[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 47 (Friday, March 17, 2017)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D306-D307]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                        House of Representatives


Chamber Action
Public Bills and Resolutions Introduced: 31 public bills, H.R. 1593-
1623; and 4 resolutions, H. Con. Res. 34; and H. Res. 206-208 were 
introduced.                                              
  Pages H2182-83
Additional Cosponsors:                                       
  Page H2185
Report Filed: A report was filed today as follows:
  H.R. 1101, to amend title I of the Employee Retirement Income 
Security Act of 1974 to improve access and choice for entrepreneurs 
with small businesses with respect to medical care for their employees, 
with an amendment (H. Rept. 115-43).                         
Page H2182
Journal: The House agreed to the Speaker's approval of the Journal by a 
recorded vote of 246 ayes to 143 noes with 2 answering ``present'', 
Roll No. 172.                                     
  Pages H2153, H2168-69
Providing for the expenses of certain committees of the House of 
Representatives in the One Hundred Fifteenth Congress: The House agreed 
to H. Res. 173, providing for the expenses of certain committees of the 
House of Representatives in the One Hundred Fifteenth Congress. 
                                                         Pages H2154-55
Improving the authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to hire 
and retain physicians and other employees of the Department of Veterans 
Affairs: The House passed H.R. 1367, to improve the authority of the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs to hire and retain physicians and other 
employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs, by a yea-and-nay vote 
of 412 yeas with none voting ``nay'', Roll No. 171. 
                                               Pages H2155-67, H2167-68
  Pursuant to the Rule, an amendment in the nature of a substitute 
consisting of the text of Rules Committee Print 115-6 shall be 
considered as an original bill for the purpose of amendment under the 
five-minute rule.                                            
Page H2156
Agreed to:
  Wenstrup amendment (No. 1 printed in part B of H. Rept. 115-39) that 
extends the timeline to implement the fellowship program from 90 days 
to one year and extends the GAO reporting deadline from one to two 
years; additionally, it removes the requirement to track a number of 
hiring effectiveness metrics, changes the establishment of a recruiting 
database from a ``shall'' to ``may'' authority, and stipulates that HR 
training be accomplished virtually;                      
Pages H2158-59
  Meng amendment (No. 2 printed in part B of H. Rept. 115-39) that 
makes clear that the Inspector General of the VA must report, pursuant 
to 38 U.S.C. 7412, on at minimum five clinical and five nonclinical VA 
occupations that have the largest staffing shortages, which then 
triggers special hiring authorities for the Secretary to address such 
shortages;                                                   
Page H2159
  Sewell (AL) amendment (No. 3 printed in part B of H. Rept. 115-39) 
that allows the Secretary to select eligible employees for the 
Executive Management Fellowship Program who represent or service rural 
areas, to whatever extent practicable;                   
Pages H2159-60
  Buck amendment (No. 5 printed in part B of H. Rept. 115-39) that 
prevents former political appointees at the VA from receiving non-
political,

[[Page D307]]

competitively selected positions at the VA without having to go through 
the proper selection process;                                
Page H2161
  Shea-Porter amendment (No. 6 printed in part B of H. Rept. 115-39) 
that requires the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs to 
list open mental health positions in the database established under the 
bill;                                                    
Pages H2161-62
  Brownley (CA) amendment (No. 7 printed in part B of H. Rept. 115-39) 
that clarifies that ``medical facility'' referenced in Sec. 10 includes 
each medical center, domiciliary facility, outpatient clinic, 
community-based outpatient clinic, and vet center;           
Page H2162
  Welch amendment (No. 8 printed in part B of H. Rept. 115-39) that 
adds an analysis of succession planning and hiring in rural areas, and 
requires a study on the ability to hire and recruit veterans in rural 
areas;                                                   
Pages H2162-63
  Gottheimer amendment (No. 9 printed in part B of H. Rept. 115-39) 
that adds veterans who are recent graduates and/or recipients of Post-
9/11 GI Bill Educational Assistance as a distinct category of 
individuals who are allowed for excepted service appointments; 
                                                         Pages H2163-64
  Herrera Beutler amendment (No. 10 printed in part B of H. Rept. 115-
39) that strengthens anonymity protections for employees filling out 
exit surveys, and requires exit survey data to be compiled at the VISN 
level to identify and acknowledge regional differences;      
Page H2164
  Meng amendment (No. 12 printed in part B of H. Rept. 115-39) that 
encourages the transition of military medical professionals into 
employment with the Veterans Health Administration upon discharge or 
separation from the Armed Forces;                            
Page H2165
  Bost amendment (No. 13 printed in part B of H. Rept. 115-39) that 
directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to develop and implement a 
plan to hire a director for each VA medical center without a permanent 
director;                                                
Pages H2165-66
  O'Rourke amendment (No. 14 printed in part B of H. Rept. 115-39) that 
allows the VA to offer physicians conditional job offers two years 
prior to the completion of their residency program; requires VA 
recruiters or similar official to visit each teaching institution with 
a residency program at least once annually; and          
Pages H2166-67
  Hanabusa amendment (No. 11 printed in part B of H. Rept. 115-39) that 
requires the total number of employees that voluntarily separated and 
the percentage of those employees that took the voluntary exit survey 
(by a recorded vote of 400 ayes to 8 noes, Roll No. 170). 
                                               Pages H2164-65, H2167-68
Rejected:
  Hanabusa amendment (No. 4 printed in part B of H. Rept. 115-39) that 
sought to strike section 6, ``Reemployment of Former Employees,'' which 
would allow for the Secretary to appoint former employees at one grade 
higher than when they last separated, without having to go through the 
usual competitive application process.                       
Page H2160
  H. Res. 198, the rule providing for consideration of the bills (H.R. 
1259), (H.R. 1367), and (H.R. 1181) was agreed to yesterday, March 
16th.
Recess: The House recessed at 10:15 a.m. and reconvened at 11:02 a.m. 
                                                             Page H2167
Meeting Hour: Agreed by unanimous consent that when the House adjourns 
today, it adjourn to meet at 12 noon on Monday, March 20th for Morning 
Hour debate.                                                 
  Page H2173
Quorum Calls--Votes: One yea-and-nay vote and two recorded votes 
developed during the proceedings of today and appear on pages H2167-68, 
H2168 and H2169. There were no quorum calls.
Adjournment: The House met at 9 a.m. and adjourned at 1:53 p.m.