[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 85 (Wednesday, May 23, 2018)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D584-D589]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                        House of Representatives


Chamber Action
Public Bills and Resolutions Introduced: 28 public bills, H.R. 5924-
5951 were introduced.                                    
  Pages H4692-93
Additional Cosponsors:                                   
  Pages H4694-95
Reports Filed: There were no reports filed today.
Speaker: Read a letter from the Speaker wherein he appointed 
Representative Jenkins (WV) to act as Speaker pro tempore for today. 
                                                             Page H4585
Recess: The House recessed at 10:42 a.m. and reconvened at 12 noon. 
                                                             Page H4589
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019: The House 
considered H.R. 5515, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2019 
for military activities of the Department of Defense and for military 
construction, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal 
year. Consideration began yesterday, May 22nd. 
                                     Pages H4603-06, H4606-73, H4673-82
Agreed to:
  Thornberry en bloc amendment No. 1 consisting of the following 
amendments printed in H. Rept. 115-702: Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM) 
(No. 1) that authorizes the Air Force Research Lab to create an open 
campus initiative modeled after the Army Research Lab's program, which 
fosters innovation and provides for rapid transition of technologies 
into products by entrepreneurs; Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM) (No. 2) 
that authorizes the Secretary to support national security innovation 
and entrepreneurial education programs for Department of Defense 
laboratory personnel; Suozzi (No. 4) that expresses a sense of Congress 
encouraging DoD to accelerate, expedite and streamline environmental 
restoration efforts, reduce the financial burden on state and local 
governments and allay community concerns about the safety of drinking 
water; directs the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, 
Installations, and Environment to brief the Congressional Armed 
Services committees on initiatives being pursued to accelerate 
environmental restoration efforts; Cicilline (No. 5) that requires the 
Defense Logistics Agency to provide direct notification to existing 
contractors when a branch of the military announces a change to uniform 
components produced by that contractor; Connolly (No. 6) that provides 
not less than $12 million for the assessment monitoring, and evaluation 
of security cooperation activities in accordance with section 383 of 
title 10, U.S. Code; Crawford (No. 7) that requires the Secretary of 
Defense to provide a plan to Congress on how USNORTHCOM will organize a 
joint task force for EOD and countering improvised explosive devices; 
Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM) (No. 9) that authorizes entrepreneurial 
sabbatical programs across all the defense laboratories and allows 
researchers to take an unpaid sabbatical to work for a private sector 
firm in order to build their research for commercial purposes; Kuster 
(NH) (No. 11) that requires SECDEF to submit a report to Congress 
within 90 days of passage detailing corrective actions taken based on 
IOT&E Report on MHS Genesis prior to its fielding beyond initial 
facilities; Schneider (No. 12) that allows for increased flexibility 
for use of funding within Phase I and Phase II of the SBIR/STTR 
programs; Lawson (FL) (No. 14) that requires the head of all agencies 
that have SBIR programs to implement a Commercialization Assistance 
Pilot Program, if not currently operating such a similar program, 
within one year of passage of this provision for the purpose of 
increasing commercialization of SBIR research by the use of sequential 
Phase II awards that require a match of outside funding; Velazquez (No. 
15) that grants agencies the ability to double the value of the 
contract awarded to specified small business concerns for purposes of 
the small business prime contracting goal for a duration of four years 
after enactment of the legislation; there is also a reporting 
requirement to track the number and amount of contracts awarded to 
eligible firms; Clarke (NY) (No. 16) that grants agencies the ability 
to double the value of the contract awarded to U.S. Virgin Islands 
small business concerns for purposes of the small business prime 
contracting goal for a duration of four years after enactment of the 
legislation; there is also a reporting requirement to track the number 
and amount of contracts awarded to eligible firms; Hartzler (No. 17) 
that prohibits federal agencies from procuring certain Chinese-made 
video surveillance equipment or services; McCaul (No. 18) that

[[Page D585]]

amends Section 880 of the base bill, which prohibits all Federal 
agencies from buying from or contracting with covered companies; the 
amendment extends the prohibition to Federal grant money, and loans; 
Velazquez (No. 20) that directs SBA to raise awareness and support 
business conversions to employee ownership through SBA entrepreneurial 
development and lending programs; modernizes SBA's 7(a) loan guarantee 
program to increase access to capital for employee owned small 
businesses and cooperatives; Norman (No. 21) that states that the 
Secretary of Defense shall include, with the Department of Defense 
budget, a report regarding the funding for product support strategies 
for major weapons systems; Poliquin (No. 23) that clarifies that 
section 916 is not intended to require or encourage any reduction in 
work force at the Defense Finance and Accounting Service; Wilson (SC) 
(No. 24) that changes ``shall'' on page 467 to ``should''; Russell (No. 
25) that reduces the risk for military service members so that pilots 
and crews are better protected in training areas; Hastings (No. 26) 
that directs the Secretary of Defense to report to Congress on military 
installations that have been available for disaster recovery over the 
past 10 fiscal years, and installations assessed to be available for 
fast response in the future; Adams (No. 27) that promotes increased 
participation in Federal procurement by HBCUs; Sessions (No. 28) that 
provides clarifying language that allows the SECDEF to enter into 
agreement with charitable organizations to provide assistance to local 
populations abroad; Smith (WA) (No. 29) that clarifies that the Federal 
Aviation Administration is allowed to disburse funding to carry out a 
project to mitigate noise if the project is located at a school near 
the airport and if the school entered into a Memorandum of Agreement 
with the agency before September 30, 2002, even if the airport does not 
meet the requirements of part 150 Title 14; Jody B. Hice (GA) (No. 30) 
that reforms the pensions and allowances provided to former Presidents 
and surviving spouses; Meadows (No. 33) that requires the Secretary of 
Defense and the Secretary of State to jointly certify and report to 
Congress that assistance to the Ministry of the Interior of Iraq under 
the Iraq Train and Equip Fund will not be disbursed to any group that 
is, or is known to be affiliated with, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard 
Corps--Quds Force or other state sponsor of terrorism; Demings (No. 34) 
that expresses the sense of Congress that the intelligence community 
should dedicate resources to further expose key financial networks used 
by the Russian political class to hide stolen money; in addition, 
requires a classified report on Putin and other senior Russian 
officials regarding their financial assets, which shall be submitted to 
Congress within 60 days of enactment; Brendan F. Boyle (PA) (No. 35) 
that requires a report from State Department and DOD on Russia's 
support for the Taliban in Afghanistan; Cheney (No. 36) that requires 
the Secretary of Defense to develop a list of technology that is 
currently eligible for export to China but the export of that 
technology may harm national security; Bass (No. 37) that requires a 
comprehensive report within 90 days by Department of State, Department 
of Defense, and USAID on U.S. security and humanitarian interests in 
Yemen; the purpose is to build support for a comprehensive strategy to 
address humanitarian and security crisis in Yemen through increasing 
coordination in Yemen's Famine-Risk Areas between federal agencies, the 
UN Offices for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs; Crowley (No. 38) 
that requires a report on Bangladesh's ability to respond to natural 
disasters and humanitarian crises including recommendations for 
enhancing cooperation on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief; 
Brendan F. Boyle (PA) (No. 39) that requires a report from Secretary of 
State on U.S. cybersecurity cooperation with Ukraine; Hunter (No. 40) 
that directs a report on the military installations within Djibouti; 
Meeks (No. 41) that states sense of Congress that the 3 Seas Initiative 
could serve as a valuable counterweight to the Kremlin's efforts to 
divide Europe and Chinese regional expansionism, particularly in the 
context of energy and infrastructure; Vela (No. 42) that Requires the 
Department of Defense to report to Congress on the impact of violence 
and cartel activity in Mexico on U.S. national security; Norman (No. 
44) that requires the Office of Management and Budget to keep separate 
accounts for overseas contingency operations and the accounts for the 
Department of Defense; McMorris Rodgers (No. 45) that states that each 
Secretary concerned may conduct a study on the feasibility of IGSA's 
for terms not exceeding 20 years; McSally (No. 46) that authorizes a 
land transfer for the purpose of relocating and extending a parallel 
runway at Tucson International Airport; Norton (No. 47) that authorizes 
the Secretary of the Navy to enter into a land exchange in the vicinity 
of the Washington Navy Yard; Beyer (No. 48) that directs the Secretary 
of the Army to grant Arlington County a permanent easement as part of 
the southern expansion of Arlington National Cemetery for the purpose 
of commemorating Freedman's Village; LaMalfa (No. 49) that extends the 
existing sunset provision currently set to expire on October 1st, 2019 
to October 1st, 2020; the extension would further prohibit funds from 
being used by the U.S. Air Force for the removal of the Over-the-
Horizon-Backscatter Radar (OTHB) station located in Modoc County, CA; 
Panetta (No. 51) that directs the Administrator for Nuclear Security to 
accelerate the elimination of the

[[Page D586]]

use of cesium chloride in blood irradiation devices; cesium chloride 
represents a risk because of its potential employment in a radiological 
or `dirty bomb,' and is no longer required due to the availability of 
new treatment technologies that do not create a radiological threat; 
Hunter (No. 52) that contains the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 
2017, which supports and strengthens the United States Coast Guard in 
its critical missions to save lives, safeguard our shores, protect 
living marine resources, and facilitate a modern 21st century maritime 
transportation system; Curbelo (FL) (No. 53), as modified, authorizes 
the Navy to lease surplus housing units at Naval Air Station, Key West, 
FL; Stefanik (No. 54) that requires foreign-owned media outlets based 
in the United States to submit a report to Congress and the FCC on the 
relationship of such outlet to the foreign principal, legal structure 
of that relationship, and funding source; Graves (LA) (No. 56) that 
allows the National Guard to be reimbursed in a timely manner in 
response to an emergency declared under the Stafford Act; Takano (No. 
57) that creates demonstration project in the Air Force for 15-20 Deaf 
and Hard of Hearing individuals; Tenney (No. 58) that provides the 
Secretary with the ability to open certain fitness centers, located at 
geographically separated units, to retirees; Lipinski (No. 59) that 
requires an annual report from the Secretary of State and the Director 
of National Intelligence describing Iranian expenditures on military 
and terrorist activities outside the country; this report must be 
submitted annually until such time as the Secretary of State determines 
Iran no longer provides support for terrorism; and Jones (No. 60) that 
renames the Department of the Navy to the Department of the Navy and 
Marine Corps;                                            
Pages H4607-56
  Guthrie amendment (No. 3 printed in H. Rept. 115-702) that authorizes 
the Secretary of the Army to continue to provide for the production, 
treatment, management, and use of natural gas located under Fort Knox, 
Kentucky;                                                
Pages H4656-57
  Gallagher amendment (No. 55 printed in H. Rept. 115-702) that adds 
the use of immigration programs and visas by the Chinese Communist 
Party to enter the United States for the purposes of political, 
academic, or social influence efforts to the strategy required in 
Section 1252;                                            
Pages H4667-68
  Amodei amendment (No. 8 printed in H. Rept. 115-702) that addresses 
mine permitting issues in relationship to minerals deemed critical for 
national security and the nation's infrastructure; the amendment is 
consistent with EO 13604 and EO 13817 from 2012 and 2017 respectively 
which ordered federal agencies to reduce the time required to make 
permitting and review decisions for critical mineral projects (by a 
recorded vote of 229 ayes to 183 noes, Roll No. 223); 
                                               Pages H4657-60, H4668-69
  McGovern amendment (No. 10 printed in H. Rept. 115-702) that requires 
the Secretary of Defense to design and produce a military service medal 
to honor retired and former members of the Armed Forces who are 
radiation-exposed veterans (Atomic Veterans) (by a recorded vote of 408 
ayes to 1 no, Roll No. 224);                   
Pages H4660-61, H4668-70
  Engel amendment (No. 43 printed in H. Rept. 115-702) that authorizes 
financial and visa sanctions against perpetrators of ethnic cleansing 
of the Rohingya by the Burmese military and security forces; limits 
U.S. military and security assistance with Burma until reforms take 
place; incentivizes reform of the Burmese gemstone sector which is 
notoriously dominated by the military; and requires a determination of 
what crimes the Burmese military committed, including genocide (by a 
recorded vote of 382 ayes to 30 noes, Roll No. 227); 
                                               Pages H4663-66, H4668-72
  Thornberry en bloc amendment No. 2 consisting of the following 
amendments printed in H. Rept. 115-702: Ross (No. 31) that requires OPM 
to submit a detailed report to Congress on the use of `Official Time' 
by federal employees; Zeldin (No. 32) that creates a policy of 
cooperation with foreign countries that support the United States' 
efforts to counter Iran's destabilizing activities in the Middle East; 
Blunt Rochester (No. 61) that expresses a sense of Congress honoring 
the Dover Air Force Base and specifically the Center for Mortuary 
Affairs; Fitzpatrick (No. 62) that directs the Secretary of Defense to 
implement a process to coordinate annual research requests between all 
services and offices under Department of Defense in order to maximize 
the benefit of each request and minimize duplication, and achieve cost 
savings; Fitzpatrick (No. 63) that directs DOD to conduct a review of 
the foreign currency rates used at disbursement to determine whether 
cost-savings opportunities exist by more consistently selecting cost-
effective rates; Fitzpatrick (No. 64) that directs the Secretary of 
Defense to raise the priority of completing DOD Directive 2310.07E in 
order to clarify processes and efficiencies in recovering the remains 
of heroes missing in action, via the POW/MIA Accounting Agency; Poe 
(TX) (No. 65) that directs the President to impose sanctions on two 
Iranian proxies in Syria and Iraq for terrorism and requires report 
detailing entities in which the IRGC has an ownership interest of 33 
percent or greater; Carbajal (No. 66) that encourages the Secretary of 
Defense to transition training manuals, emergency guidance, and other 
publications needed to train service members to a mobile app which 
would enable innovative technologies and interaction between

[[Page D587]]

trainees and information needed to complete training, as well as 
provide a cost-efficient mechanism for less printing and less 
distribution costs; Lance (No. 67) that requires each military 
department to carry out a program for awarding medals and other 
commendations to the military working dogs and/or their handlers; 
Foster (No. 68) that requires an independent assessment of nuclear 
forensic analysis conducted by the Federal Government, and requires the 
President to provide to Congress a briefing on the involvement of 
senior-level executive branch leadership in recent and planned nuclear 
terrorism preparedness or response exercises; Cardenas (No. 69) that 
creates a pilot program to train members of the Armed Forces in 
mindfulness-based stress reduction techniques before deploying to 
combat zones; a report on the effect of the program on stress 
management and post-traumatic stress disorder; Meng (No. 70) that 
requires the creation and use of exit surveys that will allow DOD to 
assess the reasons that attrition levels for women in the military are 
higher than for men at various career points; Meng (No. 71) that 
authorizes the Jet Noise Reduction Program within the Office of Naval 
Research; Meng (No. 72) that adds oversight as a responsibility of the 
newly formed Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Policy and 
Oversight Council; Smith (WA) (No. 73) that requires a report from the 
Secretary of Defense on Department of Defense missions, operations, and 
activities in Niger and the broader region; Bera (No. 74) that requires 
the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretaries of the 
VA, Education, and Labor, to submit a report to Congress detailing the 
transfer of skills into college credit or technical certifications for 
members of the Armed Forces leaving the military; Meadows (No. 75) that 
promotes responsible leasing of DOD property by requiring the Secretary 
of Defense to direct the military departments to certify, prior to 
entering into a new lease, that there is not available DOD property 
which may be reconfigured to support the purpose of the proposed lease 
in a more cost effective manner; and, requires a breakout of annual 
rent plus other costs including parking costs for multiple assets 
associated with a single lease; and, requires GAO to submit a one-time 
report on the completeness of these requirements in updating the DOD's 
Real Property Database (RPAD) by the DOD; and Schiff (No. 76) that 
requires a report by the Secretary of Defense to Congress on the legal 
basis for strikes by the United States against Syrian regime targets in 
April 2017 and April 2018; and                           
Pages H4673-78
  Thornberry en bloc amendment No. 3 consisting of the following 
amendments printed in H. Rept. 115-702: Heck (No. 77) that amends the 
Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to permit an individual to provide to a 
creditor as proof of military service, in order to qualify for the 
active service interest rate limitation, a certified letter from a 
commanding officer or any other appropriate indicator of military 
service; a creditor may use information from the Defense Manpower 
Database Center indicating that the individual is on active duty; Esty 
(No. 78) that requires a study on the feasibility of requiring service 
members to apply for VA benefits prior to discharge; Krishnamoorthi 
(No. 79) that requires DoD to report how many underemployed reserve 
members in an employment program are in a field that matches their 
skills and training; Gabbard (No. 80) that includes a study to evaluate 
the personal protective equipment required by civil defense agencies 
and civilian communities located near active volcanic activity to 
protect against dangers such as sulfur dioxide gas and other hazards; 
this amendment also authorizes the transfer or excess Department of 
Defense personal protective equipment to state and local agencies if it 
is determined that the Department of Defense does not require such 
equipment for current or planned requirements; Crawford (No. 81) that 
authorizes a pilot program to examine the feasibility and effectiveness 
of the Army National Guard EOD soldiers in Title 32 status versus using 
the current Mobilization Day EOD soldiers mobilized in Title 10 status 
to provide this support; Crawford (No. 82) that assigns the Explosive 
Ordnance Disposal research, development, and acquisition program to the 
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological 
Defense Programs; Castro (TX) (No. 83) that supports Department of 
Defense efforts to deepen multilateral cooperation on disaster 
response; Thornberry (No. 84) that directs the Secretary of Defense to 
conduct a joint study with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration on the impact wind farms have on weather radars and 
military operations; Ben Ray Lujan (NM) (No. 85) that requires the 
Secretary of Defense to select and contract with an independent 
Federally Funded Research and Development Center to review, assess and 
prepare a report on NNSA's strategy for the recapitalization of 
plutonium science and production capabilities; it also requires the 
Secretary of Energy to provide briefings on this strategy, and requires 
the Nuclear Weapons Council to provide annual certifications related to 
this effort; Biggs (No. 86) that expresses the sense of Congress on 
allied contributions to the common defense; requires the Secretary of 
Defense to submit a report to Congress on annual defense spending by 
ally and partner countries; McSally (No. 87) that grants a waiver of 
time limitations so that the Distinguished-Service Cross can be awarded 
to Staff Sgt. Gallegos, a soldier from AZ

[[Page D588]]

who was killed in Afghanistan in 2009; Jackson Lee (No. 88) that 
requires Secretary of Defense to report to Congress programs and 
procedures employed to ensure students studying abroad through 
Department of Defense National Security Education Programs are trained 
to recognize, resist, and report against recruitment efforts by agents 
of foreign governments; Jackson Lee (No. 89) that provides a report 220 
days after enactment on the DoD's capacity to provide survivors of 
natural disasters with emergency short term housing; Jackson Lee (No. 
90) that directs that the Secretary of DoD 240 days from enactment will 
provide a report on the risks posed by man-made space debris in low-
earth orbit, including recommendations on remediation of such risks, 
and outlines of plans to reduce the incident of space debris; Jackson 
Lee (No. 91) that seeks a report 180 days following enactment from the 
Secretary of DoD, which will include the Coast Guard, on the rate of 
maternity mortality rate among members of the Armed Forces and the 
dependents of such members; and Jackson Lee (No. 92) that assures that 
a report already required by the bill on Artificial Intelligence (AI) 
and Machine Learning will also provide information on the 
``Opportunities and Risks'' related to advances in the area of AI and 
its sub discipline of machine learning; the report shall have a 
classified section.                                      
Pages H4678-82
Rejected:
  Nolan amendment (No. 2 printed in H. Rept. 115-698) that was debated 
on May 22nd that sought to strike the authorization of funds made 
available under the Overseas Contingency Operations account (by a 
recorded vote of 62 ayes to 351 noes, Roll No. 219);         
Page H4604
  Gabbard amendment (No. 3 printed in H. Rept. 115-698) that was 
debated on May 22nd that sought to strike section 1225, a required 
strategy to counter destabilizing activities of Iran (by a recorded 
vote of 60 ayes to 355 noes, Roll No. 220);              
Pages H4604-05
  Aguilar amendment (No. 4 printed in H. Rept. 115-698) that was 
debated on May 22nd that sought to add to an already-mandated annual 
report, this amendment would require DoD to include a 20-year estimate 
of the projected life cycle costs of each type of nuclear weapon and 
delivery platform in its text (by a recorded vote of 198 ayes to 217 
noes, Roll No. 221);                                     
Pages H4605-06
  Garamendi amendment (No. 5 printed in H. Rept. 115-698) that was 
debated on May 22nd that sought to limit 50% of the funding for the 
W76-2 warhead modification program until the Secretary of Defense 
submits a report assessing the program's impacts on strategic stability 
and options to reduce the risk of miscalculation (by a recorded vote of 
188 ayes to 226 noes, Roll No. 222);                         
Page H4606
  McKinley amendment (No. 13 printed in H. Rept. 115-702) that sought 
to institute domestic sourcing requirements for dinner ware within the 
Department of Defense (by a recorded vote of 160 ayes to 252 noes, Roll 
No. 225);                                      
Pages H4661-62, H4668-70
  Tenney amendment (No. 19 printed in H. Rept. 115-702) that sought to 
reinstate the Berry Amendment's long-standing domestic sourcing 
requirement for stainless steel flatware and provides a one year phase-
in period (by a recorded vote of 174 ayes to 239 noes, Roll No. 226); 
and                                            
Pages H4662-63, H4668-71
  Polis amendment (No. 50 printed in H. Rept. 115-702) that sought to 
reduce the amount authorized for the National Nuclear Security 
Administration's Weapons Account to the amount in the budget request 
(by a recorded vote of 174 ayes to 239 noes, Roll No. 228). 
                                               Pages H4666-67, H4668-72
  H. Res. 905, the rule providing for consideration of the bills (H.R. 
5515), (S. 204), and (S. 2155) was agreed to yesterday, May 22nd.
  H. Res. 908, the rule providing for further consideration of the bill 
(H.R. 2) was agreed to by a recorded vote of 229 ayes to 183 noes, Roll 
No. 218, after the previous question was ordered by a yea-and-nay vote 
of 222 yeas to 189 nays, Roll No. 217.                
Pages H4593-H4603
Unanimous Consent Agreement: Agreed by unanimous consent that during 
further consideration of H.R. 5515 in the Committee of the Whole 
pursuant to House Resolution 908, the fourth set of amendments en bloc 
offered by Representative Thornberry pursuant to section 3 of House 
Resolution 905 be considered to have been adopted with the modification 
placed at the desk.                                          
  Page H4673
Meeting Hour: Agreed by unanimous consent that when the House adjourns 
today, it adjourn to meet at 9 a.m. tomorrow, May 24th.      
  Page H4682
Senate Message: Message received from the Senate by the Clerk and 
subsequently presented to the House today appears on page H4598.
Quorum Calls--Votes: One yea-and-nay vote and eleven recorded votes 
developed during the proceedings of today and appear on pages H4602-03, 
H4603, H4604, H4604-05, H4605-06, H4606, H4669, H4669-70, H4670, H4671, 
H4671-72, and H4672. There were no quorum calls.
Adjournment: The House met at 10 a.m. and adjourned at 7 p.m.

[[Page D589]]