[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 147 (Wednesday, October 16, 2013)]
[House]
[Pages H6616-H6626]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
NO SUBSIDIES WITHOUT VERIFICATION ACT
Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the previous order
of the House, I call up the bill, (H.R. 2775) to condition the
provision of premium and cost-sharing subsidies under the Patient
Protection and Affordable Care Act upon a certification that a program
to verify household income and other qualifications for such subsidies
is operational, and for other purposes, with the Senate amendments
thereto, and ask for its immediate consideration.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will designate the Senate
amendments.
The Clerk designated the Senate amendments.
Senate amendments:
Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the
following:
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 several departments, agencies, corporations, and
other organizational units of Government for fiscal year
2014, and for other purposes, namely:
DIVISION A--CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2014
Sec. 101. (a) Such amounts as may be necessary, at a rate
for operations as provided in the applicable appropriations
Acts for fiscal year 2013 and under the authority and
conditions provided in such Acts, for continuing projects or
activities (including the costs of direct loans and loan
guarantees) 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 in the following appropriations Acts:
(1) The Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug
Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2013
(division A of Public Law 113-6), except section 735.
(2) The Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act, 2013 (division B of Public Law 113-6).
(3) The Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2013
(division C of Public Law 113-6).
(4) The Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act,
2013 (division D of Public Law 113-6).
(5) The Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and
Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2013 (division E of
Public Law 113-6).
(6) The Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013
(division F of Public Law 113-6).
(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--
(A) sections 140(b) or 141(b) of the Continuing
Appropriations Resolution, 2013 (Public Law 112-175); or
(B) the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2013 (Public
Law 113-2).
Sec. 102. (a) No appropriation or funds made available or
authority granted pursuant to section 101 for the Department
of Defense shall be used for: (1) the new production of items
not funded for production in fiscal year 2013 or prior years;
(2) the increase in production rates above those sustained
with fiscal year 2013 funds; or (3) the initiation,
resumption, or continuation of any project, activity,
operation, or organization (defined as any project,
subproject, activity, budget activity, program element, and
subprogram within a program element, and for any investment
items defined as a P-1 line item in a budget activity within
an appropriation account and an R-1 line item that includes a
program element and subprogram element within an
appropriation account) for which appropriations, funds, or
other authority were not available during fiscal year 2013.
(b) No appropriation or funds made available or authority
granted pursuant to section 101 for the Department of Defense
shall be used to initiate multi-year procurements utilizing
advance procurement funding for economic order quantity
procurement unless specifically appropriated later.
Sec. 103. 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. 104. Except as otherwise provided in section 102, no
appropriation or funds made available or authority granted
pursuant to section 101 shall be used to initiate or resume
any project or activity for which appropriations, funds, or
other authority were not available during fiscal year 2013.
Sec. 105. Appropriations made and authority granted
pursuant to this joint resolution shall cover all obligations
or expenditures incurred for any project or activity during
the period for which funds or authority for such project or
activity are available under this joint resolution.
Sec. 106. 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) January 15, 2014.
Sec. 107. 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.
[[Page H6617]]
Sec. 108. Appropriations made and funds made available by
or authority granted pursuant to this joint resolution may be
used without regard to the time limitations for submission
and approval of apportionments set forth in section 1513 of
title 31, United States Code, but nothing in this joint
resolution may be construed to waive any other provision of
law governing the apportionment of funds.
Sec. 109. Notwithstanding any other provision of this
joint resolution, except section 106, for those programs that
would otherwise have high initial rates of operation or
complete distribution of appropriations at the beginning of
fiscal year 2014 because of distributions of funding to
States, foreign countries, grantees, or others, such high
initial rates of operation or complete distribution shall not
be made, and no grants shall be awarded for such programs
funded by this joint resolution that would impinge on final
funding prerogatives.
Sec. 110. 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. 111. (a) For entitlements and other mandatory payments
whose budget authority was provided in appropriations Acts
for fiscal year 2013, and for activities under the Food and
Nutrition Act of 2008, activities shall be continued at the
rate to maintain program levels under current law, under the
authority and conditions provided in the applicable
appropriations Act for fiscal year 2013, to be continued
through the date specified in section 106(3).
(b) Notwithstanding section 106, obligations for mandatory
payments due on or about the first day of any month that
begins after October 2013 but not later than 30 days after
the date specified in section 106(3) may continue to be made,
and funds shall be available for such payments.
Sec. 112. 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. 113. Funds appropriated by this joint resolution may
be obligated and expended notwithstanding section 10 of
Public Law 91-672 (22 U.S.C. 2412), section 15 of the State
Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 (22 U.S.C. 2680),
section 313 of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act,
Fiscal Years 1994 and 1995 (22 U.S.C. 6212), and section
504(a)(1) of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C.
3094(a)(1)).
Sec. 114. (a) Each amount incorporated by reference in this
joint resolution that was previously designated by the
Congress for Overseas Contingency Operations/Global War on
Terrorism pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A) of the Balanced
Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 or as being
for disaster relief pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(D) of such
Act is designated by the Congress for Overseas Contingency
Operations/Global War on Terrorism pursuant to section
251(b)(2)(A) of such Act or as being for disaster relief
pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(D) of such Act, respectively.
(b) Of the amounts made available by section 101 for
``Social Security Administration, Limitation on
Administrative Expenses'' for the cost associated with
continuing disability reviews under titles II and XVI of the
Social Security Act and for the cost associated with
conducting redeterminations of eligibility under title XVI of
the Social Security Act, $273,000,000 is provided to meet the
terms of section 251(b)(2)(B)(ii)(III) of the Balanced Budget
and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended, and
$469,639,000 is additional new budget authority specified for
purposes of section 251(b)(2)(B) of such Act.
(c) Section 5 of Public Law 113-6 shall apply to amounts
designated in subsection (a) for Overseas Contingency
Operations/Global War on Terrorism.
Sec. 115. (a) Employees furloughed as a result of any lapse
in appropriations which begins on or about October 1, 2013,
shall be compensated at their standard rate of compensation,
for the period of such lapse in appropriations, as soon as
practicable after such lapse in appropriations ends.
(b) For purposes of this section, ``employee'' means:
(1) a federal employee;
(2) an employee of the District of Columbia Courts;
(3) an employee of the Public Defender Service for the
District of Columbia; or
(4) a District of Columbia Government employee.
(c) All obligations incurred in anticipation of the
appropriations made and authority granted by this joint
resolution for the purposes of maintaining the essential
level of activity to protect life and property and bringing
about orderly termination of Government functions, and for
purposes as otherwise authorized by law, are hereby ratified
and approved if otherwise in accord with the provisions of
this joint resolution.
Sec. 116. (a) If a State (or another Federal grantee) used
State funds (or the grantee's non-Federal funds) to continue
carrying out a Federal program or furloughed State employees
(or the grantee's employees) whose compensation is advanced
or reimbursed in whole or in part by the Federal Government--
(1) such furloughed employees shall be compensated at their
standard rate of compensation for such period;
(2) the State (or such other grantee) shall be reimbursed
for expenses that would have been paid by the Federal
Government during such period had appropriations been
available, including the cost of compensating such furloughed
employees, together with interest thereon calculated under
section 6503(d) of title 31, United States Code; and
(3) the State (or such other grantee) may use funds
available to the State (or the grantee) under such Federal
program to reimburse such State (or the grantee), together
with interest thereon calculated under section 6503(d) of
title 31, United States Code.
(b) For purposes of this section, the term ``State'' and
the term ``grantee'' shall have the meaning as such term is
defined under the applicable Federal program under subsection
(a). In addition, ``to continue carrying out a Federal
program'' means the continued performance by a State or other
Federal grantee, during the period of a lapse in
appropriations, of a Federal program that the State or such
other grantee had been carrying out prior to the period of
the lapse in appropriations.
(c) The authority under this section applies with respect
to any period in fiscal year 2014 (not limited to periods
beginning or ending after the date of the enactment of this
joint resolution) during which there occurs a lapse in
appropriations with respect to any department or agency of
the Federal Government which, but for such lapse in
appropriations, would have paid, or made reimbursement
relating to, any of the expenses referred to in this section
with respect to the program involved. Payments and
reimbursements under this authority shall be made only to the
extent and in amounts provided in advance in appropriations
Acts.
Sec. 117. Expenditures made pursuant to the Pay Our
Military Act (Public Law 113-39) shall be charged to the
applicable appropriation, fund, or authorization provided in
this joint resolution.
Sec. 118. For the purposes of this joint resolution, the
time covered by this joint resolution shall be considered to
have begun on October 1, 2013.
Sec. 119. Section 3003 of division G of Public Law 113-6
shall be applied to funds appropriated by this joint
resolution by substituting ``fiscal year 2014'' for ``fiscal
year 2013'' each place it appears.
Sec. 120. Section 408 of the Food for Peace Act (7 U.S.C.
1736b) shall be applied by substituting the date specified in
section 106(3) of this joint resolution for ``December 31,
2012''.
Sec. 121. Amounts made available under section 101 for
``Department of Commerce--National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration--Procurement, Acquisition and Construction''
may be apportioned up to the rate for operations necessary to
maintain the planned launch schedules for the Joint Polar
Satellite System and the Geostationary Operational
Environmental Satellite system.
Sec. 122. The authority provided by sections 1205 and 1206
of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year
2012 (Public Law 112-81) shall continue in effect,
notwithstanding subsection (h) of section 1206, through the
earlier of the date specified in section 106(3) of this joint
resolution or the date of the enactment of an Act authorizing
appropriations for fiscal year 2014 for military activities
of the Department of Defense.
Sec. 123. Section 3(a)(6) of Public Law 100-676 is amended
by striking both occurrences of ``$775,000,000'' and
inserting in lieu thereof, ``$2,918,000,000''.
Sec. 124. Section 14704 of title 40, United States Code,
shall be applied to amounts made available by this joint
resolution by substituting the date specified in section
106(3) of this joint resolution for ``October 1, 2012''.
Sec. 125. Notwithstanding section 101, amounts are
provided for ``The Judiciary--Courts of Appeals, District
Courts, and Other Judicial Services--Salaries and Expenses''
at a rate of operations of $4,820,181,000: Provided, That
notwithstanding section 302 of Division C, of Public Law 112-
74 as continued by Public Law 113-6, not to exceed
$25,000,000 shall be available for transfer between accounts
to maintain minimum operating levels.
Sec. 126. Notwithstanding section 101, amounts are
provided for ``The Judiciary--Courts of Appeals, District
Courts, and Other Judicial Services--Defender Services'' at a
rate for operations of $1,012,000,000.
Sec. 127. Notwithstanding any other provision of this
joint resolution, the District of Columbia may expend local
funds under the heading ``District of Columbia Funds'' for
such programs and activities under title IV of H.R. 2786
(113th Congress), as reported by the Committee on
Appropriations of the House of Representatives, at the rate
set forth under ``District of Columbia Funds--Summary of
Expenses'' as included in the Fiscal Year 2014 Budget Request
Act of 2013 (D.C. Act 20-127), as modified as of the date of
the enactment of this joint resolution.
Sec. 128. Section 302 of the Universal Service Anti-
deficiency Temporary Suspension Act is amended by striking
``December 31, 2013'', each place it appears and inserting
``January 15, 2014''.
Sec. 129. Notwithstanding section 101, amounts are
provided for the ``Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight
Board'' at a rate for operations of $3,100,000.
Sec. 130. For the period covered by this joint resolution,
section 550(b) of Public Law 109-295 (6 U.S.C. 121 note)
shall be applied by substituting the date specified in
section 106(3) of this joint resolution for ``October 4,
2013''.
Sec. 131. The authority provided by section 532 of Public
Law 109-295 shall continue in effect through the date
specified in section 106(3) of this joint resolution.
Sec. 132. The authority provided by section 831 of the
Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 391) shall continue
in effect through the date specified in section 106(3) of
this joint resolution.
[[Page H6618]]
Sec. 133. (a) Any amounts made available pursuant to
section 101 for ``Department of Homeland Security--U.S.
Customs and Border Protection--Salaries and Expenses'',
``Department of Homeland Security--U.S. Customs and Border
Protection--Border Security Fencing, Infrastructure, and
Technology'', ``Department of Homeland Security--U.S. Customs
and Border Protection--Air and Marine Operations'', and
``Department of Homeland Security--U.S. Immigration and
Customs Enforcement--Salaries and Expenses'' shall be
obligated at a rate for operations as necessary to
respectively--
(1) sustain the staffing levels of U.S. Customs and Border
Protection Officers, equivalent to the staffing levels
achieved on September 30, 2013, and comply with the last
proviso under the heading ``Department of Homeland Security--
U.S. Customs and Border Protection--Salaries and Expenses''
in division D of Public Law 113-6;
(2) sustain border security operations, including
sustaining the operation of Tethered Aerostat Radar Systems;
(3) sustain necessary Air and Marine operations; and
(4) sustain the staffing levels of U.S. Immigration and
Customs Enforcement agents, equivalent to the staffing levels
achieved on September 30, 2013, and comply with the sixth
proviso under the heading ``Department of Homeland Security--
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement--Salaries and
Expenses'' in division D of Public Law 113-6.
(b) The Secretary of Homeland Security shall notify the
Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives
and the Senate on each use of the authority provided in this
section.
Sec. 134. Section 810 of the Federal Lands Recreation
Enhancement Act (16 U.S.C. 6809) shall be applied by
substituting ``11 years'' for ``10 years''.
Sec. 135. In addition to the amount otherwise provided by
section 101 for ``Department of the Interior--Department-wide
Programs--Wildland Fire Management'', there is appropriated
$36,000,000 for an additional amount for fiscal year 2014, to
remain available until expended, for urgent wildland fire
suppression activities: Provided, That of the funds
provided, $15,000,000 is for burned area rehabilitation:
Provided further, That such funds shall only become available
if funds previously provided for wildland fire suppression
will be exhausted imminently and the Secretary of the
Interior notifies the Committees on Appropriations of the
House of Representatives and the Senate in writing of the
need for these additional funds: Provided further, That such
funds are also available for transfer to other appropriations
accounts to repay amounts previously transferred for wildfire
suppression.
Sec. 136. In addition to the amount otherwise provided by
section 101 for ``Department of Agriculture--Forest Service--
Wildland Fire Management'', there is appropriated
$600,000,000 for an additional amount for fiscal year 2014,
to remain available until expended, for urgent wildland fire
suppression activities: Provided, That such funds shall only
become available if funds previously provided for wildland
fire suppression will be exhausted imminently and the
Secretary of Agriculture notifies the Committees on
Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Senate
in writing of the need for these additional funds: Provided
further, That such funds are also available for transfer to
other appropriations accounts to repay amounts previously
transferred for wildfire suppression.
Sec. 137. The authority provided by section 347 of the
Department of the Interior and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act, 1999 (as contained in section 101(e) of
division A of Public Law 105-277; 16 U.S.C. 2104 note) shall
continue in effect through the date specified in section
106(3) of this joint resolution.
Sec. 138. (a) The authority provided by subsection (m)(3)
of section 8162 of the Department of Defense Appropriations
Act, 2000 (40 U.S.C. 8903 note; Public Law 106-79), as
amended, shall continue in effect through the date specified
in section 106(3) of this joint resolution.
(b) For the period covered by this joint resolution, the
authority provided by the provisos under the heading ``Dwight
D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission--Capital Construction'' in
division E of Public Law 112-74 shall not be in effect.
Sec. 139. Activities authorized under part A of title IV
and section 1108(b) of the Social Security Act (except for
activities authorized in section 403(b)) shall continue
through the date specified in section 106(3) of this joint
resolution in the manner authorized for fiscal year 2013, and
out of any money in the Treasury of the United States not
otherwise appropriated, there are hereby appropriated such
sums as may be necessary for such purpose.
Sec. 140. Notwithstanding section 101, the matter under
the heading ``Department of Labor--Mine Safety and Health
Administration--Salaries and Expenses'' in division F of
Public Law 112-74 shall be applied to funds appropriated by
this joint resolution by substituting ``is authorized to
collect and retain up to $2,499,000'' for ``may retain up to
$1,499,000''.
Sec. 141. The first proviso under the heading ``Department
of Health and Human Services--Administration for Children and
Families--Low Income Home Energy Assistance'' in division F
of Public Law 112-74 shall be applied to amounts made
available by this joint resolution by substituting ``2014''
for ``2012''.
Sec. 142. Amounts provided by section 101 for ``Department
of Health and Human Services--Administration for Children and
Families--Refugee and Entrant Assistance'' may be obligated
up to a rate for operations necessary to maintain program
operations at the level provided in fiscal year 2013, as
necessary to accommodate increased demand.
Sec. 143. During the period covered by this joint
resolution, amounts provided under section 101 for
``Department of Health and Human Services--Office of the
Secretary--Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund''
may be obligated at a rate necessary to assure timely
execution of planned advanced research and development
contracts pursuant to section 319L of the Public Health
Service Act, to remain available until expended, for expenses
necessary to support advanced research and development
pursuant to section 319L of the Public Health Service Act (42
U.S.C. 247d-7e) and other administrative expenses of the
Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority.
Sec. 144. Subsection (b) of section 163 of Public Law 111-
242, as amended, is further amended by striking ``2013-2014''
and inserting ``2015-2016''.
Sec. 145. Notwithstanding any other provision of this
joint resolution, there is appropriated for payment to Bonnie
Englebardt Lautenberg, widow of Frank R. Lautenberg, late a
Senator from New Jersey, $174,000.
Sec. 146. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no
adjustment shall be made under section 610(a) of the
Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 31)
(relating to cost of living adjustments for Members of
Congress) during fiscal year 2014.
Sec. 147. Notwithstanding section 101, amounts are
provided for ``Department of Veterans Affairs--Departmental
Administration--General Operating Expenses, Veterans Benefits
Administration'' at a rate for operations of $2,455,490,000.
Sec. 148. The authority provided by the penultimate
proviso under the heading ``Department of Housing and Urban
Development--Rental Assistance Demonstration'' in division C
of Public Law 112-55 shall continue in effect through the
date specified in section 106(3) of this joint resolution.
Sec. 149. Notwithstanding section 101, amounts are
provided for ``Department of Transportation--Federal Aviation
Administration--Operations'', at a rate for operations of
$9,248,418,000.
Sec. 150. Section 601(e)(1)(B) of division B of Public Law
110-432 shall be applied by substituting the date specified
in section 106(3) for ``4 years after such date''.
Sec. 151. Notwithstanding section 101, amounts are
provided for ``Maritime Administration--Maritime Security
Program'', at a rate for operations of $186,000,000.
Sec. 152. Section 44302 of title 49, United States Code,
is amended in paragraph (f) by deleting ``September 30, 2013,
and may extend through December 31, 2013'' and inserting
``the date specified in section 106(3) of the Continuing
Appropriations Act, 2014'' in lieu thereof.
Sec. 153. Section 44303 of title 49, United States Code,
is amended in paragraph (b) by deleting ``December 31, 2013''
and inserting ``the date specified in section 106(3) of the
Continuing Appropriations Act, 2014'' in lieu thereof.
Sec. 154. Section 44310 of title 49, United States Code,
is amended by deleting ``December 31, 2013'' and inserting
``the date specified in section 106(3) of the Continuing
Appropriations Act, 2014'' in lieu thereof.
Sec. 155. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the
Secretary of Transportation may obligate not more than
$450,000,000 of the amounts made available to carry out
section 125 of title 23, United States Code, under chapter 9
of title X of division A of the Disaster Relief
Appropriations Act, 2013 (Public Law 113-2; 127 Stat. 34)
under the heading ``emergency relief program'' under the
heading ``federal-aid highways'' under the heading ``Federal
Highway Administration'' for emergency relief projects in the
State of Colorado arising from damage caused by flooding
events in that State in calendar year 2013: Provided, That
such amount is designated by the Congress as an emergency
requirement pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A)(i) of the
Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985.
Sec. 156. Notwithstanding any other provision of this
division, any reference in this division to ``this joint
resolution'' shall be deemed a reference to ``this Act''.
Sec. 157. Fourteen days after the Department of Homeland
Security submits a report or expenditure plan required under
this division to the Committees on Appropriations of the
Senate and House of Representatives, the Secretary shall
submit a copy of that report to the Committee on Homeland
Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the
Committee on Homeland Security of the House of
Representatives.
DIVISION B--OTHER MATTERS
verification of household income and other qualifications for the
provision of aca premium and cost-sharing subsidies
Sec. 1001. (a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other
provision of law, the Secretary of Health and Human Services
(referred to in this section as the ``Secretary'') shall
ensure that American Health Benefit Exchanges verify that
individuals applying for premium tax credits under section
36B of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and reductions in
cost-sharing under section 1402 of the Patient Protection and
Affordable Care Act (42 U.S.C. 18071) are eligible for such
credits and cost sharing reductions consistent with the
requirements of section 1411 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 18081),
and, prior to making such credits and reductions available,
the Secretary shall certify to the Congress that the
Exchanges verify such eligibility consistent with the
requirements of such Act.
(b) Report by Secretary.--Not later than January 1, 2014,
the Secretary shall submit a report to the Congress that
details the procedures employed by American Health Benefit
Exchanges to verify eligibility for credits and cost-sharing
reductions described in subsection (a).
(c) Report by Inspector General.--Not later than July 1,
2014, the Inspector General of the
[[Page H6619]]
Department of Health and Human Services shall submit to the
Congress a report regarding the effectiveness of the
procedures and safeguards provided under the Patient
Protection and Affordable Care Act for preventing the
submission of inaccurate or fraudulent information by
applicants for enrollment in a qualified health plan offered
through an American Health Benefit Exchange.
default prevention
Sec. 1002. (a) Short Title.--This section may be cited as
the ``Default Prevention Act of 2013''.
(b) Certification.--Not later than 3 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the President may submit to Congress a
written certification that absent a suspension of the limit
under section 3101(b) of title 31, United States Code, the
Secretary of the Treasury would be unable to issue debt to
meet existing commitments.
(c) Suspension.--
(1) In general.--Section 3101(b) of title 31, United States
Code, shall not apply for the period beginning on the date on
which the President submits to Congress a certification under
subsection (b) and ending on February 7, 2014.
(2) Special rule relating to obligations issued during
suspension period.--Effective February 8, 2014, the
limitation in section 3101(b) of title 31, United States
Code, as increased by section 3101A of such title and section
2 of the No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013 (31 U.S.C. 3101 note),
is increased to the extent that--
(A) the face amount of obligations issued under chapter 31
of such title and the face amount of obligations whose
principal and interest are guaranteed by the United States
Government (except guaranteed obligations held by the
Secretary of the Treasury) outstanding on February 8, 2014,
exceeds
(B) the face amount of such obligations outstanding on the
date of enactment of this Act.
An obligation shall not be taken into account under
subparagraph (A) unless the issuance of such obligation was
necessary to fund a commitment incurred by the Federal
Government that required payment before February 8, 2014.
(d) Disapproval.--If there is enacted into law within 22
calendar days after Congress receives a written certification
by the President under subsection (b) a joint resolution
disapproving the President's exercise of authority to suspend
the debt ceiling under subsection (e), effective on the date
of enactment of the joint resolution, subsection (c) is
amended to read as follows:
``(c) Suspension.--
``(1) In general.--Section 3101(b) of title 31, United
States Code, shall not apply for the period beginning on the
date on which the President submits to Congress a
certification under subsection (b) and ending on the date of
enactment of the joint resolution pursuant to section 1002(e)
of the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2014.
``(2) Special rule relating to obligations issued during
suspension period.--Effective on the day after the date of
enactment of the joint resolution pursuant to section 1002(e)
of the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2014, the limitation in
section 3101(b) of title 31, United States Code, as increased
by section 3101A of such title and section 2 of the No
Budget, No Pay Act of 2013 (31 U.S.C. 3101 note), is
increased to the extent that--
``(A) the face amount of obligations issued under chapter
31 of such title and the face amount of obligations whose
principal and interest are guaranteed by the United States
Government (except guaranteed obligations held by the
Secretary of the Treasury) outstanding on the day after the
date of enactment of the joint resolution pursuant to section
1002(e) of the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2014, exceeds
``(B) the face amount of such obligations outstanding on
the date of enactment of this Act.
An obligation shall not be taken into account under
subparagraph (A) unless the issuance of such obligation was
necessary to fund a commitment incurred by the Federal
Government that required payment before the day after the
date of enactment of the joint resolution pursuant to section
1002(e) of the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2014.''.
(e) Disapproval Process.--
(1) Contents of joint resolution.--For the purpose of this
subsection, the term ``joint resolution'' means only a joint
resolution--
(A) disapproving the President's exercise of authority to
suspend the debt limit that is introduced within 14 calendar
days after the date on which the President submits to
Congress the certification under subsection (b);
(B) which does not have a preamble;
(C) the title of which is only as follows: ``Joint
resolution relating to the disapproval of the President's
exercise of authority to suspend the debt limit, as submitted
under section 1002(b) of the Continuing Appropriations Act,
2014 on _____'' (with the blank containing the date of such
submission); and
(D) the matter after the resolving clause of which is only
as follows: ``That Congress disapproves of the President's
exercise of authority to suspend the debt limit, as exercised
pursuant to the certification under section 1002(b) of the
Continuing Appropriations Act, 2014.''.
(2) Expedited consideration in house of representatives.--
(A) Reporting and discharge.--Any committee of the House of
Representatives to which a joint resolution is referred shall
report it to the House of Representatives without amendment
not later than 5 calendar days after the date of introduction
of a joint resolution described in paragraph (1). If a
committee fails to report the joint resolution within that
period, the committee shall be discharged from further
consideration of the joint resolution and the joint
resolution shall be referred to the appropriate calendar.
(B) Proceeding to consideration.--After each committee
authorized to consider a joint resolution reports it to the
House of Representatives or has been discharged from its
consideration, it shall be in order, not later than the sixth
day after introduction of a joint resolution under paragraph
(1), to move to proceed to consider the joint resolution in
the House of Representatives. All points of order against the
motion are waived. Such a motion shall not be in order after
the House of Representatives has disposed of a motion to
proceed on a joint resolution. The previous question shall be
considered as ordered on the motion to its adoption without
intervening motion. The motion shall not be debatable. A
motion to reconsider the vote by which the motion is disposed
of shall not be in order.
(C) Consideration.--The joint resolution shall be
considered as read. All points of order against the joint
resolution and against its consideration are waived. The
previous question shall be considered as ordered on the joint
resolution to its passage without intervening motion except 2
hours of debate equally divided and controlled by the
proponent and an opponent. A motion to reconsider the vote on
passage of the joint resolution shall not be in order.
(3) Expedited procedure in senate.--
(A) Reconvening.--Upon receipt of a certification under
subsection (b), if the Senate would otherwise be adjourned,
the majority leader of the Senate, after consultation with
the minority leader of the Senate, shall notify the Members
of the Senate that, pursuant to this subsection, the Senate
shall convene not later than the thirteenth calendar day
after receipt of such certification.
(B) Placement on calendar.--Upon introduction in the
Senate, the joint resolution shall be immediately placed on
the calendar.
(C) Floor consideration.--
(i) In general.--Notwithstanding rule XXII of the Standing
Rules of the Senate, it is in order at any time during the
period beginning on the day after the date on which Congress
receives a certification under subsection (b) and ending on
the 6th day after the date of introduction of a joint
resolution under paragraph (1) (even if a previous motion to
the same effect has been disagreed to) to move to proceed to
the consideration of the joint resolution, and all points of
order against the joint resolution (and against consideration
of the joint resolution) are waived. The motion to proceed is
not debatable. The motion is not subject to a motion to
postpone. A motion to reconsider the vote by which the motion
is agreed to or disagreed to shall not be in order. If a
motion to proceed to the consideration of the joint
resolution is agreed to, the joint resolution shall remain
the unfinished business until disposed of.
(ii) Consideration.--Consideration of the joint resolution,
and on all debatable motions and appeals in connection
therewith, shall be limited to not more than 10 hours, which
shall be divided equally between the majority and minority
leaders or their designees. A motion further to limit debate
is in order and not debatable. An amendment to, or a motion
to postpone, or a motion to proceed to the consideration of
other business, or a motion to recommit the joint resolution
is not in order.
(iii) Vote on passage.--If the Senate has voted to proceed
to a joint resolution, the vote on passage of the joint
resolution shall occur immediately following the conclusion
of consideration of the joint resolution, and a single quorum
call at the conclusion of the debate if requested in
accordance with the rules of the Senate.
(iv) Rulings of the chair on procedure.--Appeals from the
decisions of the Chair relating to the application of the
rules of the Senate, as the case may be, to the procedure
relating to a joint resolution shall be decided without
debate.
(4) Amendment not in order.--A joint resolution of
disapproval considered pursuant to this subsection shall not
be subject to amendment in either the House of
Representatives or the Senate.
(5) Coordination with action by other house.--
(A) In general.--If, before passing the joint resolution,
one House receives from the other a joint resolution--
(i) the joint resolution of the other House shall not be
referred to a committee; and
(ii) the procedure in the receiving House shall be the same
as if no joint resolution had been received from the other
House, except that the vote on passage shall be on the joint
resolution of the other House.
(B) Treatment of joint resolution of other house.--If the
Senate fails to introduce or consider a joint resolution
under this subsection, the joint resolution of the House of
Representatives shall be entitled to expedited floor
procedures under this subsection.
(C) Treatment of companion measures.--If, following passage
of the joint resolution in the Senate, the Senate then
receives the companion measure from the House of
Representatives, the companion measure shall not be
debatable.
(D) Consideration after passage.--
(i) In general.--If Congress passes a joint resolution, the
period beginning on the date the President is presented with
the joint resolution and ending on the date the President
signs, allows to become law without his signature, or vetoes
and returns the joint resolution (but excluding days when
either House is not in session) shall be disregarded in
computing the calendar day period described in subsection
(d).
(ii) Debate on a veto message.--Debate on a veto message in
the Senate under this subsection shall be 1 hour equally
divided between the majority and minority leaders or their
designees.
(6) Rules of house of representatives and senate.--This
subsection is enacted by Congress--
[[Page H6620]]
(A) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of the Senate
and House of Representatives, respectively, and as such it is
deemed a part of the rules of each House, respectively, but
applicable only with respect to the procedure to be followed
in that House in the case of a joint resolution, and it
supersedes other rules only to the extent that it is
inconsistent with such rules; and
(B) with full recognition of the constitutional right of
either House to change the rules (so far as relating to the
procedure of that House) at any time, in the same manner, and
to the same extent as in the case of any other rule of that
House.
This Act may be cited as the ``Continuing Appropriations
Act, 2014''.
Amend the title so as to read: ``An Act making continuing
appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2014,
and for other purposes.''.
Motion offered by Mr. Rogers of Kentucky
Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Madam Speaker, I have a motion at the desk.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will designate the motion.
The text of the motion is as follows:
Mr. Rogers of Kentucky moves that the House concur in the
Senate amendments to H.R. 2775.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the order of the House of today,
the motion shall be debatable for 1 hour, equally divided and
controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on
Appropriations.
The gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers) and the gentlewoman from New
York (Mrs. Lowey) each will control 30 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Kentucky.
General Leave
Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Madam 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 the further
consideration of H.R. 2775.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Kentucky?
There was no objection.
Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume, and I rise today to present H.R. 2775. This legislation
will raise the Nation's debt ceiling to avoid default, reopen the doors
of the Federal Government, and end this unfortunate shutdown.
The legislation before us is Senate amendments to H.R. 2775. The
Senate has just passed this bill, and now it is up to the House to send
it to the President for his signature. It is the product of a final
agreement between Republicans and Democrats to help put us back on
stable ground with an open government and without the threat of default
as we look to find a long-term comprehensive solution to our multitude
of fiscal problems.
First and foremost, it provides critical funding for operating the
Federal Government at the current annual rate of $986 billion through
January 15 of next year to end the government shutdown.
The resolution includes a limited number of noncontroversial or
technical changes called ``anomalies.'' Many have already been passed
by the House and the Senate. A few are new, such as provisions to
ensure the smooth reopening of the government, to provide due
compensation for Federal employees and other funding for shutdown
costs, to provide funding for the FAA to continue current operations
without interruption, and so on. These have been included to prevent
irrevocable harm to vital government programs, to continue critical
services, and to ensure good governance.
To be clear, Madam Speaker, the CR portion of this resolution is
virtually clean and is essentially identical to the legislation I
introduced in the House in early September.
Secondly, this legislation will increase the debt limit until
February 7 of next year. By extending our borrowing ability, these
amendments will avoid the damage a default would cause to our
recovering economy, to businesses large and small, and to our people
who desperately need a stable economy and continued job growth.
Lastly, the resolution before us will help protect against fraud and
abuse by requiring income verifications for individuals seeking
subsidies under the ObamaCare act.
Essentially, this bill before us tonight allows us to move on. It
deals with the Nation's immediate short-term problem and allows time
for Congress to address the broader picture: what the real drivers of
our debt are, how we can keep from reaching the debt limit in the
future, and how we avoid staggering from fiscal crisis to fiscal
crisis.
{time} 2130
After 2 long weeks, it is time to end the government shutdown. It is
time to take the threat of default off the table. It is time to restore
some sanity to this place. To do this, we have all got to give a
little.
Clearly no one on either side has received everything they wanted,
but I believe that now we all should act for the greater needs of our
Nation. If we want to get anywhere, we must be willing to negotiate,
and we should be willing to put partisanship aside and govern for the
greater good.
The House must realize it is just one-half of one-third of this
government and that no laws can be made without the consent of the
Senate and the President, just as they can't enact laws without us. We
must also acknowledge the profligate spending and borrowing that is
driving us into unsustainable debt and hurting this Nation and the
people who call it home.
I am optimistic that once this resolution is passed, the House and
the Senate will come together in a budget conference to work out our
broad fiscal and budgetary challenges.
It is my hope that a common, topline discretionary number for fiscal
year 2014 will be established that will allow Congress to enact full-
year appropriations bills and avoid shutdowns like this in the future;
and it is also my hope that Congress can address head-on the problem of
unsustainable growth in our mandatory and entitlement programs and work
to reform our overly complicated growth-stifling Tax Code.
The resolution before us will buy us some time to accomplish this
must-do list, and it will ensure that our people have access to the
critical government services they rely on in the meantime. We must take
actions that will help restore the people's confidence in their elected
officials and in the economic future of this Nation. We must.
The sooner we pass this resolution, the sooner we can move on to the
many tasks before us that the people have sent us here to work on.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. LOWEY. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, 15 days after the shutdown began, the House is finally
considering a bill to reopen the government and avoid the economic
calamity that could have ensued if the United States defaulted on its
debt. Frankly, it is disappointing that Republicans have dangerously
put our economy and American families at such great risk. 800,000
Federal workers have been furloughed. Families that depend on critical
services--from disaster aid to nutrition assistance--have been left in
the cold. Billions in economic activity have been lost. Fitch Ratings
placed the United States, the United States of America, on ``rating
watch negative'' due to political brinkmanship.
Despite clear opposition from the American people, many Republicans,
it is hard to believe, are still poised to oppose this short-term bill
tonight to reopen government, pay America's bills, and negotiate a
reasonable budget agreement for 2014.
Congress, let's remember, has already enacted $2.5 trillion in
deficit reduction measures since 2010. Looming across-the-board
sequester cuts threaten all our priorities, from job creation to Head
Start to military readiness and everything in between. For example, if
we do not act before January 15, defense spending will be cut by
approximately $20 billion below 2013 levels, and we could jeopardize up
to 1.6 million American jobs over the next year.
Madam Speaker, we cannot meet these serious challenges without a
spirit of bipartisanship and a commitment to working together in good
faith.
I urge the majority to learn the lesson of this irresponsible
shutdown: do not allow the fringe in your party, those disconnected
from reality whose sole goal is obstruction, to continue to dictate the
agenda of this House.
No Member of this esteemed body should ever again threaten the full
[[Page H6621]]
faith and credit of the United States of America or shut down the
government to advance a reckless ideological agenda. I strongly support
this bill tonight with hope that my colleagues in the majority will
work in a bipartisan way to avoid a repeat of this tragic episode when
the funding and debt ceiling and deadlines in this bill are reached in
the new year.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Dent), a very hardworking member of
the Appropriations Committee.
Mr. DENT. Madam Speaker, I rise tonight in support of the Senate
compromise legislation being considered to end this unnecessary
government shutdown and futile exercise in brinkmanship. This
legislation reopens the government and prevents a catastrophic default
and credit downgrade that would spur another recession.
I am genuinely pleased that the cooler heads have finally prevailed.
However, it is very disappointing that we are in this situation, that
after more than 2 weeks of a government shutdown and on the eve of a
default on our government's obligations, we have finally reached an
agreement.
This legislation must be supported, but it should not be celebrated,
no high-fives or spiking the football. It is a temporary government
funding bill and a short-term debt limit increase. It is not a win for
anyone, particularly the institution of Congress or the Presidency, for
that matter.
The bill represents the conclusion of a difficult period, from which
I hope that many can draw important lessons. I hope that this sad
episode will result in a newfound commitment and intensity for the
governing majority in Congress to make the difficult decisions that
must be made to keep the government functioning while addressing the
many problems facing our country, including the budget deficit, the
Nation's out-of-control debt, and the many challenges presented by the
health care law, or ObamaCare.
For many months and particularly throughout the last 2 weeks, I have
worked tirelessly with colleagues from both sides of the aisle and in
both Chambers to find an agreement to break the impasse.
I particularly want to thank Representative Ron Kind, Senators Susan
Collins and Joe Manchin, and the many other Members who participated in
the many discussions. I believe these conversations have laid a strong
foundation that we can build on to arrive at agreements on many of the
major issues that need to be addressed in this country.
I urge my colleagues not only to vote in favor of this legislation
tonight but to join with those of us who share an affirmative
obligation to govern and who seek bipartisan solutions to the
challenges facing our great Nation.
Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 1 minute to the
distinguished gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fattah), a member of the
Appropriations Committee.
Mr. FATTAH. Madam Speaker, I rise to urge expedited passage of this
legislation. I join with the chairman and the ranking member of my
committee, and I agree with every word that has been stated by the
majority chairman and the ranking member.
This is critically important. This Monday, I was in a foreign
country. I was in the State of Israel. I met with the President and
with a whole group of brain researchers from around the world. They had
difficulty understanding, given our Nation's leadership on so many
critical issues, that we could be in a paralyzed situation.
So I am happy that the Senate has acted in such an overwhelming way
on this matter, with some 81 bipartisan votes. And I would urge the
House to act--and I know we will--to restore our government, to pay our
bills, and to get on with our responsibilities as the most powerful
Nation in the world, the wealthiest country in the world. We can pay
our bills, and we can conduct the affairs of government in a way that
gains us respect around the world rather than befuddlement.
Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 1 minute to the
gentlewoman from California, Ms. Barbara Lee, a distinguished member of
the Appropriations Committee.
Ms. LEE of California. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.
I rise in support of this bipartisan budget deal. By voting in favor
of this bill tonight, we will finally shut down this awful government
shutdown.
While I am pleased that common sense and cooler heads have finally
prevailed, make no mistake, this unnecessary shutdown has caused real
pain for millions of innocent families. Never again should the American
people be taken hostage to a political agenda. This is wholly
unacceptable, and these tactics must be rejected once and for all.
Now, I hope that tomorrow people can begin to put their lives back
together, go back to work, and provide the government services that our
veterans and our seniors and our children so deserve.
While I am pleased that this deal will reopen the government and pay
our bills, much more work needs to be done. The temporary spending
level of $986 billion keeps sequester level cuts in place that are
hurting our economy, children, seniors, workers, and communities across
this Nation. So I hope that as we move forward, we will understand that
we need to protect vital programs that make for a functioning
government so everyone can have the opportunity to climb, strive, and
reap the rewards and security of the American Dream.
Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Bachus), the former chairman of the
Financial Services Committee of the House.
Mr. BACHUS. I thank the chairman for yielding.
Madam Speaker, for one night, let us talk about what is good for this
country and not about the other party because it is going to take both
parties to solve our problems.
As chairman emeritus of the Financial Services Committee, I am very
aware of the direct connection between a strong dollar and a vibrant
economy so necessary to create jobs, and that is what we need for
America--jobs.
The U.S. dollar is the reserve currency of the world. Globally, the
dollar and U.S. Treasurys are two of the most preferred safe haven
investments. Their reserve status has been a benefit and blessing to
all of us economically. It has traditionally brought this country good
jobs and a higher standard of living.
However, the dollar is under attack today. Out-of-control spending,
unless addressed, will become more and more of a threat to a strong
dollar and our currency. It will continue to erode our economy and cost
jobs.
However, two wrongs don't make a right. A default would further
weaken the dollar, destroy jobs, and be a self-inflicted wound I am not
willing to deliver. Therefore, I will be voting ``yes'' on this
bipartisan agreement, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.
Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 1 minute to the
gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur), a distinguished member of the
Appropriations Committee.
Ms. KAPTUR. I thank Ranking Member Lowey for yielding me time.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the Senate's bipartisan
compromise to end the government shutdown, reopen the government, avert
a debt default, and pay our bills to spur economic growth and job
creation in this country.
This compromise today is what the American people expect of us. They
are tired of the partisan bickering and the economic uncertainty that
the deadlock has created. The biggest challenge facing our country is
creating growth to help to balance the budget. We can start by coming
together on a budget agreement.
So let's restore regular order. Let the Budget Committee go back to
work. Let the Ways and Means Committee go back to work. Let the
Appropriations Committee go back to work under regular order, not just
continuing resolutions. And let us move our bills in regular order and
not govern from manufactured crisis to manufactured crisis.
I will vote for this this evening. It is the best we could get under
the circumstances, but it is far less than we are capable of.
Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the
gentleman from New York (Mr. Serrano),
[[Page H6622]]
a distinguished member of the Appropriations Committee.
(Mr. SERRANO asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. SERRANO. I thank the gentlewoman.
Madam Speaker, I will strongly support this bill tonight because it
not only opens our government but it enables us to meet our obligations
in a proper way.
But if we walk away from this tonight without having learned a
lesson, this would have all been a futile exercise. The lesson that we
have to learn is that we can become obsessed with one issue and close
down a government over one issue.
{time} 2145
When a bill becomes a law and gets signed by a President, gets judged
on and approved by the Supreme Court, that is the law of the land. We
have to abide by that. We should in no way continue to act as if things
really didn't happen--only what is happening now happened.
Secondly, we need to understand that there are no winners or losers
tonight. The real losers are only the American people, who had to put
up with this situation for these past weeks. If we go away tonight not
learning that lesson--that we cannot allow that to happen again--it
would have been a waste of time.
So I hope that we move ahead on the budget commission, that we move
ahead on that conference, and that we move ahead in a joint way, in a
two-party system, to work on behalf of the American people.
Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the
distinguished gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Neal).
Mr. NEAL. I thank the gentlelady.
Madam Speaker, this vote has been portrayed as an opportunity for new
spending. The difficulty with that argument is that this is really an
argument about paying our bills and for debts incurred.
This vote tonight is a vote about paying for the war in Iraq, which I
opposed, but still believe it has to be paid for.
The former majority leader of this House said at a critical moment
that having a tax cut in a time of war was patriotic. You know what is
patriotic? Paying for those veterans hospitals, whether you were for
the war or against the war.
Those wars were put on the credit card. It is our responsibility to
pay for them. That is what this debate is about tonight--not the
opportunity for new expenditure and not a debate over social program
spending in the future. It is simply a vote to pay for bills that have
been currently incurred.
To have shut this government down was not only wrongful, but that
decent people across this country were hurt by this irresponsible
manner of conduct in this House remains reprehensible.
Tonight, we are going to have a chance to vote to reopen this
government and repay our bills.
Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. David Scott).
Mr. DAVID SCOTT of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise to support this
very needed legislation.
Let me make a point here. There is a very important part of this
legislation which sets up the budget commission. I would just like to
make an appeal to that commission to not only get to us a good budget
by December 15, but take some time to see how we can get some
mechanisms in place to prevent us from ever again shutting down the
Federal Government.
We take a solemn oath here to defend the Federal Government, to
support the Federal Government, to uphold the Federal Government. We
must honor that. Maybe we can do mandatory arbitration in its place.
But we have got some smart people in this place. We hurt too many
people when we shut down the Federal Government.
Hopefully, we can put the Mitch McConnell rule in place. God bless
that Senator from Kentucky, and the courage that he had to step forward
in a bipartisan way so that we can put that mechanism in place so that
we will never again put our good faith and credit at risk in this
country.
Finally, let us, Democrats and Republicans, work together, beginning
tonight, and pass this bill.
Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe).
Mr. POE of Texas. I thank the gentleman.
The fact that we are here today to debate raising America's
debt limit is a sign of leadership failure.
It is a sign that the U.S. Government cannot pay its own
bills. It is a sign that we depend on financial assistance
from foreign countries to finance our Government's reckless
fiscal policy. Money that we have borrowed from the Social
Security trust fund, borrowed from China, borrowed from
Japan, borrowed from American taxpayers.
The rising debt is a hidden domestic enemy. Robbing our
cities and States of critical investments in infrastructure
like bridges, ports, and levees; robbing our families and our
children of critical investments in education and health care
reform; robbing our seniors of retirement and health security
they have counted on.
Every dollar we pay in interest is a dollar that is not
going to investment in America's priorities.
Increasing America's debt weakens us domestically and
internationally. Washington is shifting the burden of bad
choices onto the backs of our children and our grandchildren.
Americans deserve better.
Driving up our national debt is irresponsible. It's
unpatriotic.
These are the words of Senator Barack Obama in 2006 and in 2008.
Madam Speaker, what was irresponsible and unpatriotic is all of a
sudden responsible conduct? I think not.
We should be talking about cutting spending before we start raising
America's debt ceiling.
And that's just the way it is.
Mrs. LOWEY. I am delighted to yield 1 minute to the distinguished
leader from California (Ms. Pelosi).
Ms. PELOSI. I thank the gentlelady for yielding, and for her great
leadership as our ranking member on the Appropriations Committee. I
also thank her for bringing us together this evening.
Madam Speaker, we have been, all along, 200 House Democratic Members
strong, in support of the Republican number that we are voting on
today.
Tonight, the unnecessary shutdown America has been enduring for 16
days comes to an end. Thank you, Speaker Boehner, for finally allowing
a majority of House Members to reopen government and avoid a default
that would have clearly wreaked havoc on our economic credibility and
the stability of our country.
It is equally clear that the shutdown has already shaken some pillars
of our economic security and growth. It has jeopardized our credit
rating and slowed our GDP growth by 0.6 percent. It has eroded consumer
and investor confidence in our economy, while taking $24 billion out of
our economy.
My colleagues, do you think that your recklessness was worth $24
billion to our economy? This recklessness is a luxury the American
people cannot afford.
Tomorrow, we can finally begin what Democrats have been waiting for 7
months to do. Tomorrow, we can go to the negotiating table to debate a
budget to create jobs, jobs, jobs--that four-letter word--expand the
economy, strengthen the middle class, and reduce the deficit in a
meaningful way.
Tomorrow, we must stop governing from manufactured crisis to
manufactured crisis and start working to find solutions so that we
never again see a day when the government has been shut down and the
full faith and credit of the United States of America has been called
into question.
For that reason, I urge a ``yes'' vote on this bill, and not just on
its merits, because as we know, this number is too low. Even the
chairman of the committee has said it is an unrealistic and ill-
conceived number and must be brought to an end. This number, if left in
effect, would cost us hundreds of thousands of jobs in the months
ahead, in the next year. Hundreds of thousands of jobs. Again, a number
that is a luxury this country cannot afford.
So if the Republican number is key to reopening the doors of
government and restoring confidence in our economy, Democrats are
willing to accept this resolution tonight. As I said, not because of
its merits. We do so because a vote ``yes'' on this bill will take us,
hopefully, down a path to grow the economy, promote the prosperity of
every American who is willing to work hard, play by the rules, and to
achieve the American Dream.
So with those qualifications as to what we are voting for tonight,
the
[[Page H6623]]
number doesn't meet the needs of the American people. The length of
time that the debt ceiling is extended is not long enough. Apparently,
that is the best we can do. I commend Senator Reid for working in a
bipartisan way to send us this bill tonight so we can bring this
sadness to an end, and how it has affected so many people.
I do not come here to pin a rose on this legislation. It does not
have that respect. But it does have my support as a means to an end.
With that, I urge a ``yes'' vote.
Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Madam Speaker, might I inquire of my
colleague if she has further speakers and is prepared to yield back?
Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Madam Speaker, I urge passage of the bill,
and I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. SLAUGHTER. Madam Speaker, after two weeks of anguish, the
American people can finally breathe a sigh of relief. Thanks to
bipartisan efforts in the Senate, my Democratic colleagues and I stand
ready to support the responsible legislation before us and bring this
self-inflicted crisis to an end.
From the efforts of the Minority Leader Pelosi to the work of the
minority on the Rules Committee, House Democrats have been committed to
finding a responsible resolution to the GOP's crisis.
When it was apparent that Democrats would not be able to stop the
House Majority from shutting down the government, the Minority Leader
and House Democrats began making extraordinary efforts to achieve a
swift and responsible end to the Majority's shameful example of
legislative malfeasance.
For example, during Rules Debates on both October 2nd and October
4th, I came to the floor and proposed a way to bring an immediate end
to the government shutdown. Each time not a single member of the
Majority voted for the proposal. In addition, House Democrats launched
a discharge petition to force a vote on the clean Senate Continuing
Resolution--an effort that the Majority also refused to support.
Fortunately, House Democrats were not alone in seeking a responsible
and bipartisan solution to the crisis. With the proposal being offered
today, the leadership in the Senate--both the Majority and the Minority
leaders--have demonstrated how to legislate for the American People.
We also owe a debt of gratitude to the talented and intelligent women
from both sides of the aisle who have shown us that when the going gets
tough, you can always count on women to come together and get to work.
Madam Speaker, we have a lot to do in the days and months ahead. As
we speak, there is an outbreak of antibiotic-resistant Salmonella that
is threatening public health. Unfortunately, this outbreak of
antibiotic-resistant bacteria surely won't be the last. There is a
bill, H.R. 1150, that deserves an immediate vote in Congress so that we
can stop the overuse of antibiotics in agriculture and address the
growing threat of antibiotic-resistant disease.
Furthermore, there is an urgent need in our country to rebuild our
infrastructure, create millions of jobs and fix our schools so that our
nation remains a global superpower in the century to come.
We must not fool ourselves. The self-inflicted wound that the GOP
inflicted upon this nation has done real damage to millions of
Americans and to our role in the world.
Just last night, the Chinese government declared that it was time for
the world to ``de-Americanise,'' and governments around the world have
taken note of the shameful display that has occurred in this chamber
over the last two weeks.
It is my sincere hope that this has been the last time our economy
and our democracy will be subjected to such reckless and irresponsible
governing. It is imperative that in the days to come the Majority
finally allows bipartisanship and responsible governance to take hold
in the House of Representatives. It is time to sit down together and
start solving the most urgent issues of our time.
Mrs. DAVIS of California. Madam Speaker, throughout my political
career, I have always tried to work with my colleagues--no matter the
party--to get things done for my constituents in San Diego.
This week, however, it is hard to point to anything we did to help
the American people.
As we move past this episode, commentators will inevitably try to
decide who looked strong, and who looked weak, who is up in the polls
and who is down, who blinked and who stood firm. But Mr. Speaker we
need to move past such talk.
Because make no mistake, there were no winners this week. Only
losers.
Thousands of hard working American families who rely on government
aid programs, federal employees who were furloughed, and kids just
hoping to visit a national park all were hurt this week for no real
reason at all.
In fact, in my city of San Diego alone, it is estimated we lost $7
million a week during the shutdown. $7 million. Imagine the investments
in our schools, roads, and small businesses that we could have made
with that money.
Madam Speaker we can't keep hurting ourselves. We have many important
things to do to put Americans back to work and strengthen the middle
class to be playing these sorts of games.
The American economy is on the road to recovery, but we keep getting
in its way, as we barely avert one manmade disaster after another. For
once, let's bring stability to the markets, rather than continually
manufacturing uncertainty.
In the next few weeks we will have an opportunity to come together
and once and for all, put these battles behind us. We understand that
agreeing on a budget will not be easy. But that doesn't mean we should
stop talking and wait until the last minute to figure out what to do.
Instead, let's start working today on finding a balanced approach to
solving our budget problems. We can do this, but only if we stop
playing games and get to work as soon as possible.
Madam Speaker, Americans are sick and tired of watching the show we
put on this week, and I am sick and tired of being a part of it. Most
of all, I am sick and tired that people here in the Majority think they
can routinely use my friends and neighbors back home in San Diego as
pawns in some larger political game.
Let's agree to never again embrace such a reckless approach to
governing that does nothing but cause needless pain to the American
people. Let's agree to never again make up problems, when we have
actual ones to solve. Let's agree to discuss our differences rather
than resent each other for them.
That's what American democracy is all about, that's what it has
always been about.
Mr. HOLT. Madam Speaker, today, the House is finally, at the 11th
hour, voting to re-open the government and avert a financial disaster
by avoiding a default on our debt. The bill keeps the government open
until January 15, 2014, and raises the debt ceiling until February 7,
2014. This is a stopgap measure, and my fear is that we will face
another manufactured crisis again a few months. We should have never
gotten to this point, the majority should have never caved to the vocal
minority in the House.
This bill ends an unnecessary, self-induced crisis. It fails to end
sequestration's painful cuts in government services. It fails to invest
in creating new jobs. It follows costly weeks of government shutdown
and unnerving the financial world. It sets up the alarming prospect of
new confrontations over the budget and the debt ceiling early next
year.
Ever since this phony crisis began, a majority of the Congress--
Democrats and Republicans alike--have sought to reopen the government.
Yet Republican leaders, out of misguided deference to the reckless
ideologues in their ranks, refused to allow a vote on clean legislation
to reopen the government.
Today that finally changed. The Speaker allowed the majority of House
members to work their will, and as a result, our government has
reopened and the U.S. can resume paying her debts, as we have for
centuries. My hope is that, in the months ahead, Speaker Boehner will
follow today's precedent and allow votes on other pressing issues, such
as job creation and immigration reform, that Democrats and Republicans
can agree on.
The alternative would be to continue to follow the extreme minority
who shut down the government for no apparent reason, with no clear idea
of what they hoped to win.
Mr. CONNOLLY. Madam Speaker, many of us have fond memories of the
classic 1950s James Dean movie ``Rebel Without a Cause.'' Who can
forget Dean's tragic Jim Stark--who, in rebelling against his parents,
the police, and other like-minded ``conformists'', spends the film
putting his friends in harm's way as he tries proving his worth to the
town tough guys. Jim gets in a switchblade fight. He nearly drives off
a cliff during a game of chicken. In the end, his friend Plato is
killed after Jim leads his friends to an abandoned house where they
live in their own fantasy world where they don't have to justify
themselves to anyone.
As we finally bring to end this reckless government shutdown, I must
say that this plot feels eerily familiar. It would seem many in the
House of Representatives, in their inchoate rebellion, would have
rather driven our Nation and the economy off a cliff than sit down and
talk like grown-ups. Even former Republican governor Tim Pawlenty
recognized this troubling behavior and said that the actions of his
fellow Republicans in dealing with the debt ceiling reminded him of a
group of rebellious teenagers--out for a night on the town--pulling
quote, a ``dine-and-dash.''
These rebels without a cause paralyzed our government and wreaked
havoc on Virginia's
[[Page H6624]]
economy. It is estimated that the shutdown has cost Virginia's economy
more than $200 million a day. That's $1 billion a week. I heard from
community bankers that could not process loan applications because the
IRS was shuttered. The SBA could not issue new loans, choking off small
businesses ability to grow and create jobs.
The last time political brinksmanship from the House Majority brought
us to the verge of default in August 2011, it resulted in a historic
downgrading of the nation's credit and a loss of $2.4 trillion in
household wealth. Many of our region's business leaders and every
Chamber of Commerce in Northern Virginia warned of the risks of default
and demanded Congress pass a clean CR.
In case anyone still believed these rebels might actually have a
cause, one only need review the constantly changing demands they made
over the past two weeks. First, they demanded we defund the Affordable
Care Act, then delay the Affordable Care Act, then repeal the medical-
device tax. Then as a precondition for the Nation paying its bills on
time they demanded we build the Keystone Pipeline, expand offshore
drilling, repeal Dodd-Frank, enact tort-reform, and repeal the Public
Health trust fund.
I am not sure even the House Majority knows why they have spent the
past few weeks driving us toward the cliff. I think many of my
colleagues have convinced themselves they are Jim Stark--rebels,
lashing out, ready to prove the world wrong, and more comfortable holed
up in a house living a fantasy where they don't have to play by the
rules. There is no doubt that Virginians have grown tired of these
reckless antics and these repeated games of chicken. It's a relief that
the adults in the room finally stepped in to reopen the government,
raise the debt ceiling, and restore sanity. I was pleased to work in a
bipartisan fashion with some in the Virginia delegation and other
pragmatic Members to get this done.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I thank you and Ranking Member
Slaughter for the opportunity to speak in support of the Senate
Amendments to H.R. 2775 which:
Reopens the government;
Averts a catastrophic default that would risk the full faith and
credit of the United States; and
Clears the way for the House and Senate to appoint conferees to start
the budget negotiations that Democrats have called for since April.
The government shutdown has lasted 16 days making the beginning of
fiscal year 2014 an extremely difficult time for Federal employees and
the people they serve. It has also imposed tremendous hardship on the
dedicated employees of the House of Representatives as well as for each
Member of the House of Representatives.
The bipartisan Senate compromise would:
Extend the continuing resolution through January 15;
Suspend the debt limit through February 7, with congressional
disapproval process;
Require certification by HHS that there is income verification for
those applying for premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act, a
provision supported by the administration;
Allow for the appointment of budget conferees, who will report to
Congress by December 13.
Madam Speaker, this should not have taken 16 days to accomplish.
Federal workers are our Nation's greatest resource because they
provide the know-how and expertise to meet the needs of this great
Nation.
Madam Speaker, I consider all of our Federal workers as essential,
not just the 1.3 million who are designated as such.
A healthy Federal government does not function as dismembered parts
but as a single unit. The plot by the Republican majority to pass
funding for only those agencies the public might miss immediately
following the self imposed shutdown while leaving others to languish
was wrong.
The Congress has learned a very costly lesson for the American
Taxpayer. The 16 day shutdown has cost taxpayers $24 billion dollars.
The 14th Amendment provides that ``The validity of the public debt of
the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for
payments of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing
insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned.''
Some scholars have suggested that this provision empowers a President
to take appropriate action to prevent default. I agree with President
Obama that this is a question that requires much thought and
reflection. The important thing is that we must never ever risk
defaulting on the public debt and injury to the full faith and credit
of the United States.
There are also the events over the last 16 days that made it clear
that we need the Nation's Federal agency workforce:
Foodborne illness outbreak that sickened hundreds in several States
not being addressed;
An unexpected blizzard was reported to have killed 5 percent of the
cattle in the State of South Dakota;
The nearly dozen transportation accidents that were not investigated.
I urge all members of the Rules Committee to vote in support of this
bipartisan effort before us.
Madam Speaker, I rise to speak in support of the Senate Amendments to
H.R. 2775 which:
Reopens the government;
Averts a catastrophic default that would risk the full faith and
credit of the United States; and
Clears the way for the House and Senate to appoint conferees to start
the budget negotiations that Democrats have called for since April.
I would like to thank the Majority and Minority Leaders of the Senate
for their stewardship in crafting a resolution to this crisis.
The Government shutdown has lasted 16 days, making the beginning of
fiscal year 2014 an extremely difficult time for Federal employees and
the people they serve. It has also imposed tremendous hardship on the
dedicated employees of the House of Representatives as well as for each
Member of the House of Representatives.
Because of the circumstances that led to the budget impasse, I
introduced H. Res. 375, a bill expressing the sense of the House of
Representatives that Congress should refrain from conditioning the
resolution of fiscal and budgetary disputes on the taking of action
relating to non-germane legislative matters.
I invite members from both sides of the aisle to become a sponsor of
H. Res. 375 as a way to make amends to the American people and assuring
through its passage that Congress will not place the Nation in the
situation we found ourselves in ever again for the reasons that this
budget impasse occurred.
Madam Speaker, this is an extraordinary time to be in America.
We have seen the Legislative and Executive Branches of our government
and the constitutional balance that the framers of the Constitution
intended regarding matters related to public purse tested.
It is extraordinary when a matter that should be dealt with in the
regular order of the business of the House and Senate becomes a matter
so grave that a broad and diverse coalition call on Members of this
body to do what we were elected to do--manage the business of the
people through cooperation and compromise.
I have heard from the International Association of Machinists and
Aerospace Workers, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the NAACP, United
States Conference of Mayors, the National Education Association and the
Coalition on Human Needs, each calling for the passage of the Senate
bipartisan budget compromise.
The bipartisan Senate compromise would:
Extend the continuing resolution through January 15;
Suspend the debt limit through February 7, with congressional
disapproval process;
Require certification by HHS that there is income verification for
those applying for premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act, a
provision supported by the Administration;
The appointment of budget conferees, who will report to Congress by
December 13.
Madam Speaker, I would like to request unanimous consent to place
into the Record an editorial that was published in ``The Hill.''
Federal workers are our Nation's greatest resource because they
provide the know-how and expertise to meet the needs of this great
Nation.
The Federal government for many may have been a faceless nameless
entity, but these last two weeks have taught us that they are people
who have specific skill sets that cannot be replaced or ignored.
Madam Speaker, I consider all of our Federal workers as essential,
not just the 1.3 million who are designated as such.
This fact was made apparent by what the American people experienced
over the last 16 days the:
National Park Service,
Veterans Affairs,
Department of Defense,
Men and women of the armed services,
CDC,
HHS,
NASA, and
FDA, are only 10 of the hundreds of essential agencies, not including
the thousands of essential offices that comprise the Federal
government.
A healthy Federal government does not function as dismembered parts
but as a single unit. The plot by the Republican majority to pass
funding for only those agencies the public might miss immediately
following the self-imposed shutdown while leaving others to languish
was wrong.
The Congress has learned a very costly lesson for the American
taxpayer. The 16 day shutdown has cost taxpayers $24 billion.
[[Page H6625]]
I want the American people to know that I do understand what the cost
of that education has been to them both in hard earned dollars that
were withheld or forgone due to the cascading economic impact of the
shutdown on small and mid-sized businesses as well as the personal
costs in worry and frustration at watching the events of the last three
weeks unfold.
These costs should not be forgotten, such as the:
Additional pain caused to the grieving families of our Nation's
fallen heroes;
Delay in Veterans' benefits and services;
Trips of a lifetime that did not happen;
Wedding plans interrupted or cancelled;
U.S. astronauts on the International Space Station without Houston
Mission Control at full staff capacity; and
Hundreds of thousands of Federal workers and their families put out
of work, and over a million more working without pay.
There are also the events over the last 16 days that made it clear
that we need the Nation's Federal agency workforce:
Foodborne illness outbreak that sickened hundreds in several states
not being addressed;
An unexpected blizzard was reported to have killed 5 percent of the
cattle in the state of South Dakota;
The nearly dozen transportation accidents that were not investigated.
I urge all Members of the House of Representatives to join me in
voting in support of this bipartisan effort before us.
[From The Hill, Sept. 16, 2013]
Let's Unify Around Commonsense Solutions To Reopen the Government and
Avoid Default
(By Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee)
The objective of the misguided and irresponsible strategy
of the Republicans in the House to shut down the government
was to kill Obamacare. That strategy failed miserably. But it
succeeded spectacularly in inflicting injury on the American
people. And the collateral damage of this irresponsible and
callous decision mounts every day.
Having shut down the government for more than two weeks,
House Republicans, dominated by their extremist Tea Party
faction, now seem determined to shut down the American
economy by continuing their reckless strategy of proposing at
the 11th hour irresponsible and unacceptable conditions for
raising the debt ceiling and preserving America's hard won
and well-earned reputation as the most credit worthy nation
in the history of the world.
The credit-worthiness of the United States is the engine
pulling the train of the American economy. Inspired by their
Tea Party element, House Republicans have hijacked the train
and are hurtling it toward the cliff. They are willing to
take it over the fiscal cliff and destroy the lives of
everyone on board unless the president and the Senate agree
to their ransom demand to throw Obamacare from the train.
The behavior of House Republicans is worse than reckless
and irresponsible; it is unpatriotic. No one who really loves
America would risk the catastrophe that will befall Americans
if the United States defaults on its debt. And to risk such a
calamity just to prevent 22 million Americans from receiving
affordable health care and the peace of mind it brings to
them and their families is unconscionable.
House Republicans claim that they only want negotiations
with the president and Senate. This is disingenuous. The
Senate requested a conference with the House to resolve their
budgetary difference six months ago and has renewed that
request 19 times. Those repeated requests were repeatedly
rejected by the House Republicans, who refused even to
appoint conferees to negotiate with the Senate.
The Republican leadership of the House has proven time and
again that it is incapable of governing in a responsible
manner. Instead of passing legislation to create jobs and
completing its work on the appropriations bills needed to
fund the government, House Republicans have neglected their
duties and wasted time on their futile obsession with
defunding, delaying, and impeding the implementation of the
Affordable Care Act.
Every landmark social insurance program in our history has
experienced growing pains and the Affordable Care Act is no
exception. Seniors initially were reluctant to enroll in
Medicare when it was rolled out in 1965. The same was true
ten short years ago with respect to the prescription drug
benefit of Medicare Part D.
The proper way to address any problems with the Affordable
Care Act is to work together to fix them--to mend the law,
not end the law. And it certainly makes no sense to shut down
the government and take the economy over the cliff if the
unreasonable demand of a minority to repeal the Affordable
Care Act is not met.
Not for the first time Democrats and Republicans in the
Senate have worked together and reached a compromise
agreement to avoid default. Under the terms of this
bipartisan agreement, funds will be provided to reopen and
operate the federal government until January 15, 2014 and the
debt ceiling would be raised to enable the Treasury to pay
its bills through February 7, 2014.
Additionally, the agreement provides for the creation of a
bicameral select budget committee that is required to meet
and report its recommendations by December 13, 2013. Finally,
the agreement reaffirms existing legislation strengthening
the income verification requirements of the Affordable Care
Act and delays the imposition of the reinsurance fee
provision.
This is not a perfect agreement but no compromise ever is.
Democratic members of Congress prefer a permanent reopening
of the government, a much longer extension of the debt
ceiling, and have little enthusiasm for another ``super-
committee'' like the one that failed in 2011 and ushered in
the disastrous period of sequestration. Senate Republicans
have different preferences. But the important thing is that
the parties took a responsible view of the matter and were
able to bridge their differences to reach an agreement that
reopens and funds the government and avoid an unprecedented
an calamitous default on the national debt.
The responsible course for House Republicans to take is to
follow the lead of their Senate counterparts and bring the
proposal to the floor for a vote without delay. But instead
of taking that action and bringing this crisis to an end,
House Republicans, egged on by their Tea Party faction and
its darling, Senator Ted Cruz, seem intent on sabotaging the
carefully crafted Senate plan by attaching to it provisions
which eliminate health insurance for lawmakers and government
officials and delays for two years the imposition of the
medical device tax that offsets the cost of the Affordable
Care Act.
These poison pills have previously been considered and
rejected by the Senate and the President and have no chance
of becoming law. Their only purpose is to needlessly and
recklessly bring our nation closer to the brink of default.
And to compound the damage resulting from their reckless act,
House Republicans also are seeking to add a provision that
will prohibit the Secretary of the Treasury from taking any
``extraordinary measures'' necessary to stave off default
after the February 7, 2014 extension date. The only plausible
inference to be drawn from the insistence on this provision
is that its proponents wish to see the worse come to pass.
The provision is akin to prohibiting a person whose house is
on fire from borrowing her neighbor's water hose to put it
out.
In 1789, Alexander Hamilton, the nation's first and
greatest Treasury Secretary, understood that the path to
American prosperity and greatness lay in its creditworthiness
which provided the affordable access to capital needed to
fund internal improvements and economic growth. The nation's
creditworthiness was one of its most important national
assets and according to Hamilton, ``the proper funding of the
present debt, will render it a national blessing.'' But to
maintain this blessing, or to ``render public credit
immortal,'' it is necessary that ``the creation of debt
should always be accompanied with the means of
extinguishment.''
In other words, to retain and enjoy the prosperity that
flows from good credit, it is necessary for a nation to pay
its bills.
That is why the Republican leadership of the House should
bring to the floor immediately for a vote the responsible and
bipartisan agreement reached by Senate Democrats and
Republicans to reopen the government and raise the debt
limit.
Nothing else would do more to send the message to the
American people that their elected representatives in
Congress care more about addressing issues of importance to
them than advancing the narrow partisan agenda of Tea Party
extremists whose supporters disrespect the nation's Commander
in Chief and proudly display Confederate flags in front of
the White House.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. All time for debate has expired.
Pursuant to the order of the House of today, the previous question is
ordered.
The question is on the motion by the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr.
Rogers).
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that
the ayes appeared to have it.
Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, this 15-
minute vote on adoption of the motion will be followed by a 5-minute
vote on approval of the Journal, if ordered.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 285,
nays 144, not voting 3, as follows:
[Roll No. 550]
YEAS--285
Andrews
Bachus
Barber
Barletta
Barrow (GA)
Bass
Beatty
Becerra
Benishek
Bera (CA)
Bilirakis
Bishop (GA)
Bishop (NY)
Blumenauer
Boehner
Bonamici
Boustany
Brady (PA)
Braley (IA)
Brooks (IN)
Brown (FL)
Brownley (CA)
Buchanan
Bustos
Butterfield
Calvert
Camp
Cantor
Capito
Capps
Capuano
Cardenas
Carney
Carson (IN)
Cartwright
Castor (FL)
Castro (TX)
Chu
Cicilline
Clarke
Clay
Cleaver
Clyburn
Coble
Coffman
Cohen
Cole
Connolly
Conyers
Cook
Cooper
Costa
Cotton
Courtney
[[Page H6626]]
Cramer
Crawford
Crenshaw
Crowley
Cuellar
Cummings
Daines
Davis (CA)
Davis, Danny
Davis, Rodney
DeFazio
DeGette
Delaney
DeLauro
DelBene
Dent
Deutch
Diaz-Balart
Dingell
Doggett
Doyle
Duckworth
Edwards
Ellison
Engel
Enyart
Eshoo
Esty
Farr
Fattah
Fitzpatrick
Fortenberry
Foster
Frankel (FL)
Frelinghuysen
Fudge
Gabbard
Gallego
Garamendi
Garcia
Gardner
Gerlach
Gibson
Grayson
Green, Al
Green, Gene
Griffin (AR)
Grijalva
Grimm
Guthrie
Gutierrez
Hahn
Hanabusa
Hanna
Harper
Hastings (FL)
Hastings (WA)
Heck (NV)
Heck (WA)
Herrera Beutler
Higgins
Himes
Hinojosa
Holt
Honda
Horsford
Hoyer
Huffman
Israel
Issa
Jackson Lee
Jeffries
Jenkins
Johnson (GA)
Johnson, E. B.
Joyce
Kaptur
Keating
Kelly (IL)
Kelly (PA)
Kennedy
Kildee
Kilmer
Kind
King (NY)
Kinzinger (IL)
Kirkpatrick
Kline
Kuster
Lance
Langevin
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
Latham
Lee (CA)
Levin
Lewis
Lipinski
LoBiondo
Loebsack
Lofgren
Lowenthal
Lowey
Lujan Grisham (NM)
Lujan, Ben Ray (NM)
Lynch
Maffei
Maloney, Carolyn
Maloney, Sean
Matheson
Matsui
McCarthy (CA)
McCollum
McDermott
McGovern
McHenry
McIntyre
McKeon
McKinley
McMorris Rodgers
McNerney
Meehan
Meeks
Meng
Michaud
Miller, Gary
Miller, George
Moore
Moran
Murphy (FL)
Murphy (PA)
Nadler
Napolitano
Neal
Negrete McLeod
Nolan
Nunes
O'Rourke
Owens
Pallone
Pascrell
Pastor (AZ)
Paulsen
Payne
Pelosi
Perlmutter
Peters (CA)
Peters (MI)
Peterson
Pingree (ME)
Pittenger
Pocan
Polis
Price (NC)
Quigley
Rahall
Rangel
Reichert
Ribble
Richmond
Rigell
Rogers (KY)
Rogers (MI)
Ros-Lehtinen
Roskam
Roybal-Allard
Ruiz
Runyan
Ruppersberger
Ryan (OH)
Sanchez, Linda T.
Sanchez, Loretta
Sarbanes
Schakowsky
Schiff
Schneider
Schock
Schrader
Schwartz
Scott (VA)
Scott, David
Serrano
Sewell (AL)
Shea-Porter
Sherman
Shimkus
Shuster
Simpson
Sinema
Sires
Slaughter
Smith (NE)
Smith (NJ)
Smith (WA)
Speier
Stivers
Swalwell (CA)
Takano
Terry
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Thompson (PA)
Tiberi
Tierney
Tipton
Titus
Tonko
Tsongas
Upton
Valadao
Van Hollen
Vargas
Veasey
Vela
Velazquez
Visclosky
Walz
Wasserman Schultz
Waters
Watt
Waxman
Webster (FL)
Welch
Whitfield
Wilson (FL)
Wittman
Wolf
Womack
Yarmuth
Young (AK)
Young (IN)
NAYS--144
Aderholt
Amash
Amodei
Bachmann
Barr
Barton
Bentivolio
Bishop (UT)
Black
Blackburn
Brady (TX)
Bridenstine
Brooks (AL)
Broun (GA)
Bucshon
Burgess
Campbell
Carter
Cassidy
Chabot
Chaffetz
Collins (GA)
Collins (NY)
Conaway
Culberson
Denham
DeSantis
DesJarlais
Duffy
Duncan (SC)
Duncan (TN)
Ellmers
Farenthold
Fincher
Fleischmann
Fleming
Flores
Forbes
Foxx
Franks (AZ)
Garrett
Gibbs
Gingrey (GA)
Gohmert
Goodlatte
Gosar
Gowdy
Granger
Graves (GA)
Graves (MO)
Griffith (VA)
Hall
Harris
Hartzler
Hensarling
Holding
Hudson
Huelskamp
Huizenga (MI)
Hultgren
Hunter
Hurt
Johnson (OH)
Johnson, Sam
Jones
Jordan
King (IA)
Kingston
Labrador
LaMalfa
Lamborn
Lankford
Latta
Long
Lucas
Luetkemeyer
Lummis
Marchant
Marino
Massie
McCaul
McClintock
Meadows
Messer
Mica
Miller (FL)
Miller (MI)
Mullin
Mulvaney
Neugebauer
Noem
Nugent
Nunnelee
Olson
Palazzo
Pearce
Perry
Petri
Pitts
Poe (TX)
Pompeo
Posey
Price (GA)
Radel
Reed
Renacci
Rice (SC)
Roby
Roe (TN)
Rogers (AL)
Rohrabacher
Rokita
Rooney
Ross
Rothfus
Royce
Ryan (WI)
Salmon
Sanford
Scalise
Schweikert
Scott, Austin
Sensenbrenner
Sessions
Smith (MO)
Smith (TX)
Southerland
Stewart
Stockman
Stutzman
Thornberry
Turner
Wagner
Walberg
Walden
Walorski
Weber (TX)
Wenstrup
Westmoreland
Williams
Wilson (SC)
Woodall
Yoder
Yoho
NOT VOTING--3
McCarthy (NY)
Rush
Young (FL)
{time} 2218
Mrs. ROBY and Messrs. DesJARLAIS and YOHO changed their vote from
``yea'' to ``nay.''
Mrs. NAPOLITANO changed her vote from ``nay'' to ``yea.''
So the motion to concur was agreed to.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________