[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 77 (Wednesday, May 21, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E807-E808]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




HOWARD P. ``BUCK'' McKEON NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL 
                               YEAR 2015

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                     HON. HOWARD P. ``BUCK'' McKEON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 20, 2014

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 4435) to 
     authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2015 for military 
     activities of the Department of Defense and for military 
     construction, to prescribe military personnel strengths for 
     such fiscal year, and for other purposes:

  Mr. McKEON. Mr. Chair, I submit the following.

                                         House of Representatives,


                                 Committee on Foreign Affairs,

                                      Washington, DC, May 9, 2014.
     Hon. Howard P. ``Buck'' McKeon,
     Chairman, House Armed Services Committee, Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: I write to confirm our mutual 
     understanding regarding H.R. 4435, the National Defense 
     Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015, which contains 
     substantial matter that falls within the Rule X legislative 
     jurisdiction of the Foreign Affairs Committee. I appreciate 
     the cooperation that allowed us to work out mutually 
     agreeable text on numerous matters prior to your markup.
       Based on that cooperation and our associated 
     understandings, the Foreign Affairs Committee will not seek a 
     sequential referral or object to floor consideration of the 
     bill text approved at your Committee markup. However, this 
     decision in no way diminishes or alters the jurisdictional 
     interests of the Foreign Affairs Committee in this bill, any 
     subsequent amendments, or similar legislation. I request your 
     support for the appointment of House Foreign Affairs 
     conferees during any House-Senate conference on this 
     legislation.
       Finally, I respectfully request that you include this 
     letter and your response in your committee report on the bill 
     and in the Congressional Record during consideration of H.R. 
     4435 on the House floor.
           Sincerely,
                                                  Edward R. Royce,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

                                         House of Representatives,


                                  Committee on Armed Services,

                                     Washington, DC, May 12, 2014.
     Hon. Edward R. Royce,
     Chairman, Foreign Affairs Committee, Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you for your letter regarding H.R. 
     4435, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 
     2015. I agree that the Foreign Affairs Committee has valid 
     jurisdictional claims to certain provisions in this important 
     legislation, and I am most appreciative of your decision not 
     to request a referral in the interest of expediting 
     consideration of the bill. I agree that by foregoing a 
     sequential referral, the Foreign Affairs Committee is not 
     waiving its jurisdiction. Further, this exchange of letters 
     will be included in the committee report on the bill.
           Sincerely,
                                        Howard P. ``Buck'' McKeon,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

                                         House of Representatives,


                                     Committee on Agriculture,

                                      Washington, DC, May 9, 2014.
     Hon. Howard ``Buck'' McKeon,
     Chairman, Committee on Armed Services, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman McKeon: Thank you for the opportunity to 
     review the relevant provisions of the text of H.R. 4435, the 
     National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015. The 
     Agriculture Committee has a valid claim to jurisdiction over 
     H.R. 4435.
       I recognize and appreciate your desire to bring this 
     legislation before the House in an expeditious manner and, 
     accordingly, I agree to discharge H.R. 4435 from further 
     consideration by the Committee on Agriculture. I do so with 
     the understanding that by discharging the bill, the Committee 
     on Agriculture does not waive any future jurisdictional claim 
     on this or similar matters. Further, the Committee on 
     Agriculture reserves

[[Page E808]]

     the right to seek the appointment of conferees, if it should 
     become necessary.
       I ask that you insert a copy of our exchange of letters 
     into both the Congressional Record and the Committee Report 
     during consideration of this measure on the House floor.
       Thank you for your courtesy in this matter, and I look 
     forward to continued cooperation between our respective 
     committees.
           Sincerely,
                                                   Frank D. Lucas,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

                                         House of Representatives,


                                  Committee on Armed Services,

                                     Washington, DC, May 12, 2014.
     Hon. Frank D. Lucas,
     Chairman, Agriculture Committee, Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you for your letter regarding H.R. 
     4435, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 
     2015. I agree that the Agriculture Committee has a valid 
     jurisdictional claim to a provision in this important 
     legislation, and I am most appreciative of your decision not 
     to request a referral in the interest of expediting 
     consideration of the bill. I agree that by foregoing a 
     sequential referral, the Agriculture Committee is not waiving 
     its jurisdiction. Further, this exchange of letters will be 
     included in the committee report on the bill.
           Sincerely,
                                        Howard P. ``Buck'' McKeon,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

                                         House of Representatives,


                                  Committee on Ways and Means,

                                      Washington, DC, May 9, 2014.
     Hon. Howard ``Buck'' McKeon,
     Chairman, Committee on Armed Services, Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. McKeon: I am writing to you concerning H.R. 4435, 
     the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015. 
     This legislation contains a provision requiring a strategy to 
     prioritize U.S. interests in the Asia-Pacific region that is 
     within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Ways and Means.
       In order to expedite floor consideration of this important 
     legislation, the Committee will waive consideration of the 
     bill. The Committee takes this action only with the 
     understanding that the Committee's jurisdictional interests 
     over this and similar legislation are in no way diminished or 
     altered.
       The Committee also reserves the right to seek appointment 
     to any House-Senate conference on this legislation and 
     requests your support if such a request is made. Finally, I 
     would appreciate your including this letter in the 
     Congressional Record during consideration of H.R. 4435 on the 
     House Floor. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
           Sincerely,
                                                        Dave Camp,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

                                         House of Representatives,


                                  Committee on Armed Services,

                                     Washington, DC, May 12, 2014.
     Hon. Dave Camp,
     Chairman, Committee on Ways and Means, Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you for your letter regarding H.R. 
     4435, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 
     2015. I agree that the Committee on Ways and Means has a 
     valid jurisdictional claim to a provision in this important 
     legislation, and I am most appreciative of your decision not 
     to request a referral in the interest of expediting 
     consideration of the bill. I agree that by foregoing a 
     sequential referral, the Committee on Ways and Means is not 
     waiving its jurisdiction. Further, this exchange of letters 
     will be included in the committee report on the bill.
           Sincerely,
                                        Howard P. ``Buck'' McKeon,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

                                         House of Representatives,


                             Committee on Energy and Commerce,

                                      Washington, DC, May 9, 2014.
     Hon. Howard ``Buck'' McKeon,
     Chairman, Committee on Armed Services, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman McKeon: I write concerning H.R. 4435, 
     National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015.
       While the bill was referred to your Committee exclusively, 
     there are several provisions that fall within the Rule X 
     jurisdiction of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. 
     However, so that it may proceed expeditiously to the House 
     floor for consideration, the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
     will not request a sequential referral on the bill.
       This is done with our mutual understanding that the 
     Committee on Energy and Commerce is not waiving any of its 
     jurisdiction, will not be prejudiced with respect to the 
     appointment of conferees or its jurisdictional prerogatives 
     on H.R. 4435 or similar legislation, and will be consulted 
     and involved as the bill or similar legislation moves 
     forward. The Committee on Energy and Commerce also reserves 
     the right to seek the appointment of conferees to any House-
     Senate conference involving this or similar legislation, and 
     requests your support for such a request.
       Finally, I would appreciate your response to this letter, 
     confirming this understanding, and ask that a copy of our 
     exchange of letters on this matter be included in the 
     Congressional Record during consideration of H.R. 4435 on the 
     House floor.
           Sincerely,
                                                       Fred Upton,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

                                         House of Representatives,


                                  Committee on Armed Services,

                                     Washington, DC, May 12, 2014.
     Hon. Fred Upton,
     Chairman, Committee on Energy and Commerce, Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you for your letter regarding H.R. 
     4435, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 
     2015. I agree that the Committee on Energy and Commerce has 
     valid jurisdictional claims to certain provisions in this 
     important legislation, and I am most appreciative of your 
     decision not to request a referral in the interest of 
     expediting consideration of the bill. I agree that by 
     foregoing a sequential referral, the Committee on Energy and 
     Commerce is not waiving its jurisdiction. Further, this 
     exchange of letters will be included in the committee report 
     on the bill.
           Sincerely,
                                        Howard P. ``Buck'' McKeon,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

         House of Representatives, Committee on Education and the 
           Workforce,
                                      Washington, DC, May 9, 2014.
     Hon. Howard P. ``Buck'' McKeon,
     Chairman Committee on Armed Services, Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: I am writing to confirm our mutual 
     understanding with respect to H.R. 4435, the National Defense 
     Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015. Thank you for 
     consulting with the Committee on Education and the Workforce 
     with regard to H.R. 4435 on those matters within the 
     committee's jurisdiction.
       In the interest of expediting the House's consideration of 
     H.R. 4435, the Committee on Education and the Workforce will 
     forgo further consideration of this bill. However, I do so 
     only with the understanding this procedural route will not be 
     construed to prejudice my committee's jurisdictional interest 
     and prerogatives on this bill or any other similar 
     legislation and will not be considered as precedent for 
     consideration of matters of jurisdictional interest to my 
     committee in the future.
       I respectfully request your support for the appointment of 
     outside conferees from the Committee on Education and the 
     Workforce should this bill or a similar bill be considered in 
     a conference with the Senate. I also request you include our 
     exchange of letters on this matter in the Committee Report on 
     H.R. 4435 and in the Congressional Record during 
     consideration of this bill on the House floor. Thank you for 
     your attention to these matters.
           Sincerely,
                                                       John Kline,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

                                         House of Representatives,


                                  Committee on Armed Services,

                                     Washington, DC, May 12, 2014.
     Hon. John Kline,
     Chairman Committee on Education and the Workforce, 
         Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you for your letter regarding H.R. 
     4435, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 
     2015. I agree that the Committee on Education and the 
     Workforce has valid jurisdictional claims to certain 
     provisions in this important legislation, and I am most 
     appreciative of your decision not to request a referral in 
     the interest of expediting consideration of the bill. I agree 
     that by foregoing a sequential referral, the Committee on 
     Education and the Workforce is not waiving its jurisdiction. 
     Further, this exchange of letters will be included in the 
     committee report on the bill.
           Sincerely,
                                        Howard P. ``Buck'' McKeon,
     Chairman.

                          ____________________