[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 34 (Friday, February 27, 2015)]
[House]
[Pages H1495-H1497]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
PROTECTING VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS AND EMERGENCY RESPONDERS ACT
Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
concur in the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 33) to amend the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to ensure that emergency services
volunteers are not taken into account as employees under the shared
responsibility requirements contained in the Patient Protection and
Affordable Care Act.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the Senate amendment is as follows:
Senate amendment:
Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the following:
SECTION 1. FURTHER CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS.
The Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2015 (Public Law
113-164; 128 Stat. 1867) is amended by striking the date
specified in section 106(3) and inserting ``March 6, 2015''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Kentucky (Mr. Rogers) and the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Roybal-
Allard) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Kentucky.
General Leave
Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their
remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 33.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Kentucky?
There was no objection.
Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Mr. Speaker, the Senate has acted this evening to take up a House
bill and amend it to provide a 1-week continuing resolution for the
Department of Homeland Security. I rise today to urge the House to
suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendment to prevent a
shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security.
In a matter of hours, the current mechanism funding DHS will expire.
To allow a shutdown of these critical functions would be an abdication
of one of our primary duties as Members of the House. It is no way to
govern the Nation, and the American people deserve better.
It is the 11th hour, and we must act to provide stable, continuous
funding for the agencies and programs tasked with defending our home
turf.
This continuing resolution will last until March 6, allowing us the
needed additional time to continue negotiating a path forward on how to
fund DHS for the rest of the year. Without any further delay, I urge my
colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this critical legislation.
Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. I yield to the gentleman from Virginia.
[[Page H1496]]
Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, I ask the gentleman, what then happens to
the underlying language where we were protecting the firefighters and
others in regard to the bill as it originally stood and as it related
to them being covered under PPACA?
Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. My understanding is that we will take that up
later.
Mr. GRIFFITH. I'm sorry, I couldn't hear the gentleman.
Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. My understanding is that we will take that up
later.
Mr. GRIFFITH. If the gentleman will continue to yield for an
additional question, Mr. Speaker, I would ask the gentleman, it is his
understanding that we would take that up later, but that means that the
bill that we previously passed--the language that we previously passed,
at least--no longer exists based on the Senate amendment; am I correct
in that assumption?
Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. That is correct.
Mr. GRIFFITH. I thank the gentleman.
Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, this has been a day of confusion both here in this House
and for the men and women of the Department of Homeland Security. Just
hours ago, the House rejected a plan to fund a 3-week stopgap funding
measure for the Department so that we might instead take up the clean,
full year funding bill.
Now we have before us a 1-week CR that was just sent over to us by
the Senate. To avoid further confusion and ensure there is no funding
lapse for the Department, I urge my colleagues to put us on a path to
enactment of the Senate-passed long-term funding of DHS by voting in
favor of the 7-day patch.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I say vote ``yes.''
I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak to the men and women of
the Department of Homeland Security to let them know that many of us
are listening and working very hard to make sure that the agency is
fully funded for the rest of 2015.
Tonight we will extend funding through for an additional seven days
for the Department of Homeland Security.
The fight was worth it.
Next week we are assured that we will have a vote on a clean DHS bill
that fully funds DHS through the end of the fiscal year.
Democrats stood united and this was a battle for the American people
and the brave men and women of the DHS who are dedicated to protecting
the security of the homeland.
Now is the time to put politics aside and put the interest of the
country first.
This is a step in the right direction--provided that we fully fund
DHS for the remainder of this fiscal year when we reconvene for
business next week.
We cannot afford to continue the political games played by the
Republicans when there are so many serious challenges facing our
country from ISIS and other violent terrorist groups.
Just this week FBI Director James Comey, while speaking at the Winter
meeting of the National Association of Attorneys General, reported that
his agency is investigating ISIS suspects in all 50 states.
Next week Congress must take action, and send the right message to
the men and women charged with protecting the homeland.
Mr. Speaker, we must focus our efforts next week on the needs of the
170,000 DHS employees who will be required to work without pay if we do
not find a path forward.
These employees include members of the Coast Guard, Border Patrol,
Secret Service, Transportation Security Administration and others on
the front lines of Homeland Security.
An additional 30,000 employees of the Department of Homeland Security
will be furloughed and sent home without pay.
A DHS shutdown would hit Texas especially hard.
The local and state negative impact of House inaction is the forgoing
of fiscal year 2015 grants that go to first responders.
In 2014, DHS grants awarded to the city of Houston included
$24,000,000 from Urban Area Security Initiative grants and $299,995
from the non-profit program.
In 2014, port security grants included: $1,810,826 for Harris County;
$845,250 for the City of Houston.
Programs intended to aid our fire fighters such as the one at the
University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, which received a
$1,493,340 DHS research grant last year are being hurt by House
inaction on fiscal year 2015 funding for the agency.
When Congress returns next week we must complete our work and fully
fund DHS for the rest of the fiscal year.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers) that the House suspend the rules
and concur in the Senate amendment to the bill, H.R. 33.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Recorded Vote
Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.
=========================== NOTE ===========================
February 27, 2015, on page H1496, the following appeared: Mr.
ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.
The online version should be corrected to read: Mr. GRIFFITH.
Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.
========================= END NOTE =========================
A recorded vote was ordered.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--ayes 357,
noes 60, not voting 15, as follows:
[Roll No. 106]
AYES--357
Abraham
Adams
Aguilar
Allen
Ashford
Barr
Beatty
Becerra
Benishek
Bera
Beyer
Bilirakis
Bishop (GA)
Bishop (MI)
Bishop (UT)
Black
Blackburn
Blum
Blumenauer
Bonamici
Bost
Boustany
Boyle, Brendan F.
Brady (PA)
Brady (TX)
Brooks (IN)
Brown (FL)
Brownley (CA)
Buchanan
Buck
Bucshon
Bustos
Butterfield
Byrne
Calvert
Capps
Capuano
Cardenas
Carney
Carson (IN)
Carter (GA)
Carter (TX)
Cartwright
Castor (FL)
Castro (TX)
Chabot
Chaffetz
Chu, Judy
Cicilline
Clark (MA)
Clarke (NY)
Clay
Cleaver
Clyburn
Cohen
Cole
Collins (GA)
Collins (NY)
Comstock
Conaway
Connolly
Conyers
Cook
Cooper
Costa
Costello (PA)
Courtney
Cramer
Crawford
Crenshaw
Crowley
Cuellar
Culberson
Cummings
Curbelo (FL)
Davis (CA)
Davis, Danny
Davis, Rodney
DeFazio
DeGette
Delaney
DeLauro
DelBene
Denham
Dent
DeSaulnier
Deutch
Diaz-Balart
Dingell
Doggett
Dold
Doyle, Michael F.
Duckworth
Duncan (SC)
Edwards
Ellison
Ellmers (NC)
Emmer (MN)
Engel
Eshoo
Esty
Farr
Fattah
Fitzpatrick
Fleischmann
Foster
Foxx
Frankel (FL)
Frelinghuysen
Fudge
Gabbard
Gallego
Garamendi
Garrett
Gibbs
Gibson
Goodlatte
Graham
Granger
Graves (GA)
Graves (LA)
Graves (MO)
Grayson
Green, Al
Grothman
Guinta
Guthrie
Gutierrez
Hahn
Hanna
Hardy
Harper
Harris
Hastings
Heck (NV)
Heck (WA)
Hensarling
Herrera Beutler
Higgins
Hill
Himes
Holding
Honda
Hoyer
Huffman
Huizenga (MI)
Hunter
Hurd (TX)
Israel
Issa
Jackson Lee
Jenkins (KS)
Jenkins (WV)
Johnson (GA)
Johnson (OH)
Johnson, E. B.
Jolly
Joyce
Kaptur
Katko
Keating
Kelly (IL)
Kelly (PA)
Kennedy
Kildee
Kilmer
Kind
King (NY)
Kinzinger (IL)
Kirkpatrick
Kline
Knight
Kuster
LaMalfa
Lance
Langevin
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
Latta
Lawrence
Levin
Lewis
Lieu, Ted
Lipinski
LoBiondo
Loebsack
Lofgren
Loudermilk
Love
Lowenthal
Lowey
Lucas
Luetkemeyer
Lujan Grisham (NM)
Lujan, Ben Ray (NM)
Lummis
Lynch
MacArthur
Maloney, Carolyn
Maloney, Sean
Marchant
Marino
Matsui
McCarthy
McCaul
McClintock
McCollum
McGovern
McHenry
McKinley
McMorris Rodgers
McNerney
McSally
Meehan
Meeks
Meng
Messer
Mica
Miller (FL)
Miller (MI)
Moolenaar
Mooney (WV)
Moore
Moulton
Mullin
Murphy (FL)
Murphy (PA)
Nadler
Neal
Newhouse
Noem
Nolan
Norcross
Nunes
O'Rourke
Palazzo
Pallone
Paulsen
Payne
Pelosi
Perlmutter
Peters
Peterson
Pingree
Pittenger
Pitts
Pocan
Poliquin
Polis
Pompeo
Price (NC)
Price, Tom
Quigley
Rangel
Reed
Reichert
Renacci
Ribble
Rice (NY)
Richmond
Rigell
Roby
Rogers (AL)
Rogers (KY)
Rohrabacher
Rokita
Rooney (FL)
Ros-Lehtinen
Roskam
Ross
Rothfus
Rouzer
Roybal-Allard
Royce
Ruiz
Ruppersberger
Rush
Russell
Ryan (OH)
Ryan (WI)
Sanchez, Linda T.
Sanchez, Loretta
Sanford
Sarbanes
Scalise
Schakowsky
Schiff
Schock
Schweikert
Scott (VA)
Scott, Austin
Scott, David
Serrano
Sessions
Sewell (AL)
Sherman
Shimkus
Shuster
Simpson
Sinema
Sires
Slaughter
Smith (MO)
Smith (NE)
Smith (NJ)
Stefanik
Stewart
Stivers
Stutzman
Swalwell (CA)
Takai
Takano
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Thompson (PA)
Thornberry
Tiberi
Tipton
Titus
Tonko
Torres
Trott
Tsongas
Turner
Upton
Valadao
Van Hollen
Veasey
Vela
[[Page H1497]]
Velazquez
Wagner
Walberg
Walden
Walorski
Walters, Mimi
Walz
Wasserman Schultz
Waters, Maxine
Watson Coleman
Weber (TX)
Webster (FL)
Welch
Westerman
Westmoreland
Whitfield
Williams
Wilson (FL)
Wilson (SC)
Womack
Woodall
Yarmuth
Yoho
Young (AK)
Young (IA)
Young (IN)
Zeldin
Zinke
NOES--60
Amash
Amodei
Babin
Barletta
Barton
Brat
Bridenstine
Brooks (AL)
Burgess
Clawson (FL)
DeSantis
DesJarlais
Duffy
Duncan (TN)
Farenthold
Fincher
Fleming
Flores
Forbes
Franks (AZ)
Gohmert
Gosar
Gowdy
Griffith
Grijalva
Hice, Jody B.
Hudson
Huelskamp
Hultgren
Hurt (VA)
Johnson, Sam
Jones
Jordan
King (IA)
Labrador
Lamborn
Massie
Meadows
Mulvaney
Napolitano
Neugebauer
Nugent
Olson
Palmer
Pascrell
Pearce
Perry
Poe (TX)
Posey
Ratcliffe
Rice (SC)
Salmon
Sensenbrenner
Smith (TX)
Smith (WA)
Visclosky
Walker
Wenstrup
Wittman
Yoder
NOT VOTING--15
Aderholt
Bass
Coffman
Fortenberry
Green, Gene
Hartzler
Hinojosa
Jeffries
Lee
Long
McDermott
Roe (TN)
Schrader
Speier
Vargas
{time} 2159
Mr. CUELLAR changed his vote from ``no'' to ``aye.''
So (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and
the Senate amendment was concurred in.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
Stated for:
Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall vote 106, on motion to
suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendment related to H.R. 33
had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''
____________________