[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 2]
[House]
[Pages 3018-3020]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




     PROTECTING VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS AND EMERGENCY RESPONDERS ACT

  Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
concur in the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 33) to amend the 
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to ensure that emergency services 
volunteers are not taken into account as employees under

[[Page 3019]]

the shared responsibility requirements contained in the Patient 
Protection and Affordable Care Act.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the Senate amendment is as follows:
  Senate amendment:

  Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the following:

     SECTION 1. FURTHER CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS.

       The Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2015 (Public Law 
     113-164; 128 Stat. 1867) is amended by striking the date 
     specified in section 106(3) and inserting ``March 6, 2015''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Kentucky (Mr. Rogers) and the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Roybal-
Allard) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Kentucky.


                             General Leave

  Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. 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 H.R. 33.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Kentucky?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, the Senate has acted this evening to take up a House 
bill and amend it to provide a 1-week continuing resolution for the 
Department of Homeland Security. I rise today to urge the House to 
suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendment to prevent a 
shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security.
  In a matter of hours, the current mechanism funding DHS will expire. 
To allow a shutdown of these critical functions would be an abdication 
of one of our primary duties as Members of the House. It is no way to 
govern the Nation, and the American people deserve better.
  It is the 11th hour, and we must act to provide stable, continuous 
funding for the agencies and programs tasked with defending our home 
turf.
  This continuing resolution will last until March 6, allowing us the 
needed additional time to continue negotiating a path forward on how to 
fund DHS for the rest of the year. Without any further delay, I urge my 
colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this critical legislation.
  Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. I yield to the gentleman from Virginia.
  Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, I ask the gentleman, what then happens to 
the underlying language where we were protecting the firefighters and 
others in regard to the bill as it originally stood and as it related 
to them being covered under PPACA?
  Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. My understanding is that we will take that up 
later.
  Mr. GRIFFITH. I'm sorry, I couldn't hear the gentleman.
  Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. My understanding is that we will take that up 
later.
  Mr. GRIFFITH. If the gentleman will continue to yield for an 
additional question, Mr. Speaker, I would ask the gentleman, it is his 
understanding that we would take that up later, but that means that the 
bill that we previously passed--the language that we previously passed, 
at least--no longer exists based on the Senate amendment; am I correct 
in that assumption?
  Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. That is correct.
  Mr. GRIFFITH. I thank the gentleman.
  Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, this has been a day of confusion both here in this House 
and for the men and women of the Department of Homeland Security. Just 
hours ago, the House rejected a plan to fund a 3-week stopgap funding 
measure for the Department so that we might instead take up the clean, 
full year funding bill.
  Now we have before us a 1-week CR that was just sent over to us by 
the Senate. To avoid further confusion and ensure there is no funding 
lapse for the Department, I urge my colleagues to put us on a path to 
enactment of the Senate-passed long-term funding of DHS by voting in 
favor of the 7-day patch.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I say vote ``yes.''
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak to the men and women of 
the Department of Homeland Security to let them know that many of us 
are listening and working very hard to make sure that the agency is 
fully funded for the rest of 2015.
  Tonight we will extend funding through for an additional seven days 
for the Department of Homeland Security.
  The fight was worth it.
  Next week we are assured that we will have a vote on a clean DHS bill 
that fully funds DHS through the end of the fiscal year.
  Democrats stood united and this was a battle for the American people 
and the brave men and women of the DHS who are dedicated to protecting 
the security of the homeland.
  Now is the time to put politics aside and put the interest of the 
country first.
  This is a step in the right direction--provided that we fully fund 
DHS for the remainder of this fiscal year when we reconvene for 
business next week.
  We cannot afford to continue the political games played by the 
Republicans when there are so many serious challenges facing our 
country from ISIS and other violent terrorist groups.
  Just this week FBI Director James Comey, while speaking at the Winter 
meeting of the National Association of Attorneys General, reported that 
his agency is investigating ISIS suspects in all 50 states.
  Next week Congress must take action, and send the right message to 
the men and women charged with protecting the homeland.
  Mr. Speaker, we must focus our efforts next week on the needs of the 
170,000 DHS employees who will be required to work without pay if we do 
not find a path forward.
  These employees include members of the Coast Guard, Border Patrol, 
Secret Service, Transportation Security Administration and others on 
the front lines of Homeland Security.
  An additional 30,000 employees of the Department of Homeland Security 
will be furloughed and sent home without pay.
  A DHS shutdown would hit Texas especially hard.
  The local and state negative impact of House inaction is the forgoing 
of fiscal year 2015 grants that go to first responders.
  In 2014, DHS grants awarded to the city of Houston included 
$24,000,000 from Urban Area Security Initiative grants and $299,995 
from the non-profit program.
  In 2014, port security grants included: $1,810,826 for Harris County; 
$845,250 for the City of Houston.
  Programs intended to aid our fire fighters such as the one at the 
University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, which received a 
$1,493,340 DHS research grant last year are being hurt by House 
inaction on fiscal year 2015 funding for the agency.
  When Congress returns next week we must complete our work and fully 
fund DHS for the rest of the fiscal year.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers) that the House suspend the rules 
and concur in the Senate amendment to the bill, H.R. 33.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.


                             Recorded Vote

  Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.
  A recorded vote was ordered.
  The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--ayes 357, 
noes 60, not voting 15, as follows:

                             [Roll No. 106]

                               AYES--357

     Abraham
     Adams
     Aguilar
     Allen
     Ashford
     Barr
     Beatty
     Becerra
     Benishek
     Bera
     Beyer
     Bilirakis
     Bishop (GA)
     Bishop (MI)
     Bishop (UT)
     Black
     Blackburn
     Blum
     Blumenauer
     Bonamici
     Bost
     Boustany
     Boyle, Brendan F.
     Brady (PA)
     Brady (TX)
     Brooks (IN)
     Brown (FL)
     Brownley (CA)
     Buchanan
     Buck
     Bucshon
     Bustos
     Butterfield
     Byrne
     Calvert
     Capps
     Capuano
     Cardenas
     Carney
     Carson (IN)
     Carter (GA)
     Carter (TX)
     Cartwright
     Castor (FL)

[[Page 3020]]


     Castro (TX)
     Chabot
     Chaffetz
     Chu, Judy
     Cicilline
     Clark (MA)
     Clarke (NY)
     Clay
     Cleaver
     Clyburn
     Cohen
     Cole
     Collins (GA)
     Collins (NY)
     Comstock
     Conaway
     Connolly
     Conyers
     Cook
     Cooper
     Costa
     Costello (PA)
     Courtney
     Cramer
     Crawford
     Crenshaw
     Crowley
     Cuellar
     Culberson
     Cummings
     Curbelo (FL)
     Davis (CA)
     Davis, Danny
     Davis, Rodney
     DeFazio
     DeGette
     Delaney
     DeLauro
     DelBene
     Denham
     Dent
     DeSaulnier
     Deutch
     Diaz-Balart
     Dingell
     Doggett
     Dold
     Doyle, Michael F.
     Duckworth
     Duncan (SC)
     Edwards
     Ellison
     Ellmers (NC)
     Emmer (MN)
     Engel
     Eshoo
     Esty
     Farr
     Fattah
     Fitzpatrick
     Fleischmann
     Foster
     Foxx
     Frankel (FL)
     Frelinghuysen
     Fudge
     Gabbard
     Gallego
     Garamendi
     Garrett
     Gibbs
     Gibson
     Goodlatte
     Graham
     Granger
     Graves (GA)
     Graves (LA)
     Graves (MO)
     Grayson
     Green, Al
     Grothman
     Guinta
     Guthrie
     Gutierrez
     Hahn
     Hanna
     Hardy
     Harper
     Harris
     Hastings
     Heck (NV)
     Heck (WA)
     Hensarling
     Herrera Beutler
     Higgins
     Hill
     Himes
     Holding
     Honda
     Hoyer
     Huffman
     Huizenga (MI)
     Hunter
     Hurd (TX)
     Israel
     Issa
     Jackson Lee
     Jenkins (KS)
     Jenkins (WV)
     Johnson (GA)
     Johnson (OH)
     Johnson, E. B.
     Jolly
     Joyce
     Kaptur
     Katko
     Keating
     Kelly (IL)
     Kelly (PA)
     Kennedy
     Kildee
     Kilmer
     Kind
     King (NY)
     Kinzinger (IL)
     Kirkpatrick
     Kline
     Knight
     Kuster
     LaMalfa
     Lance
     Langevin
     Larsen (WA)
     Larson (CT)
     Latta
     Lawrence
     Levin
     Lewis
     Lieu, Ted
     Lipinski
     LoBiondo
     Loebsack
     Lofgren
     Loudermilk
     Love
     Lowenthal
     Lowey
     Lucas
     Luetkemeyer
     Lujan Grisham (NM)
     Lujan, Ben Ray (NM)
     Lummis
     Lynch
     MacArthur
     Maloney, Carolyn
     Maloney, Sean
     Marchant
     Marino
     Matsui
     McCarthy
     McCaul
     McClintock
     McCollum
     McGovern
     McHenry
     McKinley
     McMorris Rodgers
     McNerney
     McSally
     Meehan
     Meeks
     Meng
     Messer
     Mica
     Miller (FL)
     Miller (MI)
     Moolenaar
     Mooney (WV)
     Moore
     Moulton
     Mullin
     Murphy (FL)
     Murphy (PA)
     Nadler
     Neal
     Newhouse
     Noem
     Nolan
     Norcross
     Nunes
     O'Rourke
     Palazzo
     Pallone
     Paulsen
     Payne
     Pelosi
     Perlmutter
     Peters
     Peterson
     Pingree
     Pittenger
     Pitts
     Pocan
     Poliquin
     Polis
     Pompeo
     Price (NC)
     Price, Tom
     Quigley
     Rangel
     Reed
     Reichert
     Renacci
     Ribble
     Rice (NY)
     Richmond
     Rigell
     Roby
     Rogers (AL)
     Rogers (KY)
     Rohrabacher
     Rokita
     Rooney (FL)
     Ros-Lehtinen
     Roskam
     Ross
     Rothfus
     Rouzer
     Roybal-Allard
     Royce
     Ruiz
     Ruppersberger
     Rush
     Russell
     Ryan (OH)
     Ryan (WI)
     Sanchez, Linda T.
     Sanchez, Loretta
     Sanford
     Sarbanes
     Scalise
     Schakowsky
     Schiff
     Schock
     Schweikert
     Scott (VA)
     Scott, Austin
     Scott, David
     Serrano
     Sessions
     Sewell (AL)
     Sherman
     Shimkus
     Shuster
     Simpson
     Sinema
     Sires
     Slaughter
     Smith (MO)
     Smith (NE)
     Smith (NJ)
     Stefanik
     Stewart
     Stivers
     Stutzman
     Swalwell (CA)
     Takai
     Takano
     Thompson (CA)
     Thompson (MS)
     Thompson (PA)
     Thornberry
     Tiberi
     Tipton
     Titus
     Tonko
     Torres
     Trott
     Tsongas
     Turner
     Upton
     Valadao
     Van Hollen
     Veasey
     Vela
     Velazquez
     Wagner
     Walberg
     Walden
     Walorski
     Walters, Mimi
     Walz
     Wasserman Schultz
     Waters, Maxine
     Watson Coleman
     Weber (TX)
     Webster (FL)
     Welch
     Westerman
     Westmoreland
     Whitfield
     Williams
     Wilson (FL)
     Wilson (SC)
     Womack
     Woodall
     Yarmuth
     Yoho
     Young (AK)
     Young (IA)
     Young (IN)
     Zeldin
     Zinke

                                NOES--60

     Amash
     Amodei
     Babin
     Barletta
     Barton
     Brat
     Bridenstine
     Brooks (AL)
     Burgess
     Clawson (FL)
     DeSantis
     DesJarlais
     Duffy
     Duncan (TN)
     Farenthold
     Fincher
     Fleming
     Flores
     Forbes
     Franks (AZ)
     Gohmert
     Gosar
     Gowdy
     Griffith
     Grijalva
     Hice, Jody B.
     Hudson
     Huelskamp
     Hultgren
     Hurt (VA)
     Johnson, Sam
     Jones
     Jordan
     King (IA)
     Labrador
     Lamborn
     Massie
     Meadows
     Mulvaney
     Napolitano
     Neugebauer
     Nugent
     Olson
     Palmer
     Pascrell
     Pearce
     Perry
     Poe (TX)
     Posey
     Ratcliffe
     Rice (SC)
     Salmon
     Sensenbrenner
     Smith (TX)
     Smith (WA)
     Visclosky
     Walker
     Wenstrup
     Wittman
     Yoder

                             NOT VOTING--15

     Aderholt
     Bass
     Coffman
     Fortenberry
     Green, Gene
     Hartzler
     Hinojosa
     Jeffries
     Lee
     Long
     McDermott
     Roe (TN)
     Schrader
     Speier
     Vargas

                              {time}  2159

  Mr. CUELLAR changed his vote from ``no'' to ``aye.''
  So (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and 
the Senate amendment was concurred in.
  The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
  Stated for:
  Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall vote 106, on motion to 
suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendment related to H.R. 33 
had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

                          ____________________