[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 145 (Friday, September 8, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H7191-H7197]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
REINFORCING EDUCATION ACCOUNTABILITY IN DEVELOPMENT ACT
Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 509, I
call up the bill (H.R. 601) to enhance the transparency and accelerate
the impact of assistance provided under the Foreign Assistance Act of
1961 to promote quality basic education in developing countries, to
better enable such countries to achieve universal access to quality
basic education and improved learning outcomes, to eliminate
duplication and waste, and for other purposes, with the Senate
amendment to the House amendment to the Senate amendment thereto, and
ask for its immediate consideration.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will designate the Senate
amendment to the House amendment to the Senate amendment.
Senate amendment to the House amendment to the Senate amendment:
In lieu of the matter proposed to be inserted, insert the
following:
``(C) there is the greatest opportunity to reduce childhood
and adolescence exposure to or engagement in violent
extremism or extremist ideologies.''.
DIVISION B--SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS FOR DISASTER RELIEF
REQUIREMENTS
The following sums are hereby appropriated, out of any
money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, and out of
applicable corporate or other revenues, receipts, and funds,
for the several departments, agencies, corporations, and
other organizational units of Government for fiscal year
2017, and for other purposes, namely:
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Federal Emergency Management Agency
disaster relief fund
For an additional amount for ``Disaster Relief Fund'' for
major disasters declared pursuant to the Robert T. Stafford
Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121
et seq.), $7,400,000,000, to remain available until expended:
Provided further, That such amount is designated by the
Congress as being for an emergency requirement pursuant to
section 251(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency
Deficit Control Act of 1985: Provided further, That the
amount designated under this heading as an emergency
requirement pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A)(i) of the
Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985
shall be available only if the President subsequently so
designates such amount and transmits such designation to the
Congress.
SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
disaster loans program account
(including transfer of funds)
For an additional amount for the ``Disaster Loans Program
Account'' for the cost of direct loans authorized by section
7(b) of the Small Business Act, $450,000,000, to remain
available until expended: Provided, That up to $225,000,000
may be transferred to and merged with ``Salaries and
Expenses'' for administrative expenses to carry out the
disaster loan program authorized by section 7(b) of the Small
Business Act: Provided further, That none of the funds
provided under this heading may be used for indirect
administrative expenses: Provided further, That the amount
provided under this heading is designated as an emergency
requirement pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A)(i) of the
Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985:
Provided further, That the amount designated under this
heading as an emergency requirement pursuant to section
251(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit
Control Act of 1985 shall be available only if the President
subsequently so designates such amount and transmits such
designation to the Congress.
DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
Community Planning and Development
community development fund
(including transfers of funds)
For an additional amount for ``Community Development
Fund'', $7,400,000,000, to remain available until expended,
for necessary expenses for activities authorized under title
I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (42
U.S.C. 5301 et seq.) related to disaster relief, long-term
recovery, restoration of infrastructure and housing, and
economic revitalization in the most impacted and distressed
areas resulting from a major disaster declared in 2017
pursuant to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.): Provided,
That funds shall be awarded directly to the State or unit of
general local government at the discretion of the Secretary:
Provided further, That as a condition of making any grant,
the Secretary shall certify in advance that such grantee has
in place proficient financial controls and procurement
processes and has established adequate procedures to prevent
any duplication of benefits as defined by section 312 of the
Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance
Act (42 U.S.C. 5155), to ensure timely expenditure of funds,
to maintain comprehensive websites regarding all disaster
recovery activities assisted with these funds, and to detect
and prevent waste, fraud, and abuse of funds: Provided
further, That prior to the obligation of funds a grantee
shall submit a plan to the Secretary for approval detailing
the proposed use of all funds, including criteria for
eligibility and how the use of these funds will address long-
term recovery and restoration of infrastructure and housing
and economic revitalization in the most impacted and
distressed areas: Provided further, That such funds may not
be used for activities reimbursable by, or for which funds
are made available by, the Federal Emergency Management
Agency or the Army Corps of Engineers: Provided further,
That funds allocated under this heading shall not be
considered relevant to the non-disaster formula allocations
made pursuant to section 106 of the Housing and Community
Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5306): Provided further,
That a State or subdivision thereof may use up to 5 percent
of its allocation for administrative costs: Provided
further, That in administering the funds under this heading,
the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development may waive, or
specify alternative requirements for, any provision of any
statute or regulation that the Secretary administers in
connection with the obligation by the Secretary or the use by
the recipient of these funds (except for requirements related
to fair housing, nondiscrimination, labor standards, and the
environment), if the Secretary finds that good cause exists
for the waiver or alternative requirement and such waiver or
alternative requirement would not be inconsistent with the
overall purpose of title I of the Housing and Community
Development Act of 1974: Provided further, That,
notwithstanding the preceding proviso, recipients of funds
provided under this heading that use such funds to supplement
Federal assistance provided under section 402, 403, 404, 406,
407, or 502 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.) may adopt,
without review or public comment, any environmental review,
approval, or permit performed by a Federal agency, and such
adoption shall satisfy the responsibilities of the recipient
with respect to such environmental review, approval or
permit: Provided further, That, notwithstanding section
104(g)(2) of the Housing and Community Development Act of
1974 (42 U.S.C. 5304(g)(2)), the Secretary may, upon receipt
of a request for release of funds and certification,
immediately approve the release of funds for an activity or
project assisted under this heading if the recipient has
adopted an environmental review, approval or permit under the
preceding proviso or the activity or project is categorically
excluded from review under the National Environmental Policy
Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.): Provided further, That
the Secretary shall publish via notice in the Federal
Register any waiver, or alternative requirement, to any
statute or regulation that the Secretary administers pursuant
to title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of
1974 no later than 5 days before the effective date of such
waiver or alternative requirement: Provided further, That of
the amounts made available under this heading, up to
$10,000,000 may be transferred, in aggregate, to ``Department
of Housing and Urban Development--Program Office Salaries and
Expenses--Community Planning and Development'' for necessary
costs, including information technology costs, of
administering and overseeing the obligation and expenditure
of amounts under this heading: Provided further, That such
amount is designated by the Congress as being for an
emergency requirement pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A)(i) of
the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of
1985: Provided further, That the amount designated under
this heading as an emergency requirement pursuant to section
251(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit
Control Act of 1985 shall be available only if the President
subsequently so designates such amount and transmits such
designation to the Congress.
This division may be cited as the ``Supplemental
Appropriations for Disaster Relief Requirements, 2017''.
DIVISION C--TEMPORARY EXTENSION OF PUBLIC DEBT LIMIT
Sec. 101. (a) In General.--Section 3101(b) of title 31,
United States Code, shall not apply for the period beginning
on the date of enactment of this Act and ending on December
8, 2017.
(b) Special Rule Relating to Obligations Issued During
Extension Period.--Effective on December 9, 2017, the
limitation in effect under section 3101(b) of title 31,
United States Code, shall be increased to the extent that--
(1) the face amount of obligations issued under chapter 31
of such title and the face amount of obligations whose
principal and interest are guaranteed by the United States
Government (except guaranteed obligations held by the
Secretary of the Treasury) outstanding on December 9, 2017,
exceeds
(2) the face amount of such obligations outstanding on the
date of the enactment of this Act.
(c) Restoring Congressional Authority Over the National
Debt.--
(1) Extension limited to necessary obligations.--An
obligation shall not be taken into account under section
101(a) unless the issuance
[[Page H7192]]
of such obligation was necessary to fund a commitment
incurred pursuant to law by the Federal Government that
required payment before December 9, 2017.
(2) Prohibition on creation of cash reserve during
extension period.--The Secretary of the Treasury shall not
issue obligations during the period specified in section
101(a) for the purpose of increasing the cash balance above
normal operating balances in anticipation of the expiration
of such period.
DIVISION D--CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2018
The following sums are hereby appropriated, out of any
money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, and out of
applicable corporate or other revenues, receipts, and funds,
for the several departments, agencies, corporations, and
other organizational units of Government for fiscal year
2018, and for other purposes, namely:
Sec. 101. (a) Such amounts as may be necessary, at a rate
for operations as provided in the applicable appropriations
Acts for fiscal year 2017 and under the authority and
conditions provided in such Acts, for continuing projects or
activities (including the costs of direct loans and loan
guarantees) that are not otherwise specifically provided for
in this Act, that were conducted in fiscal year 2017, and for
which appropriations, funds, or other authority were made
available in the following appropriations Acts:
(1) The Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug
Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017
(division A of Public Law 115-31) and section 193 of Public
Law 114-223, as amended by division A of Public Law 114-254.
(2) The Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act, 2017 (division B of Public Law 115-31),
except section 540.
(3) The Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2017
(division C of Public Law 115-31).
(4) The Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act, 2017 (division D of Public Law 115-31).
(5) The Financial Services and General Government
Appropriations Act, 2017 (division E of Public Law 115-31).
(6) The Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act,
2017 (division F of Public Law 115-31), except section 310.
(7) The Department of the Interior, Environment, and
Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017 (division G of
Public Law 115-31), except that the language under the
heading ``FLAME Wildfire Suppression Reserve Fund'' in the
Departments of Agriculture and the Interior shall be applied
by adding at the end the following: ``Provided further, That
notwithstanding the first proviso under the heading and
notwithstanding the FLAME Act of 2009, 43 U.S.C. 1748a(e),
such funds shall be available to be transferred to and merged
with other appropriations accounts to fully repay amounts
previously transferred for wildfire suppression''.
(8) The Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services,
and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017
(division H of Public Law 115-31) and sections 171, 194, and
195 of Public Law 114-223, as amended by division A of Public
Law 114-254.
(9) The Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2017
(division I of Public Law 115-31) and section 175 of Public
Law 114-223, as amended by division A of Public Law 114-254.
(10) The Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and
Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017 (division A of
Public Law 114-223), except for appropriations for fiscal
year 2017 in the matter preceding the first proviso under the
heading ``Medical Community Care'', and division L of Public
Law 115-31.
(11) The Department of State, Foreign Operations, and
Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2017 (division J of
Public Law 115-31).
(12) The Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and
Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017 (division K of
Public Law 115-31), except sections 420 and 421.
(13) The Security Assistance Appropriations Act, 2017
(division B of Public Law 114-254).
(b) The rate for operations provided by subsection (a) is
hereby reduced by 0.6791 percent.
Sec. 102. (a) No appropriation or funds made available or
authority granted pursuant to section 101 for the Department
of Defense shall be used for: (1) the new production of items
not funded for production in fiscal year 2017 or prior years;
(2) the increase in production rates above those sustained
with fiscal year 2017 funds; or (3) the initiation,
resumption, or continuation of any project, activity,
operation, or organization (defined as any project,
subproject, activity, budget activity, program element, and
subprogram within a program element, and for any investment
items defined as a P-1 line item in a budget activity within
an appropriation account and an R-1 line item that includes a
program element and subprogram element within an
appropriation account) for which appropriations, funds, or
other authority were not available during fiscal year 2017.
(b) No appropriation or funds made available or authority
granted pursuant to section 101 for the Department of Defense
shall be used to initiate multi-year procurements utilizing
advance procurement funding for economic order quantity
procurement unless specifically appropriated later.
Sec. 103. Appropriations made by section 101 shall be
available to the extent and in the manner that would be
provided by the pertinent appropriations Act.
Sec. 104. Except as otherwise provided in section 102, no
appropriation or funds made available or authority granted
pursuant to section 101 shall be used to initiate or resume
any project or activity for which appropriations, funds, or
other authority were not available during fiscal year 2017.
Sec. 105. Appropriations made and authority granted
pursuant to this Act shall cover all obligations or
expenditures incurred for any project or activity during the
period for which funds or authority for such project or
activity are available under this Act.
Sec. 106. Unless otherwise provided for in this Act or in
the applicable appropriations Act for fiscal year 2018,
appropriations and funds made available and authority granted
pursuant to this Act shall be available until whichever of
the following first occurs:
(1) the enactment into law of an appropriation for any
project or activity provided for in this Act;
(2) the enactment into law of the applicable appropriations
Act for fiscal year 2018 without any provision for such
project or activity; or
(3) December 8, 2017.
Sec. 107. Expenditures made pursuant to this Act shall be
charged to the applicable appropriation, fund, or
authorization whenever a bill in which such applicable
appropriation, fund, or authorization is contained is enacted
into law.
Sec. 108. Appropriations made and funds made available by
or authority granted pursuant to this Act may be used without
regard to the time limitations for submission and approval of
apportionments set forth in section 1513 of title 31, United
States Code, but nothing in this Act may be construed to
waive any other provision of law governing the apportionment
of funds.
Sec. 109. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act,
except section 106, for those programs that would otherwise
have high initial rates of operation or complete distribution
of appropriations at the beginning of fiscal year 2018
because of distributions of funding to States, foreign
countries, grantees, or others, such high initial rates of
operation or complete distribution shall not be made, and no
grants shall be awarded for such programs funded by this Act
that would impinge on final funding prerogatives.
Sec. 110. This Act shall be implemented so that only the
most limited funding action of that permitted in the Act
shall be taken in order to provide for continuation of
projects and activities.
Sec. 111. (a) For entitlements and other mandatory payments
whose budget authority was provided in appropriations Acts
for fiscal year 2017, and for activities under the Food and
Nutrition Act of 2008, activities shall be continued at the
rate to maintain program levels under current law, under the
authority and conditions provided in the applicable
appropriations Act for fiscal year 2017, to be continued
through the date specified in section 106(3).
(b) Notwithstanding section 106, obligations for mandatory
payments due on or about the first day of any month that
begins after October 2017 but not later than 30 days after
the date specified in section 106(3) may continue to be made,
and funds shall be available for such payments.
Sec. 112. Amounts made available under section 101 for
civilian personnel compensation and benefits in each
department and agency may be apportioned up to the rate for
operations necessary to avoid furloughs within such
department or agency, consistent with the applicable
appropriations Act for fiscal year 2017, except that such
authority provided under this section shall not be used until
after the department or agency has taken all necessary
actions to reduce or defer non-personnel-related
administrative expenses.
Sec. 113. Funds appropriated by this Act may be obligated
and expended notwithstanding section 10 of Public Law 91-672
(22 U.S.C. 2412), section 15 of the State Department Basic
Authorities Act of 1956 (22 U.S.C. 2680), section 313 of the
Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1994 and
1995 (22 U.S.C. 6212), and section 504(a)(1) of the National
Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3094(a)(1)).
Sec. 114. (a) Each amount incorporated by reference in this
Act that was previously designated by the Congress for
Overseas Contingency Operations/Global War on Terrorism or as
an emergency requirement pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A) of
the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985
or as being for disaster relief pursuant to section
251(b)(2)(D) of such Act is designated by the Congress for
Overseas Contingency Operations/Global War on Terrorism or as
an emergency requirement pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A) of
such Act or as being for disaster relief pursuant to section
251(b)(2)(D) of such Act, respectively.
(b) The reduction in section 101(b) of this Act shall not
apply to--
(1) amounts designated under subsection (a) of this
section;
(2) amounts made available by section 101(a) by reference
to the second paragraph under the heading ``Social Security
Administration--Limitation on Administrative Expenses'' in
division H of Public Law 115-31; or
(3) amounts made available by section 101(a) by reference
to the paragraph under the heading ``Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid Services--Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control
Account'' in division H of Public Law 115-31.
(c) Section 6 of Public Law 115-31 shall apply to amounts
designated in subsection (a) for Overseas Contingency
Operations/Global War on Terrorism or as an emergency
requirement.
Sec. 115. During the period covered by this Act,
discretionary amounts appropriated for fiscal year 2018 that
were provided in advance by appropriations Acts shall be
available in the amounts provided in such Acts, reduced by
the percentage in section 101(b).
Sec. 116. Notwithstanding section 101, amounts are
provided for ``Department of Agriculture--Domestic Food
Programs--Food and Nutrition Service--Commodity Assistance
Program'' at a rate for operations of $317,139,000, of which
$238,120,000 shall be for the Commodity Supplemental Food
Program.
[[Page H7193]]
Sec. 117. The final proviso in section 715 of division A
of Public Law 115-31 shall be applied during the period
covered by this Act by adding ``from amounts first made
available for fiscal year 2018'' after ``unobligated
balances'' and as if the following were struck from such
proviso: ``the carryover amounts authorized in the first
proviso of this section for section 32 and''.
Sec. 118. Amounts made available by section 101 for
``Department of Commerce--Bureau of the Census--Periodic
Censuses and Programs'' may be apportioned up to the rate for
operations necessary to maintain the schedule and deliver the
required data according to statutory deadlines in the 2020
Decennial Census Program.
Sec. 119. Section 1215(f)(1) of the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 (Public Law 112-81; 10
U.S.C. 113 note), as most recently amended by section 1223 of
the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017
(Public Law 114-328), shall be applied by substituting
``2018'' for ``2017'' through the earlier of the date
specified in section 106(3) of this Act or the date of the
enactment of an Act authorizing appropriations for fiscal
year 2018 for military activities of the Department of
Defense.
Sec. 120. (a) Funds made available by section 101 for
``Department of Energy--Energy Programs--Uranium Enrichment
Decontamination and Decommissioning Fund'' may be apportioned
up to the rate for operations necessary to avoid disruption
of continuing projects or activities funded in this
appropriation.
(b) The Secretary of Energy shall notify the Committees on
Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Senate
not later than 3 days after each use of the authority
provided in subsection (a).
Sec. 121. Section 104(c) of the Reclamation States
Emergency Drought Relief Act of 1991 (43 U.S.C. 2214(c))
shall be applied by substituting the date specified in
section 106(3) for ``September 30, 2017''.
Sec. 122. (a) Notwithstanding section 101, the third
proviso under the heading ``Power Marketing Administrations--
Operation and Maintenance, Southeastern Power
Administration'' in division D of Public Law 115-31 shall be
applied by substituting ``$51,000,000'' for ``$60,760,000''.
(b) Notwithstanding section 101, the third proviso under
the heading ``Power Marketing Administrations--Operation and
Maintenance, Southwestern Power Administration'' in division
D of Public Law 115-31 shall be applied by substituting
``$10,000,000'' for ``$73,000,000''.
(c) Notwithstanding section 101, the third proviso under
the heading ``Power Marketing Administrations--Construction,
Rehabilitation, Operation and Maintenance, Western Area Power
Administration'' in division D of Public Law 115-31 shall be
applied by substituting ``$179,000,000'' for
``$367,009,000''.
Sec. 123. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act,
except section 106, the District of Columbia may expend local
funds under the heading ``District of Columbia Funds'' for
such programs and activities under the District of Columbia
Appropriations Act, 2017 (title IV of division E of Public
Law 115-31) at the rate set forth under ``Part A--Summary of
Expenses'' as included in the Fiscal Year 2018 Local Budget
Act of 2017 (D.C. Act 22-99), as modified as of the date of
the enactment of this Act.
Sec. 124. (a) Notwithstanding section 101, amounts are
provided for ``General Services Administration--Allowances
and Office Staff for Former Presidents'' to carry out the
provisions of the Act of August 25, 1958 (3 U.S.C. 102 note),
at a rate for operations of $4,754,000.
(b) Notwithstanding section 101, no funds are provided by
this Act for ``General Services Administration--Expenses,
Presidential Transition'' and ``Executive Office of the
President and Funds Appropriated to the President--
Presidential Transition Administrative Support''.
(c) Notwithstanding section 101, the matter preceding the
first proviso under the heading ``District of Columbia--
Federal Payment for Emergency Planning and Security Costs in
the District of Columbia'' in division E of Public Law 115-31
shall be applied by substituting ``$14,900,000'' for
``$34,895,000'' and the first proviso under that heading
shall not apply during the period covered by this Act.
(d) Notwithstanding section 101, the matter preceding the
first proviso under the heading ``National Archives and
Records Administration--Operating Expenses'' in division E of
Public Law 115-31 shall be applied by substituting
``$375,784,000'' for ``$380,634,000''.
(e) Notwithstanding section 101, the matter preceding the
first proviso under the heading ``Department of the
Interior--National Park Service--Operation of the National
Park System'' in division G of Public Law 115-31 shall be
applied by substituting ``$2,420,818,000'' for
``$2,425,018,000''.
Sec. 125. Amounts made available by section 101 for
``Department of Homeland Security--Office of the Secretary
and Executive Management--Operations and Support'',
``Department of Homeland Security--Management Directorate--
Operations and Support'', and ``Department of Homeland
Security--Intelligence, Analysis, and Operations
Coordination--Operations and Support'' may be apportioned up
to the rate for operations necessary to carry out activities
previously funded under ``Department of Homeland Security--
Working Capital Fund'', consistent with the fiscal year 2018
President's Budget.
Sec. 126. Amounts made available by section 101 for ``U.S.
Customs and Border Protection--Operations and Support'',
``U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement--Operations and
Support'', ``Transportation Security Administration--
Operations and Support'', and ``United States Secret
Service--Operations and Support'' accounts of the Department
of Homeland Security may be apportioned at a rate for
operations necessary to maintain not less than the number of
staff achieved on September 30, 2017.
Sec. 127. The authority provided by section 831 of the
Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 391) shall continue
in effect through the date specified in section 106(3) of
this Act.
Sec. 128. Section 404 of the Coast Guard Authorization Act
of 2010 (Public Law 111-281; 124 Stat. 2950), as amended,
shall be applied in subsection (b) by substituting the date
specified in section 106(3) for ``September 30, 2017''.
Sec. 129. Amounts made available by section 101 for
``Department of Homeland Security--Federal Emergency
Management Agency--Disaster Relief Fund'' may be apportioned
up to the rate for operations necessary to carry out response
and recovery activities under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster
Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.).
Sec. 130. Sections 1309(a) and 1319 of the National Flood
Insurance Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4016(a) and 4026) shall be
applied by substituting the date specified in section 106(3)
of this Act for ``September 30, 2017''.
Sec. 131. Section 810 of the Federal Lands Recreation
Enhancement Act (16 U.S.C. 6809) is amended by striking
``September 30, 2018'' and inserting ``September 30, 2019''.
Sec. 132. The authority provided by subsection (m)(3) of
section 8162 of the Department of Defense Appropriations Act,
2000 (40 U.S.C. 8903 note; Public Law 106-79) shall continue
in effect through the date specified in section 106(3) of
this Act.
Sec. 133. In addition to the amounts otherwise provided by
section 101, an additional amount is provided for
``Environmental Protection Agency--Water Infrastructure
Finance and Innovation Program Account'' for administrative
expenses to carry out the direct and guaranteed loan
programs, notwithstanding section 5033 of the Water
Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2014, at a rate
for operations of $3,000,000.
Sec. 134. (a) The following sections of the Federal
Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act shall continue in
effect through the date specified in section 106(3) of this
joint resolution--
(1) subparagraphs (C) through (E) of section 4(i)(1) (7
U.S.C. 136a-1(i)(1)(C)-(E));
(2) section 4(k)(3) (7 U.S.C. 136a-1(k)(3));
(3) section 4(k)(4) (7 U.S.C. 136a-1(k)(4)); and
(4) section 33(c)(3)(B) (7 U.S.C. 136w-8(c)(3)(B)).
(b)(1) Section 4(i)(1)(I) of the Federal Insecticide,
Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (7 U.S.C. 136a-1(i)(1)(I))
shall be applied by substituting the date specified in
section 106(3) of this joint resolution for ``September 30,
2017''.
(2) Notwithstanding section 33(m)(2) of the Federal
Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (7 U.S.C. 136w-
8(m)(2)), section 33(m)(1) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 136w-
8(m)(1)) shall be applied by substituting the date specified
in section 106(3) of this joint resolution for ``September
30, 2017''.
(c) Section 408(m)(3) of the Federal Food, Drug, and
Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 346a(m)(3)) shall be applied by
substituting the date specified in section 106(3) of this
joint resolution for ``September 30, 2017''.
Sec. 135. Section 114(f) of the Higher Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1011c(f)) shall be applied by substituting
the date specified in section 106(3) of this Act for
``September 30, 2017''.
Sec. 136. The second proviso under the heading
``Department of Health and Human Services--Administration for
Children and Families--Children and Families Services
Programs'' in title II of division H of Public Law 115-31
shall be applied during the period covered by this Act as if
the following were struck from such proviso: ``, of which
$80,000,000 shall be available for a cost of living
adjustment notwithstanding section 640(a)(3)(A) of such
Act''.
Sec. 137. The proviso at the end of paragraph (1) under
the heading ``Department of Labor--Employment and Training
Administration--State Unemployment Insurance and Employment
Service Operations'' in title I of division G of Public Law
113-235 shall be applied through the date specified in
section 106(3) of this Act by substituting ``seven'' for
``six''.
Sec. 138. In making Federal financial assistance, the
National Institutes of Health shall continue through the date
specified in section 106(3) of this Act to apply the
provisions relating to indirect costs in part 75 of title 45,
Code of Federal Regulations, including with respect to the
approval of deviations from negotiated rates, to the same
extent and in the same manner as the National Institutes of
Health applied such provisions in the third quarter of fiscal
year 2017. None of the funds appropriated in this Act may be
used to develop or implement a modified approach to such
provisions, or to intentionally or substantially expand the
fiscal effect of the approval of such deviations from
negotiated rates beyond the proportional effect of such
approvals in such quarter.
Sec. 139. (a) Section 529 of division H of Public Law 115-
31 shall be applied by substituting ``prior to the beginning
of fiscal year 2018 under section 2104(n)(2)'' for ``from the
appropriation to the Fund for the first semiannual allotment
period for fiscal year 2017 under section
2104(n)(2)(A)(ii)''; and
(b) section 532 of division H of Public Law 115-31 shall be
applied by substituting ``2,652,000,000'' for
``1,132,000,000''.
Sec. 140. Notwithstanding 2 U.S.C. 4577, amounts made
available by section 101 for ``Legislative Branch--Senate--
Salaries, Officers and Employees--Office of the Sergeant at
Arms and Doorkeeper'' may be apportioned up to the rate for
operations necessary to maintain current Senate cybersecurity
capabilities.
Sec. 141. (a) The remaining unobligated balances of funds
made available under the heading ``Department of Veterans
Affairs--Departmental Administration--Construction, Major
Projects'' in division A of the Disaster Relief
Appropriations Act of 2013 and Sandy Recovery
[[Page H7194]]
Improvement Act of 2013 (Public Law 113-2) are hereby
rescinded: Provided, That the amounts rescinded pursuant to
this section that were previously designated by the Congress
as an emergency requirement pursuant to section
251(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit
Control Act of 1985 are designated by the Congress as an
emergency requirement pursuant to that section of that Act.
(b) In addition to the amount otherwise provided by section
101 for ``Department of Veterans Affairs--Departmental
Administration--Construction, Major Projects'', there is
appropriated for an additional amount for fiscal year 2017,
to remain available until September 30, 2022, an amount equal
to the unobligated balances rescinded pursuant to subsection
(a), for renovations and repairs as a consequence of damage
caused by Hurricane Sandy: Provided, That notwithstanding
any other provision of law, such funds may be obligated and
expended to carry out planning and design and major medical
facility construction not otherwise authorized by law:
Provided further, That such amount is designated by the
Congress as being for an emergency requirement pursuant to
section 251(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency
Deficit Control Act of 1985.
(c) Each amount designated in this section by the Congress
as an emergency requirement pursuant to section
251(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit
Control Act of 1985 shall be available (or rescinded, if
applicable) only if the President subsequently so designates
all such amounts and transmits such designations to the
Congress.
(d) This section shall become effective immediately upon
enactment of this Act.
Sec. 142. Sections 579(a)(1) and (b) of the Multifamily
Assisted Housing Reform and Affordability Act of 1997 (42
U.S.C. 1437f note) shall be applied by substituting the date
specified in section 106(3) for ``October 1, 2017''.
This division may be cited as the ``Continuing
Appropriations Act, 2018''.
Motion to Concur
Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion at the desk.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will designate the motion.
The text of the motion is as follows:
Mr. Frelinghuysen of New Jersey moves that the House concur
in the Senate amendment to the House amendment to the Senate
amendment to H.R. 601.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 509, the motion
shall be debatable for 1 hour equally divided and controlled by the
chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations.
The gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Frelinghuysen) and the gentlewoman
from New York (Mrs. Lowey) each will control 30 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.
General Leave
Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend
their remarks and include extraneous material during consideration of
H.R. 601, and that I may include tabular material on the same.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New Jersey?
There was no objection.
Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a Senate amendment to H.R. 601.
As Texas and Louisiana begin the first steps of recovery from Hurricane
Harvey, Congress must ensure that the funding is available to meet the
short- and long-term needs of the hundreds of thousands of victims of
that terrible storm. As we are all seeing unfold before our eyes, the
next hurricanes could cause even more terrible devastation. This
legislation is the first step in what will be long and difficult
recoveries.
As our fellow Americans recover and rebuild their lives, we must come
together to support the victims, the volunteers, the first responders
on the ground from around the Nation, and Congress must ensure that the
Federal Government provides the help they need.
With FEMA resources running low and Hurricane Irma on Florida's and
the South's door, providing this additional funding is even more
critical. As I said before, our committee is ready and willing to
address any additional funding needs that may arise as a result of
Hurricane Harvey, Irma, and other major disasters.
In addition to providing this desperately needed emergency aid, this
bill also extends funding for the entire Federal Government operations
until December 8 of this year. This continuing resolution will ensure
that the Federal Government remains open for business and that
important programs and services are maintained beyond the end of the
fiscal year on the 30th of this month.
While I don't believe that a continuing resolution is the best way to
fund our government, it is imperative to give us time to go to
conference and complete our 12 full-year appropriations bills with the
Senate. It is essential that all of these bills be signed into law and
that our Nation avoids the uncertainty caused by a threat of a
shutdown.
In addition, the bill also contains a short-term increase in the
Federal debt limit and a reauthorization of the National Flood
Insurance Program.
All of these actions will allow for more certainty and stability for
the Nation and for the communities and families suffering from these
disasters.
I urge my colleagues--and may I say I do that knowing that I have the
full support of my ranking member, Mrs. Lowey, who I have had the
pleasure of working with.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to support this legislation, and I reserve the
balance of my time.
Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 2 minutes, and I rise in
support of providing critical emergency relief to respond to the
catastrophic damages wreaked by Hurricane Harvey and the expectation of
damages from Hurricane Irma.
And I also want to acknowledge the cooperation and the good will
extended to us by Chairman Frelinghuysen. It is a pleasure for me to
work with him as well.
My thoughts and prayers remain with all those whose families, lives,
homes, and businesses have been upended by these disasters. This
Congress and the American people are with you in your time of need.
I am pleased this package provides a temporary suspension of the
Federal debt limit to prevent a catastrophic debt default and a
continuing resolution extending Federal funding through December 8. As
in 2013 and 2015, when faced with government funding deadlines and
impending sequestration, we must use the time until the CR expires to
develop a new budget agreement with realistic caps on defense and
nondefense discretionary spending.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume
to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Carter) who is the chairman of the
Homeland Security Subcommittee on Appropriations.
Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the
supplemental bill for Hurricane Harvey relief. This bill will provide
$15.3 billion in emergency funding, including $7.4 billion for FEMA's
Disaster Relief Fund, $7.4 billion for Community Development Block
Grants to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and $350
million to support the Small Business Administration's Disaster Loan
Program to assist small business and homeowners.
This supplemental bill is not only a critical first step to provide
basic needs of food, shelter, and water for those in immediate need,
but it also provides initial funding to begin the process of rebuilding
and recovery for those communities devastated by Hurricane Harvey.
Further resources and hard work will be required. I will continue to
work closely alongside my colleagues and the Appropriations Committee
to meet the present and emerging needs of our neighbors across the
Southeast. My thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by these
devastating storms.
This bill addresses the urgent needs of those affected by Hurricane
Harvey. It sends a powerful message to all that we are here for them
and we will be working hard for them throughout the recovery. Mr.
Speaker, I strongly encourage a vote on this bill.
As an aside, I grew up in Houston, Texas. I was born there, I grew up
there. I remember floods, but I never remember floods that washed away
people's homes and their livelihood. This is a once-in-a-lifetime
situation down there, may we all pray, and it is time to get it done.
Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from
Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to support the supplemental
appropriations for disaster relief, and I
[[Page H7195]]
thank the appropriators and all of my colleagues. I reflect on the
bipartisan meeting of our Texas delegation. We said we would not be
divided and we would not be divided amongst our friends from Florida
and those who may be in need with Hurricane Irma.
I do want to acknowledge that when we got up that Sunday morning and
12 inches had fallen at that time, part of the 50 inches of the most
catastrophic storm on the Continental United States, Hurricane Harvey,
we saw the lives of people disappear--some who died, some who were in
shelters as these pictures depict. The road to recovery is going to be
long.
I introduced a $174 billion hurricane appropriations bill to be able
to address Hurricane Harvey. I am grateful for the $15.3 billion that
gives us money for housing. That is the greatest need, along with the
infrastructure, and if we can begin to expedite those dollars into our
cities and counties, our mayors and county leaders will be grateful.
There are people who are homeless now, there are people whose homes
are in despair, there are people who do not have insurance. The reason
is because these individuals were flooded in a 500-year flood area and
1,000-year flood area. It is important to note at the same time, Mr.
Speaker, that these individuals are elderly and disabled.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 601, which provides
$15.3 billion in supplemental appropriations as the Congress's initial
response to the massive damage inflicted on Southeast Texas and
Louisiana by Hurricane Harvey and authorizes appropriations to continue
funding for federal government operations through December 8, 2017.
The legislation also suspends the current $19.8 trillion limit on
federal borrowing through December 8, 2017, which will enable the
Treasury to continue to borrow money to pay bills, and set the new debt
limit as the amount reflecting all outstanding U.S. debt as of December
9, 2017.
I also strongly support the legislation before us because it extends
through December 8, 2017, FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program
(NFIP), which offers insurance policies to property owners in areas
with significant flood risks.
The bill authorizes FEMA to borrow as much as $30.4 billion from the
Treasury general fund if it does not collect sufficient revenue from
premiums and surcharges to cover claims payments.
Without this extension, FEMA would not be able to issue new flood
insurance policies after September 30, 2017, and its borrowing
authority will be reduced to $1.5 billion.
That would be particularly devastating to many of the constituents I
represent who have or will be seeking flood insurance policies under
the FEMA Flood Insurance Program.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to commend the bipartisan leadership of both
chambers for the speed with which the Hurricane Harvey relief package
and the FY2018 Continuing Resolution was negotiated, drafted, and
shepherded to the floor.
This bodes well for the major challenges that must be met and
overcome if the victims of Hurricane Harvey are to recover from the
storm's awful wrath and rebuild their decimated communities.
I thank Chairman Frelinghuysen and Ranking Member Lowey, and Speaker
Ryan and Democratic Leader Pelosi, and their Senate counterparts
because this initial Hurricane Harvey aid package sends a strong signal
to the people of Texas and Louisiana that the American people stand in
solidarity with them in their moment of heartbreak and anguish.
On Wednesday, September 6, 2017, the House approved $7.85 billion for
relief efforts in Texas and Louisiana, consisting of $7.4 billion for
the FEMA Disaster Recovery Fund (DRF) and $450 million for the SBA
Disaster Loan program.
To this amount the Senate added $7.4 billion in funds to be
distributed to states and communities through HUD's Community
Development Block Grant (CDBG) program.
These CDBG funds can be used for disaster relief, long-term recovery,
infrastructure restoration, housing, and economic revitalization.
FEMA's DRF funding is mostly allocated for three programs:
1. Public Assistance Program, which helps communities cover the costs
of repairing and replacing public buildings, infrastructure, and
utilities, as well as emergency costs for debris removal and other
needs;
2. Individual Assistance Program, which provides funding for
temporary housing, property repairs, medical treatment, moving costs,
and other needs; and
3. Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, which offers funding to reduce
damages from future disasters.
Typically, FEMA covers 75 percent of the costs for DRF-funded
projects so I am very pleased that the President agreed that in the
unprecedented circumstances of this case, a higher reimbursement level
was warranted and acceded to my request that FEMA be authorized and
directed to reimburse Harris County and other affected local
governments 90% for debris removal, including direct Federal
assistance; and 100% percent for emergency protective measures for 30
days from the start of the incident period and at 90% thereafter.
Mr. Speaker, it is not an exaggeration to regard as unprecedented the
damage wrought on Southeast Texas by Hurricane Harvey beginning 14 days
ago, on August 25, 2017, when it made landfall for the first time in
the state of Texas, just north of the city of Corpus Christi.
Before it was finished, Hurricane Harvey dropped 21 trillion gallons
of rainfall on Texas and Louisiana, most of it on the Houston
Metroplex.
To put in perspective the devastation wrought by Hurricane Harvey,
the volume of water that fell on Houston and other affected areas of
Texas and Louisiana could fill more than 24,000 Astrodomes or supply
the water for the raging Niagara Falls for 15 days.
Whole sections of Houston, Beaumont, Bayou City, Port Arthur, and
other cities were underwater for days.
Hurricane Harvey was a 1,000 year storm that has to date claimed the
lives of at least 30 persons, including a 34-year veteran of the
Houston Police Department and a family of six who perished in Greens
Bayou while trying to evacuate their flooded home and community.
It also claimed the life of a Dreamer, Alonso Guillen, a young
Houstonian who came to Texas from Mexico as a teenager, and who died
when his boat capsized while he was rescuing survivors of the flooding
caused by Hurricane Harvey.
Neither Houston nor any city in the nation has ever experienced
flooding of the magnitude caused by Hurricane Harvey.
The statistics are staggering.
21 trillion gallons of rainfall fell in Texas and Louisiana in the
first five days of the storm.
The estimated maximum sustained winds exceeded 130 miles per hour as
the hurricane made landfall near Rockport, Texas on August 25.
A record 4,323 days, which is nearly 12 years, elapsed since a major
hurricane (Category 3 or above) made landfall in the United States
prior to Hurricane Harvey; the last Category 3 hurricane to hit the
United States was Hurricane Wilma in 2005, the same year Hurricane
Katrina destroyed much of New Orleans.
The city of Cedar Bayou received 51.88 inches of rainfall, breaking
the record for rainfall from a single storm in the continental United
States; my city of Houston received more than 50 inches of rainfall.
More than 13,000 people have been rescued in the Houston area and
more than 30,000 persons are expected to be forced out of their homes
due to the storm.
More than 8,800 federal personnel were staff deployed to help respond
to Hurricane Harvey, supplying approximately 2.9 million meals, 2.8
million liters of water, 37,000 tarps, and 130 generators.
In the first three days of the storm, more than 49,000 homes that had
suffered flood damage and more than 1,000 homes were completely
destroyed in the storm.
And today, two weeks later, thousands of Texans are still without
permanent and stable housing situations.
That is why the additional $7.4 billion in CDBG funding provided in
the legislation is desperately needed.
Mr. Speaker, valiant emergency responders in my state worked to
exhaustion, with an invaluable assist from citizen volunteers, to
rescue their neighbors and save lives.
That is who Texans are and this is what we do.
We do not yet know the full cost in human lives exacted by Hurricane
Harvey.
But what we do know is that the costs of recovery and reconstruction
will far exceed any natural disaster in memory; best estimates place
the cost in the range of $150-$200 billion.
Mr. Speaker, there is much more work to be done in my city of
Houston, and across the areas affected by the terrible, awesome storm
that will be forever known simply as Hurricane Harvey.
That is why I strongly support the legislation pending before us
appropriating $15.3 billion as the initial response of the Congress to
the damage caused by an epic storm.
I must emphasize that what we are considering here is the initial
response because much more funding will be needed for Houston--the
nation's fourth largest city--and Southeast Texas to recover and
rebuild.
And it is also why I have introduced, joined by more than 40 House
colleagues, H.R. 3686, the Hurricane Sandy Supplemental Appropriations
Act, which, when passed by Congress and signed into law, would provide
$174 billion in aid to assist the areas affected by
[[Page H7196]]
Hurricane Harvey recover, rebuild, and restore their communities to
their previous greatness.
I urge all Members to join me in support of H.R. 601 and to commit to
providing our fellow Americans in Texas and Louisiana all of the help
and support they need to restore their communities to their previous
greatness.
Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from
Massachusetts (Mr. Neal).
Mr. NEAL. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me time.
Mr. Speaker, as I stand in support of this legislation, it is
important to acknowledge that it not only addresses the needs of the
residents who are cleaning up after Harvey, but it ensures that we will
also avoid a first-ever default on the full faith and credit of the
United States.
{time} 1000
What is important about this moment is the following: We are adhering
to what is known as the national principle, and the national principle
means that, if there is an earthquake in California, we rise to the aid
of the people of California. If there is a hurricane in Texas, we rise
to the aid of the people in Texas. If there is a tornado in
Springfield, Massachusetts, as there was a few years ago, we all come
to the aid of the people of Springfield, Massachusetts. If there were
horrific forest fires in the State of Alabama, as happened a few years
ago, we all come to the aid of the people of Alabama.
Now, why is that important? Because we don't check gender, and we
don't check race, and we don't say: Is it a blue State or a red State
or what is the political affiliation of those who are affected?
Instead, we say: The national principle ensures that this is about
the American family in moments of great challenge and great difficulty,
and we don't use the opportunity to remind people of what the budget
might look like at that moment. Instead, we come to their assistance
and we figure out how to pay for it later on.
So on this occasion, there is a very important consideration that is
married, and it includes the idea that, with the Trump administration
and congressional Republicans and Democrats on this side, we are going
to not only do what we are supposed to do in terms of raising the
national debt, but we will come to the assistance of members of the
American family, as I, a moment ago, described.
Now, let me point out something else as well. We need to stop playing
games with the national debt limit. We had tax cuts here in 2001 and
2003 that cut Federal revenue to 15 percent of gross domestic product,
despite the fact that the historic postwar norm average is closer to
17.5 percent. Actually, in some of those years before that, it rose to
18.5 cents on the dollar--a reasonable expenditure. But instead, as
those numbers slipped to 15 percent, the argument became somehow that
it was about future payments.
The argument over the debt limit is about expenses incurred, what we
have obligated ourselves to with veterans benefits, a war in
Afghanistan, a war in Iraq. And even though I voted against the war in
Iraq, we need to come to the aid of those veterans and those veterans
hospitals, and we need to come to the assistance of those 1 million new
veterans who were created because of it. And again, not asking
questions, is it a blue State expenditure? is it a red State
expenditure? It is about the national principle.
The idea that we would cast doubt on the full faith and credit of the
United States to earn a few political points and to try to convince
people that this is about future spending, it is not about future
spending. This is about the credit card having come due for, in most
instances, reasonable expenditures, not the least of which includes the
obligations we have to Social Security, Medicare, and our senior
citizens.
So this agreement that we have rendered today is a reasonable and
sensible bipartisan achievement, and we should use this as an example
and as a template for what we might do going forward to address many of
the challenges that are going to confront the American people.
And be assured of this: Whether it is in Florida or it is in Houston,
the expenditure requirements here are going to bulge, and we should not
be dismissive of that. So raise the debt limit and come to the aid of
the American family today.
Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask for adoption of H.R. 601 to
move funds quickly to those in need, and I yield back the balance of my
time.
Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Speaker, I support providing immediate emergency
assistance for those affected by recent natural disasters and was glad
to vote for such a bill earlier this week. I believe that raising the
debt limit for only three months is a mistake because it does not
provide the certainty that financial markets and our economy need.
But most concerning to me, and the reason I am voting against this
bill, is that it forces our military to operate under a stopgap
continuing resolution--once again.
Continuing resolutions do enormous, lasting damage to the American
military. We are witnessing an alarming increase in accidents, growing
evidence of a force under stress, and an eroding technological position
when compared with our adversaries. Not only does this bill fail to
remedy those problems, it makes them worse.
This bill, like other CRs, allows no new starts--the Pentagon must
spend the same money on the same things as last year. But the world is
not standing still. In fact, the threats from North Korea and others
grow every day. Yet, this CR prevents us from responding.
The Constitution places on Congress the responsibility to ``raise and
support'', ``provide and maintain'' the military forces of the United
States. It is morally wrong for our nation to send brave men and women
out on mission--even routine training or operations--without the very
best equipment, the very best training, the very best support our
country can provide. The dysfunction in the budget process has meant
that we have not provided them with the best and that we have not been
meeting our responsibilities. This bill is more of the same.
There is plenty of blame to go around between both parties and both
the Executive and Legislative branches of government. But this
negligence must stop. We must fulfill our duty. We must do better.
Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the
hundreds of thousands of victims of Hurricane Harvey in Houston and
Harris County and all along the Texas Gulf Coast, and urge Congress to
immediately pass the $15.25 billion dollar emergency aid bill before us
today.
For six days, the Texas Gulf Coast was hammered by Hurricane Harvey,
bringing destruction beyond anything witnessed in living memory in our
state.
The storm dropped four feet of rain on Greater Houston. Over 100,000
homes and residences were flooded in Harris County alone. Authorities
believe at least 70 Texans were killed due to Harvey, and that number
will continue to rise.
Houstonians and Texans are a proud and independent people. We take
pride in our can-do attitude, as witnessed by our brave first
responders and countless volunteers who rescued neighbors during the
worst of the flooding.
Full recovery from this unprecedented disaster will take years, but
right now we need Congress to pass this emergency relief bill that will
help the people of Houston and the Texas Gulf Coast sustain current
relief efforts and onto the road to recovery.
God bless America and God bless Texas.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. All time for debate has expired.
Pursuant to House Resolution 509, the previous question is ordered.
The question is on the motion by the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr.
Frelinghuysen).
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that
the ayes appeared to have it.
Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, this 15-
minute vote on agreeing to the motion to concur will be followed by a
5-minute vote on agreeing to the Speaker's approval of the Journal, if
ordered.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 316,
nays 90, not voting 27, as follows:
[Roll No. 480]
YEAS--316
Abraham
Adams
Aderholt
Aguilar
Allen
Amodei
Arrington
Babin
Barletta
Barragan
Bass
Beatty
Bera
Bergman
Beyer
Bishop (GA)
Bishop (MI)
Bishop (UT)
Blum
Blumenauer
Blunt Rochester
Bonamici
Bost
Boyle, Brendan F.
Brady (PA)
Brady (TX)
[[Page H7197]]
Brooks (IN)
Brown (MD)
Brownley (CA)
Bucshon
Burgess
Bustos
Butterfield
Calvert
Capuano
Carbajal
Cardenas
Carson (IN)
Carter (GA)
Carter (TX)
Cartwright
Castor (FL)
Castro (TX)
Chabot
Chu, Judy
Cicilline
Clark (MA)
Clarke (NY)
Clay
Cleaver
Clyburn
Coffman
Cohen
Cole
Collins (NY)
Comstock
Conaway
Connolly
Conyers
Cook
Cooper
Correa
Costello (PA)
Courtney
Cramer
Crawford
Crowley
Cuellar
Culberson
Davis (CA)
Davis, Rodney
DeFazio
Delaney
DelBene
Demings
Denham
Dent
DeSaulnier
Dingell
Doggett
Donovan
Doyle, Michael F.
Ellison
Engel
Eshoo
Espaillat
Esty (CT)
Evans
Farenthold
Faso
Ferguson
Fitzpatrick
Fleischmann
Flores
Fortenberry
Foster
Frankel (FL)
Frelinghuysen
Fudge
Gabbard
Gallego
Garamendi
Gianforte
Gibbs
Gohmert
Gomez
Gonzalez (TX)
Gottheimer
Gowdy
Granger
Graves (GA)
Graves (LA)
Green, Al
Green, Gene
Grijalva
Grothman
Guthrie
Gutierrez
Hanabusa
Handel
Harper
Hastings
Heck
Higgins (LA)
Higgins (NY)
Himes
Hoyer
Huffman
Hurd
Issa
Jackson Lee
Jayapal
Jeffries
Johnson (GA)
Johnson (LA)
Johnson (OH)
Johnson, E. B.
Joyce (OH)
Kaptur
Katko
Keating
Kelly (IL)
Kelly (PA)
Kennedy
Khanna
Kihuen
Kildee
Kilmer
Kind
King (IA)
King (NY)
Kinzinger
Knight
Krishnamoorthi
Kuster (NH)
LaMalfa
Lance
Langevin
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
Latta
Lawrence
Lee
Levin
Lewis (GA)
Lewis (MN)
Lieu, Ted
Lipinski
LoBiondo
Loebsack
Lofgren
Love
Lowenthal
Lowey
Lucas
Lujan Grisham, M.
Lujan, Ben Ray
Lynch
MacArthur
Maloney, Carolyn B.
Maloney, Sean
Marchant
Marino
Marshall
Mast
Matsui
McCarthy
McCaul
McCollum
McEachin
McGovern
McHenry
McKinley
McMorris Rodgers
McNerney
McSally
Meehan
Meeks
Meng
Mitchell
Moolenaar
Moore
Moulton
Murphy (PA)
Nadler
Napolitano
Neal
Newhouse
Nolan
Norcross
Nunes
O'Halleran
O'Rourke
Olson
Palazzo
Pallone
Panetta
Pascrell
Paulsen
Payne
Pelosi
Perlmutter
Peters
Peterson
Pingree
Pittenger
Pocan
Poe (TX)
Poliquin
Polis
Price (NC)
Quigley
Raskin
Ratcliffe
Reed
Reichert
Rice (NY)
Rice (SC)
Roe (TN)
Rogers (AL)
Rogers (KY)
Rohrabacher
Rooney, Francis
Rooney, Thomas J.
Rosen
Roybal-Allard
Royce (CA)
Ruiz
Ruppersberger
Rush
Ryan (OH)
Sanchez
Sarbanes
Schakowsky
Schiff
Schneider
Schrader
Scott (VA)
Scott, Austin
Scott, David
Serrano
Sessions
Sewell (AL)
Shea-Porter
Sherman
Shimkus
Shuster
Simpson
Sinema
Sires
Slaughter
Smith (NJ)
Smith (TX)
Smith (WA)
Smucker
Soto
Speier
Stefanik
Stivers
Suozzi
Swalwell (CA)
Takano
Taylor
Tenney
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Thompson (PA)
Tiberi
Titus
Tonko
Torres
Trott
Tsongas
Upton
Valadao
Vargas
Veasey
Vela
Velazquez
Visclosky
Walberg
Walden
Walters, Mimi
Walz
Waters, Maxine
Watson Coleman
Weber (TX)
Welch
Williams
Wilson (FL)
Wilson (SC)
Womack
Woodall
Yarmuth
Young (AK)
Young (IA)
NAYS--90
Amash
Bacon
Banks (IN)
Barr
Barton
Biggs
Black
Blackburn
Brat
Brooks (AL)
Buck
Budd
Byrne
Cheney
Collins (GA)
Comer
Davidson
DesJarlais
Duffy
Duncan (SC)
Duncan (TN)
Emmer
Estes (KS)
Foxx
Franks (AZ)
Gaetz
Gallagher
Goodlatte
Gosar
Graves (MO)
Griffith
Harris
Hartzler
Hensarling
Herrera Beutler
Hice, Jody B.
Hill
Holding
Hollingsworth
Hudson
Huizenga
Hultgren
Hunter
Jenkins (KS)
Jenkins (WV)
Johnson, Sam
Jordan
Kelly (MS)
Kustoff (TN)
LaHood
Lamborn
Long
Loudermilk
Luetkemeyer
Massie
McClintock
Meadows
Messer
Mooney (WV)
Mullin
Noem
Norman
Palmer
Pearce
Perry
Renacci
Roby
Rokita
Roskam
Rothfus
Rouzer
Russell
Sanford
Schweikert
Sensenbrenner
Smith (MO)
Smith (NE)
Stewart
Thornberry
Tipton
Turner
Wagner
Walker
Walorski
Wenstrup
Westerman
Wittman
Yoder
Yoho
Zeldin
NOT VOTING--27
Bilirakis
Bridenstine
Buchanan
Costa
Crist
Cummings
Curbelo (FL)
Davis, Danny
DeGette
DeLauro
DeSantis
Deutch
Diaz-Balart
Dunn
Garrett
Jones
Labrador
Lawson (FL)
Murphy (FL)
Posey
Richmond
Ros-Lehtinen
Ross
Rutherford
Scalise
Wasserman Schultz
Webster (FL)
{time} 1033
Messrs. WALKER, BRAT, and JENKINS of West Virginia changed their vote
from ``yea'' to ``nay.''
Messrs. RUSH, CLYBURN, KINZINGER, Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire,
Messrs. YOUNG of Iowa, HUFFMAN, and Mrs. LOVE changed their vote from
``nay'' to ``yea.''
So the motion to concur was agreed to.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
Stated for:
Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, today I missed rollcall vote No. 480 due to
family commitments. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.''
Stated against:
Mr. GARRETT. Mr. Speaker, I was unable to attend Floor votes due to
the expected birth of my child. Had I been present, I would have voted
``nay'' on rollcall No. 480.
____________________