[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 82 (Thursday, May 16, 2019)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D549-D552]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                        House of Representatives


Chamber Action
 Public Bills and Resolutions Introduced: 39 public bills, H.R. 2780-
2818, and 3 resolutions, H. Res. 385-387, were introduced. 
                                                         Pages H3923-24
Additional Cosponsors:                                   
  Pages H3925-27
Reports Filed:Reports were filed today as follows:
  H.R. 2779, making appropriations for the Legislative Branch for the 
fiscal year ending September 30, 2020, and for other purposes (H. Rept. 
116-64);
  H.R. 1994, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to encourage 
retirement savings, and for other purposes, with an amendment (H. Rept. 
116-65, Part 1);
  H.R. 1318, to direct the Librarian of Congress to obtain a stained 
glass panel depicting the seal of the District of Columbia and install 
the panel among the stained glass panels depicting the seals of States 
which overlook the Main Reading Room of the Library of Congress Thomas 
Jefferson Building (H. Rept. 116-66, Part 1);
  H.R. 1775, to establish a task force on NOTAM improvements, and for 
other purposes (H. Rept. 116-67);

[[Page D550]]


  H.R. 1200, to increase, effective as of December 1, 2019, 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. 116-68);
  H.R. 2045, to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish the 
Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition Administration and the 
Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes, with amendments 
(H. Rept. 116-69); and Supplemental Report on H.R. 965, to promote 
competition in the market for drugs and biological products by 
facilitating the timely entry of lower-cost generic and biosimilar 
versions of those drugs and biological products (H. Rept. 116-55, Part 
3).                                                      
Pages H3922-23
Speaker: Read a letter from the Speaker wherein she appointed 
Representative Jackson Lee to act as Speaker pro tempore for today. 
                                                             Page H3845
Recess: The House recessed at 10:45 a.m. and reconvened at 12 noon. 
                                                             Page H3850
Guest Chaplain: The prayer was offered by the Guest Chaplain, Rabbi 
Bruce Lustig, Washington Hebrew Congregation, Washington, DC. 
                                                             Page H3850
Marketing and Outreach Restoration to Empower Health Education Act of 
2019: The House passed H.R. 987, to amend the Patient Protection and 
Affordable Care Act to provide for Federal Exchange outreach and 
educational activities, by a recorded vote of 234 ayes to 183 noes, 
Roll No. 214.                               
  Pages H3853-H3904, H3910-11
  Rejected the Walden motion to recommit the bill to the Committee on 
Energy and Commerce with instructions to report the same back to the 
House forthwith with an amendment, by a recorded vote of 188 ayes to 
228 noes, Roll No. 213.                                  
Pages H3904-10
  Pursuant to the Rule, an amendment in the nature of a substitute 
consisting of the text of Rules Committee Print 116-14 shall be 
considered as adopted in the House and in the Committee of the Whole, 
in lieu of the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by 
the Committee on Energy and Commerce now printed in the bill. 
                                                         Pages H3868-73
Agreed to:
  Pallone amendment (No. 1 printed in H. Rept. 116-61) that clarifies 
communication requirements for eligible product developers and license 
holders regarding requests, offers, and delivery of product samples; 
                                                         Pages H3873-74
  Welch amendment (No. 3 printed in H. Rept. 116-61) that prohibits the 
Secretary of HHS from ending autoenrollment;             
Pages H3876-77
  Blunt Rochester amendment (No. 4 printed in H. Rept. 116-61) that 
requires the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services 
to release all aggregated studies and data sets created on or after 
January 1, 2014 related to marketing and outreach for the Affordable 
Care Act's individual marketplace;                       
Pages H3877-78
  DeSaulnier amendment (No. 5 printed in H. Rept. 116-61) that 
commissions a study by the National Academy of Medicine into the amount 
of federal funding and research used in the development of drugs by 
pharmaceutical companies, and to put measures in place to curb 
excessive drug costs;                                    
Pages H3878-79
  Shalala amendment (No. 7 printed in H. Rept. 116-61) that states the 
sense of Congress that the Secretary of HHS should not take any action 
to prohibit or restrict ``silver loading'';              
Pages H3879-80
  Hayes amendment (No. 8 printed in H. Rept. 116-61) that amends the 
Federally-Facilitated Marketplace (FFM) navigator program to authorize 
$25,000,000 out of amounts collected by user fees for State-Based 
Exchanges; ensures that no state shall receive a grant that is less 
than $1,000,000;                                         
Pages H3880-81
  McBath amendment (No. 9 printed in H. Rept. 116-61) that provides 
pharmacy school outreach by directing the Labor HHS and Education 
Secretaries to do outreach to institutions of higher education as it 
relates to the use and availability of generic drugs;    
Pages H3881-83
  Scanlon amendment (No. 10 printed in H. Rept. 116-61) that requires 
the HHS Secretary to issue biweekly public reports during the annual 
open enrollment period on the performance of the federal exchange and 
the Small Business Health Options Program exchange; each report will 
include a summary of information on the open enrollment season 
including the number of website visits, accounts created, calls to the 
call center, number of people who enroll in a plan and what enrollment 
path they took, e.g., website, broker, or call center;   
Pages H3883-84
  Morelle amendment (No. 11 printed in H. Rept. 116-61) that requires 
GAO to study the effect of President Trump's cuts to ACA outreach and 
the Navigator Program on health insurance enrollment and the cost of 
coverage;                                                
Pages H3884-85
  Waters amendment (No. 12 printed in H. Rept. 116-61) that requires 
HHS to submit to Congress a report on the extent to which increases in 
the prices of commonly prescribed drugs have caused individuals with 
health insurance to forego needed treatment;             
Pages H3885-86
  Johnson (TX) amendment (No. 13 printed in H. Rept. 116-61) that 
requires Navigators to receive

[[Page D551]]

training on how to assist consumers with Medicaid and CHIP enrollment; 
                                                         Pages H3886-87
  Lynch amendment (No. 14 printed in H. Rept. 116-61) that extends the 
deadline by which States may apply for federal assistance to establish 
state-based marketplaces by one year to December 31, 2023; extends the 
date by which the State Exchanges must be self-sustaining by one year 
to January 1, 2025;                                     
Pages H38887-88
  Lynch amendment (No. 15 printed in H. Rept. 116-61) that asks the GAO 
to conduct a cost benefit analysis of the establishment of State-
administered health insurance plans for states that may want to offer a 
public option in their health insurance exchanges; the report is due to 
Congress no later than one year after enactment;             
Page H3888
  Lipinski amendment (No. 16 printed in H. Rept. 116-61) that requires 
a GAO report to determine whether the Department of Health and Human 
Services has taken appropriate steps to ensure that routine maintenance 
to the Healthcare.gov website is minimally disruptive to consumers; 
                                                         Pages H3888-89
  Deutch amendment (No. 17 printed in H. Rept. 116-61), as modified, 
that adds a duty requiring navigators to provide information in plain 
language regarding essential health benefits and consumer protections 
under the mental health and substance use disorder benefits parity law;
                                                         Pages H3889-91
  Brown (MD) amendment (No. 18 printed in H. Rept. 116-61) that adds 
that the Secretary shall implement outreach and educational activities 
in areas with high health disparities;                   
Pages H3891-92
  Gomez amendment (No. 19 printed in H. Rept. 116-61) that clarifies 
the ability of Navigators to provide referrals to community-based 
organizations that address social needs related to health outcomes; 
                                                         Pages H3892-93
  Escobar amendment (No. 20 printed in H. Rept. 116-61), as modified, 
that requires Navigators to assist vulnerable populations including 
individuals with limited English proficiency and chronic illnesses; 
                                                         Pages H3893-94
  Pappas amendment (No. 22 printed in H. Rept. 116-61) that requires 
the Secretary of Health and Human Services to set annual enrollment 
targets for the Exchanges for the plan year 2020 and each subsequent 
plan year;                                               
Pages H3896-97
  Cox (CA) amendment (No. 23 printed in H. Rept. 116-61) that adds a 
new subsection (b): Promote Transparency and Accountability in the 
Administration's Expenditures of Exchange User Fees, which requires HHS 
to submit an annual report to Congress that includes a detailed 
breakdown of the Department's spending on outreach and enrollment, 
navigators, maintenance of Healthcare.gov, and operation of the 
Healthcare.gov call centers;                             
Pages H3897-98
  Cox (CA) amendment (No. 24 printed in H. Rept. 116-61) that adds 
areas with high concentrations of unemployment to the list where such 
outreach and educational activities shall be provided; 
                                                      Pages H3898-H3900
  Horn amendment (No. 26 printed in H. Rept. 116-61) that ensures rural 
areas are included in navigator outreach;                
Pages H3900-01
  Cunningham amendment (No. 27 printed in H. Rept. 116-61) that ensures 
that state healthcare Exchanges' outreach activities are also targeted 
towards veteran populations;                             
Pages H3901-02
  Harder (CA) amendment (No. 6 printed in H. Rept. 116-61) that 
provides opioid specific education and training to the Navigators and 
the Certified Application Counselors (CACs) that ensures they can best 
educate individuals on the marketplace plans specifically for opioid 
health care treatment (by a recorded vote of 243 ayes to 174 noes, Roll 
No. 211); and                                        
Pages H3879, H3902
  Wexton amendment (No. 21 printed in H. Rept. 116-61) that includes 
findings that the final rule on short-term, limited duration insurance 
weakens protections for the millions of Americans living with 
preexisting health conditions, including children with complex medical 
needs and disabilities and their families (by a recorded vote of 232 
ayes to 185 noes, Roll No. 212).                  
Pages H3894-96, H3904

Rejected:
  McKinley amendment (No. 2 printed in H. Rept. 116-61) that sought to 
strike title II--Health Insurance Market Stabilization (by a recorded 
vote of 189 ayes to 230 noes, Roll No. 210).   
Pages H3874-76, H3902-03
  Agreed that in the engrossment of the bill, the Clerk be authorized 
to make technical corrections and conforming changes.        
Page H3911
  H. Res. 377, the rule providing for consideration of the bills (H.R. 
5), (H.R. 312), and (H.R. 987) was agreed to yesterday, May 15th.
Requiring each Member, officer, and employee of the House of 
Representatives to complete a program of training in workplace rights 
and responsibilities each session of each Congress: The House agreed to 
discharge from committee and agree to H. Res. 30, requiring each 
Member, officer, and employee of the House of Representatives to 
complete a program of training in workplace rights and responsibilities 
each session of each Congress.                               
  Page H3911

[[Page D552]]

Making technical corrections to the computation of average pay under 
Public Law 110-279: The House agreed to take from the Speaker's table 
and pass S. 1436, to make technical corrections to the computation of 
average pay under Public Law 110-279.                        
  Page H3911
Permission to File Report: Agreed by unanimous consent that the 
Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to file a supplemental report 
on H.R. 965, to promote competition in the market for drugs and 
biological products by facilitating the timely entry of lower-cost 
generic and biosimilar versions of those drugs and biological products.
                                                             Page H3911
Mexico-United States Interparliamentary Group--Appointment: The Chair 
announced the Speaker's appointment of the following Members on the 
part of the House to the Mexico-United States Interparliamentary Group: 
Representatives Correa, Gonzalez of (TX), Jackson Lee, Escobar, Lofgren 
and Carbajal.                                                
  Page H3913
House Democracy Partnership--Appointment: The Chair announced the 
Speaker's appointment of the following Members to the House Democracy 
Partnership: Representatives Moore, Titus, Connolly, Ted Lieu (CA), 
Torres (CA), Kelly (IL), Sewell (AL), DeGette, Plaskett and Lee (CA). 
                                                             Page H3913
Senate Referral: S. 1208 was referred to the Committee on the 
Judiciary.                                                   
  Page H3921
Senate Messages: Message received from the Senate and message received 
from the Senate by the Clerk and subsequently presented to the House 
today appear on pages H3853 and H3876.
Quorum Calls--Votes: Five recorded votes developed during the 
proceedings of today and appear on pages H3902-03, H3903, H3904, H3909-
10, and H3910. There were no quorum calls.
Adjournment: The House met at 10 a.m. and adjourned at 9:17 p.m.