[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 188 (Monday, December 5, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H8744-H8745]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            REPEAL OF OBSOLETE DHS CONTRACTING REQUIREMENTS

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (S. 3499) to amend the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform 
Act of 2006

[[Page H8745]]

to repeal certain obsolete requirements, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:


 =========================== NOTE =========================== 

  
  December 5, 2022, on page H8745, in the first column, the 
following appeared: to repeal certain obsolete requirements, and 
for other purposes, as amended. The Clerk read the title of the 
bill. The text of the bill is as follows: S. 3499
  
  The online version has been corrected to read: to repeal certain 
obsolete requirements, and for other purposes. The Clerk read the 
title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows: S. 3499


 ========================= END NOTE ========================= 


                                S. 3499

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

     SECTION 1. REPEAL OF OBSOLETE DHS CONTRACTING REQUIREMENTS.

       The Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006 
     (Public Law 109-295; 120 Stat. 1394) is amended by striking 
     section 692 (6 U.S.C. 792).
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) and the gentleman from Illinois 
(Mr. Rodney Davis) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia.


                             General Leave

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on S. 3499.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from the District of Columbia?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill will repeal a section of the Post-Katrina 
Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006 to conform the act with 
government-wide Federal acquisition regulation changes to 
subcontracting limits.
  The National Defense Authorization Act of 2009 directed the Federal 
Acquisition Regulatory Council to institute a government-wide 
limitation on excessive subcontracting. This change put the Department 
of Homeland Security-specific requirements established by the Post-
Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act in conflict with government-
wide rules. This bill simply repeals the Department of Homeland 
Security's obsolete requirement.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time 
as I may consume.
  I also rise in support of S. 3499, which amends the Post-Katrina 
Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006. This bill repeals outdated 
Department of Homeland Security contracting requirements that set a 
limit of 65 percent for subcontracting costs.
  The National Defense Authorization Act of 2009 established a 
subcontracting cost limit at 70 percent. Unfortunately, these 
conflicting limits have just created confusion for contractors in 
emergency response and recovery efforts since then.
  Repealing this obsolete provision will make subcontracting cost 
limits consistent with the rest of the Federal contracting regime.
  Mr. Speaker, I remind you that these are not issues that are going to 
make the 24-hour news cycle, but it is fixing broken pieces of the 
bureaucracy right here in this institution that can actually help 
communities recover faster.
  If we don't address issues that aren't newsworthy according to the 
media experts, then we waste taxpayer dollars, we don't help 
communities recover, and we don't make government work for the people. 
I am proud to stand here and say I am a conservative when it comes to 
fixing government bureaucracy, and this is one of those fixes that we 
are putting forth today, in conjunction with the other side, in 
conjunction with the Senate.
  In closing, Mr. Speaker, again, this fixes the Federal bureaucracy 
that was broken back post-Katrina. I was a congressional staffer in 
2005 when we all watched in horror what happened to Louisiana and the 
Gulf Coast because of that tragic storm.
  Provisions that were put in place post-Katrina in 2006, during the 
Bush presidency and into the Obama administration in 2009, long before 
I ever got here to the House floor, we are now fixing the 
inconsistencies, making government work for the people, and making 
government work for every single American who is going to be affected 
by a future disaster. That is everywhere. That is Montana, that is 
Illinois, and that is D.C. Every single place in the United States and 
our territories will be impacted positively by this consistent change 
to the bureaucracy through the procurement process that needed to be 
done years ago and is going to be done today because of the leadership 
of our Senate sponsors and also the leaders on the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure and my colleague, Ms. Norton.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this piece of legislation, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time for 
closing.
  S. 3499 is a simple example of good governance with bipartisan 
support. I support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, S. 3499.
  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. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

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