[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 186 (Thursday, December 1, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H8696-H8700]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




MOTION TO SUSPEND THE RULES AND PASS CERTAIN BILLS AND AGREE TO CERTAIN 
                              RESOLUTIONS

  Mr. HOYER. Madam Speaker, pursuant to section 5 of House Resolution 
1499, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bills: H.R. 4601, H.R. 
4772, H.R. 5943, H.R. 7158, and agree to H. Res. 744 and H. Res. 922.
  The Clerk read the title of the bills and the resolutions.
  The text of the bills and the resolutions are as follows:


             Commitment to Veteran Support and Outreach Act

                               H.R. 4601

       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 ``Commitment to Veteran 
     Support and Outreach Act''.

     SEC. 2. AUTHORITY FOR SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO AWARD 
                   GRANTS TO STATES AND INDIAN TRIBES TO IMPROVE 
                   OUTREACH TO VETERANS.

       (a) In General.--Chapter 63 of title 38, United States 
     Code, is amended--
       (1) by redesignating sections 6307 and 6308 and sections 
     6308 and 6309, respectively; and
       (2) by inserting after section 6306 the following new 
     section 6307:

     ``Sec. 6307. Grants to States and Indian Tribes to improve 
       outreach to veterans

       ``(a) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this section to 
     provide for assistance by the Secretary to States and Indian 
     Tribes to carry out programs that--
       ``(1) improve outreach and assistance to veterans and the 
     spouses, children, and parents of veterans, to ensure that 
     such individuals are fully informed about any veterans and 
     veterans-related benefits and programs (including veterans 
     programs of a State or Indian Tribe) for which they may be 
     eligible; and
       ``(2) facilitate opportunities for such individuals to 
     receive competent, qualified services in the preparation, 
     presentation, and prosecution of veterans benefits claims.
       ``(b) Authority.--The Secretary may award grants under this 
     section to States and Indian Tribes--
       ``(1) to carry out, coordinate, improve, or otherwise 
     enhance outreach activities;
       ``(2) to increase the number of county or Tribal veterans 
     service officers serving in the State or Indian Tribe by 
     hiring new, additional such officers; or
       ``(3) to expand, carry out, coordinate, improve, or 
     otherwise enhance existing programs, activities, and services 
     of the existing organization of the State or Indian Tribe 
     that has been recognized by the Department of Veterans 
     Affairs pursuant to section 5902, in the preparation, 
     presentation, and prosecution of claims for veterans benefits 
     through representatives who hold positions as county or 
     Tribal veterans service officers.
       ``(c) Application.--(1) To be eligible for a grant under 
     this section, a State or Indian Tribe shall submit to the 
     Secretary an application therefor at such time, in such 
     manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may 
     require.
       ``(2) Each application submitted under paragraph (1) shall 
     include the following:
       ``(A) A detailed plan for the use of the grant.
       ``(B) A description of the programs through which the State 
     or Indian Tribe will meet the outcome measures developed by 
     the Secretary under subsection (i).
       ``(C) A description of how the State or Indian Tribe will 
     distribute grant amounts equitably among counties (or Tribal 
     lands, as the case may be) with varying levels of 
     urbanization.
       ``(D) A plan for how the grant will be used to meet the 
     unique needs of American Indian or Alaska Native veterans, 
     elderly veterans, women veterans, and veterans from other 
     underserved communities.
       ``(d) Distribution.--The Secretary shall seek to ensure 
     that grants awarded under this section are equitably 
     distributed among States and Indian Tribes with varying 
     levels of urbanization.
       ``(e) Priority.--The Secretary shall prioritize awarding 
     grants under this section that will serve the following 
     areas:
       ``(1) Areas with a critical shortage of county or Tribal 
     veterans service officers.
       ``(2) Areas with high rates of--
       ``(A) suicide among veterans; or
       ``(B) referrals to the Veterans Crisis Line.
       ``(f) Use of County or Tribal Veterans Service Officers.--A 
     State or Indian Tribe that receives a grant under this 
     section to carry out an activity described in subsection 
     (b)(1) may only carry out the activity through--
       ``(1) a county or Tribal veterans service officer of the 
     State or Indian Tribe; or
       ``(2) if the State or Indian Tribe does not have a county 
     or Tribal veterans service officer, or if the county or 
     Tribal veterans service officers of the State or Indian Tribe 
     cover only a portion of that State or Indian Tribe, an 
     appropriate entity of a State, local, or Tribal government, 
     as determined by the Secretary.
       ``(g) Required Activities.--Any grant awarded under this 
     section shall be used--
       ``(1) to expand existing programs, activities, and 
     services;
       ``(2) to hire and maintain new, additional county or Tribal 
     veterans service officers; or
       ``(3) for travel and transportation to facilitate carrying 
     out paragraph (1) or (2).
       ``(h) Other Permissible Activities.--A grant under this 
     section may be used to provide education and training, 
     including on-the-job training, for State, county, local, and 
     Tribal government employees who provide (or when trained will 
     provide) veterans outreach services in order for those 
     employees to obtain and maintain accreditation in accordance 
     with procedures approved by the Secretary.
       ``(i) Outcome Measures.--(1) The Secretary shall develop 
     and provide to each State or Indian Tribe that receives a 
     grant under this section written guidance on the following:
       ``(A) Outcome measures.
       ``(B) Policies of the Department.
       ``(2) In developing outcome measures under paragraph (1), 
     the Secretary shall consider the following goals:
       ``(A) Increasing the use of veterans and veterans-related 
     benefits, particularly among vulnerable populations.
       ``(B) Increasing the number of county and Tribal veterans 
     service officers recognized by

[[Page H8697]]

     the Secretary for the representation of veterans under 
     chapter 59 of this title.
       ``(j) Tracking Requirements.--(1) With respect to each 
     grant awarded under this section, the Secretary shall track 
     the use of veterans benefits among the population served by 
     the grant, including the average period of time between the 
     date on which a veteran or other eligible claimant applies 
     for such a benefit and the date on which the veteran or other 
     eligible claimant receives the benefit, disaggregated by type 
     of benefit.
       ``(2) Not less frequently than annually during the life of 
     the grant program established under this section, the 
     Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on--
       ``(A) the information tracked under paragraph (1);
       ``(B) how the grants awarded under this section serve the 
     unique needs of American Indian or Alaska Native veterans, 
     elderly veterans, women veterans, and veterans from other 
     underserved communities; and
       ``(C) other information provided by States and Indian 
     Tribes pursuant to the grant reporting requirements.
       ``(k) Performance Review.--(1) The Secretary shall--
       ``(A) review the performance of each State or Indian Tribe 
     that receives a grant under this section; and
       ``(B) make information regarding such performance publicly 
     available.
       ``(l) Remediation Plan.--(1) In the case of a State or 
     Indian Tribe that receives a grant under this section and 
     does not meet the outcome measures developed by the Secretary 
     under subsection (i), the Secretary shall require the State 
     or Indian Tribe to submit a remediation plan under which the 
     State or Indian Tribe shall describe how and when it plans to 
     meet such outcome measures.
       ``(2) The Secretary may not award a subsequent grant under 
     this section to a State or Indian Tribe described in 
     paragraph (1) unless the Secretary approves the remediation 
     plan submitted by the State of Indian Tribe.
       ``(m) Maximum Amount.--The amount of a grant awarded under 
     this section may not exceed 10 percent of amounts made 
     available for grants under this section for the fiscal year 
     in which the grant is awarded.
       ``(n) Supplement, Not Supplant.--Any grant awarded under 
     this section shall be used to supplement and not supplant 
     State and local funding that is otherwise available.
       ``(o) Definitions.--In this section:
       ``(1) The term `county or Tribal veterans service officer' 
     includes a local equivalent veterans service officer.
       ``(2) The term `Indian Tribe' has the meaning given such 
     term in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and 
     Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).
       ``(3) The term `State' includes the District of Columbia, 
     the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of the 
     Northern Mariana Islands, and any territory or possession of 
     the United States.
       ``(4) The term `Veterans Crisis Line' means the toll-free 
     hotline for veterans established under section 1720F(h) of 
     this title.''.
       (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the 
     beginning of chapter 63 of such title is amended by striking 
     the items relating to sections 6307 and 6308 and inserting 
     the following new items:

``6307. Grants to States and Indian Tribes to improve outreach to 
              veterans.
``6308. Outreach for eligible dependents.
``6309. Biennial report to Congress.''.
       (c) Modification of Certain Housing Loan Fee.--The loan fee 
     table in section 3729(b)(2) of title 38, United States Code, 
     is amended by striking ``January 14, 2031'' each place it 
     appears and inserting ``February 10, 2031''.
       (d) Authorization of Additional Full-time Equivalent 
     Employee.--During fiscal years 2024 through 2028, the 
     Secretary of Veterans Affairs may hire two or more additional 
     full-time equivalent employees in the Office of the General 
     Counsel of the Department of Veterans Affairs, as compared to 
     the number of full-time equivalent employees that would 
     otherwise be authorized for such office, to carry out duties 
     under the accreditation, discipline, and fees program.

     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.

           Mark O'Brien VA Clothing Allowance Improvement Act

                               H.R. 4772

       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 ``Mark O'Brien VA Clothing 
     Allowance Improvement Act''.

     SEC. 2. IMPROVEMENTS TO PROCESS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 
                   AFFAIRS FOR CLOTHING ALLOWANCE CLAIMS.

       (a) Process for Clothing Allowance Claims.--Section 1162 of 
     title 38, United States Code, is amended--
       (1) by striking ``The Secretary under'' and inserting:
       ``(a) Eligibility Requirements.--The Secretary, under'';
       (2) in paragraph (2)--
       (A) by striking ``which (A) a physician'' and inserting: 
     ``which--''
       ``(A) a physician''; and
       (B) by striking ``, and (B) the Secretary'' and inserting 
     ``; and''
       ``(B) the Secretary''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following new subsections:
       ``(b) Continuous Nature of Payments.--Payments made to a 
     veteran under subsection (a) shall continue on an 
     automatically recurring annual basis until the earlier of the 
     following:
       ``(1) The date on which the veteran elects to no longer 
     receive such payments.
       ``(2) The date on which the Secretary determines the 
     veteran no longer eligible pursuant to subsection (d).
       ``(c) Reviews of Claim.--(1) Except as provided in 
     paragraph (2)(B), the Secretary shall conduct reviews of the 
     claim on which the clothing allowance is based to determine 
     the continued eligibility of the veteran as follows:
       ``(A) Beginning not earlier than five years after the date 
     on which a veteran initially receives a clothing allowance 
     under this section and on a periodic basis thereafter.
       ``(B) Whenever the Secretary receives notice that the 
     veteran no longer meets the requirements specified in 
     subsection (a).
       ``(2)(A) The Secretary shall prescribe in regulations 
     standards for determining whether a claim for clothing 
     allowance is based on a circumstance that is not subject to 
     change.
       ``(B) If the Secretary determines, pursuant to such 
     standards, that a claim for clothing allowance is based on a 
     circumstance that is not subject to change, paragraph (1)(A) 
     shall not apply with respect to the claim.
       ``(d) Determination Regarding Continued Eligibility.--If 
     the Secretary determines, as the result of a review of a 
     claim conducted under subsection (c)(1), that the veteran who 
     submitted such claim no longer meets the requirements 
     specified in subsection (a), the Secretary shall--
       ``(1) provide to the veteran notice of such determination 
     that includes a description of applicable actions that may be 
     taken following the determination, including the actions 
     specified in section 5104C of this title; and
       ``(2) discontinue the clothing allowance based on such 
     claim.''.
       (b) Applicability.--The amendments made by subsection (a) 
     shall apply with respect to--
       (1) claims for clothing allowance submitted on or after the 
     date of the enactment of this Act; and
       (2) claims for clothing allowance submitted prior to the 
     date of the enactment of this Act, if the veteran who 
     submitted such claim is in receipt of the clothing allowance 
     as of the date of the enactment of this Act.

     SEC. 3. ADJUSTMENTS OF CERTAIN LOAN FEES.

       The loan fee table in section 3729(b)(2) of title 38, 
     United States Code, is amended by striking ``January 14, 
     2031'' each place it appears and inserting ``January 15, 
     2031''.

     SEC. 4. 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.

         Lance Corporal Dana Cornell Darnell Outpatient Clinic

                               H.R. 5943

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

     SECTION 1. DESIGNATION OF LANCE CORPORAL DANA CORNELL DARNELL 
                   VA CLINIC.

       (a) Designation.--The outpatient clinic of the Department 
     of Veterans Affairs in Greenville, South Carolina, shall 
     after the date of the enactment of this Act be known and 
     designated as the ``Lance Corporal Dana Cornell Darnell VA 
     Clinic''.
       (b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation, 
     document, paper, or other record of the United States to the 
     facility referred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to be 
     a reference to the ``Lance Corporal Dana Cornell Darnell VA 
     Clinic''.

                   Long-Term Care Veterans Choice Act

                               H.R. 7158

       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 ``Long-Term Care Veterans 
     Choice Act''.

     SEC. 2. SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS CONTRACT AUTHORITY FOR 
                   PAYMENT OF CARE FOR VETERANS IN NON-DEPARTMENT 
                   OF VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL FOSTER HOMES.

       (a) Authority.--
       (1) In general.--Section 1720 of title 38, United States 
     Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new 
     subsection:
       ``(h)(1) During the five-year period beginning on the date 
     of the enactment of the Long-Term Care Veterans Choice Act, 
     and subject to paragraph (3)--

[[Page H8698]]

       ``(A) at the request of a veteran for whom the Secretary is 
     required to provide nursing home care under section 1710A of 
     this title, the Secretary may place the veteran in a medical 
     foster home that meets Department standards, at the expense 
     of the United States, pursuant to a contract, agreement, or 
     other arrangement entered into between the Secretary and the 
     medical foster home for such purpose; and
       ``(B) the Secretary may pay for care of a veteran placed in 
     a medical foster home before such date of enactment, if the 
     home meets Department standards, pursuant to a contract, 
     agreement, or other arrangement entered into between the 
     Secretary and the medical foster home for such purpose.
       ``(2) A veteran on whose behalf the Secretary pays for care 
     in a medical foster home under paragraph (1) shall agree, as 
     a condition of such payment, to accept home health services 
     furnished by the Secretary under section 1717 of this title.
       ``(3) In any year, not more than a daily average of 900 
     veterans receiving care in a medical foster home, whether 
     placed before, on, or after the date of the enactment of the 
     Long-Term Care Veterans Choice Act, may have their care 
     covered at the expense of the United States under paragraph 
     (1).
       ``(4) The prohibition under section 1730(b)(3) of this 
     title shall not apply to a veteran whose care is covered at 
     the expense of the United States under paragraph (1).
       ``(5) In this subsection, the term `medical foster home' 
     means a home designed to provide non-institutional, long-
     term, supportive care for veterans who are unable to live 
     independently and prefer a family setting.''.
       (2) Effective date.--Subsection (h) of section 1720 of 
     title 38, United States Code, as added by paragraph (1), 
     shall take effect 90 days after the date of the enactment of 
     this Act.
       (b) Ongoing Monitoring of Medical Foster Home Program.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
     create a system to monitor and assess the workload for the 
     Department of Veterans Affairs in carrying out the authority 
     under section 1720(h) of title 38, United States Code, as 
     added by subsection (a)(1), including by tracking--
       (A) requests by veterans to be placed in a medical foster 
     home under such section;
       (B) denials of such requests, including the reasons for 
     such denials;
       (C) the total number of medical foster homes applying to 
     participate under such section, disaggregated by those 
     approved and those denied approval by the Department to 
     participate;
       (D) veterans receiving care at a medical foster home at the 
     expense of the United States; and
       (E) veterans receiving care at a medical foster home at 
     their own expense.
       (2) Report.--Based on the monitoring and assessments 
     conducted under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall identify 
     and submit to Congress a report on such modifications to 
     implementing section 1720(h) of title 38, United States Code, 
     as added by subsection (a)(1), as the Secretary considers 
     necessary to ensure the authority under such section is 
     functioning as intended and care is provided to veterans 
     under such section as intended.
       (3) Medical foster home defined.--In this subsection, the 
     term ``medical foster home'' has the meaning given that term 
     in section 1720(h) of title 38, United States Code, as added 
     by subsection (a)(1).
       (c) Comptroller General Report.--Not later than each of 
     three years and six years after the date of the enactment of 
     this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall 
     submit to Congress a report--
       (1) assessing the implementation of this section and the 
     amendments made by this section;
       (2) assessing the impact of the monitoring and 
     modifications under subsection (b) on care provided under 
     section 1720(h) of title 38, United States Code, as added by 
     subsection (a)(1); and
       (3) setting forth recommendations for improvements to the 
     implementation of such section, as the Comptroller General 
     considers appropriate.
       (d) Modification of Certain Housing Loan Fee.--The loan fee 
     table in section 3729(b)(2) of title 38, United States Code, 
     is amended by striking ``January 14, 2031'' each place it 
     appears and inserting ``February 15, 2031''.

     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.

Condemning the Government of Iran's State-Sponsored Persecution of its 
     Baha'i Minority and its Continued Violation of the Universal 
Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and 
                            Political Rights

                              H. Res. 744

       Whereas in 1982, 1984, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 
     2000, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 
     2018, and 2020, Congress declared that it deplored the 
     religious persecution by the Government of Iran of the Baha'i 
     community and would hold the Government of Iran responsible 
     for upholding the rights of all Iranian nationals, including 
     members of the Baha'i faith;
       Whereas since 1979, Iranian authorities have killed or 
     executed more than 200 Baha'i leaders, and more than 10,000 
     have been dismissed from government and university jobs;
       Whereas the Baha'i International Community documented a 
     more than 50-percent increase in hate propaganda directed 
     against the Baha'is in the 12-month period ending in August 
     2020, compared to prior years, with more than 9,500 such 
     articles, videos, or web pages appearing in Iranian 
     government-controlled or government-sponsored media;
       Whereas, on December 16, 2021, the United Nations General 
     Assembly adopted a resolution (A/C.3/76/L.28) criticizing 
     Iran for human rights abuses and calling on Iran to carry out 
     wide-ranging reforms, including--
       (1) ``ceasing use of the death penalty and commuting the 
     sentences for child offenders on death row'';
       (2) ``ensuring that no one is subjected to torture or other 
     cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment'';
       (3) ``ceasing the widespread and systematic use of 
     arbitrary arrests and detention'';
       (4) ``releasing persons detained for the exercise of their 
     human rights and fundamental freedoms'';
       (5) ``improving conditions inside prisons'';
       (6) ``eliminating discrimination against women and girls''; 
     and
       (7) ``eliminating discrimination against ethnic, 
     linguistic, and other minorities'';
       Whereas in the 2022 Annual Report of the United States 
     Commission on International Religious Freedom issued in April 
     2022, it is reported that the Government of Iran--
       (1) ``arrested scores of Baha'is across Iran, many of whom 
     were held incommunicado or taken to undisclosed locations'';
       (2) ``sent Ministry of Intelligence agents to search the 
     home of a Baha'i citizen and confiscated her belongings'';
       (3) ``continued to deny university education to Baha'is on 
     account of their faith'';
       (4) ``closed six Baha'i businesses'';
       (5) ``demolished the homes of three Baha'is without 
     warning'';
       (6) ``announced the auction of thirteen Baha'i farms''; and
       (7) ``continued to deny Baha'is the right to bury their 
     deceased in empty plots at the Golestan Javid cemetery 
     outside Tehran which the community has used for decades. 
     Instead, Baha'is are being forced to use the Khaveran mass 
     grave site where victims of the 1988 prison massacres are 
     buried'';
       Whereas the Iran section of the Department of State's 2021 
     Report on International Religious Freedom issued in June 2022 
     provides, in part--
       (1) ``Security forces in Shiraz and Mazandaran Province 
     conducted multiple arrests of Baha'is in their homes or 
     workplaces in the last week of September without providing 
     reasons or charges.'';
       (2) ``Authorities continued to confiscate Baha'i properties 
     as part of an ongoing state-led campaign of economic 
     persecution against Baha'is. Authorities issued an order in 
     April denying Baha'is permission to bury their dead in empty 
     plots at the Tehran-area cemetery designated for Baha'is, 
     forcing them to bury them at a mass grave site.'';
       (3) ``Authorities reportedly continued to deny the Baha'i, 
     Sabean-Mandaean, and Yarsani religious communities, as well 
     as members of other unrecognized religious minority groups, 
     access to education and government employment unless they 
     declared themselves as belonging to one of the country's 
     recognized religions on their application forms.''; and
       (4) ``Government officials continued to disseminate anti-
     Baha'i and antisemitic messages using traditional and social 
     media.'';
       Whereas, on July 4, 2022, the Baha'i International 
     Community noted ``The Iranian government's systematic 
     campaign to persecute the Baha'i religious minority 
     accelerated again this past week with the arrest, court 
     hearing or imprisonment of at least 18 more Baha'i citizens 
     across the country, bringing the June total to 44 people. 
     Hundreds of others, meanwhile, also await summonses to court 
     or to prison.'';
       Whereas, on July 21, 2022, the Baha'i International 
     Community announced ``More than 20 Baha'is in Shiraz, Tehran, 
     Yazd and Bojnourd, have been arrested, jailed or subjected to 
     home searches and business closures since the beginning of 
     July. Last month 44 Baha'is were arrested, arraigned or 
     imprisoned, suggesting an escalating crisis in the Iranian 
     government's systematic campaign against the country's 
     largest non-Muslim religious minority. . .'';
       Whereas Iran is a member of the United Nations and a 
     signatory to both the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 
     and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, 
     among other international human rights treaties, without 
     reservation;
       Whereas section 105 of the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, 
     Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010 (22 U.S.C. 8514) 
     authorizes the President to impose sanctions on individuals 
     who are ``responsible for or complicit in, or responsible for 
     ordering, controlling, or otherwise directing, the commission 
     of serious human rights abuses against citizens of Iran or 
     their family members on or after June 12, 2009''; and
       Whereas the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights 
     Act of 2012 (Public Law 112-158) amends and expands the 
     authorities established under the Comprehensive Iran 
     Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010 (Public 
     Law 111-195) to sanction Iranian human rights abusers: Now, 
     therefore, be it

[[Page H8699]]

       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) condemns the Government of Iran's state-sponsored 
     persecution of its Baha'i minority and its continued 
     violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) 
     and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights 
     (ICCPR);
       (2) calls on the Government of Iran--
       (A) to immediately release the imprisoned or detained 
     Baha'is and all other prisoners held solely on account of 
     their religion;
       (B) to end its state-sponsored campaign of hate propaganda 
     against the Baha'is; and
       (C) to reverse state-imposed policies denying Baha'is and 
     members of other religious minorities equal opportunities to 
     higher education, earning a livelihood, due process under the 
     law, and the free exercise of religious practices;
       (3) calls on the President and the Secretary of State, in 
     cooperation with responsible nations, to immediately condemn 
     the Government of Iran's continued violation of human rights, 
     and demand the immediate release of prisoners held solely on 
     account of their religion; and
       (4) urges the President and the Secretary of State to 
     utilize available authorities to impose sanctions on 
     officials of the Government of Iran and other individuals 
     directly responsible for serious human rights abuses, 
     including abuses against the Baha'i community of Iran.

  Condemning the Use of Hunger as a Weapon of War and Recognizing the 
         Effect of Conflict on Global Food Security and Famine

                              H. Res. 922

       Whereas, in 2021, 193,000,000 people experienced crisis 
     levels of food insecurity, with nearly 139,000,000 people 
     living in environments where conflict was the main driver of 
     this crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened rising 
     global food insecurity;
       Whereas conflict acutely impacts vulnerable populations 
     such as women and children, persons with disabilities, 
     refugees, and internally displaced persons;
       Whereas armed conflict's impacts on food security can be 
     direct, such as displacement from land, destruction of 
     livestock grazing areas and fishing grounds, or destruction 
     of food stocks and agricultural assets, or indirect, such as 
     disruptions to food systems, leading to increased food 
     prices, including water and fuel, and the breakdown of a 
     government's ability to enforce regulations or perform its 
     judiciary functions;
       Whereas aerial bombing campaigns targeting agricultural 
     heartlands, scorched earth methods of warfare, and the use of 
     landmines and other explosive devices have direct impacts on 
     the ability of vulnerable populations to feed themselves;
       Whereas effective humanitarian response in armed conflict, 
     including in the threat of conflict-induced famine and food 
     insecurity in situations of armed conflict, requires respect 
     for international humanitarian law by all parties to the 
     conflict, and allowing and facilitating the rapid and 
     unimpeded movement of humanitarian relief to all those in 
     need;
       Whereas efforts to restrict humanitarian aid and the 
     operational integrity and impartiality of humanitarian aid 
     works and distribution efforts, including through blockades, 
     security impediments, or irregular bureaucratic requirements 
     is another means by which combatants employ starvation and 
     food deprivation as a weapon of war; and
       Whereas the United States Government has the tools to fight 
     global hunger, provide and protect lifesaving assistance, and 
     promote the prevention of conflict, including through the 
     Global Fragility Act of 2019 (title V of division J of Public 
     Law 116-94), the Global Food Security Act of 2016 (Public Law 
     114-195), and the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (Public 
     Law 115-334), and has the potential to hold accountable those 
     using hunger as a weapon in conflict through the Global 
     Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act (subtitle F of 
     title XII of Public Law 114-328) and other means: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) condemns--
       (A) the use of starvation of civilians as a weapon of 
     warfare;
       (B) the intentional and reckless destruction, removing, 
     looting, blocking, or rendering useless objects necessary for 
     food production and distribution such as farmland, markets, 
     mills, food processing and storage areas, such as ports and 
     hubs containing grain terminals, foodstuffs, crops, 
     livestock, agricultural assets, waterways, water systems, 
     drinking water installations and supplies, and irrigation 
     works;
       (C) the denial of humanitarian access and the deprivation 
     of objects indispensable to people's survival, such as food 
     supplies and nutrition resources; and
       (D) the willful interruption of market systems to affected 
     populations in need in conflict environments by preventing 
     travel and manipulating currency exchange;
       (2) calls on the United States Government to--
       (A) prioritize diplomatic efforts to call out and address 
     instances where hunger and intentional deprivation of food is 
     being utilized as a weapon of war, including efforts to 
     ensure that security operations do not undermine livelihoods 
     of local populations to minimize civilian harm;
       (B) continue efforts to address severe food insecurity 
     through humanitarian and development response efforts, 
     including in-kind food assistance, vouchers, and other 
     flexible modalities, and long-term programming focused on 
     agriculture support and resilient livelihoods;
       (C) ensure existing interagency strategies, crisis response 
     efforts, and ongoing programs consider, integrate, and adapt 
     to address conflict by utilizing crisis modifiers in United 
     States Agency for International Development programming to 
     respond to rapid shocks and stress such as the willful 
     targeting of food systems; and
       (D) ensure that the use of hunger as a weapon in conflict 
     is considered within the employment of tools to hold 
     individuals, governments, militias, or entities responsible 
     such as the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act 
     (22 U.S.C. 2656), where appropriate, and taking into 
     consideration the need for humanitarian exemptions and the 
     protection of lifesaving assistance.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 5 of House Resolution 
1499, the ordering of the yeas and nays on postponed motions to suspend 
the rules with respect to such measures is vacated to the end that all 
such motions are considered as withdrawn.
  The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Maryland 
(Mr. Hoyer) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bills and 
agree to the resolutions.
  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. ROSENDALE. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  This is a 5-minute vote.
  The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 401, 
nays 18, not voting 12, as follows:

                             [Roll No. 495]

                               YEAS--401

     Adams
     Aderholt
     Aguilar
     Allen
     Allred
     Amodei
     Armstrong
     Arrington
     Auchincloss
     Axne
     Bacon
     Baird
     Balderson
     Banks
     Barr
     Barragan
     Bass
     Beatty
     Bentz
     Bera
     Bergman
     Beyer
     Bice (OK)
     Biggs
     Bilirakis
     Bishop (GA)
     Bishop (NC)
     Blumenauer
     Blunt Rochester
     Boebert
     Bonamici
     Bost
     Bourdeaux
     Bowman
     Boyle, Brendan F.
     Brady
     Brooks
     Brown (MD)
     Brown (OH)
     Brownley
     Buchanan
     Buck
     Bucshon
     Burchett
     Burgess
     Bush
     Bustos
     Butterfield
     Calvert
     Cammack
     Carbajal
     Cardenas
     Carey
     Carl
     Carson
     Carter (GA)
     Carter (LA)
     Carter (TX)
     Cartwright
     Case
     Casten
     Castor (FL)
     Castro (TX)
     Cawthorn
     Chabot
     Cherfilus-McCormick
     Chu
     Cicilline
     Clark (MA)
     Clarke (NY)
     Cleaver
     Clyburn
     Cohen
     Cole
     Comer
     Connolly
     Conway
     Cooper
     Correa
     Costa
     Courtney
     Craig
     Crawford
     Crenshaw
     Crow
     Cuellar
     Curtis
     Davids (KS)
     Davis, Danny K.
     Davis, Rodney
     Dean
     DeFazio
     DeGette
     DeLauro
     DelBene
     Demings
     DeSaulnier
     DesJarlais
     Diaz-Balart
     Dingell
     Doggett
     Donalds
     Doyle, Michael F.
     Duncan
     Dunn
     Ellzey
     Emmer
     Escobar
     Eshoo
     Espaillat
     Evans
     Fallon
     Feenstra
     Ferguson
     Finstad
     Fischbach
     Fitzgerald
     Fitzpatrick
     Fleischmann
     Fletcher
     Flood
     Flores
     Foster
     Foxx
     Frankel, Lois
     Franklin, C. Scott
     Fulcher
     Gaetz
     Gallagher
     Gallego
     Garamendi
     Garbarino
     Garcia (CA)
     Garcia (IL)
     Garcia (TX)
     Gibbs
     Gimenez
     Gohmert
     Golden
     Gomez
     Gonzales, Tony
     Gonzalez (OH)
     Gonzalez, Vicente
     Gooden (TX)
     Gottheimer
     Granger
     Graves (LA)
     Graves (MO)
     Green (TN)
     Green, Al (TX)
     Griffith
     Grijalva
     Grothman
     Guest
     Guthrie
     Harder (CA)
     Harris
     Harshbarger
     Hartzler
     Hayes
     Herrell
     Herrera Beutler
     Higgins (LA)
     Higgins (NY)
     Hill
     Himes
     Hinson
     Hollingsworth
     Horsford
     Houlahan
     Hoyer
     Hudson
     Huffman
     Huizenga
     Issa
     Jackson
     Jackson Lee
     Jacobs (CA)
     Jacobs (NY)
     Jayapal
     Jeffries
     Johnson (GA)
     Johnson (LA)
     Johnson (OH)
     Johnson (SD)
     Johnson (TX)
     Jones
     Joyce (OH)
     Joyce (PA)
     Kahele
     Kaptur
     Katko
     Keating
     Keller
     Kelly (IL)
     Kelly (MS)
     Kelly (PA)
     Khanna
     Kildee
     Kilmer
     Kim (CA)
     Kim (NJ)
     Kind
     Kirkpatrick
     Krishnamoorthi
     Kuster
     Kustoff
     LaHood
     LaMalfa
     Lamb
     Lamborn
     Langevin
     Larsen (WA)
     Larson (CT)
     Latta
     LaTurner
     Lawrence
     Lawson (FL)
     Lee (CA)
     Lee (NV)
     Leger Fernandez
     Lesko
     Letlow
     Levin (CA)
     Levin (MI)
     Lieu
     Lofgren
     Long
     Lowenthal
     Lucas
     Luetkemeyer
     Luria
     Lynch
     Mace
     Malinowski
     Malliotakis
     Maloney, Carolyn B.
     Maloney, Sean
     Mann
     Manning
     Massie
     Mast
     Matsui
     McBath
     McCarthy
     McCaul
     McClain
     McClintock
     McCollum
     McGovern
     McHenry
     McNerney
     Meeks
     Meijer
     Meng
     Meuser
     Mfume
     Miller (WV)
     Miller-Meeks
     Moolenaar
     Mooney
     Moore (AL)
     Moore (UT)
     Moore (WI)
     Moulton
     Mrvan
     Murphy (NC)

[[Page H8700]]


     Nadler
     Napolitano
     Neal
     Neguse
     Nehls
     Newhouse
     Newman
     Norcross
     O'Halleran
     Obernolte
     Ocasio-Cortez
     Omar
     Owens
     Palazzo
     Pallone
     Palmer
     Panetta
     Pappas
     Pascrell
     Payne
     Peltola
     Pence
     Perlmutter
     Pfluger
     Phillips
     Pingree
     Pocan
     Porter
     Posey
     Pressley
     Price (NC)
     Quigley
     Raskin
     Reschenthaler
     Rice (SC)
     Rodgers (WA)
     Rogers (AL)
     Rogers (KY)
     Rosendale
     Ross
     Rouzer
     Roybal-Allard
     Ruiz
     Ruppersberger
     Rush
     Rutherford
     Ryan (NY)
     Ryan (OH)
     Salazar
     Sanchez
     Sarbanes
     Scalise
     Scanlon
     Schakowsky
     Schiff
     Schneider
     Schrader
     Schrier
     Schweikert
     Scott (VA)
     Scott, Austin
     Scott, David
     Sempolinski
     Sessions
     Sewell
     Sherman
     Sherrill
     Simpson
     Sires
     Slotkin
     Smith (MO)
     Smith (NE)
     Smith (NJ)
     Smith (WA)
     Smucker
     Soto
     Spanberger
     Spartz
     Speier
     Stansbury
     Stanton
     Stauber
     Steel
     Stefanik
     Steil
     Stevens
     Stewart
     Strickland
     Suozzi
     Swalwell
     Takano
     Tenney
     Thompson (CA)
     Thompson (MS)
     Thompson (PA)
     Tiffany
     Timmons
     Titus
     Tlaib
     Tonko
     Torres (CA)
     Torres (NY)
     Trahan
     Trone
     Turner
     Underwood
     Upton
     Valadao
     Van Drew
     Van Duyne
     Vargas
     Veasey
     Velazquez
     Wagner
     Walberg
     Waltz
     Wasserman Schultz
     Waters
     Watson Coleman
     Weber (TX)
     Welch
     Wenstrup
     Westerman
     Wexton
     Wild
     Williams (GA)
     Williams (TX)
     Wilson (FL)
     Wilson (SC)
     Wittman
     Womack
     Yakym
     Yarmuth
     Zeldin

                                NAYS--18

     Babin
     Cline
     Cloud
     Clyde
     Davidson
     Good (VA)
     Gosar
     Greene (GA)
     Hern
     Hice (GA)
     Loudermilk
     Norman
     Perry
     Rose
     Roy
     Steube
     Taylor
     Webster (FL)

                             NOT VOTING--12

     Budd
     Cheney
     Estes
     Jordan
     Kinzinger
     McKinley
     Miller (IL)
     Morelle
     Mullin
     Murphy (FL)
     Peters
     Rice (NY)

                              {time}  1555

  So (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and 
the bills were passed and the resolutions were agreed to.
  The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
  The title of H.R. 5943 was amended so as to read: ``A bill to 
designate the outpatient clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs 
in Greenville, South Carolina, as the `Lance Corporal Dana Cornell 
Darnell VA Clinic'.''.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.


    MEMBERS RECORDED PURSUANT TO HOUSE RESOLUTION 8, 117TH CONGRESS

     Amodei (Balderson)
     Axne (Wild)
     Barragan (Correa)
     Bass (Cicilline)
     Blunt Rochester (Kelly (IL))
     Brooks (Moore (AL))
     Brown (MD) (Evans)
     Butterfield (Beyer)
     Cardenas (Correa)
     Cawthorn (Donalds)
     Cherfilus-McCormick (Brown (OH))
     Conway (Valadao)
     Craig (Stevens)
     Curtis (Moore (UT))
     DeFazio (Pallone)
     Demings (Castor (FL))
     DeSaulnier (Beyer)
     Gaetz (Bishop (NC))
     Garbarino (Miller-Meeks)
     Gibbs (Balderson)
     Gohmert (Weber (TX))
     Gonzalez, Vicente (Correa)
     Gooden (TX) (Miller-Meeks)
     Gosar (Weber (TX))
     Johnson (GA) (Pallone)
     Johnson (TX) (Pallone)
     Khanna (Pappas)
     Kim (NJ) (Pallone)
     Kirkpatrick (Pallone)
     LaTurner (Valadao)
     Lawson (FL) (Evans)
     Levin (MI) (Correa)
     Long (Fleischmann)
     Loudermilk (Fleischmann)
     Lowenthal (Huffman)
     Maloney, Sean P. (Pappas)
     Meeks (Horsford)
     Meng (Escobar)
     Newman (Correa)
     O'Halleran (Stanton)
     Omar (Bowman)
     Owens (Stewart)
     Palazzo (Fleischmann)
     Porter (Neguse)
     Pressley (Neguse)
     Reschenthaler (Van Drew)
     Roybal-Allard (Correa)
     Rush (Beyer)
     Ryan (OH) (Correa)
     Simpson (Fulcher)
     Sires (Pallone)
     Speier (Huffman)
     Swalwell (Correa)
     Watson Coleman (Pallone)
     Welch (Pallone)
     Williams (GA) (McBath)
     Wilson (SC) (Timmons)

                          ____________________