[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 43 (Tuesday, March 7, 2023)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D198-D199]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
COVID-19 ORIGIN ACT OF 2023; PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF 
THE RULE RELATING TO REVISED DEFINITION OF WATERS OF THE UNITED STATES; 
PROTECTING SPEECH FROM GOVERNMENT INTERFERENCE ACT
Committee on Rules: Full Committee held a hearing on S. 619, the 
``COVID-19 Origin Act of 2023''; H.J. Res. 27, providing for 
congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States 
Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of the Army, Corps of 
Engineers, Department of Defense and the Environmental Protection 
Agency relating to ``Revised Definition of `Waters of the United 
States' ''; and H.R. 140, the ``Protecting Speech from Government 
Interference Act''. The Committee granted, by record vote of 9-3, a 
rule providing for consideration of H.R. 140, the ``Protecting Speech 
from Government Interference Act'', H.J. Res. 27, Providing for 
congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States 
Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of the Army, Corps of 
Engineers, Department of Defense and the Environmental Protection 
Agency relating to ``Revised Definition of `Waters of the United 
States' '', and S. 619, the ``COVID-19 Origin Act of 2023''. The rule 
provides for consideration of H.R. 140, the ``Protecting Speech from 
Government Interference Act'', under a structured rule. The rule waives 
all points of order against consideration of the bill. The rule 
provides one hour of general debate equally divided and controlled by 
the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Oversight and 
Accountability or their respective designees. The rule provides that 
the bill shall be considered as read. The rule waives all points of 
order against the amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 140 
made in order as original text. The rule further makes in order only 
those amendments printed in the Rules Committee report. Each such 
amendment may be offered only in the order printed in the report, may 
be offered only by a Member designated in the report, shall be 
considered as read, shall be debatable for the time specified in the 
report equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent, 
shall not be subject to amendment, and shall not be subject to a demand 
for division of the question in the House or in the Committee of the 
Whole. All points of order against the amendments are waived. The rule 
further provides one motion to recommit. The rule provides for 
consideration of H.J. Res. 27, providing for congressional disapproval 
under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted 
by the Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers, Department of 
Defense and the Environmental Protection Agency relating to ``Revised 
Definition of `Waters of the United States' '', under a closed rule. 
The rule waives all points of order against consideration of the joint 
resolution. The rule provides one hour of general debate equally 
divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure or their respective 
designees. The rule provides that the joint resolution shall be 
considered as read. The rule waives all points of order against 
provisions in the joint resolution. The rule provides one motion to 
recommit. The rule provides for consideration of S. 619, the ``COVID-19 
Origin Act of 2023'', under a closed rule. The rule waives all points 
of order against consideration of the bill. The rule provides one hour 
of general debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and 
ranking minority member of the Permanent Select Committee on 
Intelligence or their respective designees. The rule provides that the 
bill shall be considered as read. The rule waives all points of order 
against provisions in the bill. Section 4 of the rule provides that 
section 7 of the War Powers Resolution (50 U.S.C. 1546) shall not apply 
to a concurrent resolution introduced during the first session of the 
One Hundred Eighteenth Congress pursuant to section 5 of the War Powers 
Resolution (50 U.S.C. 1544) with respect to Syria. Section 5 provides 
that if a veto message is laid before the House on House Joint 
Resolution 30, then after the message is read and the objections of the 
President are spread at large upon the Journal, further consideration 
of the veto message and the joint resolution shall be postponed until 
the legislative day of March 23, 2023; and on that legislative day, the 
House shall proceed to the constitutional question of reconsideration 
and dispose of such question without intervening motion. Testimony was 
heard from Chairman Turner, and Representatives Himes, Rouzer, Larsen 
of Washington, Armstrong, and Raskin.

[[Page D199]]


VistA: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE MISUNDERSTOOD
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Technology 
Modernization held a hearing entitled ``VistA: The Good, the Bad, and 
the Misunderstood''. Testimony was heard from Daniel McCune, Executive 
Director of Software Product Management, Office of Information and 
Technology, Department of Veterans Affairs; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Full Committee held a 
markup on H.R. 1376, the ``COVID-19 Origins Act of 2023''. H.R. 1376 
was ordered reported, without amendment.

Joint Meetings
  No joint committee meetings were held.