[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 157 (Wednesday, September 28, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H8145-H8148]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     CHANCE TO COMPETE ACT OF 2022

  Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend 
the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6967) to implement merit-based 
reforms to the civil service hiring system that replace degree-based 
hiring with skills- and competency-based hiring, and for other 
purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 6967

       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 ``Chance to Compete Act of 
     2022''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       (a) Terms Defined in Section 3304 of Title 5, United States 
     Code.--In this Act, the terms ``agency'', ``Director'', 
     ``examining agency'', ``Office'', ``subject matter expert'', 
     and ``technical assessment'' have the meanings given those 
     terms in subsection (c)(1) of section 3304 of title 5, United 
     States Code, as added by section 3(a).
       (b) Other Terms.--In this Act, the term ``competitive 
     service'' has the meaning given the term in section 2102 of 
     title 5, United States Code.

     SEC. 3. DEFINING THE TERM ``EXAMINATION'' FOR PURPOSES OF 
                   HIRING IN THE COMPETITIVE SERVICE.

       (a) Examinations; Technical Assessments.--
       (1) In general.--Section 3304 of title 5, United States 
     Code, is amended--
       (A) by redesignating subsections (c) through (f) as 
     subsections (d) through (g), respectively; and
       (B) by inserting after subsection (b) the following:
       ``(c) Examinations.--
       ``(1) Definitions.--
       ``(A) Examination.--
       ``(i) In this chapter, the term `examination'--

       ``(I) means an opportunity to directly demonstrate 
     knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies, through an 
     assessment;
       ``(II) includes a resume review that is--

       ``(aa) conducted by a subject matter expert; and
       ``(bb) based upon indicators that--
       ``(AA) are derived from a job analysis; and
       ``(BB) bear a rational relationship to performance in the 
     position for which the examining agency is hiring; and

       ``(III) on and after the date that is 2 years after the 
     date of enactment of the Chance to Compete Act of 2022, does 
     not include a self-assessment from an automated examination, 
     a resume review (except as provided in subclause (II)), or 
     any other method of determining the experience or level of 
     educational attainment of an individual, alone.

       ``(ii)(I) An agency's Chief Human Capital Officer may waive 
     clause (i)(III) if the Officer provides a written report to 
     the Director of the Office of Personnel Management within 30 
     days of authorizing the waiver that justifies the need for 
     such waiver and articulates the data, evidence, and 
     circumstances for such need.
       ``(II) The Director is authorized to provide agencies 
     guidance and instruction on the data, evidence, and 
     circumstances that should be included in the waiver described 
     in subclause (I) and shall post any waiver on a public 
     website within 30 days of receipt of the waiver.
       ``(III) A waiver shall not be considered in effect until it 
     is posted on the public website pursuant to subclause (II).
       ``(B) Other definitions.--In this subsection--
       ``(i) the term `agency' means an agency described in 
     section 901(b) of title 31;
       ``(ii) the term `Director' means the Director of the 
     Office;
       ``(iii) the term `examining agency' means--

       ``(I) the Office; or
       ``(II) an agency to which the Director has delegated 
     examining authority under section 1104(a)(2) of this title;

       ``(iv) the term `subject matter expert' means an employee 
     or selecting official--

       ``(I) who possesses understanding of the duties of, and 
     knowledge, skills, and abilities required for, the position 
     for which the employee or selecting official is developing or 
     administering an assessment; and
       ``(II) whom the agency that employs the employee or 
     selecting official designates to assist in the development 
     and administration of technical assessments under paragraph 
     (2); and

       ``(v) the term `technical assessment' means an assessment 
     developed under paragraph (2)(A)(i) that--

       ``(I) allows for the demonstration of job-related technical 
     skills, abilities, and knowledge;
       ``(II)(aa) is based upon a job analysis; and
       ``(bb) is relevant to the position for which the assessment 
     is developed; and
       ``(III) may include--

       ``(aa) a structured interview;
       ``(bb) a work-related exercise;
       ``(cc) a custom or generic procedure used to measure an 
     individual's employment or career-related qualifications and 
     interests; or
       ``(dd) another assessment that meets the criteria under 
     subclauses (I) and (II).
       ``(2) Technical assessments.--
       ``(A) In general.--For the purpose of conducting an 
     examination for a position in the competitive service, an 
     individual or individuals whom an agency determines to have 
     an expertise in the subject and job field of the position, as 
     affirmed and audited by the Chief Human Capital Officer or 
     Human Resources Director (as applicable) of that agency, 
     may--
       ``(i) develop, in partnership with human resources 
     employees of the examining agency, a position-specific 
     assessment that is relevant to the position; and
       ``(ii) administer the assessment developed under clause (i) 
     to--

       ``(I) determine whether an applicant for the position has 
     demonstrated qualification for the position; or
       ``(II) rank applicants for the position for category rating 
     purposes under section 3319.

       ``(B) Sharing and customization of assessments.--
       ``(i) Sharing.--An examining agency may share a technical 
     assessment with another examining agency if each agency 
     maintains appropriate control over examination material.
       ``(ii) Customization.--An examining agency with which a 
     technical assessment is shared under clause (i) may customize 
     the assessment as appropriate, provided that the resulting 
     assessment satisfies the requirements under part 300 of title 
     5, Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor regulation).
       ``(iii) Platform for sharing and customization.--

       ``(I) In general.--The Director shall establish and operate 
     an online platform on which

[[Page H8146]]

     examining agencies can share and customize technical 
     assessments under this subparagraph.
       ``(II) Online platform.--The Director shall--

       ``(aa) not be responsible for independently validating the 
     utility of the content and technical assessments shared in 
     the online platform described in subclause (I); and
       ``(bb) ensure that such online platform includes the 
     ability of its users to rate the utility of the content and 
     technical assessments shared in the online platform to allow 
     for a ranking of such contents.
       ``(3) Regulations.--Not later than one year after the date 
     of enactment of the Chance to Compete Act of 2022, the Office 
     of Personnel Management shall prescribe regulations necessary 
     for the administration of this subsection with respect to 
     employees in each agency.''.
       (2) Alternative ranking and selection procedures.--Section 
     3319(a) of title 5, United States Code, is amended by adding 
     at the end the following: ``To be placed in a quality 
     category under the preceding sentence, an applicant shall be 
     required to have passed an examination in accordance with 
     section 3304(b), subject to the exceptions in that 
     section.''.
       (3) Technical and conforming amendment.--Section 
     3330a(a)(1)(B) of title 5, United States Code, is amended by 
     striking ``section 3304(f)(1)'' and inserting ``section 
     3304(g)(1)''.
       (b) OPM Reporting.--
       (1) Public online tool.--
       (A) In general.--The Director of the Office of Personnel 
     Management shall maintain and periodically update a publicly 
     available online tool that, with respect to each position in 
     the competitive service for which an examining agency 
     examined applicants during the applicable period, includes--
       (i) the type of assessment used, such as--

       (I) a behavioral off-the-shelf assessment;
       (II) a resume review conducted by a subject matter expert;
       (III) an interview conducted by a subject matter expert;
       (IV) a technical off-the-shelf assessment; or
       (V) a cognitive ability test;

       (ii) whether or not the agency selected a candidate for the 
     position; and
       (iii) the hiring authority used to fill the position.
       (B) Timing.--
       (i) Initial data.--Not later than 180 days after the date 
     of enactment of this Act, the Director shall update the 
     online tool described in subparagraph (A) with data for 
     positions in the competitive service for which an examining 
     agency examined applicants during the period beginning on the 
     date of enactment of this Act and ending on the date of 
     submission of the report.
       (ii) Subsequent updates.--Not later than October 1 of each 
     fiscal year beginning after the date on which the online tool 
     is initially updated under clause (i), the Director shall 
     update the online tool described in subparagraph (A) with 
     data for positions in the competitive service for which an 
     examining agency examined applicants during the preceding 
     fiscal year.
       (2) Annual progress report.--
       (A) In general.--Each year, the Director, in accordance 
     with subparagraphs (B) and (C), shall make publicly available 
     and submit to Congress an overall progress report that 
     includes summary data from examinations that are closed, 
     audited, and anonymous on the use of examinations (as defined 
     in subsection (c)(1)(A) of section 3304 of title 5, United 
     States Code, as added by subsection (a) of this section) for 
     the competitive service, including technical assessments.
       (B) Categories; baseline data.--In carrying out 
     subparagraph (A), the Director shall--
       (i) break the data down by applicant demographic indicator, 
     including veteran status, race, gender, disability, and any 
     other measure the Director determines appropriate; and
       (ii) use the data available as of October 1, 2020, as a 
     baseline.
       (C) Limitations.--In carrying out subparagraph (A), the 
     Director may only make publicly available and submit to 
     Congress data relating to examinations for which--
       (i) the related announcement is closed;
       (ii) certificates have been audited; and
       (iii) all hiring processes are completed.
       (c) GAO Report.--Not later than 5 years after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United 
     States shall submit to Congress a report that--
       (1) assesses the implementation of this section and the 
     amendments made by this section;
       (2) assesses the impact and modifications to the hiring 
     process for the competitive service made by this section and 
     the amendments made by this section; and
       (3) makes recommendations for the improvement of the hiring 
     process for the competitive service.

     SEC. 4. AMENDMENTS TO COMPETITIVE SERVICE ACT OF 2015.

       (a) Platforms for Sharing Certificates of Eligibles.--
       (1) In general.--Section 3318(b) of title 5, United States 
     Code, is amended--
       (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``240-day'' and inserting 
     ``1-year'';
       (B) by redesignating paragraph (5) as paragraph (6); and
       (C) by inserting after paragraph (4) the following:
       ``(5) Online tool for sharing resumes of individuals on 
     certificates of eligibles.--Not later than one year after the 
     date of enactment of the Chance to Compete Act of 2022, the 
     Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall 
     establish and operate an online tool on which an appointing 
     authority can share, with other appointing authorities and 
     the Chief Human Capital Officers Council established under 
     section 1303 of the Chief Human Capital Officers Act of 2002 
     (5 U.S.C. 1401 note; Public Law 107-296), the resumes of 
     individuals who are on a certificate of eligibles requested 
     by the appointing authority. In carrying out this paragraph, 
     the Director shall consult with the Chief Human Capital 
     Officers Counsel and its membership to develop a plan to 
     establish such online tool.''.
       (2) Plan.--Not later than 270 days year after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Director shall provide to Congress 
     a plan to develop the online tool required in paragraph (5) 
     of section 3318(b) of title 5, United States Code, as added 
     by paragraph (1) of this subsection. Such plan shall--
       (A) incorporate the input and feedback collected during the 
     required consultation under such paragraph; and
       (B) include estimated costs for building and operating the 
     online tool for ten years.
       (b) Maximizing Sharing of Applicant Information.--Section 2 
     of the Competitive Service Act of 2015 (Public Law 114-137; 
     130 Stat. 310) is amended--
       (1) by redesignating subsections (c) and (d) as subsections 
     (d) and (e), respectively; and
       (2) by inserting after subsection (b) the following:
       ``(c) Exploring the Benefits of Maximizing Sharing of 
     Applicant Information.--
       ``(1) Definitions.--In this subsection--
       ``(A) the terms `agency', `Director', and `Office' have the 
     meanings given those terms in section 3304(c)(1) of title 5, 
     United States Code; and
       ``(B) the term `competitive service' has the meaning given 
     the term in section 2102 of title 5, United States Code.
       ``(2) Maximizing sharing.--The Director shall research the 
     benefits of maximizing the sharing of information among 
     agencies regarding qualified applicants for positions in the 
     competitive service, including by--
       ``(A) providing for the delegation to other agencies of the 
     authority of the Office to host multi-agency hiring actions 
     to increase the return on investment on high-quality pooled 
     announcements; and
       ``(B) sharing certificates of eligibles and accompanying 
     resumes for appointment.''.
       (c) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Director shall provide a written 
     report to Congress on the findings of the research required 
     by the amendment made by subsection (b)(2). Such report shall 
     include a plan to implement the most effective methods of 
     maximizing the sharing of qualified candidates for positions 
     in the competitive service.

     SEC. 5. MODERNIZING AND REFORMING THE ASSESSMENT AND HIRING 
                   OF FEDERAL JOB CANDIDATES.

       (a) OPM Review.--The Director shall conduct a review of all 
     examinations for hiring for a position that the Office or any 
     other examining agency has determined requires a minimum 
     educational requirement because of the nature of the duties 
     of such position is of a scientific, technical, or 
     professional position pursuant to section 3308 of title 5, 
     United States Code, to determine whether there are data, 
     evidence, or other information that justifies the need for 
     educational requirements for such position. The Director 
     shall consult with appropriate agencies, employee 
     representatives, external experts, and other stakeholders 
     when making any such determinations.
       (b) Online Tool Regarding Position Duties.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than two years after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Director shall create and maintain 
     an online tool that lists each of the duties determined to 
     require minimum educational requirements and the data, 
     evidence, or other information that justifies the need for 
     these educational requirements. This online tool shall 
     include a mechanism to receive feedback regarding data, 
     evidence, or information that could affect the determination 
     that a duty requires a minimum educational requirement.
       (2) Hiring practices.--Not later than one year after the 
     creation of the online tool under paragraph (1), the Director 
     and the head of any other examining agency shall amend the 
     hiring practices of the Office or the other examining agency, 
     respectively, in accordance with the findings of the review 
     made by subsection (a).
       (c) Online Tool Regarding Recruiting.--Upon the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Director shall establish and 
     maintain an online tool that provides Federal agencies 
     guidance on, and information about, all programs and 
     authorities that help agencies attract, recruit, hire, and 
     retain individuals.

     SEC. 6. TALENT TEAMS.

       (a) Federal Agency Talent Teams.--
       (1) In general.--An agency may establish one or more talent 
     teams (referred to in this section as ``agency talent 
     teams''), including at the component level.
       (2) Duties.--An agency talent team shall provide hiring 
     support to the agency and other agencies, including by--
       (A) improving examinations (as defined in subsection 
     (c)(1)(A) of section 3304 of title 5, United States Code, as 
     added by section 3(a));
       (B) facilitating writing job announcements for the 
     competitive service;

[[Page H8147]]

       (C) sharing high-quality certificates of eligibles; and
       (D) facilitating hiring for the competitive service using 
     examinations (as defined in such subsection (c)(1)(A)) and 
     subject matter experts.
       (b) Office of Personnel Management.--The Director may 
     establish a Federal talent team to support agency talent 
     teams in facilitating pooled hiring actions across the 
     Federal Government, providing training, and creating 
     technology platforms to facilitate hiring for the competitive 
     service, including--
       (1) the development of technical assessments; and
       (2) the sharing of certificates of eligibles and 
     accompanying resumes under sections 3318(b) and 3319(c) of 
     title 5, United States Code.

     SEC. 7. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS.

       The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of 
     complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall 
     be determined by reference to the latest statement titled 
     ``Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation'' for this Act, 
     submitted for printing in the Congressional Record by the 
     Chairman of the House Budget Committee, provided that such 
     statement has been submitted prior to the vote on passage.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
New York (Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney) and the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. 
Comer) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from New York.


                             General Leave

  Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous 
consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and 
extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on H.R. 6967.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman?
  There was no objection.
  Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such 
time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6967, the Chance to Compete 
Act.
  The bipartisan Chance to Compete Act was introduced by Representative 
Hice along with Representatives Khanna, Foxx, and Mfume. 
Representatives Mace and Subcommittee Chairman Connolly later joined 
the bill, as well.
  This bill aims to make evaluations more useful in assessing the 
skills of candidates for Federal positions and alleviate inefficiencies 
that have long hindered the hiring process.
  The bill turns away from the current reliance on self-assessment and 
attainment of an educational degree to determine candidate 
qualifications in the Federal hiring process. Instead, subject matter 
experts in agencies would design assessments that test knowledge 
specific to a position for which the agency is hiring.
  This overhaul to the assessment method would better match qualified 
applicants with positions and expand employment opportunities to 
candidates with more diverse professional and educational backgrounds.
  The Chance to Compete Act aligns with the Office of Personnel 
Management's guidance released in May to facilitate an executive order 
to modernize the process of assessing and hiring Federal job 
candidates. Establishing hiring methods that are more skills-based will 
improve agency managers' ability to hire people who possess the 
knowledge and experience to do the job and to hire from a wider array 
of qualified applicants.
  The bill also directs the Office of Personnel Management to create an 
online platform for sharing candidate assessments between agencies and 
maintain a portal for hiring managers to find candidates who have 
already demonstrated their qualifications for certain positions but 
were not hired.
  Under this legislation, agencies may assemble talent teams to support 
this assessment of job candidates and the hiring process.
  The OPM director would be required to submit annual progress reports 
to Congress on the use of the skills-based assessments. After 5 years, 
the Government Accountability Office would conduct a study of the 
implementation of the Federal job assessment reforms and their impact 
on the Federal hiring process.
  This bill streamlines the hiring process for Federal agencies and 
shortens the time it takes to bring new, well-qualified employees on 
board.
  The Senate companion to this bill, introduced by Senator Sinema, also 
enjoys bipartisan support.
  I thank Representative Hice for his leadership in introducing this 
bill that is the result of constructive collaboration by several 
members of our committee from both sides of the aisle.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to join me in supporting it, 
and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, Congress is charged with overseeing the general 
management and operations of government agencies. For the success of 
each Federal program, we must have a competent and skilled workforce to 
deliver services to the American people, defend our Nation, and execute 
the laws passed by Congress. However, agencies currently lack the tools 
to identify and hire the best candidates to fill the broad types of job 
positions supporting the Federal Government's various missions and 
programs.
  The problem is that hiring for the Federal civil service has over-
relied on the paper credentials and self-administered job proficiency 
assessments of candidates.
  The Chance to Compete Act makes sure agencies use objective, skills-
based assessments to evaluate job candidates. The private sector 
already uses such structured interviews, knowledge tests, and writing 
samples for the hiring process. It is time for the Federal Government 
to do so, as well.
  Agencies should be able to hire professionals that can do the work, 
and there are many ways to build the right kind of professional 
expertise.
  H.R. 6967 represents one of those rare, bipartisan legislative 
reforms that targets a specific problem, implements tested solutions, 
and reflects private-sector best practices. The bill codifies and 
improves upon policy initiatives begun in the Trump administration 
which the Biden administration is continuing to implement.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the House Oversight and Reform Committee 
Chairwoman Maloney and Government Operations Subcommittee Chairman 
Gerry Connolly for working diligently with the bill's cosponsor, 
Congressman Jody Hice, to strengthen this bipartisan bill.

                              {time}  1530

  Mr. Speaker, I thank Representatives Ro Khanna, Virginia Foxx, and 
Kweisi Mfume for their support. We hope that our Senate colleagues can 
rapidly advance this important legislation so it can be signed into law 
this year, and I urge my colleagues to support this smart reform bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. 
Hice), the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Government Operations.
  Mr. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the support and 
comments both from Ranking Member Comer and Chairwoman Maloney. I 
appreciate that a great deal.
  The concept of this bill is quite simple. It allows us to hire 
applicants for Federal positions based on whether or not they have the 
skills for the job. It is really that simple.
  Too frequently, the hiring process is based on whether or not someone 
has a degree whether or not that degree has anything to do with the 
specific position or not.
  Currently, hiring managers also have to rely on self-assessments that 
are filled out by applicants to determine their strengths and 
weaknesses. Not surprisingly, those assessments also are likely not to 
work.
  This Chance to Compete Act simply allows agencies to develop 
appropriate skills that are based on examinations so that the 
applicants show what they can do. Federal supervisors have said for a 
long time that their top concern is getting a pool of quality 
candidates to do the job, and this bill addresses that problem head-on.
  It will facilitate agencies sharing information about candidates who 
have passed assessments, which will make the hiring process more 
efficient across the government, saving both time and money. It also 
creates teams of subject matter experts to help agencies create 
assessments that are geared for the job.
  This builds off what was started in the Trump administration, and I 
likewise express my thanks to Representatives Khanna, Foxx, Mfume, and 
Mace for their cosponsorship, as well as Chairman Connolly, my 
colleague

[[Page H8148]]

from the Subcommittee on Government Operations.
  This is good policy. It will help America's government work more 
efficiently.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this smart reform bill.
  Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, this is a commonsense bill aimed at hiring 
applicants for Federal positions based on whether they have the 
relevant skills to do the job. The American people deserve nothing less 
from their Federal Government.
  Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of 
H.R. 6967, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6967, the Chance to Compete 
Act.
  This bill is a good first step in reforming how we find and hire 
talent to the federal civil service and removes barriers that prevent 
agencies from recruiting the best talent.
  The bill specifically eliminates antiquated hiring assessment tools, 
improves federal agencies' hiring process, and allows qualified 
applicants to compete for open positions across government. This bill 
will move government away from a focus on academic parchment to a 
prioritization on skills and expertise.
  I'm proud to be a cosponsor of this bill, introduced by my Ranking 
Member Jody Hice and my Oversight colleague Ro Khanna.
  The bill came to us from the Senate, less than perfect and opposed by 
the Administration.
  But parties across both chambers worked together to draft an updated 
version of the bill that incorporates important feedback from the 
Office of Personnel Management and the Office of Management and Budget.
  As currently drafted, the bill would:
  Redefine competitive-service hiring applicant assessments to help 
agencies focus on candidates who can perform on the job.
  Put subject-matter experts at the helm of hiring, empowering those 
who can best distinguish practical performers from the field of 
candidates.
  Require OPM to begin a review of all federal ``duties'' that require 
an educational achievement level for hiring purposes, and then 
instructs OPM to make available online the data.
  Clarify to agencies, Congress, and the public why some positions, 
like a doctor at the Department of Veterans Affairs, must have an 
advanced degree, while a cybersecurity expert at the Department of 
Homeland Security would benefit from a seasoned specialist, trained 
from the field.
  Authorize ``talent teams'' in agency human resources offices--
ensuring each agency has a key group of staff focused on improving 
federal hiring.
  I thank Ranking Member Hice for working with me to improve this bill 
and ensure it is policy that all stakeholders, including the 
Administration and our union partners, believe will improve how we find 
and recruit talent to the federal government.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 6967, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. HICE of Georgia. 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, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

                          ____________________