[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 24 (Wednesday, February 5, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H796-H799]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1345
               CHESAPEAKE BAY PROGRAM REAUTHORIZATION ACT

  Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass 
the bill (H.R. 1620) to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act 
to reauthorize the Chesapeake Bay Program, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1620

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Chesapeake Bay Program 
     Reauthorization Act''.

     SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION OF CHESAPEAKE BAY PROGRAM.

       Section 117(j) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act 
     (33 U.S.C. 1267(j)) is amended by striking ``$40,000,000 for 
     each of fiscal years 2001 through 2005'' and inserting 
     ``$90,000,000 for fiscal year 2021, $90,500,000 for fiscal 
     year 2022, $91,000,000 for fiscal year 2023, $91,500,000 for 
     fiscal year 2024, and $92,000,000 for fiscal year 2025''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
California (Mrs. Napolitano) and the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. 
Mitchell) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 1620, as amended.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1620. Introduced by the 
gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Luria), H.R. 1620 authorizes the 
funding for the program for the next five fiscal years, with increased 
funding levels to better advance Bay restoration protection efforts. 
This includes $90 million for the

[[Page H797]]

upcoming fiscal year, incrementally rising to $92 million for fiscal 
year 2025.
  Since its funding in 1983, EPA's Chesapeake Bay Program has been 
working toward improving the water quality and ecosystem health of the 
single largest estuary in the U.S. Reaching to six States, and the 
District of Columbia, I might add, the Bay is a cherished water and the 
number of people and local economies impacted by its health make a 
program like this very essential.
  However, as stakeholders noted in our June 2019 hearing, the 
ecosystem remains under major stress. The Bay is threatened by nutrient 
and sediment loads from sources like agricultural runoff, wastewater 
treatment facilities, land-use changes, urban stormwater runoff and 
atmospheric deposition. We must continue to prioritize programs like 
the Chesapeake Bay Program and the protection of our Nation's water. 
This bill will support the continued cooperative efforts of all 
involved to achieve the protection of the Chesapeake Bay.
  I would like to recognize several of the bipartisan committee members 
cosponsoring the bill, including the gentlewoman from the District of 
Columbia (Ms. Norton), the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Brown), and the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fitzpatrick), and also a former Member 
of Congress, God rest his soul, Mr. Cummings.
  Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record letters of support of H.R. 1620 
from: Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, the National Audubon 
Society, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, and the Chesapeake Bay 
Foundation.

                                               September 17, 2019.
     Hon. Grace F. Napolitano,
     Chairman, House Transportation and Infrastructure 
         Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment, 
         Washington, DC.
     Hon. Bruce Westerman,
     Ranking Member, House Transportation and Infrastructure 
         Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment, 
         Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Napolitano and Ranking Member Westerman: The 
     Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP) is a 
     national coalition of sportsmen, conservation, and outdoor 
     industry organizations that seeks to ensure all Americans 
     have access to quality places to hunt and fish. We partner 
     with 60 hunting, fishing, and conservation organizations to 
     unite and amplify the voices of America's more-than 40 
     million sportsmen and women whose activities help sustain the 
     $887-billion outdoor recreation economy.
       Today, we write in support of the Chesapeake Bay Program 
     Reauthorization Act (H.R. 1620). The legislation would 
     reauthorize the Chesapeake Bay Program and increase its 
     authorized funding level to $90,000,000 for fiscal year 2020 
     and then increase its authorized funding level by half a 
     million dollars each year through fiscal year 2024. The 
     Chesapeake Bay Program provides critical federal investment, 
     which is then leveraged several-fold by state and local 
     dollars, to improve the quality of water and wetlands habitat 
     in the Bay watershed.
       The Chesapeake Bay Program is important to the continued 
     conservation and restoration of the Chesapeake Bay. While the 
     health of the Bay had been consistently improved over the 
     last decade, the 2018 State of the Bay Report showed that the 
     health of the Bay declined over the past year due to an 
     incredible amount of rainfall that greatly increased the 
     amount of nitrogen, phosphorous, sediment, and debris that 
     flowed into the Bay. Without a significant increase in 
     funding for federal programs that help to restore the Bay, 
     such as the EPA's Chesapeake Bay Program, this iconic 
     waterbody will not be able to recover.
       Thank you for your consideration and we look forward to 
     working with your subcommittee to help increase funding in 
     order to conserve and restore our iconic waterbodies.
           Respectfully,
                                                Theodore Roosevelt
     Conservation Partnership.
                                  ____



                                         Audubon, National and

                                       International Programs,

                                               September 18, 2019.
     Hon. Peter DeFazio,
     Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, 
         Washington, DC.
     Hon. Sam Graves,
     Ranking Member, Committee on Transportation and 
         Infrastructure, Washington, DC.
     Hon. Grace Napolitano,
     Chairwoman, Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment, 
         Washington, DC.
     Hon. Bruce Westerman,
     Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Water Resources and 
         Environment, Washington, DC.
       On behalf of the National Audubon Society's more than 1 
     million members, our mission is to protect birds and the 
     places they need for today and tomorrow. We write to offer 
     our support for the following bills related to important 
     coastal and water conservation issues that will be the 
     subject of the September 19, 2019 Markup before the Committee 
     on Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.


        HR 4031--Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act of 2019

       The Great Lakes are home to 30 million people and 350 
     species of birds, but increasing challenges are on the 
     horizon for the world's largest body of freshwater. 
     Fluctuating water levels exacerbated by climate change, 
     invasive exotic species and excess nutrients are putting even 
     more stress on this ecosystem that is so important for birds 
     and people. The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has helped 
     clean up toxic pollutants, protect wildlife by restoring 
     critical habitat, and help combat devastating invasive 
     species.
       HR 4031 would increase funding for conservation projects to 
     $475 million over five years, by increasing the Great Lakes 
     Restoration Initiative's authorization incrementally from 
     $300 million per year to $475 million per year.


               HR 1132--San Francisco Bay Restoration Act

       The San Francisco Bay Area, home to the Pacific Coast's 
     largest estuary, is also home to a rapidly growing population 
     of 8 million people, and provides for a host of social and 
     economic values through ports and industry, agriculture, 
     fisheries, archaeological and cultural sites, recreation, and 
     research. However, San Francisco Bay has lost 90% of its 
     tidal wetlands and more than 50% of its eelgrass and mudflat 
     habitat. Climate change exacerbates these conditions through 
     drought that alters the salinity balance, ocean acidification 
     that reduces species abundance and diversity, increasing 
     water temperatures, and rising seas causing flooding that 
     eliminates living shorelines and puts communities at risk. 
     Many species of waterbirds forage in the San Francisco Bay, 
     including Brant Geese and Surf Scoters, underscoring the 
     value of this ecosystem.
       HR 1132 would authorize a San Francisco Bay Restoration 
     Grant Program in EPA and funding of up to $25m per year to 
     support the restoration of this estuary.


          HR 1620--Chesapeake Bay Program Reauthorization Act

       Salt marshes are special places to birds and other 
     wildlife, but sea level rise has elevated the waters in the 
     Chesapeake Bay by one foot during the 20th century and is 
     accelerating due to climate change. Salt marshes provide 
     valuable ``ecosystem services'', including nurseries for the 
     Chesapeake Bay's commercially important fish, a buffer 
     protecting coastal communities against storm surge, a filter 
     that stops nutrient and sediment pollution from entering the 
     Bay, and a recreational resource attracting visitors who 
     contribute millions of dollars to local economies. Chesapeake 
     Bay's salt marshes host globally significant populations of 
     both Saltmarsh Sparrow and Black Rail.
       HR 1620 would increase the authorization of appropriations 
     for the Chesapeake Bay Program to more than $90m per year.


   HR 2247--Promoting United Government Efforts to Save Our Sound Act

       Despite significant investments in Puget Sound ecosystem 
     health by state, federal, tribal and local governments, 
     concerned members of the public, and conservation 
     organizations, progress towards ecosystem recovery targets 
     remains slow. The number of marine birds wintering in Puget 
     Sound has declined significantly in the last 30 years and 
     migratory, fisheating birds appear to be at the greatest 
     risk.
       HR 2247 would authorize up to $50 million in funding for 
     Puget Sound recovery. The PUGET SOS Act also aligns federal 
     agency expertise and resources, ensuring that federal 
     agencies are coordinated, setting goals, and holding each 
     other accountable will help increase their effectiveness and 
     provide a boost to Puget Sound recovery.


          HR 3779--Resilience Revolving Loan Fund Act of 2019

       Pre-disaster planning can help communities adapt to the 
     changing flood patterns that threaten people and birds 
     species dependent on shoreline and riverine areas. These 
     changes have led to more frequent instances of ``nuisance 
     flooding,'' as well as catastrophic events. NOAA has found 
     that ``nuisance'' or ``sunny day'' flooding is up 300% to 
     900% than it was 50 years ago. In addition, catastrophic 
     flooding events have increased in both frequency and 
     intensity. These trends have been particularly pronounced in 
     the Northeast, Midwest and upper Great Plains, where the 
     amount of precipitation in large rainfall events has 
     increased more than 30 percent above the average observed 
     from 1901-1960. As sea level rise accelerates, it only 
     exacerbates these impacts, which further compounds 
     vulnerability in flood-prone communities.
       HR 3779 would amend the 1988 Stafford Act to offer low-
     interest loans to states for ``disaster mitigation 
     projects'', including investments in natural infrastructure 
     projects, which would help communities prepare and recover 
     from natural disasters.
       We urge you to support and advance the bills listed above. 
     Please feel free to contact us with any questions.
           Sincerely,

                                           Julie Hill-Gabriel,

                               Vice President, Water Conservation,
                                         National Audubon Society.

[[Page H798]]

     
                                  ____
                                Backcountry Hunters & Anglers,

                                 Missoula, MT, September 18, 2019.
     Hon. Peter DeFazio,
     Chairman, House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, 
         Washington, DC.
     Hon. Sam Graves,
     Ranking Member, House Transportation & Infrastructure 
         Committee, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman DeFazio and Ranking Member Graves: On behalf 
     of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA), the fastest growing 
     organization that represents sportsmen and women in North 
     America, I encourage you to support House Transportation & 
     Infrastructure Committee and floor passage of Rep. Elaine 
     Luria's (D-VA) Chesapeake Bay Program Reauthorization Act 
     (H.R. 1620) and Rep. David Joyce's (R-OH) Great Lakes 
     Restoration Initiative Act (H.R. 4031).
       Over the last decade the health of the Bay's ecosystem has 
     improved. However, with increased rainfall in the region and 
     the amount of sediment, phosphorous, debris and nitrogen 
     eroding into the Chesapeake watershed, the water quality is 
     on the decline.
       H.R. 1620 reauthorizes an important conservation and 
     restoration program that safeguards the Chesapeake Bay 
     watershed and increases the funding level to $90 million for 
     fiscal year 2020 and grows by $500,000 each year until fiscal 
     year 2024. Lawmakers funded the Chesapeake Bay Program at $73 
     million annually for the past few years. The additional funds 
     will restore the health of the Bay and boost the regional 
     economy that depends on it for agricultural and outdoor 
     recreation opportunities.
       The second bill, H.R. 4031 reauthorizes funding to conserve 
     and restore the Great Lakes, the largest bodies of fresh 
     water in the world by incremental increases of $25 million 
     annually until fiscal year 2026. The Great Lakes Restoration 
     Initiative is a successful program that strategically targets 
     critical areas through multiple action plans and public 
     input. Increasing funds will furthermore expand fish and 
     habitat rehabilitation and implement collaborative projects 
     between federal, state and local stakeholders.
       The Chesapeake Bay and Great Lakes programs provide 
     necessary federal investments that leverage state and local 
     dollars to improve water quality and fish and wildlife 
     habitat for Canada geese, speckled trout and other game 
     species. BHA believes H.R. 1620 and H.R. 4031 are essential 
     to the health of fish and wildlife and the general public who 
     depend on clean water for agriculture and municipal needs at 
     home.
       Thank you for the opportunity to express our support for 
     the Chesapeake Bay Program Reauthorization Act and the Great 
     Lakes Restoration Initiative Act. We look forward to working 
     with you to advance the legislation through the House.
           Sincerely,

                                                 John W. Gale,

                                            Conservation Director,
     Backcountry Hunters & Anglers.
                                  ____



                                    Chesapeake Bay Foundation,

                                  Annapolis, MD, November 5, 2019.
     Hon. Elaine Luria,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congresswoman Luria: Thank you for sponsoring H.R. 
     1620, the Chesapeake Bay Program Reauthorization Act. As the 
     preeminent organization dedicated to Saving the Bay, we're 
     proud to support this legislation. As you know, the 
     Chesapeake Bay Program is the glue that holds the Chesapeake 
     Bay Clean Water Blueprint together and provides essential 
     oversight to ensure that all are doing their part.
       H.R. 1620 reauthorizes this program and provides a steady 
     annual increase in funding over the next five years. This 
     demonstrates Congress's continued bipartisan commitment to 
     restoring the Bay and acknowledges the accelerated efforts 
     that are needed to ensure that the requirements of the 
     Blueprint are met by 2025.
       This is essential at this critical juncture. The 
     partnership has proven to be effective: dead zones are 
     getting smaller; bay grasses are rebounding; oyster 
     restoration is underway; and local economies are improving. 
     However, the Bay is facing new challenges due to threats from 
     the impacts of climate change, increased loads from the 
     Conowingo Dam, regulatory rollbacks, and shortfalls in 
     funding (including the over $320 Million annual shortfall 
     identified by Pennsylvania in its latest Watershed 
     Implementation Plan). Simply stated, there is still 
     significant work to be done and the leadership role of the 
     federal government and the Executive Council at this stage is 
     paramount. Passing H.R. 1620, and its companion bill, S. 701, 
     will be an important piece to ensure that the Bay 
     jurisdictions fulfill their obligations under the Blueprint.
       We look forward to working with you and your fellow 
     cosponsors to pass this vital bipartisan legislation. Again, 
     thank you for your leadership on this issue.
           Sincerely,
                                                       Will Baker,
                                                  President & CEO.

  Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MITCHELL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1620, the Chesapeake Bay 
Program Reauthorization Act.
  H.R. 1620 represents good governance to reauthorize the Chesapeake 
Bay Program and passed out of the committee with strong bipartisan 
support.
  The Chesapeake Bay watershed is one of the largest estuaries in the 
United States, covering 64,000 square miles; is home to more than 18 
million people; hosts two major ports as major international gateways 
for trade; and produces about 500 million pounds of seafood each year, 
some of which I enjoyed just the other day.
  I want to thank Members for their continued support for the 
restoration of the Chesapeake Bay, including Mr. Wittman of Virginia, 
Mr. Riggleman of Virginia, and Mr. Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania. I know 
this issue is very important to their districts, their constituencies, 
and to the entire region and, frankly, the Nation.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this legislation, and I reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman 
from Virginia (Mrs. Luria), the lead sponsor.
  Mrs. LURIA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, the 
Chesapeake Bay Program Reauthorization Act. This bipartisan bill will 
reauthorize $455 million for the Chesapeake Bay Program over the next 5 
years.
  The Chesapeake Bay is one of our Nation's greatest national 
treasures. It helps generate $33 billion in economic value annually and 
is home to spectacular natural beauty and ecological diversity. The 
EPA's Chesapeake Bay Program coordinates regional conservation efforts, 
but Congress has not reauthorized this critical program since 2005.
  Thanks to innovative partnerships between local, State, and Federal 
agencies and NGOs, the health of the Bay has improved in recent years. 
But this progress is fragile, and unless Congress acts, we risk losing 
these gains.
  In 2014, all States within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed and the 
District of Columbia signed the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement. 
This partnership committed these States to work together and with the 
EPA to put in place all the necessary conservation practices by 2025.
  Part of this agreement includes setting a limit, called the Total 
Maximum Daily Load, or TMDL, on pollution from chemicals like nitrogen 
and phosphorus.
  The EPA's Chesapeake Bay Program supports the work of States in 
meeting their commitments under this agreement. Funding for the Bay 
program goes directly to localities to improve local conservation 
efforts.
  By passing the Chesapeake Bay Program Reauthorization Act, Congress 
will reaffirm that all States in the watershed and the EPA must work 
together to achieve these restoration goals. This includes ensuring 
that all States have plans in place to comply with the TMDL and all 
other necessary conservation goals.
  I want to thank my friends and colleagues on both sides of the aisle, 
Congressman  Bobby Scott, Congressman  Rob Wittman, and Congressman   
John Sarbanes for working with me to achieve this bipartisan victory 
for the Bay.
  I also thank Chairwoman Napolitano and Ranking Member Westerman for 
their support in bringing this bill to the floor.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this critical bill.
  Mr. MITCHELL. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wittman).
  Mr. WITTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support today of H.R. 1620, the 
Chesapeake Bay Program Reauthorization Act, that will extend and fund 
the Environmental Protection Agency's Chesapeake Bay Program until 
2024.
  I am proud to have joined my colleagues from the Chesapeake Bay 
Watershed, Representatives Elaine Luria,  Bobby Scott, and   John 
Sarbanes in introducing this important legislation.
  The Chesapeake Bay is, indeed, a national treasure and a centerpiece 
of the culture and economy of many communities in Virginia and 
neighboring States.
  A clean and healthy Bay is the right thing to do for future 
generations, but it will also support local economies and provide 
numerous other economic and quality-of-life benefits.
  The commercial seafood industry alone employs 34,000 in Virginia and

[[Page H799]]

Maryland and generates $3.4 billion in sales.
  A clean and healthy Bay also supports a vibrant tourism and outdoor 
recreational industry. These industries in the watershed support over 
820,000 jobs and $13 billion in income.
  EPA's Chesapeake Bay Program does important work in partnership with 
Bay States to control pollution and manage nutrient runoff into the 
rivers feeding into the Bay.
  Through the Chesapeake Bay Program, we see the overall health of the 
Bay has improved significantly over the last 30 years. We are seeing 
better water quality, more rockfish, more blue crabs, more oysters, and 
the list goes on and on.
  However, without continued collaboration among stakeholders and 
Federal support, progress in the Bay is indeed threatened. With today's 
actions, we are one step closer to ensuring that the Chesapeake Bay 
remains the economic foundation of our region that will be enjoyed for 
generations to come.
  We all enjoy the Bay, whether we are in the Bay watershed or outside 
the Bay watershed. It really is, indeed, a national treasure.
  If you look and think about the Bay, the workboats that you see there 
on a daily basis, the great way of life of folks in these waterside 
communities, it really is, I think, incumbent upon all of us to work 
hard and make sure we continue, not just to preserve the Bay, but make 
sure we see the Bay improve in water quality.
  It plays an important role in my family. My son is a commercial 
fisherman, what we call in our area, a waterman, so he lets me know on 
a daily basis what is right and what is not right with the Chesapeake 
Bay, and encourages me to make sure we are doing everything we can to 
continue as good stewards of that fantastic resource, to make sure it 
continues to provide for those people that make their living off of the 
water; but also provides for the quality of life of those folks that 
live in the watershed, and continues to be a national treasure.

  Even today under the stress, it is, indeed, one of the most 
productive water bodies in the entire world. If we continue on this 
path of improving the water quality there, I believe it can be even 
more productive and provide even more economic value, as well as just 
that intrinsic value that it provides to all of us; not just those in 
the watershed but to us as a Nation.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this measure and 
continuing the vital work of saving the Chesapeake Bay.
  Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I wish to inquire if my colleague is 
ready to close.
  Mr. MITCHELL. Mr. Speaker, I am ready to close.
  Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MITCHELL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge everyone to think of what Mr. Wittman and our 
colleagues on the other side of the aisle stated; that this Chesapeake 
Bay, it is a tremendous resource to our Nation, recreational 
opportunities, the shipping opportunities in it, never mind the 
wonderful seafood.
  I urge support of this bipartisan piece of legislation by all 
Members, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  I am glad that this bill gets bipartisan support from Members of 
Congress and I intend to support the bill. I urge all my colleagues to 
support it.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 
1620, the Chesapeake Bay Program Reauthorization Act. I commend my 
colleague and fellow Virginian, Congresswoman Elaine Luria, for 
introducing this bill which will further the Chesapeake Bay's ongoing 
restoration. As a co-chair of the bipartisan Chesapeake Bay Task Force, 
I recognize the critical role that the Environmental Protection Agency 
(EPA) and it's Chesapeake Bay Program play in coordinating the multi-
state restoration effort. I am proud to be an original cosponsor of 
this legislation.
  Deterioration of the Bay and how to best address the problem has been 
a concern for almost half a century. While serving as a member of the 
Virginia House of Delegates, I was part of a joint Virginia-Maryland 
legislative advisory commission focused on determining what actions 
were necessary to address Bay issues. We concluded that restoring the 
Bay would require more than just Virginia and Maryland, but rather, the 
collaboration of the entire 64,000 square-mile watershed.
  The EPA's Chesapeake Bay Program, which was created during the Reagan 
Administration and ratified by Congress in 1987, facilitates the 
cooperation between the watershed states and the federal government to 
restore the Bay. Re-authorization of the critical Chesapeake Bay 
Program is long overdue.
  Increases in underwater grasses and the blue crab population indicate 
our efforts are working, however more resources and continued 
coordination efforts are necessary to ensure that these gains are 
maintained and that the Chesapeake Bay is protected. The Total Maximum 
Daily Load, sometimes referred to as a ``pollution diet,'' was 
established in 2010 and is a key part of the EPA's Chesapeake Bay 
Program and the EPA's role in establishing and enforcing those limits 
are an essential part of the ongoing restoration process.
  The Chesapeake Bay is a national commercial, recreational, ecological 
treasure and we have a moral responsibility to preserve it. I commend 
the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure for reporting this 
bill favorably to the full House and I urge my colleagues to support 
this bill.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Napolitano) that the House suspend 
the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1620, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________