[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 157 (Wednesday, September 28, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H8181-H8184]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   FOOD SECURITY FOR ALL VETERANS ACT

  Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 8888) to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish in 
the Department of Veterans Affairs an Office of Food Security, and for 
other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

       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 ``Food Security for All 
     Veterans Act''.

     SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 
                   OFFICE OF FOOD SECURITY.

       Chapter 3 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by 
     adding at the end the following new section (and conforming 
     the table of sections at the beginning of such chapter 
     accordingly):

     ``Sec. 325. Office of Food Security

       ``(a) Establishment.--There is in the Department an office 
     to be known as the `Office of Food Security'. There is at the 
     head of the Office a Director, which shall be a career 
     position.
       ``(b) Responsibilities.--(1) The Director of the Office of 
     Food Security shall carry out the following responsibilities:
       ``(A) To provide information to veterans concerning the 
     availability of, and eligibility requirements for Federal 
     nutrition assistance programs.
       ``(B) To collaborate with other program offices of the 
     Department, including the Homeless Programs Office and the 
     Office of Tribal Government Relations, to develop and 
     implement policies and procedures to identify and treat 
     veterans at-risk or experiencing food insecurity.
       ``(C) To collaborate with the Secretary of Agriculture and 
     the Secretary of Defense on food insecurity among veterans, 
     including by collaborating with the Secretaries to develop 
     materials related to food insecurity for the Transition 
     Assistance Program curriculum and other transition-related 
     resources.
       ``(D) To develop and provide training, including training 
     that may count towards continuing education or licensure 
     requirements, for social workers, dietitians, chaplains, and 
     other clinicians on how to assist veterans with enrollment in 
     Federal nutrition assistance programs, including the 
     supplemental nutrition assistance program and the special 
     supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and 
     children established by section 17 of the Child Nutrition Act 
     of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786).
       ``(E) To issue guidance to Department medical centers on 
     how to collaborate with their State and local offices 
     administering the supplemental nutrition assistance program.
       ``(2) In carrying out the responsibilities under paragraph 
     (1), the Director shall consult with and provide technical 
     assistance to the heads of other Federal departments and 
     agencies, including the Department of Agriculture, Department 
     of Defense, Department of Interior, and Department of Labor.
       ``(c) Annual Report on Food Insecurity.--The Secretary of 
     Veterans Affairs, in consultation with the Secretary of 
     Agriculture, shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' 
     Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives an annual 
     report on veteran food insecurity. Each such report shall 
     include data on the following:
       ``(1) The socioeconomic, ethnic, and racial characteristics 
     of veterans experiencing food insecurity, disaggregated by 
     State in which the veteran is located.
       ``(2) Native American veterans experiencing food 
     insecurity.
       ``(3) Specific interventions for veterans who screen 
     positive for food insecurity.
       ``(4) Eligibility screenings for participation in the 
     supplemental nutrition assistance program completed by 
     personnel of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
       ``(5) The number of applications for participation in the 
     supplemental nutrition assistance program completed with 
     assistance from personnel of the Department.
       ``(6) Changes, as a result of participation in the 
     supplemental nutrition assistance program, in the number of 
     food insecure veteran households.
       ``(7) Coordination efforts between State agencies and 
     Department facilities located in that State regarding 
     outreach to veterans to participate in the supplemental 
     nutrition assistance program.
       ``(d) Definitions.--In this section:
       ``(1) The terms `Native American' and `Native American 
     veteran' have the meanings given those terms in section 3765 
     of this title.
       ``(2) The terms `State agency' and `supplemental nutrition 
     assistance program' have the meanings given those terms in 
     section 3 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 
     2012).''.

     SEC. 3. 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 gentleman from 
California (Mr. Takano) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Bost) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and insert extraneous material on H.R. 8888, as amended.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 8888, as amended, the 
Food Security for All Veterans Act.
  This bill establishes an office dedicated to ending veteran hunger at 
the VA that will collaborate with internal and external groups to 
develop and implement policies and procedures to identify and treat 
veterans at risk of or experiencing hunger.
  Food insecurity can create or exacerbate other health maladies and is 
one of many contributing factors that has led to increased suicide 
rates, diabetes, heart disease, and depression. Addressing veteran 
hunger is critical to this committee's suicide prevention efforts.
  Madam Speaker, I thank our newest Member from Alaska, Congresswoman 
Peltola, for taking up this important issue and prioritizing veterans.
  The VA has made tremendous strides in its work to end veteran hunger. 
The VA leads an interagency working group and regularly collaborates 
with its Federal counterparts on this issue. The VA also instituted a 
clinical reminder that screens every veteran who receives their care at 
VA for food insecurity and connects those in need with resources.
  However, until recently, these tasks were carried out by VA employees 
as ancillary duties. There was no staff dedicated solely to addressing 
veteran hunger. The VA has started the process of building a team that 
works exclusively on this issue, and Congresswoman Peltola's bill gives 
the VA the infrastructure and resources to ensure those efforts 
continue for years to come.
  Before the pandemic and still now, Black, Latino, Native American, 
and Alaska Native veteran families experienced disproportionately high 
rates of hunger. This bill requires the VA to coordinate with the VA 
Office of Tribal Government Relations and the Department of the 
Interior to focus on these communities.
  A critical issue this bill intends to affect is the disparity between 
the VA and USDA data on veteran hunger. The USDA reports about an 11 
percent rate of food insecurity among veterans versus the VA, which 
reports a roughly 2 percent rate among veterans using VA healthcare.
  The bill requires VA, in consultation with the USDA, to issue an 
annual report to Congress on the prevalence of veteran hunger. It also 
requires the VA to track its progress and success in connecting more 
veterans with resources like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance 
Program, or SNAP.
  Importantly, the Food Security for All Veterans Act mandates the VA 
collaborates with the Departments of Agriculture and Defense to develop 
materials for the Transition Assistance Program to help increase access 
to food resources for families in need as they navigate the military-
to-civilian transition.
  September is Hunger Action Month, and today, the White House hosted 
the Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health that will catalyze the 
public and private sectors around a coordinated strategy to accelerate 
progress

[[Page H8182]]

and drive transformative change in our country to end hunger.
  This legislation is endorsed by numerous veterans service 
organizations and hunger advocacy organizations, including Student 
Veterans of America, MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, Food Research 
& Action Center, Disabled American Veterans, American Federation of 
Government Employees, National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, Iraq 
and Afghanistan Veterans of America, and Blue Star Families.
  Madam Speaker, I include in the Record the following letters from 
MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger and the Food Research & Action 
Center.

                        [MAZON, Sept. 23, 2022]

Statement for the Record in Support of H.R. 8888 Submitted by MAZON: A 
                       Jewish Response to Hunger

       A Jewish Response to Hunger is pleased to share this 
     statement for the record in support of H.R. 8888, the Food 
     Security for All Veterans Act. This bill, which would 
     establish an Office of Food Security at the U.S. Department 
     of Veterans Affairs, represents a helpful step forward in the 
     effort to achieve a more comprehensive and lasting solution 
     to the preventable problem of veteran food insecurity.
       Inspired by Jewish values and ideals, MAZON takes to heart 
     our collective responsibility to care for the vulnerable in 
     our midst, without judgement or precondition. In the United 
     States, this responsibility to prevent and respond to hunger 
     lies centrally with our federal government. The charitable 
     food sector is in no way equipped to respond to the scope of 
     food insecurity in America--all of the charitable and faith-
     based organizations in this country combined contribute less 
     than ten percent of all food assistance in this country and 
     have extremely limited capacity to respond to more than 
     emergency needs. The food insecurity crisis in our country is 
     the purview of the federal government and it is impractical, 
     inefficient, and immoral to abdicate this responsibility and 
     attempt to outsource the response to a charitable sector that 
     is already overburdened.
       For over 37 years, MAZON has been fighting to end hunger 
     among all people of all faiths and backgrounds, and for 
     nearly ten years, we have prioritized addressing the long-
     overlooked issue of food insecurity among veterans and 
     military families. Jewish text and tradition compel us to 
     honor the dignity of every person, especially those who are 
     struggling. No matter a person's circumstance, no one 
     deserves to be hungry. Those who have bravely served to 
     defend our country especially should never have to be 
     subjected to the cruel and painful experience of hunger.
       The establishment of the Office of Food Security at the 
     Department of Veterans Affairs that is empowered to 
     coordinate efforts among VA program offices, provide 
     information about and help connect veterans to available 
     nutrition assistance benefits and resources, collaborate with 
     USDA, Department of Defense, and other federal agencies, and 
     develop and provide training for professionals who work with 
     veterans, would be an extremely helpful step forward in the 
     national effort to address the crisis of veteran food 
     insecurity.
       MAZON has testified before Congress and shared our insights 
     and recommendations about food insecurity among veteran 
     households numerous times over the years. Unfortunately, too 
     little progress has been made during the intervening time. 
     There have been some positive steps, both programmatically 
     and through policy change, that have helped; most notably, 
     the recent adoption of the Hunger Vital Signs screening tool 
     at all VA outpatient facilities (MAZON has long advocated for 
     mandatory food insecurity screenings and SNAP eligibility 
     screening, and application assistance across the VA system; 
     much more still remains to be done on this front to connect 
     food insecure veterans with SNAP) and increases to SNAP 
     benefits through the temporary boost included through COVID-
     19-relief legislation and the recent update to the Thrifty 
     Food Plan by USDA.
       It should be noted that, while the temporary boost to SNAP 
     benefits and other COVID-19 assistance provided by the 
     federal government helped to alleviate some material hardship 
     and prevented food insecurity and poverty rates from 
     dramatically spiking due to the pandemic and associated 
     economic downturn, the American population--including 
     veterans--experienced exacerbated challenges that compounded 
     food insecurity rates and more severe impacts.
       These challenges include elevated rates of unemployment 
     (particularly within the service sector and 
     disproportionately impacting female employees and people of 
     color), widespread school closures and the loss of subsidized 
     school meals, medical emergencies and the associated 
     financial costs for treatment and lost income from time out 
     of work), and mental health distress.
       We are particularly concerned about the impacts of racial 
     inequities on veterans and the ongoing tragedy of heightened 
     suicide rates among veterans. While there is growing public 
     awareness and concern about both issues, there remains a need 
     for viable policy proposals to address them. The 
     disproportionate impact of food insecurity on households of 
     veterans of color highlight racial inequities that are 
     perpetuated through public policies and program 
     implementation. Closing the SNAP participation gap for 
     veterans and improving the program to better reach and serve 
     food insecure veterans of color will not only signal a 
     commitment to meaningful efforts to address racial justice--
     it will concretely contribute to those efforts to achieve 
     greater racial equity in federal policy.
       As noted by Dr. Thomas O'Toole during his testimony before 
     the House Veterans Affairs Committee on January 9, 2020, a 
     growing body of research sheds light on the relationship 
     between food insecurity and risk factors for poor mental 
     health and suicide. A new study on ``Association between Food 
     Insecurity, Mental Health, and Intentions to Leave the U.S. 
     Army in a Cross-Sectional Sample of U.S. Soldiers'' by 
     researchers at the USDA Economic Research Service and the 
     U.S. Army Public Health Center offers additional insight 
     about linkages between food insecurity, mental health, and 
     military service. Contributing to the VA's stated top 
     clinical priority to end veteran suicide and implement a 
     comprehensive public health approach to reach all veterans, 
     the VA must step up to provide leadership around a robust 
     effort to address veteran food insecurity by proactive SNAP 
     outreach to veterans both within and outside of the VA 
     system.
       A recommendation made by Dr. Colleen Heflin during her 
     testimony at the May 27, 2021 House Rules Committee 
     roundtable examination of the hunger crisis among veterans 
     and military families holds great promise to decrease the 
     risk of food insecurity during the transition from military 
     service to civilian life, when many households are more 
     likely at risk of food insecurity. MAZON urges Congress to 
     explore this suggestion for the federal government to provide 
     a targeted transitional benefit to all families leaving 
     military service below a certain rank. Such a benefit would 
     act as a stabilizing mechanism and provide much-needed 
     additional assistance to veterans and their families during a 
     time when they may experience a greater level of financial 
     need. Such a transitional benefit, especially one that 
     utilizes innovative new technologies for benefit delivery and 
     personalized communications, opens up opportunities to 
     proactively assess and respond to the whole-person needs of 
     veterans by building trust and facilitating connections to 
     other available resources and comprehensive services. In 
     addition, MAZON supports the distinct, yet often related, 
     recommendations by Dr. Heflin to better protect veterans with 
     disabilities from food insecurity.
       MAZON was proud to recently sign a Memorandum of Agreement 
     with the Veterans Health Administration to work 
     collaboratively to address veteran food insecurity. While 
     MAZON is excited about this opportunity to provide input, 
     contribute resources, and collaborate on innovative program 
     ideas and solutions, the limited commitments to date by the 
     VA and slow pace of response to a preventable crisis with 
     multiple negative consequences is deeply distressing. 
     Additionally, the sporadic oversight by Congress and the lack 
     of urgency that has been demonstrated in holding federal 
     agencies accountable to a proactive, robust, and measurable 
     solution to ending veteran food insecurity must be rectified. 
     There is great bipartisan concern in Congress about veteran 
     food insecurity, but the commitment to mandate and provide 
     funding for proven solutions has unfortunately not matched 
     the lofty rhetoric.
       It is time to recenter the VA's goals and priorities in the 
     effort to provide a comprehensive response to veteran food 
     insecurity. The implicit abdication of responsibility by the 
     federal government to the charitable sector is unsustainable 
     and dangerous as it shifts attention away from the need to 
     strengthen and improve access to SNAP and other federal 
     programs that serve as the frontline response to veteran food 
     insecurity.
       Success should be measured not by how many food pantries 
     open at VA centers, but rather by how many food pantries 
     become unnecessary due to veteran households receiving the 
     support they need and are entitled to through programs like 
     SNAP. MAZON urges Congress to step up its leadership as a 
     vital part of this effort by prioritizing the protection and 
     improvement of SNAP, supporting innovative and effective ways 
     to better connect food insecure veterans with federal 
     nutrition assistance programs (including mandating that VA 
     facilities conduct on-site SNAP eligibility screenings and 
     application assistance in addition to the food insecurity 
     screenings currently conducted), bolstering nutrition 
     assistance support during transition from active duty to 
     veteran status, strengthening the supports and removing 
     barriers for food insecure veterans with disabilities, and 
     centering the experiences and perspectives of veterans with 
     lived experiences with food insecurity.
       The establishment of the Office of Food Security at the VA 
     as proposed in H.R. 8888 promises to make a substantial 
     contribution to coordinating and improving agency efforts and 
     deepening the impact of the federal response to veteran food 
     insecurity. This progress is long overdue and should 
     represent just the next step forward among additional 
     commitments to come.
       Veteran food insecurity--indeed, all food insecurity--is a 
     solvable problem, and the solution lies in mustering the 
     political will to prioritize and address it. MAZON welcomes 
     the opportunity to continue to work with

[[Page H8183]]

     Congress, with all relevant federal agencies, and with VSOs 
     and other community partners, to build this political will 
     and do right by those who have bravely served our country. No 
     veteran should ever have to worry about being able to feed 
     themselves or those in their family. We owe them much more 
     than the half-measures and broken promises of our policies 
     and programs to date.
       Hungry veterans cannot eat another report or hearing 
     transcript. MAZON urges Congress to enact the recommendations 
     included in H.R. 8888 and identify additional concrete steps 
     that Congress and the Administration can take now to end the 
     crisis of veteran food insecurity. We stand ready with 
     suggestions and with resolve to work in partnership.
                                  ____


           [From Food Research & Action Center, May 18, 2022]

         House of Representatives, Committee on Veterans' Affairs, 
           Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity

Statement of Support For the Establishment of a Department of Veterans 
                    Affairs Office of Food Security

       The Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) supports the 
     ``Discussion Draft, to amend Title 38, United States Code, to 
     establish in the Department of Veterans Affairs an Office of 
     Food Insecurity, and for other purposes'' set for hearing on 
     May 18, 2022, before the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee 
     on Economic Opportunity. This critical legislation will 
     amplify the Department of Veterans Affairs efforts to address 
     food insecurity among veterans and their families.
       FRAC works to improve the nutrition, health, and well-being 
     of tens of millions of people struggling against poverty-
     related hunger in the United States through advocacy, 
     partnerships, and by advancing bold and equitable policy 
     solutions. FRAC has championed work to address food 
     insecurity among veterans and participates in the Military 
     Family Advisory Network and Veterans Health Administration 
     (VHA) efforts to screen and intervene to address food 
     insecurity among patients.
       Food insecurity, even marginal food insecurity (a less 
     severe form), is detrimental to the health, development, and 
     well-being of people and is associated with some of the most 
     common and costly health problems in the U.S. A 2021 Economic 
     Research Service Report, Food Insecurity Among Working-Age 
     Veterans, found that 11.1 percent of veterans between the 
     ages of 18 to 64 lived in households reporting food 
     insecurity, while 5.3 lived in households experiencing very 
     low food security. After controlling for demographic 
     characteristics that normally predict food insecurity, such 
     as age, educational attainment, and income, the risk of food 
     insecurity is 7.4 percent higher among veterans than 
     nonveterans ages 18-64.
       By creating an Office of Food Security, this legislation 
     represents a critical step to prioritize, accelerate, and 
     sustain the Department of Veterans Affairs' work to address 
     food insecurity among those who have sacrificed so much for 
     our nation. Of note, the Veterans Health Administration has 
     screened millions of patients for food insecurity and 
     connected veterans and their families to crucial federal 
     nutrition programs, like the Supplemental Nutrition 
     Assistance Program (SNAP), the Special Supplemental Nutrition 
     Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), school meals, 
     child care meals, summer meals, and emergency food sites, 
     such as food banks and pantries. By providing funding to 
     build out these efforts to screen and intervene veterans at 
     risk for food insecurity, this legislation will enshrine the 
     importance of this work, identify gaps in services, and 
     connect veterans to available federal nutrition programs and 
     other resources.
       This legislation recognizes the critical role the federal 
     nutrition plays in addressing food insecurity among veterans 
     and their families. The federal nutrition programs are among 
     our nation's most important, proven, and cost-effective 
     public interventions to not only address food insecurity but 
     also to improve health, nutrition, and well-being. A growing 
     body of research links these programs to a wide range of 
     positive outcomes for families and the nation. Federal 
     nutrition programs improve dietary intake and nutrition 
     quality; support healthy growth of children; boost learning 
     and academic achievement; reduce poverty and increase family 
     economic security; and lower health care spending.
       Ensuring access to SNAP, in particular, is a critical step 
     in supporting food security among veterans. Nationwide, 
     according to the USDA, 1,174,027 veterans (6.6 percent of all 
     veterans) received SNAP benefits, improving veterans' 
     purchasing power necessary to buy food in a dignified way at 
     military commissaries and other food retail outlets that 
     accept SNAP. A recent survey estimated that only 59 percent 
     of eligible veterans were enrolled in SNAP. The USDA has 
     identified veterans as a priority population for state SNAP 
     outreach plans, including partnership with local VHA 
     facilities. Accessing SNAP not only helps veterans everywhere 
     put food on the table, it reduces poverty, supports economic 
     stability, and improves health outcomes.
       FRAC looks forward to supporting the Department of Veterans 
     Affairs work to address food insecurity. Alongside increasing 
     veteran participation in SNAP and other federal nutrition 
     programs, eradicating food insecurity and hunger among 
     veterans and their families will require a national response 
     that addresses underlying causes (e.g., a lack of well-paying 
     jobs and a lack of affordable housing). This draft 
     legislation is an important step in the right direction.
                                  ____

  Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I urge the rest of my colleagues to 
support this legislation and ensure no veteran goes hungry, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I reluctantly support this bill.
  Food insecurity is an issue that impacts thousands of veterans every 
year. Veterans continue to suffer from skyrocketing food prices caused 
by the economic mistakes of the Biden administration.
  While I support bringing more attention to veteran hunger, I am 
skeptical that this bill is the correct solution. The bill before us 
today would try to address these issues by creating a new office of 
food security at the VA. The VA has also already told us that they were 
working to set up an office at the VHA dedicated to food insecurity.
  I look forward to working with our colleagues in the Senate to modify 
the language in this bill to match the Department's efforts.
  That said, I am pleased by the changes that were made today to 
improve on the text. All considered, I reluctantly urge all of my 
colleagues to support the bill.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Alaska (Mrs. Peltola), my new friend who is a newly elected Member of 
Congress. I think this is her first piece of legislation to be brought 
to the floor, and we are proud it is coming out of the Veterans' 
Affairs Committee.

                              {time}  2000

  Mrs. PELTOLA. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman for providing 
consideration of my legislation today. I particularly want to share my 
appreciation with committee Chair Takano and Ranking Member Bost on the 
Veterans' Affairs Committee for moving quickly on this important issue 
for the 18 million veterans in our country.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak on a topic of vital importance 
to my State where veterans comprise about 10 percent of the population, 
and I know many veterans who face food insecurity.
  This is my first bill as a Member of the U.S. House of 
Representatives, which is appropriate. There is nothing more important 
than ensuring our veterans and their families can enjoy a safe and 
healthy life after their service for our country.
  This bill would create an Office of Food Security within the 
Department of Veterans Affairs. The office would be charged with 
providing information to veterans on the availability and eligibility 
requirements for Federal nutrition assistance programs. The office 
would work with other government agencies to implement policies to help 
veterans at risk or experiencing food insecurity.
  A report just 4 months ago from the Center for Strategic and 
International Studies was clear, ``Food insecurity among U.S. veterans 
and military families is a national security concern: it multiplies 
stress on Active Duty personnel, diminishes well-being among 
servicemembers and their children--who are more likely to serve in the 
military as adults--and may hinder recruitment for the armed 
services.''
  Madam Speaker, I know this bill will not solve the problem entirely, 
but I believe it can help in Alaska and throughout the country. I ask 
my colleagues to support H.R. 8888.
  Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this 
bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I ask all my colleagues to join me in 
passing H.R. 8888, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 8888, 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.

[[Page H8184]]

  

  Mr. ROY. Madam 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.

                          ____________________