[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 175 (Thursday, December 3, 2015)]
[House]
[Pages H9000-H9002]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM
(Mr. HOYER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1
minute.)
Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr.
McCarthy) for the purpose of inquiring of the majority leader the
schedule of the week to come.
Mr. McCARTHY. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, on Monday, the House will meet at noon for morning hour
and
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2 p.m. for legislative business. No votes are expected in the House in
order to accommodate Members going to the White House event.
On Tuesday, the House will meet at 10 a.m. for morning hour and noon
for legislative business. Members are advised that the first votes of
the week are expected mid-afternoon on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, the House will meet at 10 a.m. for morning hour and
noon for legislative business. On Thursday, the House will meet at 9
a.m. for legislative business.
Last votes of the week are still to be determined, but Members are
encouraged to keep their schedules flexible as we approach the end of
the year.
Mr. Speaker, the House will consider a number of suspensions next
week, a complete list of which will be announced by close of business
tomorrow. Included will be a bill to make urgent and necessary changes
to the Visa Waiver Program.
H.R. 158, sponsored by Representative Candice Miller, will close
loopholes in the visa waiver system to prevent terrorists from
exploiting the system to come to America to wreak havoc.
The House has identified a host of recommendations to improve the
visa waiver system in a bipartisan way. I do want to thank the
gentleman for his work and cooperation on this critical bill.
In addition, the House will consider H.R. 2130, the Red River Private
Property Protection Act, sponsored by Representative Mac Thornberry,
which will provide legal certainty to property owners in Texas.
Mr. Speaker, the House may also consider the conference report to
H.R. 644, the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015, as
well as a bill to extend certain provisions of the Tax Code.
Additionally, it is possible that the House will consider an omnibus
appropriations act.
Finally, Mr. Speaker, the House may also consider budget
reconciliation, if the Senate acts on that measure.
{time} 1330
Mr. HOYER. I thank the gentleman for that information.
I want to also thank him for the work that he has done on the Visa
Waiver Program. His staff and my staff and the staff on Homeland
Security on both sides of the aisle and the staff on the Judiciary
Committee on both sides of the aisle, including the leaders on both
sides, have worked very hard.
I think we have come up with a bipartisan effort to keep America
safer while at the same time providing for access to people who do not
pose a threat to America or to Americans.
I thank him for his leadership on that. I am pleased to have had the
opportunity to work with him, and I look forward to the bill's passing
with big majorities next week. So I thank him for that.
Mr. Leader, there is indication that the appropriation bills, or the
omnibus, as we are now calling it, will come to the floor. Can the
leader tell me whether or not we are making any progress on riders?
Obviously, as I understand it, essentially, we have agreement on the
allocation of the dollars, which of course is the responsibility of the
Appropriations Committee, and that is what they do.
Clearly, we seem to be having difficulty with the so-called riders--
that is, additions to the appropriations bill--which accomplish
legislative objectives either through a ``none of the funds'' provision
or a legislative provision which would require a waiver.
Does the gentleman know whether or not we are making progress on
eliminating riders that are controversial so that we can move the bill
in a bipartisan fashion next week?
I yield to my friend.
Mr. McCARTHY. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
As the gentleman knows, negotiations are ongoing. The appropriators
are working hard in trying to wrap up the bill, and I will advise the
Members as soon as action is scheduled in the House.
Mr. HOYER. I thank the gentleman for that.
Can I ask the gentleman again in terms of the timing of the omnibus.
The existing CR, which is funding the government at the present time,
expires as of midnight on the 11th. Does the gentleman have any insight
as to the scheduling of the omnibus?
Presumably, we will have to pass it and give enough time for the
Senate to consider it and then for the President to sign it.
I yield to my friend.
Mr. McCARTHY. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
As the gentleman knows, wrapping up legislative business in December
is always unpredictable. In knowing that the omni is a larger bill, we
want to allow plenty of time for Members to be able to see it and read
it, but it is our intention to get it done by the deadline.
If we have to move it a few days later, we shall. We are scheduled to
be here until the 18th, but we will get our business done.
Mr. HOYER. I thank the gentleman.
I understand that we are here until the 18th. Does the gentleman
contemplate the possibility of a short-term CR from the 11th to the
18th at any point in time?
Mr. McCARTHY. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Only if necessary. I would rather get it done by the 11th.
Mr. HOYER. I thank the gentleman, and I certainly share his view on
that. It will be better for the country and better for the House if we
do that.
The gentleman also referenced tax extenders. Obviously, we have tax
extenders that expired in December of 2014, which have not been
extended. Does the gentleman have any knowledge as to whether or not we
have reached an agreement on a tax extender bill and, if so, the
substance of that and when it might be scheduled?
I yield to my friend.
Mr. McCARTHY. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
As the gentleman knows, this side of the aisle did not want to wait
on tax extenders, and many times we have passed the bills here to make
them permanent.
There are ongoing negotiations. There is good movement, and I hope to
see that done very soon. When it is, I will advise the Members of the
action to be taking place.
Mr. HOYER. I thank the gentleman.
Let me just observe to the majority leader, Mr. Speaker, that I have
great reservations. I want to let the gentleman know that, on this side
of the aisle, I think we have great reservations about doing in this
short time that we have left any kind of comprehensive tax extender
bill, which will adversely impact the possibility of tax reform, which
all of us have said we want.
But if we make a major effort on taxes now, particularly making many,
many items permanent, some of which I support making permanent, it will
have an adverse effect on the ability to do a big tax reform bill,
bring corporate rates down, look at preference items, and try to make
sure that we have a fiscally responsible piece of legislation.
So I would hope that there is an alternative, obviously, and that is
a short-term bill that the Senate has passed and that that would be
part of the discussions as a fallback.
I don't know that I am for a larger bill that I have heard about, but
I would hope, certainly, that the alternative that the Senate has
passed would be an alternative if, in fact, we cannot get agreement on
a bigger package so that we will have, at least for last year and the
year to come, some certainty with respect to tax consequences of
certain actions that private businesses may be taking.
I yield to my friend if he has any comment.
Mr. McCARTHY. I thank the gentleman.
As the gentleman knows, at times, we have philosophical differences.
I think the greater certainty we can give to the American public, the
more they can keep in their pockets and the stronger the economy is. I
do not believe that if we solve tax extenders that that harms us in any
way in getting overall tax reform.
But I do look forward to working with you on overall tax reform, and
hopefully we can work in the same manner that we were able to on the
Visa Waiver Program.
Mr. HOYER. I thank the gentleman.
As I said on the floor a little earlier today, this was a good week.
We passed
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an education bill in an overwhelmingly bipartisan fashion. Just a few
minutes ago, we passed an infrastructure-highway transportation bill
with overwhelming bipartisan support.
I hope America feels good about what we have been able to do this
week, and I hope America and I and others can feel good about what we
will do next week.
Unless the gentleman has any further comments, I yield back the
balance of my time.
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