[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)
____________________