[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 63 (Wednesday, April 29, 2015)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D461-D465]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                        House of Representatives


Chamber Action
Public Bills and Resolutions Introduced: 40 public bills, H.R. 2082-
2121; 1 private bill, H.R. 2122; and 8Usolutions, H. Res. 227-230, 232-
235 were introduced.                                     
  Pages H2652-55
Additional Cosponsors:                                   
  Pages H2655-56
Reports Filed: Reports were filed today as follows:
  H.R. 308, to prohibit gaming activities on certain Indian lands in 
Arizona until the expiration of certain gaming compacts (H. Rept. 114-
95);
  Conference report on S. Con. Res. 11, setting forth the congressional 
budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2016 and 
setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2017 
through 2025 (H. Rept. 114-96);
  Committee on Appropriations; Suballocation of Budget Allocations for 
Fiscal Year 2016 (H. Rept. 114-97); and
  H. Res. 231, providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 1732) to 
preserve existing rights and responsibilities with respect to waters of 
the United States, and for other purposes; providing for consideration 
of the conference report to accompany the concurrent resolution (S. 
Con. Res. 11) setting forth the congressional budget for the United 
States Government for fiscal year 2016 and setting forth the 
appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2017 through 2025; and 
providing for consideration of the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 43) 
disapproving the action of the District of Columbia Council in 
approving the Reproductive Health Non-Discrimination Amendment Act of 
2014.                                             
Pages H2516-74, H2652


 =========================== NOTE =========================== 

  
  April 29, 2015, on page D461, the following appeared: Speaker: 
Read a letter from the Speaker wherein he appointed Representative 
Brooks (AL) to act as Speaker pro tempore for today. Page H2503
  
  The online version should be corrected to delete this section.


 ========================= END NOTE ========================= 


[[Page D462]]

     Guest Chaplain: The prayer was offered by the Guest Chaplain, 
     Reverend Dr. Jimmy Jackson, Whitesburg Baptist Church, 
     Huntsville, Alabama.                                    30Recess: 
     The House recessed at 9:04 a.m. for the purpose of receiving 
     Hss: Tis Excellency Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan. The 
     House reconvened at 12:41 p.m., and agreed that the 
     proceedings had during the Joint Meeting be printed in the 
     Record.                                                 30Joint 
     Meeting To Receive His Excellency Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister 
     ot Meef Japan: The House and Senate met in a joint session to 
     receive His Excellency Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan. 
     He was escorted into the Chamber by a committee comprised of 
     Representatives McCarthy, Scalise, McMorris Rodgers, Walden, 
     Messer, Foxx, Ryan, Frelinghuysen, Granger, Tiberi, Nunes, 
     Salmon, Long, Pelosi, Hoyer, Becerra, Crowley, Edwards, 
     DeLauro, Honda, Matsui, Takano, Takai, DeGette, McDermott, 
     and Castro; and Senators McConnell, Cornyn, Hatch, Barrasso, 
     Blunt, Wicker, Murkowski, Corker, Durbin, Murray, Cardin, and 
     Hirono.                                             30Moment of 
     silence: The House observed a moment of silence for the 
     victimf sils of the earthquake in Nepal.
     n--Proceedings Resumed: The House agreed to suspend the rules 
     ensioand pass the following measure which was debated on 
     Tuesday, April 29th:
     Designating the facility of the United States Postal Service 
     located at 820 Elmwood Avenue in Providence, Rhode Island, as 
     the ``Sister Ann Keefe Post Office'': H.R. 651, to designate 
     the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
     820 Elmwood Avenue in Providence, Rhode Island, as the 
     ``Sister Ann Keefe Post Office'', by a \2/3\ yea-and-nay of 
     423 yeas with none voting ``nay'', Roll No. 177. 
                                                    Pages H2515-16
     Committee Resignation: Read a letter from Representative Dold 
     wherein he resigned from the Committee on Financial Services.
                                                             Page H2574
     Committee Elections: The House agreed to H. Res. 229, 
     electing Members to certain standing committees of the House 
     of Representatives.                                     30Military 
     Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies 
     Approprtary iations Act, 2016: The House began consideration 
     of H.R. 2029, making appropriations for military 
     construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related 
     agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2016. 
     Consideration is expected to resume tomorrow, April 30. 
                                                      Pages H2574-H2623
Agreed to:
  Stefanik amendment that increases funds, by offset, for acquisition, 
construction, installation, and equipment by $30,000,000 for activities 
and agencies of the Department of Defense;               
Pages H2586-89
  Gosar amendment that increases funds, by offset, for Departmental 
Administration General Administration in the Department of Veterans 
Affairs by $8,000,000;                                       
Page H2592
  Titus amendment that increases funds, by offset, for the womens 
health center within the VHA by $500,000;                    
Page H2592
  Gosar amendment that redirects $2,000,000 in funding within 
Departmental Administration, General Administration, Department of 
Veterans Affairs;                                        
Pages H2592-93
  Sinema amendment that increases, by offset, funds for the General 
Services Administration by $50,000;                          
Page H2593
  Gosar amendment that reduces funds for Departmental Administration, 
Department of Veterans Affairs by $3,200,000 and increases Information 
Technology Systems by a similar amount;                  
Pages H2593-94
  Ruiz amendment that redirects $5 million in funding within the 
General Operating Expenses, Veterans Benefits Administration account; 
                                                             Page H2594
  Walberg amendment that increases funding, by offset, for General 
Operating Expenses, Veterans Benefits Administration account by 
$5,000,000;                                              
Pages H2594-95
  LaMalfa amendment that makes sundry corrections to the bill; 
                                                         Pages H2598-99
  Jackson Lee amendment that adds a new section to the end of the bill 
revising amounts provided by the bill by reducing the amount made 
available for Department of Veterans Affairs-Departmental 
Administration-Information Technology Services and by increasing the 
amount made available for Veterans Health Administration-Medical 
Services by $2,000,000;                                  
Pages H2606-07
  Jolly amendment that prohibits the use of funds to carry out the 
closure or transfer of the United States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, 
Cuba;                                                        
Page H2607
  Babin amendment (No. 1 printed in the Congressional Record of April 
28, 2015) that prohibits the use of funds to carry out the Appraised 
Value Offer program of the Department of Veterans Affairs; 
                                                         Pages H2609-10
  Rothfus amendment (No. 2 printed in the Congressional Record of April 
28, 2015) that prohibits the use of funds used by the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs to pay a performance award under section 5384 of title 
5, United States Code;                                   
Pages H2610-12

[[Page D463]]


  Jackson Lee amendment that prohibits the use of funds for benefits 
for homeless veterans and training and outreach programs maybe be used 
by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in contravention of subchapter III 
of chapter 20 of title 38, United States Code;               
Page H2612
  Roe (TN) amendment (No. 6 printed in the Congressional Record of 
April 28, 2015) that provides that not more than $4,400,000 of the 
funds provided may be used for the Office of Congressional and 
Legislative Affairs, and the amount provided under that heading is 
reduced by $1,500,000;                                   
Pages H2612-13
  Noem amendment that prohibits use of funds to end, suspend, or 
relocate, hospital-based services with respect to a VA health care 
facility that is the subject of an environmental impact statement, 
designated as a National Historic Landmark, or located in a highly 
rural area;                                                  
Page H2614
  Ratcliffe amendment (No. 5 printed in the Congressional Record of 
April 28, 2015) that prohibits use of funds in the bill for a new round 
of Base Realignment and Closures (BRAC);                 
Pages H2615-16
  Grayson amendment that prohibits use of funds to enter into a 
contract with any offeror;                                   
Page H2616
  Hurd amendment that prohibits the use of funds in contravention of 
subtitle D of title VIII of the Carl Levin and Howard P. ``Buck'' 
McKeon National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015; 
                                                         Pages H2616-17
  Roe (TN) amendment that prohibits the use of funds to pay an award or 
bonus to any employee of the Office of Construction and Facilities in 
VA, specifically in the locations of Denver, Orlando, Las Vegas and New 
Orleans;                                                     
Page H2617
  Stivers amendment that prohibits the use of funds to be used as 
salaries of orthotists and prosthetists who are not certified by a 
nationally accredited body;                              
Pages H2617-18
  Byrne amendment that prohibits the use of funds to transfer any funds 
from the Veterans Choice Fund;                               
Page H2618
  Gosar amendment that prohibits the use of funds to carry out the 
memorandum from the Veterans Benefit Administration known as Fast 
Letter 13-10, or to create or maintain any patient record-keeping 
system other than those currently approved by the Department; and 
                                                         Pages H2618-19
  LaMalfa amendment that provides that for an additional amount for 
Department of Veterans Affairs-Departmental Administration-General 
Operating Expenses, Veterans Administration, there is hereby 
appropriated, and the amount otherwise provided by this Act is hereby 
reduced by $5,000,000.                                   
Pages H2620-21
Rejected:
  McNerney amendment that sought to increase funding, by offset, for 
reimbursement of the General Services Administration by $177,300,000 
for construction, major projects.                        
Pages H2591-92
Withdrawn:
  Brownley (CA) amendment that was offered and subsequently withdrawn 
that would have in the Department of Veterans Affairs- Departmental 
Administration- Construction, Major Projects account, struck the 
aggregate dollar amount and inserted $1,143,800,000 for Department of 
Veterans Affairs, Construction, Major Projects;          
Pages H2595-98
  Boustany amendment that was offered and subsequently withdrawn that 
would have prohibited funds from being used to pay Veterans Affairs 
personnel due to backlog;                                
Pages H2605-06
  Adams amendment that was offered and subsequently withdrawn that 
would have provided that the General Operating Expenses, Veterans 
Benefits Administration account for FY 2016 may be used by the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide discretionary competitive 
grants for State and local governments to establish or expand 
technology systems that develop a coordinated network of private, 
public and nonprofit services and resources to better serve veterans 
and their family members;                                    
Page H2610
  Hill amendment that was offered and subsequently withdrawn that would 
have prohibited the use of funds to carry out any new Key Renewable VA 
Energy Project under the Department's Green Management Programs; and 
                                                         Pages H2619-20
  Farenthold amendment that was offered and subsequently withdrawn that 
would have prohibited the use of funds to pay the salary of any VA 
employee who received an unsatisfactory work performance review in FY 
2015.                                                        
Page H2620
Point of Order sustained against:
  Bishop (GA) amendment that sought to redirect funding for Military 
Construction, Army; increase funding by $154,643,000 for Veterans 
Health Administration, Medical Services; increase funding by 
$69,691,000 for medical support and compliance; increase funding by 
$105,132,000 for medical facilities; increase funding by $10,000,000 
for Departmental Administration; increase funding by $95,000,000 for 
Information Technology Systems; increase funding by $582,000,000 for 
Construction, Major Projects; and strike Sections 233, 238, 240, and 
241. Agreed to sustain the ruling of the Chair on a point of order 
raised against the amendment, by a recorded vote of 237 ayes to 180 
noes, Roll No. 178.                                      
Pages H2583-86
  Gosar amendment that sought to increase, by offset, funds for 
hospital care and medical services within the VHA by $2,031,000; 
                                                         Pages H2589-91

[[Page D464]]


  Benishek amendment that sought to add a new section to the bill 
requiring a report describing the status, including the timeline for 
completion, of each Community-Based Outpatient Clinic to be established 
by the Department of Veterans Affairs, through construction or lease, 
that is not yet complete be submitted to Congress;    
                                                      Pages H2599-H2600
  Mulvaney amendment that sought to strike title IV, which overseas 
Contingency Operations Department of Defense; and        
                                                         Pages H2600-03
  Pocan amendment that sought to prohibit use of funds to withhold any 
report of an Inspector General from any member of Congress in any case 
where the member of Congress has requested that such report be 
provided.                                                    
                                                             Page H2614
                                                 Proceedings Postponed:
  Van Hollen amendment that seeks to strike the pending paragraph 
pertaining to the Military Construction, Navy and Marine Corps; 
                                                         Pages H2602-03
  Mulvaney amendment that seeks to strike the pending paragraph 
pertaining to the Military Construction, Air Force;          
                                                             Page H2603
  Mulvaney amendment that seeks to strike the pending paragraph 
pertaining to the Military Construction, Defense-Wide;   
                                                         Pages H2603-04
  Nadler amendment that seeks to strike section 512 from the bill 
pertaining to the United States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; 
                                                         Pages H2604-05
  Blumenauer amendment that seeks to prohibit the use of funds to 
implement, administer, or enforce Veterans Health Administration 
directive 2011-004 with respect to the prohibition on ``VA providers 
for completing forms seeking recommendations or opinions regarding a 
Veteran's participation in a State marijuana program''; 
                                                         Pages H2607-09
  Pocan amendment that seeks to prohibit the use of funds to enter into 
a contract with any person whose disclosures of a proceeding with a 
disposition listed in the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity 
Information System include the term ``Fair Labor Standards Act''; 
                                                         Pages H2613-14
  Hice (GA) amendment that seeks to prohibit the use of funds to pay a 
Federal Employee for any period of time during which such employee is 
using official time under U.S. Code; and                 
                                                         Pages H2621-22
  King (IA) amendment (No. 3 printed in the Congressional Record of 
April 28, 2015) that seeks to prohibit the use of funds to implement, 
administer, or enforce the prevailing wage requirements under what is 
commonly known as the Davis-Bacon Act.                   
                                                         Pages H2622-23
  H. Res. 223, the rule providing for consideration of the bills (H.R. 
2028) and (H.R. 2029) was agreed to by a yea-and-nay vote of 240 yeas 
to 186 nays, Roll No. 176, after the previous question was ordered. 
                                                             Page H2515
Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 
2016: The House began consideration of H.R. 2028, making appropriations 
for energy and water development and related agencies for the fiscal 
year ending September 30, 2016. Consideration is expected to resume 
tomorrow, April 30.                            
  Pages H2506-15, H2623-51
                                                             Agreed to:
  Gosar amendment that increases funding for Investigations by 
$1,000,000 and reduces funding for Departmental Administration by a 
similar amount;                                              
                                                             Page H2633
  Gosar amendment that increases funds for Construction by $3,000,000 
and reduces funding for Departmental Administration by a similar 
amount;                                                      
                                                             Page H2633
  Murphy (FL) amendment that increases funds for Army Corps of 
Engineers Construction by $1,000,000 and reduces funding for Expenses 
by a similar amount;                                     
                                                         Pages H2633-34
  Duffy amendment that increases, by offset, Army Corp of Engineers 
funding for Construction by $10,000,000 for the support of GLFER; 
                                                         Pages H2634-35
  Huizenga (MI) amendment (No. 6 printed in the Congressional Record of 
April 28, 2015) that increases funds to Operations and Maintenance by 
$36,306,000 and reduces funding for Departmental Administration by a 
similar amount;                                          
                                                         Pages H2635-37
  Gosar amendment that reduces funding for Regulatory Program by 
$424,000 and increases funding for the Office of Inspector General by a 
similar amount;                                              
                                                             Page H2638
  Tipton amendment that increases funding for Water and Related 
Resources by $2,000,000 and reduces funding for Departmental 
Administration by a similar amount;                      
                                                         Pages H2643-45
  Lamborn amendment that, by offset, increases funding for Energy 
Efficiency and Renewable Energy by $4,000,000;           
                                                         Pages H2646-47
  Bonamici amendment that increases funding for Energy Efficiency and 
Renewable Energy by $9 million and reduces funding for Departmental 
Administration by a similar amount;                          
                                                             Page H2648
  Cohen amendment that increases funding for Energy Efficiency and 
Renewable Energy by $2 million and reduces funding for Departmental 
Administration by a similar amount;                      
                                                         Pages H2648-49
Rejected:
  Beyer amendment that sought to strike section 104 from the bill. 
Section 104 prohibits use of funds

[[Page D465]]

by the Corps of Engineers to develop, adopt, implement, administer, or 
enforce any change to the regulations pertaining to definitions of the 
terms ``fill material'' or ``discharge of fill material''; 
                                                         Pages H2640-41
  Beyer amendment that sought to strike section 105 from the bill. 
Section 105 prohibits use of funds in the bill by the Corps of 
Engineers to develop, adopt, implement, administer, or enforce any 
change to the regulations and guidance pertaining to the definition of 
waters under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act;    
Pages H2641-42
  Castor (FL) amendment that sought to increase funding for Energy 
Efficiency and Renewable Energy by $266,161,000 and to reduce funding 
for Fossil Energy Research and Development by $355,000,000; 
                                                         Pages H2645-46
Withdrawn:
  Crawford amendment that was offered and subsequently withdrawn that 
would have increased funding for Mississippi River and Tributaries by 
$27,000,000 and reduced EERE by $96,000,000;             
Pages H2635-37
  Rice (SC) amendment that was offered and subsequently withdrawn that 
would have decreased Regulatory funding by $4,500,000 and increased 
funding for Operations and Maintenance by a similar amount; and 
                                                         Pages H2637-38
  Perry amendment that was offered and subsequently withdrawn that 
would have increased funding for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy 
by $22,300,000 and to reduced funding for Departmental Administration 
by a similar amount.                                         
Page H2647
Proceedings Postponed:
  McClintock amendment that seeks to reduce funding for sundry accounts 
and to apply the aggregate savings of $128,920,000 to the spending 
reduction account;                                       
Pages H2638-40
  Ruiz amendment that seeks to increase funding for Water and Related 
Resources by $5,000,000 and to reduce funding for Fossil Energy 
Research and Development by $2,000,000;                  
Pages H2642-43
  Griffith amendment that seeks to increase funding for Fossil Energy 
Research and Development by $5,000,000 and to reduce funding for Energy 
Efficiency and Renewable Energy by a similar amount;         
Page H2645
  Swalwell (CA) amendment that seeks to increase funding for Energy 
Efficiency and Renewable Energy by $25,500,000 and to reduce funding 
for Fossil Energy by $34,000,000;                            
Page H2647
  Byrne amendment that seeks to zero out funding for Energy Efficiency 
and Renewable Energy and to apply the savings of $1,657,774,000 to the 
spending reduction account; and                          
Pages H2649-50
  McClintock amendment that seeks to zero out funding for Energy 
Efficiency and Renewable Energy, reduce Nuclear Energy by $691,886,000, 
and zero out funding for Fossil Energy and to apply the aggregate 
savings of $2,954,660,000 to the spending reduction account. 
                                                             Page H2650
  H. Res. 223, the rule providing for consideration of the bills (H.R. 
2028) and (H.R. 2029) was agreed to by a yea-and-nay vote of 240 yeas 
to 186 nays, Roll No. 176, after the previous question was ordered. 
                                                             Page H2515
Senate Message: Message received from the Senate by the Clerk and 
subsequently presented to the House today appear on page H2506.
Senate Referrals: S. 304 was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
Commerce.                                            
  Pages H2506, H2651
Quorum Calls--Votes: Two yea-and-nay votes and one recorded vote 
developed during the proceedings of today and appear on pages H2515, 
H2515-16 and H2585-86. There were no quorum calls.
Adjournment: The House met at 9 a.m. and adjourned at 11:29 p.m.