[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 11]
[House]
[Pages 15926-15927]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                               AMENDMENTS

  Under clause 8 of rule XVIII, proposed amendments were submitted as 
follows:

                               H.R. 2638

                    Offered By: Mr. King of New York

       Amendment No. 132: Page 2, line 16, after the dollar 
     amount, insert ``(reduced by $35,000,000)''.
       Page 31, line 18, after the dollar amount, insert 
     ``(reduced by $5,000,000)''.
       Page 51, line 17, after the dollar amount, insert 
     ``(increased by $40,000,000)''.

                               H.R. 2638

                      Offered By: Mr. King of Iowa

       Amendment No. 133: At the end of the bill (before the short 
     title), insert the following:
       Sec. __. None of the funds made available in this Act for 
     customs and border protection fencing, infrastructure, and 
     technology may be used for anything but at least two layers 
     of reinforced fencing and roads pursuant to section 102 of 
     Public Laws 104-208.

                               H.R. 2638

                      Offered By: Mr. King of Iowa

       Amendment No. 134: At the end before the short title, 
     insert the following new section:
       Sec. __. (a) Clause 6(b) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 
     House of Representatives is amended by striking the period 
     and inserting ``; or'' at the end of subparagraph (2) and by 
     adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
       ``(3) a rule or order that would limit any amendment that 
     would otherwise be in order to a rescission bill.''.
       (b) Clause 4(b) of rule X of the Rules of the House of 
     Representatives is amended by inserting `(1)' after `(b)', by 
     redesignating subparagraphs (1) through (6) as subdivisions 
     (A) through (F), respectively, and by adding at the end the 
     following:
       ``(2)(A) Whenever a rescission bill passes the House, the 
     Committee on the Budget shall immediately reduce the 
     applicable allocations under section 302(a) of the 
     Congressional Budget Act of 1974 by the total amount of 
     reductions in budget authority and in outlays resulting from 
     such rescission bill.
       ``(B) As used in this subparagraph, the term `rescission 
     bill' means a bill or joint resolution which only rescinds, 
     in whole or in part, budget authority and which includes only 
     titles corresponding to the most recently enacted 
     appropriation bills that continue to include unobligated 
     balances.''.
       (c) Rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives 
     is amended by adding at the end the following new clause:
       ``8. (a) By February 1, May 1, July 30, and November 11 of 
     each session, the majority leader shall introduce a 
     rescission bill. If such bill is not introduced by that date, 
     then whenever a rescission bill is introduced during a 
     session on or after that date, a motion to discharge the 
     committee from its consideration shall be privileged after 
     the 10-legislative day period beginning on that date for the 
     first 5 such bills.
       ``(b) It shall not be in order to offer any amendment to a 
     rescission bill except an amendment that increases the amount 
     of budget authority that such bill rescinds.
       ``(c) As used in this clause and in clause 6, the term 
     `rescission bill' has the meaning given such term in clause 
     4(b)(2)(B) of rule X.''.
       (d) Rule XXI of the Rules of the House of Representatives 
     (as amended by subsection (d)) is further amended by adding 
     at the end the following new clause:
       ``8. (a) It shall not be in order to consider any 
     rescission bill, or conference report thereon or amendment 
     thereto, unless--
       ``(1) in the case of such bill or conference report 
     thereon, it is made available to Members and the general 
     public on the Internet for at least 48 hours before its 
     consideration; or
       ``(2)(A) in the case of an amendment to such rescission 
     bill made in order by a rule, it is made available to Members 
     and the general public on the Internet within one hour after 
     the rule is filed; or
       ``(B) in the case of an amendment under an open rule, it is 
     made available to Members and the general public on the 
     Internet immediately after being offered; in a format that is 
     searchable and sortable. No amendment to an amendment to a 
     rescission bill shall be in order unless germane to the 
     amendment to which it is offered.
       ``(b) No amendment to an amendment to a rescission bill 
     shall be in order unless germane to the amendment to which it 
     is offered.''.

                               H.R. 2638

                        Offered By: Mr. Burgess

       Amendment No. 135: Page 2, line 16, after the dollar 
     amount, insert ``(reduced by $15,000,000)''.
       Page 23, line 16, after the dollar amount, insert 
     ``(increased by $15,000,000)''.

                               H.R. 2638

                    Offered By: Mr. King of New York

       Amendment No. 136: Page 2, line 16, after the dollar 
     amount, insert ``(reduced by $35,000,000)''.
       Page 31, line 18, after the dollar amount, insert 
     ``(reduced by $5,000,000)''.
       Page 51, line 17, after the dollar amount, insert 
     ``(increased by $40,000,000)''.

                               H.R. 2642

                   Offered By: Mr. Walz of Minnesota

       Amendment No. 9: Page 30, line 14, after the dollar amount, 
     insert the following: ``(reduced by $1,000,000)''.
       Page 32, line 22, after the dollar amount, insert the 
     following: ``(increased by $1,000,000)''.
       Page 32, line 23, insert after 2009 the following: ``, of 
     which $1,000,000 is for the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and 
     the Secretary of Defense to develop performance measures for 
     determining progress toward the sharing of Department of 
     Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense health care 
     resources pursuant to section 8111 of title 38, United States 
     Code, and to submit to Congress a report on such performance 
     measures''.

                               H.R. 2642

                        Offered By: Mrs. Capito

       Amendment No. 10: Page 31, line 6, after ``Philippines'', 
     insert ``: Provided further, That of the amount appropriated 
     under this heading, $10,000,000 may not be obligated or 
     expended until the Secretary of Veterans Affairs submits a 
     report to the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee 
     on Veterans Affairs of the House of Representatives outlining 
     the progress and plan for implementation of the Office of 
     Rural Health within the Office of the Under Secretary for 
     Veterans Health, which shall be fully implemented by January 
     1, 2008''.

                               H.R. 2642

                        Offered By: Mrs. Capito

       Amendment No. 11: Page 32, line 8, after ``appropriation'', 
     insert ``: Provided further, That $10,000,000 of such funds 
     may not be obligated or expended until the Secretary of 
     Veterans Affairs submits to the House of Representatives an 
     executable plan, to be implemented not later than January 1, 
     2010, for maintaining medical records that are interoperable 
     between the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department 
     of Defense''.

                               H.R. 2642

                        Offered By: Mr. Donnelly

       Amendment No. 12: Page 44, after line 22, insert the 
     following new section:
       Sec. __. Not later than 30 days after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
     shall submit to Congress a report explaining what is being 
     done to implement the eight open recommendations made to the 
     Secretary by the Government Accountability Office for 
     improving the timeliness, accuracy and consistency of 
     disability claims processing by the Department of Veterans 
     Affairs, as recorded in a letter dated May 25, 2007, sent by 
     the Government Accountability Office to the President's 
     Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors 
     (GAO-07-906R).

                               H.R. 2642

                       Offered By: Mrs. Blackburn

       Amendment No. 13: In section 405 (page 48, beginning on 
     line 11), strike ``encouraged'' and insert ``directed''.

                               H.R. 2642

                         Offered By: Mr. Pence

       Amendment No. 14: At the end of the bill (before the short 
     title), insert the following new section:
       Sec. 409. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made 
     available by this Act may be used for construction of a 
     structure or purchase of equipment for the purpose of 
     performing abortions.

                               H.R. 2642

                  Offered By: Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas

       Amendment No. 15: At the appropriate place, add the 
     following new section:

     SEC. __. ESTABLISHMENT OF DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE MEDICAL 
                   CENTERS SPECIALIZING IN POST TRAUMATIC STRESS 
                   DISORDER IN UNDER SERVED AREAS.

       (a) Increase.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
     increase the number of medical centers specializing in post-
     traumatic stress disorder in underserved urban areas, which 
     shall include using the services of existing health care 
     entities.
       (b) Specific Criteria.--At least one of the existing health 
     care institutions used by the Secretary pursuant to 
     subsection (a) shall be--
       (1) located in an area defined as a HUBzone (as the term is 
     defined in section 3(p) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 
     632(p)) on the basis of one or more qualified census tracts;
       (2) located within a State that has sustained more than 
     five percent of the total casualties suffered by the United 
     States Armed Forces in Operation Enduring Freedom and 
     Operation Iraqi Freedom as May 1, 2007; and
       (3) have at least 20 years experience and significant 
     expertise in providing treatment

[[Page 15927]]

     and counseling services with respect to substance abuse, 
     alcohol addiction, and psychiatric or stress-related 
     disorders to populations with special needs, including 
     veterans and members of the Armed Forces serving on active 
     duty.

                               H.R. 2642

                  Offered By: Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas

       Amendment No. 16: At the appropriate place, add the 
     following new section:

     SEC. __. ESTABLISHMENT OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 
                   MEDICAL CENTERS SPECIALIZING IN POST TRAUMATIC 
                   STRESS DISORDER IN UNDER SERVED AREAS.

       (a) Increase.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
     increase the number of medical centers specializing in post-
     traumatic stress disorder in underserved urban areas, which 
     shall include using the services of existing health care 
     entities.
       (b) Specific Criteria.--At least one of the existing health 
     care institutions used by the Secretary pursuant to 
     subsection (a) shall be--
       (1) located in an area defined as a HUBzone (as the term is 
     defined in section 3(p) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 
     632(p)) on the basis of one or more qualified census tracts;
       (2) located within a State that has sustained more than 
     five percent of the total casualties suffered by the United 
     States Armed Forces in Operation Enduring Freedom and 
     Operation Iraqi Freedom as May 1, 2007; and
       (3) have at least 20 years experience and significant 
     expertise in providing treatment and counseling services with 
     respect to substance abuse, alcohol addiction, and 
     psychiatric or stress-related disorders to populations with 
     special needs, including veterans and members of the Armed 
     Forces serving on active duty.

                               H.R. 2642

                    Offered By: Mr. Price of Georgia

       Amendment No. 17: Page 10, line 17, after the dollar 
     amount, insert ``(reduced by $50,000,000)''.
       Page 27, line 6, after the dollar amount insert 
     ``(increased by $22,000,000)''.