. 
That's not our work. Our work is in appropriations bills, which we 
spend all year putting together. And we've been doing that.
  We were in the same situation last year, everything being the same. 
The Obama health care bill was in the law, Members of Congress had 
their insurance, and whatever issue was being brought up--we can't 
approve the CR because--those were the same issues last year. And guess 
what? We moved the CR without rancor and without partisan politics. So 
what's the difference here?
  I feel very sorry for my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to 
now have to defend appropriations by choice.
  Ronald Reagan used to be fond of saying, Here we go again. And today, 
it's open choice. It's pick your government. We've got 10 items on the 
menu.
  Mr. Speaker, I want the whole menu, not just the Tea Party special.
  What an irony that we are bringing up the first of these menus, FEMA, 
the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Shut down the whole 
government, but we want to keep those emergency employees. I was a 
firefighter. I was a first responder. I was part of a team like the 
team that was lost in Arizona--the Hot Shot crew--when I was in 
college. They're not a part of FEMA. They're not a first responder. So 
firefighters are out.
  All of the cleanup that has to be done from the Colorado fire and the 
Rim fire in California, those people aren't part of the first 
responders. They're not in this.
  This bill is a process of just selection, of chaos, and of a menu--
pick off what you can support, take the popular things and pass those. 
But guess what? These first responders have children. They have no 
access to the school lunch program. These responders have spouses. 
There's all kinds of programs for families that they have no response 
for.
  This first responder bill doesn't go to school cops, Centers for 
Disease Control, food safety officers, or any of the others.
  Please defeat it.
  Mr. CARTER. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Chairman, how much time does each 
side have remaining?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from North Carolina has 6\1/2\ 
minutes remaining; the gentleman from Texas has 7 minutes remaining.
  Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran), another appropriations colleague, 
the ranking member of the Interior Subcommittee.
  Mr. MORAN. I thank my good friend from North Carolina.
  Let me first address the issue that we just heard about on the floor 
and I seem to hear about every time I turn on the news when a Member of 
the other party is speaking about it. It's this suggestion that Members 
of Congress want to keep some special treatment for themselves in terms 
of health insurance.
  The fact is that the vast majority of large employers pay for most of 
their employees' health insurance costs. Members of Congress are part 
of what is called the Federal Employees Health Benefits plan. On 
average, about 72 percent of our insurance is paid for by our employer.
  I know in my case, since I have a family and had a daughter that had 
a massive malignant brain tumor, I'm not going to go without insurance. 
But I pay $6,000 a year, which I suspect a lot of my colleagues do. And 
then I pay another few thousand in terms of copayments and deductibles. 
And yet mine is one of the best plans that you can get with Blue Cross 
Blue Shield. So that's not out of the mainstream in terms of health 
insurance.
  The fact is that the President only delayed a reporting requirement 
with regard to large employers.
  Now, let me get back to this case in point with regard to FEMA. When 
we have a natural disaster, such as this hurricane that's bearing down 
on the coast of Louisiana, the Federal Government comes in as a team. 
We know that. I know Mr. Carter knows that. I know my good friend from 
Kentucky knows that the Federal agencies all get together as a team.
  And they know how important, for example, the Army Corps of Engineers 
is. The Army Corps of Engineers works hand-in-glove with FEMA. The 
Interior Department provides firefighter and emergency response before 
and after a disaster. We just had these large fires in California and 
Idaho. The fire is out so now they're furloughed. Is that really what 
we want to do?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
  Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. I yield the gentleman an additional 1 
minute.
  Mr. MORAN. I greatly thank my close friend from North Carolina.
  The U.S. Geological Survey has to activate stream gauges and storm 
surge measurements. It's technical, but it's important. But 99 percent 
of the USGS is furloughed.
  The Small Business Administration Office of Disaster Assistance comes 
in in an emergency and tries to help small businesses that have been 
wiped out, which invariably happens and will happen with this storm, 
unfortunately. But they're all furloughed. They're not going to be able 
to be there.
  The Natural Resources Conservation Service, they play a critical 
role. Ninety-nine percent of those employees are furloughed. The Farm 
Services Agency, 99 percent of those employees are furloughed.
  That's the problem. They need to work as a team, and here we are with 
these bits and pieces of the government, and we think we're going to 
patch this up. We're not. The fact is that the whole of government 
needs to be put back to work. That's our argument.
  Let's do this the right way, not in this kind of piecemeal fashion. 
That's

[[Page H6258]]

why we're forced to vote against these things. The fact is we voted to 
keep them open. The side that's proposing this piecemeal approach voted 
to shut down the government.
  Mr. CARTER. Mr. Speaker, I don't believe we ever took a vote to shut 
down the government. If we did, I certainly missed it. I don't believe 
anybody ever took a vote recently to sustain the government.
  But it's an interesting comment, and I thank my friend for making it.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the 
gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee), the ranking member of the 
Border and Maritime Subcommittee of Homeland Security.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from North 
Carolina for his courtesies.
  I am sad that I have to rise to debate this conflicted position from 
my good friends on the other side of the aisle. Yes, they care about 
homeland security. It's a committee I've served on since 9/11. We have 
a great camaraderie. We work in a bipartisan manner, but today I'm 
saddened by the approach that's been taken, particularly since they all 
know that this is a fool's errand.
  USA Today said that this piecemeal process is like seizing a school 
bus full of kids and then offering to release the cutest ones.
  We don't have time to fool around with the cutest ones.
  FEMA works closely with States, cities, tribes, and territories, and 
communities large and small. Those of us who are now looking to the 
barreling down of Karen on the gulf region understand about hurricanes 
and tornados and other disasters.
  So I offer to my colleagues Allison, which killed 23 in 2001, with 
some $5 billion in damages. We need FEMA.

                              {time}  1545

  Or Hurricane Ike, that cost some $29 billion in damage in Galveston. 
We need FEMA. Or the tornados in Oklahoma on May 31 that killed 23. We 
need FEMA. Or maybe talking about the issues of dealing with Hurricane 
Katrina--the largest and most devastating hurricane that we have seen. 
We need FEMA. But yet my friends are willing to piecemeal. And by doing 
so, Homeland Security is dashed, Border Patrol Agents are not funded, 
and the Secret Service protection activities are not funded.
  I am aghast at the fact that Federal air marshals'--as we thank our 
Capitol Police, who yesterday showed themselves willing to sacrifice 
themselves, and other law enforcement--Federal air marshals' travel and 
training is shut down. And then ICE is shut down.
  Homeland Security is comprehensive. It deals with fighting al Qaeda 
and the terrorists who would do us harm, and it deals with being a 
helping hand, as FEMA is, as I've worked alongside of FEMA in the gulf 
when people were devastated.
  Mr. Speaker, we can't do this. Put a clean bill on the floor, the CR, 
vote for it, and open the government now. And let Homeland Security and 
FEMA do their job as Hurricane Karen barrels toward us.
  Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of the Homeland Security Committee 
and the Ranking Member of its Subcommittee on Border and Maritime 
Security, I rise to speak on H.J. Res. 85, the ``National Emergency and 
Disaster Recovery Act,'' which makes continuing appropriations for the 
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for FY 2014.
  I note the Administration strongly opposes House passage of piecemeal 
fiscal year 2014 appropriations legislation that restores only very 
limited activities.
  I agree that consideration of appropriations bills in this fashion is 
not a serious or responsible way to run the United States Government. 
Instead of opening up a few Government functions, the House of 
Representatives should pass the clean CR passed by the Senate to end 
this Republican shutdown and reopen the Government and end the damage 
that the shutdown is causing to our economy and the lives of the 
American people.
  Mr. Speaker, FEMA works closely with states, cities, tribes, 
territories, and communities large and small to help prepare for and 
respond to disasters and emergencies of all kinds. It provides funding 
through homeland security grants, support training and exercises, 
assess state and local response capabilities and recommend needed 
improvements. FEMA supports recovery and rebuilding efforts after a 
disaster. Cuts to FEMA would have significant, negative impacts on our 
nation's disaster preparedness, response and recovery efforts.
  Weeks after Congress passed the recent FY 2013 Disaster Assistance 
Supplemental Act (P.L. 113-2) to aid the victims of Hurricane Sandy, 
sequestration reduced the Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) by over $1 
billion, which adversely affected recovery efforts in the communities 
struck by Hurricane Sandy, the tornadoes in Tuscaloosa and Joplin, and 
other major disasters across the Nation. Sequestration cuts could also 
require FEMA to implement Immediate Needs Funding Restrictions late in 
the fiscal year during what is historically the season for tornados, 
wildfires, and hurricanes, which would limit funding for new projects 
in older disasters.
  Finally, state and local homeland security grants funding has been 
reduced to its lowest level in the past seven years, leading to 
potential layoffs of state and local emergency personnel across our 
country.
  Hurricane Sandy, recent threats surrounding aviation and the 
continued threat of homegrown terrorism demonstrate the continuing 
importance of vigilance and preparation to protect our nation and its 
people. Threats from terrorism and response and recovery efforts 
associated with natural disasters will not diminish because of the 
House Republicans' desire to reduce funding for DHS and FEMA and 
continue their shutdown of the government.
  Even in this current fiscal climate, we do not have the luxury of 
making significant reductions to our capabilities without placing our 
Nation at risk. If we are to continue to prepare for, respond to, and 
recover from evolving threats and disasters, we will need sufficient 
resources to sustain and adapt our capabilities accordingly. While we 
will continue to preserve our frontline priorities as best we can, no 
amount of planning can mitigate the negative effects of sequestration.
  The bill before us today, is $40 billion less than what we have been 
working with as a result of the draconian sequestration. H.J. Res. 85 
will significantly and negatively affect frontline operations and our 
Nation's previous investments in homeland security. This bill, while 
providing minimal funding for FEMA, is wholly inadequate because it 
does not provide funding for:
  Army Corps of Engineers which supports emergency preparedness and 
response for critical infrastructure such as dams, flood control levees 
and navigation channels.
  Interior Department which performs firefighting and emergency 
response on Federal lands during and after a disaster. Currently, all 
damage repairs have stopped except for emergency repairs. While 
firefighting personnel are on call to deal with any fires, post-fire 
work has stopped, including damage assessments of the recent large 
fires in California and Idaho. Hazardous fuel projects to prevent 
future fires have been put on hold during the shutdown.
  U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) would normally activate additional 
stream gages and storm surge measurements but instead will have to rely 
on existing monitoring stations for any hurricanes that happen during 
the shutdown. 99 percent of USGS employees are furloughed.
  Small Business Administration, Office of Disaster Assistance provides 
affordable, timely and accessible financial assistance to homeowners, 
renters and businesses following a disaster. Employees in the Office of 
Disaster Assistance continue to work without being paid.
  USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provides 
assistance to communities to address watershed impairments that pose 
imminent threats to lives and property. 99 percent of NRCS employees 
are furloughed.
  USDA, Farm Services Agency (FSA) provides funding and technical 
assistance to farmers and ranchers to restore farmland and forestland 
damaged by natural disasters. 99 percent of FSA employees are 
furloughed and therefore can't begin to survey the damage and preparing 
estimates of the need.
  Mr. Speaker, so far this past year our nation has experienced several 
major floods, record snowfalls, catastrophic disasters and terrorist 
attacks. In fact, many communities throughout our great nation and 
country are continuing to recover from previous disasters and terrorist 
attacks. We must provide aid for our constituents and not allow 
politics to get in the way of protecting our homeland.
  A fully functioning FEMA is needed to continue the work of helping 
communities recover from recent disasters and terrorist attacks. It is 
Congress's responsibility to ensure that FEMA has the needed resources 
to respond to future disasters and terrorist attacks. I assure you that 
I am aware of the challenges our communities face once we are 
confronted with a catastrophic event or a domestic terrorist attack.
  My constituents in Houston understand that our capacity to deal with 
hurricanes directly reflects our ability to respond to a terrorist 
attack in Texas or New York, an earthquake in California, or a 
nationwide pandemic flu outbreak.

[[Page H6259]]

  I would like to say a few words about the devastating hurricane that 
struck Texas several years ago because the response to those events 
demonstrated the need for significant improvement. During Hurricane 
Ike, there were insufficient quantities of generators forced hospitals 
to evacuate patients. Local governments waited days for commodities 
like ice, water, MREs, and blue tarps. Evacuees from Texas arrived in 
Shreveport and Bastrop shelters that were grossly unfit for occupancy, 
and 2,500 people were forced to use the same shower facility.
  Emergency preparedness is not the exclusive responsibility of the 
Federal Government or individual agencies within it. State and local 
officials, nonprofit organizations, private sector businesses, and 
individual citizens must all contribute to the mission in order for our 
nation to succeed at protecting life and property from disasters. 
Recovery and mitigation are critical to protecting communities from 
future threats, and our ability to respond will suffer if we do not 
focus attention and resources on those missions.
  My fervent prayer is that Texas and the nation will be spared the 
wrath of another devastating storm this hurricane season, but we cannot 
avert disaster indefinitely. By continually testing, evaluating, and 
improving our emergency response capabilities, we increase the 
possibility that we as a nation may one day answer the question ``Are 
we ready?'' with a resounding ``Yes.'' That is the purpose to which we 
will dedicate our efforts here today and for the foreseeable future.
  Since the terrorist attack in Boston, Massachusetts, this Nation has 
recognized how remote threats and distant trouble can pose near and 
present dangers to our shores. We have learned as a nation that we must 
maintain a constant, capable, and vigilant posture to protect ourselves 
against new threats and evolving hazards. But we have also learned that 
vigilance and protection are not ends in and of themselves, but rather 
necessary tools in the service of our national purpose. Just as today's 
threats to our national security and strategic interests are evolving 
and interdependent, so too must our efforts to ensure the security of 
our homeland reflect these same characteristics.

  As we develop new capabilities and technologies, our adversaries will 
seek to evade them, as was shown by the attempted terrorist attack on 
Flight 253 on December 25, 2009. We must constantly work to stay ahead 
of our adversaries. Among the forces that threaten the United States 
and its interests are those that blend the lethality and high-tech 
capabilities of modern weaponry with the power and opportunity of 
asymmetric tactics such as terrorism and cyber warfare. We are 
challenged not only by novel employment of conventional weaponry, but 
also by the hybrid nature of these threats. Countering such threats 
requires us to adapt traditional roles and responsibilities across the 
national security spectrum and craft solutions that leverage the 
capabilities that exists both inside and outside of government.
  The attempted terrorist attack on Flight 253 on December 25, 2009, 
powerfully illustrates that terrorists will go to great lengths to try 
to defeat the security measures that have been put in place since 9/11.
  More specifically, the threats and hazards that challenge U.S. 
interests from a homeland security perspective include:
  High-consequence weapons of mass destruction (WMD), in particular, 
improvised nuclear devices and high-consequence biological weapons, 
which would have the greatest potential effects if used against the 
United States. We know that non-state actors actively seek to acquire, 
build, and use such weapons and technologies, and that foreign states 
continue to develop high-consequence weaponry with the intent to 
intimidate or blackmail the international community and proliferate to 
other potentially hostile state or non-state actors.
  Dangerous materials, technology, and know-how circulate with ease in 
our globalized economy and are controlled unevenly around the world, 
raising the possibility of theft or accidental use and making it 
difficult to track and prevent proliferation.
  Al-Qaeda and global violent extremism, which directly threaten the 
United States and its allies. Terrorist networks exploit gaps in 
governance and security within both weak and advanced states. Some 
terrorist organizations benefit from active state-sponsorship and from 
the failure of other states to counter known terrorist organizations or 
sources of support within their borders. Terrorist organizations have 
expressed the intent to employ mass-casualty WMD as well as smaller 
scale attacks against prominent political, economic, and infrastructure 
targets in the United States and around the world.
  High-consequence and/or wide-scale cyber attacks, intrusions, 
disruptions, and exploitations, which, when used by hostile state or 
non-state actors, could massively disable or impair critical 
international financial, commercial, physical, and other 
infrastructure. This in turn could cripple the global movement of 
people and goods worldwide and bringing legitimate and vital social and 
economic processes to a standstill. These cyber attacks involve 
individuals and groups who conduct intrusions in search of information 
to use against the United States, and those who spread malicious code 
in an attempt to disrupt the national information infrastructure.
  Pandemics, major accidents, and natural hazards, which can result in 
massive loss of life and livelihood equal to or greater than many 
deliberate malicious attacks. Certain public health threats, such as 
disease outbreaks and natural hazards (e.g., hurricanes and floods), 
occur organically. Others can be introduced into the United States 
through the movement of people and goods across our borders.
  Illicit trafficking and related transnational crime, which can 
undermine effective governance and security, corrupt strategically 
vital markets, slow economic growth, and destabilize weaker states. 
Transnational crime and trafficking facilitate the movement of 
narcotics, people, funds, arms, and other support to hostile actors, 
including terrorist networks. Importantly for the American homeland, 
the dramatic detrimental effect of illegal trafficking and 
transnational criminal organizations is apparent in societies within 
the Western Hemisphere.
  Smaller scale terrorism, which may include violent extremists and 
other state or non-state actors conducting small-scale explosive and 
cyber attacks and intrusions against population centers, important 
symbolic targets, or critical infrastructure.
  In addition to these specific threats and hazards, America's national 
interests are also threatened by global challenges and long-term 
trends. These include:
  Economic and financial instability that can undermine confidence in 
the international order, fuel global political turbulence, and induce 
social and political instability in weak states abroad.
  Dependence on fossil fuels and the threat of global climate change 
that can open the United States to disruptions and manipulations in 
energy supplies and to changes in our natural environment on an 
unprecedented scale. Climate change is expected to increase the 
severity and frequency of weather-related hazards, which could, in 
turn, result in social and political destabilization, international 
conflict, or mass migrations.
  Mr. Speaker, on any given day the City of Houston faces a widespread 
and ever-changing array of threats, including' terrorism, organized 
crime, natural disasters and industrial accidents.
  With an increasingly vast array of enforcement issues at hand, 
including ``arms trafficking, identity theft, environmental crime, 
money laundering, theft of cultural property, drug trafficking, crimes 
against women and children, organ trafficking'' and cybercrime, it is 
increasingly clear that coordinated, strategic criminal intelligence 
must be employed, bringing together diverse agencies and employees in 
the fight against serious and organized crime. Cybercrime, especially, 
will only continue to increase as globalization fosters higher levels 
of digital interconnectivity.
  Every day, ensuring the security of the homeland requires the 
interaction of multiple Federal departments and agencies, as well as 
operational collaboration across Federal, State, local, tribal, and 
territorial governments, nongovernmental organizations, and the private 
sector. This collaboration and cooperation undergirds our security 
posture at our borders and ports, our preparedness in our communities, 
and our ability to effectively react to crises.
  I believe it is important to acknowledge the efforts and commitment 
of the men and women who are our law enforcement personnel, first 
responders, emergency managers, and other homeland security 
professionals not only in our home State, but also across the country 
who have worked tirelessly to make this Nation secure.
  Finally, Mr. Speaker, I note the Administration strongly opposes 
House passage of piecemeal fiscal year 2014 appropriations legislation 
that restores only very limited activities.
  I agree that consideration of appropriations bills in this fashion is 
not a serious or responsible way to run the United States Government. 
Instead of opening up a few Government functions, the House of 
Representatives should re-open all of the Government.
  The harmful impacts of a shutdown extend across Government, affecting 
services that are critical to small businesses, women, children, 
seniors, and others across the Nation.
  The Senate acted in a responsible manner on a short-term funding 
measure to maintain Government functions and avoid a damaging 
Government shutdown.
  We should settle our differences and allow a straight up or down vote 
on the Senate-passed H.J. Res. 59.
  Mr. CARTER. I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

[[Page H6260]]

  Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire, does the 
gentleman have additional speakers?
  Mr. CARTER. No, I don't believe so.
  Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. I yield myself 1 minute.
  Mr. Speaker, I had the honor of attending the annual awards dinner of 
the Partnership for Public Service, the so-called Sammies Award. These 
are awards that are given each year to outstanding public servants.
  Last night's awardees had touching, inspiring stories of the work 
they had done within the Centers for Disease Control in polio 
eradication, the National Institutes of Health, the Center for Missing 
and Exploited Children--an agency we know very well in Homeland 
Security. The Central Intelligence Agency, story after story of devoted 
public service--public service, I must say, that has taken place in 
recent years in an atmosphere where public service is often denigrated 
and public servants often have their pay frozen by virtue of the budget 
nonsense of the sort we are witnessing here this week.
  Half of those awardees last night were on furlough. What a disgrace. 
What a commentary on the honor that we should be paying to those who 
serve our country so well. So we're asking today, it would take about 
30 minutes; there would be a bipartisan majority easily in this body 
for ending this shutdown and opening the Federal Government.
  And on the issues before us--the budget, health care, whatever--you 
know, you live to fight another day. But we have no business in this 
body demanding a ransom for doing our basic job, which is to keep the 
lights on, keep the government running, and to pay our country's bills.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CARTER. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman 
from Arizona (Mr. Barber) for a unanimous consent request.
  Mr. BARBER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the House bring 
up the Senate amendment to the continuing appropriations resolution, 
H.J. Res. 59. Enough is enough. We must get our people back to work and 
bring services to the people of this country. Enough is enough.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the guidelines consistently issued by 
successive Speakers, as recorded in section 956 of the House Rules and 
Manual, the Chair is constrained not to entertain the request unless it 
has been cleared by the bipartisan floor and committee leaderships.
  Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman 
from California (Ms. Chu) for a unanimous consent request.
  Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the House bring up 
the Senate amendment to H.J. Res. 59, the clean continuing resolution, 
and go to conference on a budget so that we can end this Republican 
government shutdown that is undermining public health by preventing the 
CDC from working on its annual flu vaccine or detecting disease 
outbreaks.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman will suspend.
  As the Chair has previously advised, the request cannot be 
entertained absent appropriate clearance.
  Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of 
my time.
  Mr. CARTER. In brief closing, Mr. Speaker, we have a storm coming 
toward our shores. We need to get this done.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H.J. Res. 
85, a bill which claims to fund operations at the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency, but in reality is a piecemeal approach to funding 
government operations in order to score political points.
  Let me be clear, I support FEMA and appreciate greatly the dedicated 
men and women who work on behalf of FEMA, but I do not support this 
bill because, in the end, it does more harm than good.
  I believe the proper way to fund FEMA is for Congress to fulfill its 
constitutional responsibility and pass regular appropriations bills. 
The House passed a full year funding bill for DHS in June that would 
provide $40.1 billion more for DHS than the bill before us today.
  Using a piecemeal approach to fund selected programs within an agency 
neglects other important programs within that same agency. In this 
case, supporting H.J. Res. 85 funds FEMA at the expense of the Secret 
Service, the Army Corps of Engineers and the Office of Disaster 
Assistance at the Small Business Administration.
  The fact is that by taking up the Senate's clean continuing 
resolution and sending it to the President for his signature tonight, 
we can fund FEMA, DHS and all the other important programs and services 
of the government. That is why I call on my colleagues to bring up the 
Senate CR so we can end this shut down and get all our federal workers 
back on the job.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. All time for debate has expired.
  Pursuant to House Resolution 371, the previous question is ordered.
  The question is on the engrossment and third reading of the joint 
resolution.
  The joint resolution was ordered to be engrossed and read a third 
time, and was read the third time.


                           Motion to Recommit

  Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at 
the desk.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is the gentleman opposed to the joint 
resolution?
  Mr. BISHOP of New York. In its current form I am, yes.
  Mr. CARTER. Mr. Speaker, I reserve a point of order on the 
gentleman's motion.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. A point of order is reserved.
  The Clerk will report the motion to recommit.
  The Clerk read as follows:

       Mr. Bishop of New York moves to recommit the joint 
     resolution H.J. Res. 85 to the Committee on Appropriations 
     with instructions to report the same back to the House 
     forthwith with the following amendment:
       Strike all after the resolving clause and insert the 
     following:

     That upon passage of this joint resolution by the House of 
     Representatives, the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 59) making 
     continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2014, and for other 
     purposes, as amended by the Senate on September 27, 2013, 
     shall be considered to have been taken from the Speaker's 
     table and the House shall be considered to have (1) receded 
     from its amendment; and (2) concurred in the Senate 
     amendment.

  Mr. BISHOP of New York (during the reading). Mr. Speaker, I ask 
unanimous consent to dispense with the reading.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
York is recognized for 5 minutes in support of his motion.
  Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, my motion to recommit would 
allow a vote on H.J. Res. 59, the Senate continuing resolution. If we 
were to pass the continuing resolution, the entire Federal Government 
would reopen, not just an isolated slice of it. All we're asking for is 
a vote on the Senate resolution.
  I would ask: Is not taking a vote on issues of great importance to 
our country the very essence of our democracy? And I would further ask 
what it is that our friends on the majority are afraid of in terms of 
allowing such a vote to happen on the floor of this House?
  Mr. Speaker, Tropical Storm Karen is bearing down on the gulf as we 
speak. It is expected to be upgraded to at least a category 1 hurricane 
and could reach my district along the east coast as soon as Tuesday of 
next week.
  We're still picking up the pieces from Sandy, and we can't afford to 
be hit by another storm. Have we forgotten the lessons of Katrina? of 
Sandy, which clobbered the shores of New York and New Jersey?
  If we are funding FEMA, why aren't we providing funds for every 
single agency so that human lives can be protected and storm damage 
taken care of immediately? These storms require all hands on deck, and 
yet 800,000 employees are currently furloughed.
  After Sandy took eight lives, destroyed thousands of homes, and shut 
down dozens of businesses in my district, my district needed much more 
than just FEMA. We needed the Departments of Housing and Urban 
Development, Health and Human Services, Interior, not to mention the 
Army Corps of Engineers and the Small Business Administration, to name 
just a few of the agencies that joined together in the coordinated 
recovery effort to deliver emergency relief and to begin the rebuilding 
process.
  Why are the Republicans in favor of closing down the Federal 
Government

[[Page H6261]]

and denying taxpayers the protections from natural disasters that 
they've already paid for? This makes absolutely no sense to people who 
have to work hard every day to make a living and are now concerned that 
they are in the path of an oncoming storm.
  I just want to raise one point about how destructive this government 
shutdown has been. I have just come from a meeting of the Board of 
Visitors of the United States Merchant Marines Academy--one of the four 
service academies that each Member of this Congress has the honor to 
nominate outstanding young men and women to be able to attend. That 
service academy right now is closed, it is shut down. No classes are 
being offered. So we have nominated the cream of the crop that this 
country has to offer to this academy, and they are attending a school 
which cannot schedule and hold classes. This is madness. This is 
madness. And the capacity to change that is right here within our 
grasp. It's called H.J. Res. 59.
  Let's schedule a vote on that and let's see what happens. I'll bet 
that if we do have a vote on H.J. Res. 59 it will pass, we'll be able 
to send it to the President, and he will sign it. And we'll be able to 
reopen the government within hours.
  So I would urge my colleagues to support the motion to recommit, and 
I yield back the balance of my time.


                             Point of Order

  Mr. CARTER. Mr. Speaker, I make a point of order that the 
instructions contained in this motion violate clause 7 of rule XVI, 
which requires that an amendment be germane to the bill under 
consideration.
  As the Chair has recently ruled on October 2 and 3, 2013, the 
instructions contain a special order of business within the 
jurisdiction of the Committee on Rules, and therefore, the amendment is 
not germane to the underlying bill.
  So, Mr. Speaker, I must insist on my point of order.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Does the gentleman from New York wish to be 
heard on the point or order?
  Mr. BISHOP of New York. I do, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman is recognized on the point of 
order.
  Mr. BISHOP of New York. I would just raise a couple of questions.
  The first is, the bill before us funds a slice of the Federal 
Government. What I am struggling to understand is why funding the 
entire Federal Government would be out of order and not germane, when 
it is germane to schedule or to fund a piece of the Federal Government? 
It strikes me as illogical in the extreme that it is in order to fund a 
piece of the Federal Government, but not in order to fund the entire 
Federal Government. I would ask the Chair to explain why it is that the 
motion to recommit would not be germane.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Does the gentleman from Virginia seek to be 
heard on the point or order?
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Yes, Mr. Speaker.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman is recognized on the point of 
order.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. This should be ruled germane because we have 
to look to see where we are in the process.
  If the point of order had not been raised, the next order of business 
would have been the motion to recommit, which would open up all of 
government.
  He has made the point of order, and the Speaker has indicated the 
previous rulings have been to sustain the point of order. And if the 
normal course takes place, the next motion will be to appeal the ruling 
of the Chair. If that motion were to prevail, if we were to sustain the 
appeal of the Chair--not table it, but sustain it--we would in effect 
make the motion to recommit in order and we can finally get an up-or-
down vote on keeping the government open.
  So I would hope, Mr. Speaker, that the ruling would be that we would 
forego all of that and just let us have an up-or-down vote on keeping 
the government open without having to overrule the ruling of the Chair.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair is prepared to rule.
  The gentleman from Texas makes the point or order that the 
instructions proposed in the motion to recommit offered by the 
gentleman from New York are not germane.
  The joint resolution extends funding relating to the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency. The instructions in the motion propose an 
order of business of the House relating to other funding.
  As the Chair ruled on October 2 and October 3, 2013, a motion to 
recommit proposing an order of business of the House is not germane to 
a measure providing for the appropriation of funds because such motion 
addresses a matter within the jurisdiction of a committee not 
represented in the underlying measure.
  Therefore, the instructions propose a non-germane amendment. The 
point of order is sustained.
  Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I appeal the ruling of the 
Chair.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is, Shall the decision of the 
Chair stand as the judgment of the House?
  Mr. CARTER. Mr. Speaker, I move to lay the appeal on the table.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion to table.
  The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that 
the ayes appeared to have it.
  Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and 
nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 9 of rule XX, this 15-
minute vote on the motion to table will be followed by a 5-minute vote 
on passage of the bill, if arising without further proceedings in 
recommittal.
  The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 224, 
nays 185, not voting 22, as follows:

                             [Roll No. 521]

                               YEAS--224

     Aderholt
     Amash
     Amodei
     Bachmann
     Bachus
     Barletta
     Barr
     Barton
     Benishek
     Bentivolio
     Bilirakis
     Bishop (UT)
     Black
     Blackburn
     Boustany
     Brady (TX)
     Bridenstine
     Brooks (AL)
     Brooks (IN)
     Broun (GA)
     Buchanan
     Bucshon
     Burgess
     Calvert
     Camp
     Campbell
     Cantor
     Capito
     Carter
     Cassidy
     Chabot
     Chaffetz
     Coble
     Coffman
     Cole
     Collins (GA)
     Collins (NY)
     Conaway
     Cook
     Cotton
     Cramer
     Crawford
     Crenshaw
     Culberson
     Daines
     Davis, Rodney
     Denham
     Dent
     DeSantis
     DesJarlais
     Diaz-Balart
     Duffy
     Duncan (SC)
     Duncan (TN)
     Ellmers
     Farenthold
     Fincher
     Fitzpatrick
     Fleischmann
     Fleming
     Flores
     Forbes
     Fortenberry
     Foxx
     Franks (AZ)
     Frelinghuysen
     Gardner
     Garrett
     Gerlach
     Gibbs
     Gibson
     Gingrey (GA)
     Gohmert
     Goodlatte
     Gosar
     Gowdy
     Granger
     Graves (GA)
     Graves (MO)
     Griffin (AR)
     Griffith (VA)
     Grimm
     Guthrie
     Hall
     Hanna
     Harper
     Harris
     Hartzler
     Hastings (WA)
     Heck (NV)
     Hensarling
     Holding
     Hudson
     Huelskamp
     Huizenga (MI)
     Hultgren
     Hunter
     Hurt
     Issa
     Jenkins
     Johnson (OH)
     Johnson, Sam
     Jordan
     Joyce
     Kelly (PA)
     King (IA)
     King (NY)
     Kingston
     Kinzinger (IL)
     Kline
     Labrador
     LaMalfa
     Lamborn
     Lance
     Lankford
     Latham
     Latta
     LoBiondo
     Long
     Lucas
     Luetkemeyer
     Marchant
     Marino
     Massie
     McCarthy (CA)
     McCaul
     McClintock
     McHenry
     McKeon
     McKinley
     McMorris Rodgers
     Meadows
     Meehan
     Messer
     Mica
     Miller (FL)
     Miller (MI)
     Mullin
     Mulvaney
     Murphy (PA)
     Neugebauer
     Noem
     Nugent
     Nunes
     Nunnelee
     Olson
     Palazzo
     Paulsen
     Pearce
     Perry
     Petri
     Pitts
     Poe (TX)
     Pompeo
     Posey
     Price (GA)
     Radel
     Reed
     Reichert
     Renacci
     Ribble
     Rice (SC)
     Rigell
     Roby
     Roe (TN)
     Rogers (AL)
     Rogers (KY)
     Rogers (MI)
     Rohrabacher
     Rokita
     Rooney
     Ros-Lehtinen
     Roskam
     Ross
     Rothfus
     Royce
     Runyan
     Ryan (WI)
     Salmon
     Sanford
     Scalise
     Schock
     Schweikert
     Scott, Austin
     Sensenbrenner
     Sessions
     Shimkus
     Shuster
     Simpson
     Smith (MO)
     Smith (NE)
     Smith (NJ)
     Smith (TX)
     Southerland
     Stewart
     Stivers
     Stockman
     Stutzman
     Terry
     Thompson (PA)
     Thornberry
     Tiberi
     Turner
     Upton
     Valadao
     Wagner
     Walberg
     Walden
     Walorski
     Weber (TX)
     Webster (FL)
     Wenstrup
     Westmoreland
     Whitfield
     Williams
     Wilson (SC)
     Wittman
     Wolf
     Womack
     Woodall
     Yoder
     Yoho
     Young (AK)
     Young (IN)

                               NAYS--185

     Andrews
     Barber
     Barrow (GA)
     Beatty
     Becerra
     Bera (CA)
     Bishop (GA)
     Bishop (NY)
     Blumenauer
     Bonamici
     Brady (PA)
     Braley (IA)
     Brown (FL)
     Brownley (CA)
     Bustos
     Butterfield
     Capps
     Capuano
     Carney
     Carson (IN)
     Cartwright
     Castor (FL)
     Castro (TX)
     Chu
     Cicilline
     Clarke
     Clay
     Cleaver
     Clyburn
     Cohen

[[Page H6262]]


     Connolly
     Conyers
     Cooper
     Costa
     Courtney
     Crowley
     Cuellar
     Cummings
     Davis (CA)
     Davis, Danny
     DeFazio
     Delaney
     DeLauro
     DelBene
     Deutch
     Dingell
     Doggett
     Doyle
     Duckworth
     Edwards
     Ellison
     Engel
     Enyart
     Eshoo
     Esty
     Farr
     Fattah
     Foster
     Frankel (FL)
     Fudge
     Gabbard
     Gallego
     Garamendi
     Green, Al
     Green, Gene
     Grijalva
     Gutierrez
     Hahn
     Hanabusa
     Hastings (FL)
     Himes
     Hinojosa
     Holt
     Honda
     Horsford
     Hoyer
     Huffman
     Israel
     Jackson Lee
     Jeffries
     Johnson (GA)
     Johnson, E. B.
     Kaptur
     Keating
     Kelly (IL)
     Kennedy
     Kildee
     Kilmer
     Kind
     Kirkpatrick
     Kuster
     Langevin
     Larsen (WA)
     Larson (CT)
     Lee (CA)
     Levin
     Lewis
     Lipinski
     Loebsack
     Lofgren
     Lowenthal
     Lowey
     Lujan Grisham (NM)
     Lujan, Ben Ray (NM)
     Lynch
     Maffei
     Maloney, Carolyn
     Maloney, Sean
     Matheson
     Matsui
     McCollum
     McDermott
     McGovern
     McIntyre
     McNerney
     Meeks
     Meng
     Michaud
     Miller, George
     Moore
     Moran
     Murphy (FL)
     Nadler
     Napolitano
     Neal
     Negrete McLeod
     Nolan
     O'Rourke
     Owens
     Pallone
     Pascrell
     Pastor (AZ)
     Payne
     Pelosi
     Perlmutter
     Peters (CA)
     Peters (MI)
     Peterson
     Pingree (ME)
     Pocan
     Polis
     Price (NC)
     Quigley
     Rahall
     Rangel
     Richmond
     Roybal-Allard
     Ruiz
     Ruppersberger
     Ryan (OH)
     Sanchez, Linda T.
     Sarbanes
     Schakowsky
     Schiff
     Schneider
     Schrader
     Schwartz
     Scott (VA)
     Scott, David
     Serrano
     Sewell (AL)
     Shea-Porter
     Sherman
     Sinema
     Slaughter
     Smith (WA)
     Speier
     Swalwell (CA)
     Takano
     Thompson (CA)
     Thompson (MS)
     Tierney
     Titus
     Tonko
     Tsongas
     Van Hollen
     Veasey
     Vela
     Velazquez
     Walz
     Wasserman Schultz
     Waters
     Watt
     Welch
     Wilson (FL)

                             NOT VOTING--22

     Bass
     Cardenas
     DeGette
     Garcia
     Grayson
     Heck (WA)
     Herrera Beutler
     Higgins
     Jones
     Lummis
     McCarthy (NY)
     Miller, Gary
     Pittenger
     Rush
     Sanchez, Loretta
     Sires
     Tipton
     Vargas
     Visclosky
     Waxman
     Yarmuth
     Young (FL)

                              {time}  1626

  Ms. SCHWARTZ and Ms. DeLAURO changed their vote from ``yea'' to 
``nay.''
  So the motion to table was agreed to.
  The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. Foxx). The question is on the passage of 
the joint resolution.
  The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that 
the ayes appeared to have it.
  Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas 
and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. This will be a 5-minute vote.
  The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 247, 
nays 164, not voting 20, as follows:

                             [Roll No. 522]

                               YEAS--247

     Aderholt
     Amash
     Amodei
     Bachmann
     Bachus
     Barber
     Barletta
     Barr
     Barrow (GA)
     Barton
     Benishek
     Bentivolio
     Bera (CA)
     Bilirakis
     Bishop (UT)
     Black
     Blackburn
     Boustany
     Brady (TX)
     Braley (IA)
     Bridenstine
     Brooks (AL)
     Brooks (IN)
     Broun (GA)
     Buchanan
     Bucshon
     Burgess
     Bustos
     Calvert
     Camp
     Campbell
     Cantor
     Capito
     Carter
     Cassidy
     Chabot
     Chaffetz
     Coble
     Coffman
     Cole
     Collins (GA)
     Collins (NY)
     Conaway
     Cook
     Cotton
     Cramer
     Crawford
     Crenshaw
     Culberson
     Daines
     Davis, Rodney
     DelBene
     Denham
     Dent
     DeSantis
     DesJarlais
     Diaz-Balart
     Duffy
     Duncan (SC)
     Duncan (TN)
     Ellmers
     Farenthold
     Fincher
     Fitzpatrick
     Fleischmann
     Fleming
     Flores
     Forbes
     Fortenberry
     Foster
     Foxx
     Franks (AZ)
     Frelinghuysen
     Gallego
     Garamendi
     Garcia
     Gardner
     Garrett
     Gerlach
     Gibbs
     Gibson
     Gingrey (GA)
     Gohmert
     Goodlatte
     Gosar
     Gowdy
     Granger
     Graves (GA)
     Graves (MO)
     Griffin (AR)
     Griffith (VA)
     Grimm
     Guthrie
     Hall
     Hanna
     Harper
     Harris
     Hartzler
     Hastings (WA)
     Heck (NV)
     Hensarling
     Holding
     Hudson
     Huelskamp
     Huizenga (MI)
     Hultgren
     Hunter
     Hurt
     Issa
     Jenkins
     Johnson (OH)
     Johnson, Sam
     Jordan
     Joyce
     Kelly (PA)
     King (IA)
     King (NY)
     Kingston
     Kinzinger (IL)
     Kline
     Labrador
     LaMalfa
     Lamborn
     Lance
     Lankford
     Latham
     Latta
     Lipinski
     LoBiondo
     Loebsack
     Long
     Lucas
     Luetkemeyer
     Maloney, Sean
     Marchant
     Marino
     Massie
     Matheson
     McCarthy (CA)
     McCaul
     McClintock
     McHenry
     McIntyre
     McKeon
     McKinley
     McMorris Rodgers
     Meadows
     Meehan
     Messer
     Mica
     Miller (FL)
     Miller (MI)
     Mullin
     Mulvaney
     Murphy (FL)
     Murphy (PA)
     Neugebauer
     Noem
     Nugent
     Nunes
     Nunnelee
     Olson
     Palazzo
     Paulsen
     Pearce
     Perlmutter
     Perry
     Peters (CA)
     Peters (MI)
     Petri
     Pitts
     Poe (TX)
     Polis
     Pompeo
     Posey
     Price (GA)
     Radel
     Reed
     Reichert
     Renacci
     Ribble
     Rice (SC)
     Rigell
     Roby
     Roe (TN)
     Rogers (AL)
     Rogers (KY)
     Rogers (MI)
     Rohrabacher
     Rokita
     Rooney
     Ros-Lehtinen
     Roskam
     Ross
     Rothfus
     Royce
     Ruiz
     Runyan
     Ryan (WI)
     Salmon
     Sanford
     Scalise
     Schneider
     Schock
     Schweikert
     Scott, Austin
     Sensenbrenner
     Sessions
     Shimkus
     Shuster
     Simpson
     Sinema
     Smith (MO)
     Smith (NE)
     Smith (NJ)
     Smith (TX)
     Southerland
     Stewart
     Stivers
     Stockman
     Stutzman
     Terry
     Thompson (PA)
     Thornberry
     Tiberi
     Turner
     Upton
     Valadao
     Wagner
     Walberg
     Walden
     Walorski
     Weber (TX)
     Webster (FL)
     Wenstrup
     Westmoreland
     Whitfield
     Williams
     Wilson (SC)
     Wittman
     Wolf
     Womack
     Woodall
     Yoder
     Yoho
     Young (AK)
     Young (IN)

                               NAYS--164

     Andrews
     Beatty
     Becerra
     Bishop (GA)
     Bishop (NY)
     Blumenauer
     Bonamici
     Brady (PA)
     Brown (FL)
     Brownley (CA)
     Butterfield
     Capps
     Capuano
     Carney
     Carson (IN)
     Cartwright
     Castor (FL)
     Castro (TX)
     Chu
     Cicilline
     Clarke
     Clay
     Cleaver
     Clyburn
     Cohen
     Connolly
     Conyers
     Cooper
     Costa
     Courtney
     Crowley
     Cuellar
     Cummings
     Davis (CA)
     Davis, Danny
     DeFazio
     Delaney
     DeLauro
     Deutch
     Dingell
     Doggett
     Doyle
     Duckworth
     Edwards
     Ellison
     Engel
     Enyart
     Eshoo
     Esty
     Farr
     Fattah
     Frankel (FL)
     Fudge
     Gabbard
     Green, Al
     Green, Gene
     Grijalva
     Gutierrez
     Hahn
     Hanabusa
     Hastings (FL)
     Himes
     Hinojosa
     Holt
     Honda
     Horsford
     Hoyer
     Huffman
     Israel
     Jackson Lee
     Jeffries
     Johnson (GA)
     Johnson, E. B.
     Kaptur
     Keating
     Kelly (IL)
     Kennedy
     Kildee
     Kilmer
     Kind
     Kirkpatrick
     Kuster
     Langevin
     Larsen (WA)
     Larson (CT)
     Lee (CA)
     Levin
     Lewis
     Lofgren
     Lowenthal
     Lowey
     Lujan Grisham (NM)
     Lujan, Ben Ray (NM)
     Lynch
     Maffei
     Maloney, Carolyn
     Matsui
     McCollum
     McDermott
     McGovern
     McNerney
     Meeks
     Meng
     Michaud
     Miller, George
     Moore
     Moran
     Nadler
     Napolitano
     Neal
     Negrete McLeod
     Nolan
     O'Rourke
     Owens
     Pallone
     Pascrell
     Pastor (AZ)
     Payne
     Pelosi
     Peterson
     Pingree (ME)
     Pocan
     Price (NC)
     Quigley
     Rahall
     Rangel
     Richmond
     Roybal-Allard
     Ruppersberger
     Ryan (OH)
     Sanchez, Linda T.
     Sarbanes
     Schakowsky
     Schiff
     Schrader
     Schwartz
     Scott (VA)
     Scott, David
     Serrano
     Sewell (AL)
     Shea-Porter
     Sherman
     Slaughter
     Smith (WA)
     Speier
     Swalwell (CA)
     Takano
     Thompson (CA)
     Thompson (MS)
     Tierney
     Titus
     Tonko
     Tsongas
     Van Hollen
     Veasey
     Vela
     Velazquez
     Walz
     Wasserman Schultz
     Waters
     Watt
     Waxman
     Welch
     Wilson (FL)

                             NOT VOTING--20

     Bass
     Cardenas
     DeGette
     Grayson
     Heck (WA)
     Herrera Beutler
     Higgins
     Jones
     Lummis
     McCarthy (NY)
     Miller, Gary
     Pittenger
     Rush
     Sanchez, Loretta
     Sires
     Tipton
     Vargas
     Visclosky
     Yarmuth
     Young (FL)

                              {time}  1633

  So the joint resolution was passed.
  The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________