[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 63 (Wednesday, April 30, 2014)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D443-D445]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                        House of Representatives


Chamber Action
Public Bills and Resolutions Introduced: 18 public bills, H.R. 4521-
4538; and 2 resolutions, H. Res. 560-561 were introduced. 
                                                         Pages H3363-64
Additional Cosponsors:                                   
  Pages H3364-65
Reports Filed: There were no reports filed today.
  Speaker: Read a letter from the Speaker wherein he appointed 
Representative Fleischmann to act as Speaker pro tempore for today. 
                                                             Page H3295
Recess: The House recessed at 10:41 a.m. and reconvened at 12 noon. 
                                                             Page H3299
Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies 
Appropriations Act, 2015: The House passed H.R. 4486, making 
appropriations for military construction, the Department of Veterans 
Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 
2015, by a yea-and-nay vote of 416 yeas to 1 nay, Roll No. 187. 
                                                  Pages H3301, H3308-58
Agreed to:
  Turner amendment (No. 4 printed in the Congressional Record of April 
29, 2014) that redirects $20,000,000 in funding for Military 
Construction, Defense-Wide for study, planning, design, and architect 
and engineer services;                                   
Pages H3320-26
  Sinema amendment that increases funding, by offset, for the Office of 
the Inspector General, Department of Veterans Affairs by $1,000,000 to 
investigate deaths at veterans' health facilities;       
Pages H3326-28
  Costa amendment that increases funding, by offset, for General 
Operating Expenses, Veterans Benefits Administration by $10,500,000 to 
assist in the reduction of veterans' disability claims backlog; 
                                                         Pages H3328-29
  Ruiz amendment that redirects $5,000,000 in funding for General 
Operating Expenses, Veterans Benefits Administration for digital 
scanning of health and benefits files to reduce the benefits claims 
backlog;                                                 
Pages H3329-32
  Rothfus amendment (No. 1 printed in the Congressional Record of April 
28, 2014) that prohibits funds from being used by the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs to pay a performance award under section 5384 of title 
5, United States Code;                                   
Pages H3339-43
  Murphy (FL) amendment that prohibits funds from being used to 
maintain or improve Department of Defense real property with a zero 
percent utilization rate according to the Department's real property 
inventory database, except in the case of maintenance of an historic 
property or maintenance to prevent a negative environmental impact; 
                                                             Page H3343
  Ross amendment that prohibits funds from being used to close a 
commissary store;                                        
Pages H3343-44
  Runyan amendment that prohibits funds from being used to propose, 
plan for, or execute a new or additional Base Realignment and Closure 
round;                                                   
Pages H3349-50
  Gosar amendment that prohibits funds from being used to create or 
maintain any patient record-keeping system other than those currently 
approved by the Department of Veterans Affairs Central Office in 
Washington, DC;                                          
Pages H3350-51
  Grayson amendment that prohibits funds from being used to enter into 
a contract with any offeror or any of its principals if that offeror 
has (A) within a three-year period preceding this offer, been convicted 
of or had a civil judgment rendered against it for commission of a 
fraud or a criminal offense in connection with obtaining, attempting to 
obtain, or performing a public contract or subcontract; violation of 
Federal or State antitrust statutes relating to the submission of 
offers; or commission of embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, 
falsification or destruction of records, making false statements, tax 
evasion, violating Federal criminal tax laws, or receiving stolen 
property; or (B) are presently indicted for, or otherwise criminally or 
civilly charged by a governmental entity with, commission of any of the 
offenses enumerated above in subsection (A); or (C) within a three-year 
period preceding this offer, has been notified of any delinquent 
Federal taxes in an amount that exceeds $3,000 for which the liability 
remains unsatisfied;                                         
Page H3351
  Gosar amendment that increases funding, by offset, for Department of 
Veterans Affairs Departmental Administration, Information Technology 
Systems by $3,215,910;                                   
Pages H3351-52

[[Page D444]]


  Jackson Lee amendment that prohibits funds made available for 
benefits for homeless veterans and training and outreach programs from 
being used in contravention of subchapters II and III of chapter 20 of 
title 38, United States Code;                            
Pages H3352-53
  Peters amendment that prohibits funds from being used for a contract 
that includes first-class travel by a contractor;            
Page H3354
  Nunes amendment that prohibits funds from being used for the closure 
or abandonment of any facility located at Lajes Field, Azores, 
Portugal;                                                    
Page H3354
  Walorski amendment that prohibits funds from being used to implement 
sole source contracting at the national level for the selection of 
devices and test strips for the self-monitoring of blood glucose; and 
                                                         Pages H3354-55
  Noem amendment that prohibits funds from being used to prepare an 
environmental impact statement in accordance with the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 with respect to a health care facility 
of the Department of Veterans Affairs that is (1) designated as a 
National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service; and (2) 
located in a highly rural area.                              
Page H3355
Rejected:
  Moran amendment (No. 5 printed in the Congressional Record of April 
29, 2014) that sought to strike section 411, which prohibits funds from 
being used to construct, renovate, or expand any facility in the United 
States, its territories, or possessions to house any individual 
detained at United States Naval Station, Guantaanamo Bay, Cuba, for the 
purposes of detention or imprisonment (by a recorded vote of 168 ayes 
to 249 noes, Roll No. 185) and                 
Pages H3337-39, H3355-56
  Blumenauer amendment that sought to prohibit funds from being used to 
implement Veterans Health Administration directive 2011-004 with 
respect to the prohibition on ``VA providers from completing forms 
seeking recommendations or opinions regarding a Veteran's participation 
in a State marijuana program'' (by a recorded vote of 195 ayes to 222 
noes, Roll No. 186).                           
Pages H3344-49, H3356-57
Withdrawn:
  Castor (FL) amendment that was offered and subsequently withdrawn 
that would have increased funding, by offset, for Military 
Construction, Air Force by $9,800,000 to address black mold in military 
facilities;                                                  
Page H3320
  Terry amendment that was offered and subsequently withdrawn that 
would have prohibited funds from being used for administrative expenses 
of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs until the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs meets with the Nebraska delegation to discuss alternative 
options for the Department of Veterans Affairs hospital planned for 
construction in Omaha, Nebraska; and                     
Pages H3332-34
  LaMalfa amendment that was offered and subsequently withdrawn that 
would have allowed a caseworker in a congressional office to contact a 
Department of Veterans Affairs brokered office to receive an update on 
a constituent's case, and that brokered office of the Department is 
required to update the congressional staffer.            
Pages H3334-37
Point of Order sustained against:
  Takano amendment (No. 3 printed in the Congressional Record of April 
29, 2014) that sought to prohibit funds from being used for the All-
Volunteer Force Educational Assistance Program or the Post 9/11 
Educational Assistance Program for career education programs at 
proprietary institutions unless the successful completion of the 
curriculum fully qualifies a student (1) to take an examination 
required for entry into an occupation or profession, including 
satisfying all State-mandated programmatic and specialized 
accreditation requirements and (2) to be certified or licensed or to 
meet other academically-related pre-conditions of employment in the 
State in which the institution is located;                   
Page H3344
  Takano amendment that sought to prohibit funds from being used by the 
All-Volunteer Force Educational Assistance Program or the Post 9/11 
Educational Assistance Program for recruiting or marketing activities; 
and                                                          
Page H3350
  Farenthold amendment that sought to prohibit funds from being used to 
pay the salary of any officer or employee of the Federal Government 
with respect to whom the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the 
House of Representatives has certified a statement of facts to a United 
States attorney under section 104 of the Revised Statutes. 
                                                         Pages H3353-54
  H. Res. 557, the rule providing for consideration of the bills (H.R. 
4486) and (H.R. 4487), was agreed to by voice vote after the previous 
question was ordered by a yea-and-nay vote of 227 yeas to 189 nays, 
Roll No. 184.                                            
Pages H3301-08
Moment of Silence: The House observed a moment of silence in honor of 
the victims of recent tornadoes.                             
  Page H3356
Meeting Hour: Agreed that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to 
meet at 9 a.m. tomorrow, May 1st.                            
  Page H3362
Quorum Calls--Votes: Two yea-and-nay votes and two recorded votes 
developed during the proceedings of today and appear on pages H3307-
08., H3355-56, H3356-57, H3357. There were no quorum calls.
Adjournment: The House met at 10 a.m. and adjourned at 8:22 p.m.

[[Page D445]]