[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 10]
[House]
[Pages 14999-15000]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           SHORT-TERM EXTENSION OF SPECIAL IMMIGRANT PROGRAM

  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Committees on the Judiciary and Foreign Affairs be discharged from 
further consideration of the bill (H.R. 3233) to extend the period 
during which Iraqis who were employed by the United States Government 
in Iraq may be granted special immigrant status and to temporarily 
increase the fee or surcharge for processing machine-readable 
nonimmigrant visas, and ask for its immediate consideration in the 
House.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Virginia?
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Reserving the right to object, and I am not going to 
pursue my objection. But I want to congratulate the chairman and our 
committee for what I think is an enormously important visa, helping 
people who have helped us, particularly in Iraq.
  And with that, I thank the Judiciary Committee for its work, and I 
withdraw my objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Virginia?
  There was no objection.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 3233

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

     SECTION 1. SHORT-TERM EXTENSION OF SPECIAL IMMIGRANT PROGRAM.

       Section 1244(c)(3) of the National Defense Authorization 
     Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (8 U.S.C. 1157 note) is amended by 
     adding at the end the following:
       ``(C) Fiscal year 2014.--
       ``(i) In general.--Except as provided in clauses (ii) and 
     (iii), the total number of principal aliens who may be 
     provided special immigrant status under this section during 
     the first 3 months of fiscal year 2014 shall be the sum of--

       ``(I) the number of aliens described in subsection (b) 
     whose application for special immigrant status under this 
     section is pending on September 30, 2013; and
       ``(II) 2,000.

       ``(ii) Employment period.--The 1-year period during which 
     the principal alien is required to have been employed by or 
     on behalf of the United States Government in Iraq under 
     subsection (b)(1)(B) shall begin on or after March 20, 2003, 
     and end on or before September 30, 2013.
       ``(iii) Application deadline.--The principal alien seeking 
     special immigrant status under this subparagraph shall apply 
     to the Chief of Mission in accordance with subsection (b)(4) 
     not later than December 31, 2013.''.

     SEC. 2. TEMPORARY FEE INCREASE FOR CERTAIN CONSULAR SERVICES.

       (a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
     law, the Secretary of State, not later than January 1, 2014, 
     shall increase the fee or surcharge authorized under section 
     140(a) of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal 
     Years 1994 and 1995 (Public Law 103-236; 8 U.S.C. 1351 note) 
     by $1 for processing machine-readable nonimmigrant visas and 
     machine-readable combined border crossing identification 
     cards and nonimmigrant visas.
       (b) Deposit of Amounts.--Notwithstanding section 140(a)(2) 
     of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1994 
     and 1995 (Public Law 103-236; 8 U.S.C. 1351 note), the 
     additional amount collected pursuant the fee increase 
     authorized under subsection (a) shall be deposited in the 
     general fund of the Treasury.
       (c) Sunset Provision.--The fee increase authorized under 
     subsection (a) shall terminate on the date that is 2 years 
     after the first date on which such increased fee is 
     collected.

  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I submit the following exchange of letters on 
H.R. 3233, between myself and the Chairman of the Committee on the 
Judiciary, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte).
                                         House of Representatives,


                                 Committee on Foreign Affairs,

                                  Washington, DC, October 2, 2013.
     Hon. Bob Goodlatte,
     Chairman, House Committee on the Judiciary, Rayburn House 
         Office Building, Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you for your consultation with the 
     Foreign Affairs Committee on H.R. 3233, which temporarily 
     extends the period during which certain Iraqis previously 
     employed by the United States Government may be granted 
     special immigrant status. I agreed to the Foreign Affairs 
     Committee being discharged of our referral so that the bill 
     could be promptly considered on the House floor this evening. 
     I am writing to confirm our mutual understanding regarding 
     the Foreign Affairs Committee's continuing Rule X legislative 
     jurisdiction over portions of H.R. 3233, which is not 
     affected by that waiver decision.
       I appreciate your assistance in expediting this important 
     legislation for floor consideration.
           Sincerely,
                                                  Edward R. Royce,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

                                         House of Representatives,


                                   Committee on the Judiciary,

                                  Washington, DC, October 3, 2013.
     Hon. Ed Royce,
     Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs, Rayburn House Office 
         Building, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Royce: Thank you for your letter regarding 
     H.R. 3233, to extend the period during which Iraqis who were 
     employed by the United States Government in Iraq may be 
     granted special immigrant status and to temporarily increase 
     the fee or

[[Page 15000]]

     surcharge for processing machine-readable nonimmigrant visas.
       As you noted, the Committee on Foreign Affairs was granted 
     an additional referral of the bill. I am most appreciative of 
     your decision to discharge the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
     from further consideration of H.R. 3233 so that it could 
     proceed expeditiously to the House floor. I acknowledge that 
     although you waived formal consideration of the bill, the 
     Committee on the Foreign Affairs is in no way waiving its 
     jurisdiction over the subject matter contained in those 
     provisions of the bill that fall within your Rule X 
     jurisdiction.
           Sincerely,
                                                    Bob Goodlatte,
                                                         Chairman.

  The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, was read 
the third time, and passed, and a motion to reconsider was laid on the 
table.


                             General Leave

  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that Members may 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and insert 
extraneous materials on H.R. 3233.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Daines). Is there objection to the 
request of the gentleman from Virginia?
  There was no objection.

                          ____________________