[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 121 (Wednesday, July 29, 2015)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D908-D909]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                        House of Representatives


Chamber Action
Public Bills and Resolutions Introduced: 160 public bills, H.R. 3273-
3432; and 18 resolutions, H.J. Res. 62; H. Con. Res. 67-69; and H. Res. 
392-405 were introduced.                                 
  Pages H5762-70
Additional Cosponsors:                                   
  Pages H5775-77
Reports Filed: Reports were filed today as follows:
  H.R. 9, to amend title 35, United States Code, and the Leahy-Smith 
America Invents Act to make improvements and technical corrections, and 
for other purposes, with an amendment (H. Rept. 114-235);
  H.R. 1992, to reduce temporarily the royalty required to be paid for 
sodium produced on Federal lands, and for other purposes (H. Rept. 114-
236);
  H.R. 3116, to extend by 15 years the authority of the Secretary of 
Commerce to conduct the quarterly financial report program (H. Rept. 
114-237);
  H.R. 1759, to amend title 5, United States Code, to provide for the 
publication, by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, of 
information relating to rulemakings, and for other purposes (H. Rept. 
114-238, Part 1); and
  H.R. 1759, to amend title 5, United States Code, to provide for the 
publication, by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, of 
information relating to rulemakings, and for other purposes (H. Rept. 
114-238, Part 2).                                            
Page H5762
Speaker: Read a letter from the Speaker wherein he appointed 
Representative Fleischmann to act as Speaker pro tempore for today. 
                                                             Page H5595
Recess: The House recessed at 11:30 a.m. and reconvened at 12 noon. 
                                                             Page H5605
Journal: The House agreed to the Speaker's approval of the Journal by 
voice vote.                                          
  Pages H5605, H5653
VA Accountability Act of 2015: The House passed H.R. 1994, to amend 
title 38, United States Code, to provide for the removal or demotion of 
employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs based on performance or 
misconduct, by a yea-and-nay vote of 256 yeas to 170 nays, Roll No. 
489.                                           
  Pages H5653-40, H5650-53
  Rejected the Takano motion to recommit the bill to the Committee on 
Veterans' Affairs with instructions to report the same back to the 
House forthwith with an amendment, by a recorded vote of 184 ayes to 
241 noes, Roll No. 488.                                  
Pages H5651-53
  Pursuant to the Rule, an amendment in the nature of a substitute 
recommended by the Committee on Veterans Affairs now printed in the 
bill shall be considered as an original bill for the purpose of 
amendment under the five-minute rule.                        
Page H5631
Agreed to:
  Benishek amendment (No. 1 printed in H. Rept. 114-234) that reforms 
and improves the VA Inspector General's ability to report on problems 
and problem employees at the VA; requires the IG to release reports 
including employee misconduct to the public and explain what changes 
the VA has requested, requires the IG to identify a manager responsible 
for fixing an identified problem, makes it easier to fire an identified 
employee, and targets the bonuses of employees that fail to solve 
problems.                                                
Pages H5635-40
Rejected:
  Takano amendment in the nature of a substitute (No. 2 printed in H. 
Rept. 114-234) that sought to provide VA Secretary the authority to 
immediately suspend without pay any employee whose performance or 
misconduct is a threat to health or safety; ensure back pay for 
whistleblowers unfairly terminated, and cap the payment of 
administrative leave to 14 days; make effective date of back pay 
provision October 1, 2015 (by a recorded vote of 191 ayes to 233 noes, 
Roll No. 487).                                           
Pages H5650-51
  H. Res. 388, the rule providing for consideration of the bills (H.R. 
1994) and (H.R. 3236) was agreed to by a recorded vote of 243 ayes to 
183 noes, Roll No. 484, after the previous question was ordered by a 
yea-and-nay vote of 242 yeas to 180 nays, Roll No. 483. 
                                                         Pages H5610-23
Question of Consideration: The Chair announced that the bill (H.R. 
3236) to provide an extension of Federal-aid highway, highway safety, 
motor carrier safety, transit, and other programs funded out of the 
Highway Trust Fund, and to provide resource flexibility to the 
Department of Veterans Affairs for health care services, contained an 
emergency designation pursuant to section 4(g)(1) of the Statutory Pay-

[[Page D909]]

As-You-Go Act of 2010. Subsequently, the House agreed to consider H.R. 
3236 by voice vote.                                          
  Page H5640
Surface Transportation and Veterans Health Care Choice Improvement Act 
of 2015: The House passed H.R. 3236, to provide an extension of 
Federal-aid highway, highway safety, motor carrier safety, transit, and 
other programs funded out of the Highway Trust Fund, and to provide 
resource flexibility to the Department of Veterans Affairs for health 
care services, by a yea-and-nay vote of 385 yeas to 34 nays with one 
answering ``present'', Roll No. 486.                     
  Pages H5640-50
  H. Res. 388, the rule providing for consideration of the bills (H.R. 
1994) and (H.R. 3236) was agreed to by a recorded vote of 243 ayes to 
183 noes, Roll No. 484, after the previous question was ordered by a 
yea-and-nay vote of 242 yeas to 180 nays, Roll No. 483. 
                                                         Pages H5621-22
Suspension--Proceedings Resumed: The House agreed to suspend the rules 
and pass the following measure which was debated on Monday, July 27th:
  First Responder Anthrax Preparedness Act: H.R. 1300, amended, to 
direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to make anthrax vaccines and 
antimicrobials available to emergency response providers, by a 2/3 yea-
and-nay vote of 424 yeas with none voting ``nay'', Roll No. 485. 
                                                             Page H5623
Meeting Hour: Agreed by unanimous consent that when the House adjourns 
today, it adjourn to meet at 1 p.m. on Friday, July 31.      
  Page H5653
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure--Communication: Read a 
letter from Chairman Shuster wherein he transmitted copies of 
resolutions to authorize nine alteration projects, two reprogramming 
prospectuses, two construction prospectuses, and two lease 
prospectuses, included in the General Services Administration's FY2015 
and FY2016 Capital Investment and Leasing Programs. The resolutions 
were adopted by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on 
July 23, 2015.                                               
  Page H5664
Presidential Message: Read a message from the President wherein he 
notified Congress that the national emergency with respect to Lebanon 
that was declared in Executive Order 13441 of August 1, 2007, is to 
continue in effect beyond August 1, 2015--referred to the Committee on 
Foreign Affairs and ordered to be printed (H. Doc. 114-53). 
                                                             Page H5664
Senate Message: Message received from the Senate appears on page 5601.
Senate Referrals: S. 614 and S. 242 were held at the desk. S. 764 was 
referred to the Committee on Natural Resources. S. Con. Res. 20 was 
referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, the Committee 
on Transportation and Infrastructure, the Committee on the Judiciary, 
and the Committee on Energy and Commerce.                    
  Page H5761
Quorum Calls--Votes: Four yea-and-nay votes and three recorded votes 
developed during the proceedings of today and appear on pages H5621-22, 
H5622-23, H5623, H5650, H5651, H5652-53, and H5653. There were no 
quorum calls.
Adjournment: The House met at 10 a.m. and adjourned at 8:28 p.m.