[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 50 (Wednesday, March 25, 2015)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D341-D342]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




[[Page D341]]




                        House of Representatives


Chamber Action
Public Bills and Resolutions Introduced: 44 public bills, H.R. 1597-
1640; and 5 resolutions, H. Con. Res. 29; and H. Res. 171-174, were 
introduced.                                              
  Pages H2031-33
Additional Cosponsors:                                   
  Pages H2035-36
Reports Filed: A report was filed today as follows:
  H. Res. 173, providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 2) to 
amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to repeal the Medicare 
sustainable growth rate and strengthen Medicare access by improving 
physician payments and making other improvements, to reauthorize the 
Children's Health Insurance Program, and for other purposes, and 
providing for proceedings during the period from March 27, 2015, 
through April 10, 2015 (H. Rept. 114-50).                    
Page H2031
Speaker: Read a letter from the Speaker wherein he appointed 
Representative Mooney (WV) to act as Speaker pro tempore for today. 
                                                             Page H1903
Guest Chaplain: The prayer was offered by the Guest Chaplain, Reverend 
Tim Crumpton, Cleburne County Baptist Church, Heber Springs, Arkansas. 
                                                             Page H1903
Journal: The House agreed to the Speaker's approval of the Journal by a 
voice vote.                                          
  Pages H1903, H2021
Recess: The House recessed at 10:05 a.m. for the purpose of receiving 
His Excellency Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, President of the Islamic Republic 
of Afghanistan. The House reconvened at 12:29 p.m., and agreed that the 
proceedings had during the Joint Meeting be printed in the Record.
Joint Meeting to receive His Excellency Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, 
President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan: The House and Senate 
met in a joint session to receive His Excellency Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, 
President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. He was escorted into 
the Chamber by a committee comprised of Representatives McCarthy, 
Scalise, McMorris Rodgers, Walden, Messer, Foxx, Rogers (KY), Royce, 
Thornberry, Nunes, Frelinghuysen, Granger, Pelosi, Hoyer, Becerra, 
Crowley, DeLauro, Edwards, Engel, Eshoo, Jackson Lee, Davis (CA), 
Schiff, Moulton; and Senators McConnell, Cornyn, Hatch, Barrasso, 
Blunt, Wicker, Corker, Durbin, Murray, Stabenow, Menendez, and Murphy. 
                                                         Pages H1904-08
Establishing the budget for the United States Government for fiscal 
year 2016 and setting forth appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal 
years 2017 through 2025: The House agreed to H. Con. Res. 27, 
establishing the budget for the United States Government for fiscal 
year 2016 and setting forth appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal 
years 2017 through 2025, by a yea-and-nay vote of 228 yeas to 199 nays, 
Roll No. 142.                                         
  Pages H1909-H2021
Agreed to:
  Price (GA) amendment in the nature of a substitute (No. 6 printed in 
H. Rept. 114-49) that increases new budget authority for the Overseas 
Contingency Operations/Global War on Terrorism function (Function 970) 
by $2 billion, from $94 billion to $96 billion in Fiscal Year 2016. The 
amendment increases the outlay amounts for OCO over the period of 
Fiscal Years 2016 to 2025. As a consequence of the increase in OCO/
GWOT, conforming increases are made in total budget authority and 
outlays, deficits, interest, debt subject to limit, and debt held by 
the public. Even with the increase in overall budget and outlays, the 
budget resolution remains in balance in Fiscal Year 2024 and 
thereafter. The amendment also strikes a deficit-neutral reserve fund 
for Overseas Contingency Operations/Global War on Terrorism in section 
513 of the reported resolution (by a recorded vote of 219 ayes to 208 
noes, Roll No. 141).                        
Pages H1998-H2017, H2018-19
Rejected:
  Ellison amendment in the nature of a substitute (No. 1 printed in H. 
Rept. 114-49) that sought to establish funding levels to provide the 
opportunities American families need. The budget creates 8.4 million 
high quality jobs, while reducing the deficit and providing a boost to 
Americas long-term global competitiveness (by a recorded vote of 96 
ayes to 330 noes, Roll No. 136);                  
Pages H1930-38, H1980
  Butterfield amendment in the nature of a substitute (No. 2 printed in 
H. Rept. 114-49) that sought to make investments in education, job 
training, transportation and infrastructure, and advanced research and 
development programs that will accelerate our economic recovery. It 
includes funding for a comprehensive jobs bill and targeted investments 
to reduce and eradicate poverty in America. Additionally, the amendment 
protects the social safety net without cutting Social Security, 
Medicare, Medicaid, or SNAP. The amendment raises new revenue by making 
our tax system fairer, saving more than $1.9 trillion on the deficit 
over the next decade. The amendment will reduce our annual budget 
deficit to 2.3% of GDP by FY 2025 (by a recorded vote of 120 ayes to 
306 noes, Roll No. 137);                          
Pages H1938-46, H1981

[[Page D342]]


  Stutzman amendment in the nature of a substitute (No. 3 printed in H. 
Rept. 114-49) that sought to establish the budget for the United States 
Government for fiscal year 2016 and setting forth appropriate budgetary 
levels for fiscal years 2017 through 2025. Balances in six years, 
encourages pro-growth tax reform, and provides for our national defense 
(by a recorded vote of 132 ayes to 294 noes, Roll No. 138); 
                                               Pages H1946-63, H1981-82
  Van Hollen amendment in the nature of a substitute (No. 4 printed in 
H. Rept. 114-49) that reflects policies that will put the federal 
budget on a fiscally responsible path, with debt declining as a share 
of the economy. It sought to provide for tax policies that help the 
middle class and those working their way into the middle class by 
raising the take-home pay of hard-working Americans, and rejects the 
sequester caps to make needed investments that create jobs for those 
still seeking work, that educate our children and prepare them for 
success, and that sharpen the nations competitive edge (by a recorded 
vote of 160 ayes to 264 noes, Roll No. 139); and 
                                               Pages H1963-80, H1982-83
  Price (GA) amendment in the nature of a substitute (No. 5 printed in 
H. Rept. 114-49) that sought to retain the $94 billion for Overseas 
Contingency Operations/Global War on Terrorism function (Function 970) 
in Fiscal Year 2016. The amendment also retains a deficit-neutral 
reserve fund for Overseas Contingency Operations/Global War on 
Terrorism in section 513. This section permits the Chair of the 
Committee on the Budget to adjust the 302(a) allocations to the 
Committee on Appropriations, and other appropriate levels, for any 
appropriations measure that provides new budget authority for Overseas 
Contingency Operations in excess of $73.5 billion up to $94 billion in 
Fiscal Year 2016 (by a recorded vote of 105 ayes to 319 noes, Roll No. 
140).                                          
Pages H1983-98, H2017-18
  H. Res. 163, the rule providing for consideration of the concurrent 
resolution (H. Con. Res. 27) was agreed to yesterday, March 24th.
Committee Elections: The House agreed to H. Res. 172, electing Members 
to certain standing committees of the House of Representatives. 
                                                             Page H2021
Meeting Hour: Agreed by unanimous consent that when the House adjourns 
today, it adjourn to meet at 9 a.m. tomorrow, March 26.      
  Page H2031
Suspensions: The House agreed to suspend the rules and pass the 
following measure:
  Slain Officer Family Support Act of 2015: H.R. 1527, to accelerate 
the income tax benefits for charitable cash contributions for the 
relief of the families of New York Police Department Detectives Wenjian 
Liu and Rafael Ramos.                                    
  Pages H2021-23
Senate Message: Message received from the Senate by the Clerk and 
subsequently presented to the House today appears on page H1909.
Senate Referral: S. 301 was held at the desk.                
  Page H1909
Quorum Calls Votes: Six recorded votes and one yea-and-nay vote 
developed during the proceedings of today and appear on pages H1980, 
H1981, H1981-82, H1982-83, H2018, H2018-19, and H2020-21. There were no 
quorum calls.
Adjournment: The House met at 10 a.m. and adjourned at 8:34 p.m.