[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 82 (Friday, May 18, 2018)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D551-D553]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                        House of Representatives


Chamber Action
Public Bills and Resolutions Introduced: 13 public bills, H.R. 8, 5874-
5886; and 1 resolution, H. Res. 904 were introduced.         
  Page H4242
Additional Cosponsors:                                       
  Page H4243
Reports Filed: Reports were filed today as follows:
  H.R. 299, to amend title 38, United States Code, to clarify 
presumptions relating to the exposure of certain veterans who served in 
the vicinity of the Republic of Vietnam, and for other purposes, with 
an amendment (H. Rept. 115-680);
  H.R. 1972, to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs to waive the requirement of certain 
veterans to make copayments for hospital care and medical services in 
the case of an error by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for 
other purposes, with an amendment (H. Rept. 115-681);
  H.R. 2147, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to hire 
additional Veterans Justice Outreach Specialists to provide treatment 
court services to justice-involved veterans, and for other purposes, 
with an amendment (H. Rept. 115-682);
  H.R. 3642, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a 
pilot program to improve the access to private health care for veterans 
who are survivors of military sexual trauma, with an amendment (H. 
Rept. 115-683);
  H.R. 3832, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to enter into 
a memorandum of understanding with the executive director of a national 
network of State-based prescription monitoring programs under which 
Department of Veterans Affairs health care providers shall query such 
network, and for other purposes, with amendments (H. Rept. 115-684);
  H.R. 4334, to provide for certain reporting requirements relating to 
medical care for women veterans provided by the Department of Veterans 
Affairs and through contracts entered into by the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs with non-Department medical providers, and for other purposes 
(H. Rept. 115-685);
  H.R. 4451, to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for a 
five-year extension to the homeless veterans reintegration programs and 
to provide clarification regarding eligibility for services under such 
programs, with an amendment (H. Rept. 115-686);
  H.R. 4635, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to increase 
the number of peer-to-peer counselors providing counseling for women 
veterans, and for other purposes, with an amendment (H. Rept. 115-687);
  H.R. 4958, to increase, effective as of December 1, 2018, the rates 
of compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and 
the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for the survivors of 
certain disabled veterans, and for other purposes (H. Rept. 115-688);
  H.R. 5044, to amend title 38, United States Code, to clarify the 
treatment of certain surviving spouses under the contracting goals and 
preferences of the Department of Veterans Affairs (H. Rept. 115-689); 
and
  H.R. 5520, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to use the 
authority of the Secretary to conduct and support research on the 
efficacy and safety

[[Page D552]]

of medicinal cannabis, and for other purposes, with an amendment (H. 
Rept. 115-690).                                          
Pages H4241-42
Journal: The House agreed to the Speaker's approval of the Journal by a 
recorded vote of 183 ayes to 163 noes with one answering ``present'', 
Roll No. 206.                                     
  Pages H4211, H4233-34
Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018: The House failed to pass H.R. 2, 
to provide for the reform and continuation of agricultural and other 
programs of the Department of Agriculture through fiscal year 2023, by 
a yea-and-nay vote of 198 yeas to 213 nays, Roll No. 205. 
                                               Pages H4213-26, H4226-33
  Rejected the Sean Patrick Maloney (NY) motion to recommit the bill to 
the Committee on Agriculture with instructions to report the same back 
to the House forthwith with an amendment, by a recorded vote of 183 
ayes to 226 noes, Roll No. 204.                          
Pages H4230-32
Agreed to:
  Pearce amendment (No. 21 printed in H. Rept. 115-679) that 
establishes a pilot program to demonstrate effective tools and 
techniques for safeguarding national forests and watersheds; 
                                                         Pages H4213-15
  Stefanik amendment (No. 22 printed in H. Rept. 115-679) that 
prioritizes grants for forest restoration under the Competitive 
Forestry, Natural Resources, and Environmental Grants Program; 
                                                         Pages H4215-16
  Faso amendment (No. 23 printed in H. Rept. 115-679) that improves 
cooperation with the Forest Service to intercept tree and wood pests 
and would require a report on the interception of forest pests; 
                                                         Pages H4216-17
  Costello (PA) amendment (No. 26 printed in H. Rept. 115-679) that 
directs the Secretary to designate, among existing USDA staff, a 
Beginning Farmer and Rancher (BFR) Coordinator in each state, without 
associated cost;                                         
Pages H4219-20
  Noem amendment (No. 27 printed in H. Rept. 115-679) that creates a 
new initiative to allow the United States Department of Agriculture to 
match funds invested in educational programs or services for Indians; 
                                                         Pages H4220-21
  Johnson (LA) amendment (No. 29 printed in H. Rept. 115-679) that 
requires the Secretary to consider the totality of conservation 
measures already in place, or proposed, to mitigate species or habitat 
loss when determining whether Federal action is likely to jeopardize 
either;                                                  
Pages H4223-24
  Hollingsworth amendment (No. 30 printed in H. Rept. 115-679) that 
allows the Secretary of the Interior, in conjunction with the Director 
of the US Fish and Wildlife Service, to issue depredation permits to 
livestock farmers authorizing the taking of black vultures otherwise 
prohibited by law to prevent damage to livestock during calving season;
                                                         Pages H4224-25
  Roskam amendment (No. 28 printed in H. Rept. 115-679) that 
strengthens prohibitions against animal fighting by ensuring the law 
applies to all US territories (by a recorded vote of 359 ayes to 51 
noes, Roll No. 202); and                       
Pages H4221-23, H4228-29
  Banks (IN) amendment (No. 31 printed in H. Rept. 115-679) that 
repeals the final rule issued by the Administrator of the Environmental 
Protection Agency and the Secretary of the Army entitled ``Clean Water 
Rule: Definition of `Waters of the United States''' (80 Fed. Reg. 37053 
(June 29, 2015)) (by a recorded vote of 238 ayes to 173 noes, Roll No. 
203).                                
Pages H4225-26, H4226-27, H4229-30
Rejected:
  Russell amendment (No. 17 printed in H. Rept. 115-679) that was 
debated on May 17th that sought to amend the Agricultural Risk 
Protection Act of 2000 to prohibit the Department of Agriculture (USDA) 
from awarding value-added agricultural product market development 
grants to support the marketing of beer, wine, distilled spirits, hard 
cider, or other alcohol products; the amendment also rescinds $8 
million of the unobligated funds that were previously provided to USDA 
for grants (by a recorded vote of 54 ayes to 356 noes, Roll No. 200); 
and                                                      
Pages H4227-28
  Massie amendment (No. 25 printed in H. Rept. 115-679) that sought to 
prohibit federal interference with the interstate traffic of 
unpasteurized milk and milk products between States that allow the 
distribution of unpasteurized milk or milk products for direct human 
consumption (by a recorded vote of 79 ayes to 331 noes, Roll No. 201). 
                                                  Pages H4217-19, H4228
  Representative Ryan (WI) moved that the House reconsider the vote on 
passage of the bill. Subsequently, proceedings on the motion were 
postponed.                                                   
Page H4233
  H. Res. 900, the rule providing for further consideration of the bill 
(H.R. 2) was agreed to yesterday, May 17th.
Meeting Hour: Agreed by unanimous consent that when the House adjourns 
today, it adjourn to meet at 12 noon on Monday, May 21st for Morning 
Hour debate.                                                 
  Page H4234
Presidential Message: Read a message from the President wherein he 
notified Congress that the national emergency declared with respect to 
the stabilization of Iraq is to continue in effect beyond May 22, 
2018--referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs and ordered to be 
printed (H. Doc. 115-128).                               
  Pages H4235-36

[[Page D553]]

Quorum Calls--Votes: One yea-and-nay vote and six recorded votes 
developed during the proceedings of today and appear on pages H4227-28, 
H4228, H4228-29, H4229-30, H4232, H4232-33, and H4233-34. There were no 
quorum calls.
Adjournment: The House met at 9 a.m. and adjourned at 1:16 p.m.