[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 5]
[House]
[Pages 6007-6017]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    REGISTER OF COPYRIGHTS SELECTION AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 2017


                             General Leave

  Mr. GOODLATTE. 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 materials on H.R. 1695.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Woodall). Is there objection to the 
request of the gentleman from Virginia?
  There was no objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 275 and rule 
XVIII, the Chair declares the House in the Committee of the Whole House 
on the state of the Union for the consideration of the bill, H.R. 1695.
  The Chair appoints the gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Simpson) to preside 
over the Committee of the Whole.

                              {time}  1356


                     In the Committee of the Whole

  Accordingly, the House resolved itself into the Committee of the 
Whole House on the state of the Union for the consideration of the bill 
(H.R. 1695) to

[[Page 6008]]

amend title 17, United States Code, to provide additional 
responsibilities for the Register of Copyrights, and for other 
purposes, with Mr. Simpson in the chair.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The CHAIR. Pursuant to the rule, the bill is considered read the 
first time.
  The gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte) and the gentleman from 
Michigan (Mr. Conyers) each will control 30 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Virginia.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Intellectual property is a critical and growing part of our Nation's 
economy, and the Register of Copyrights has a crucial role in the 
numerous copyright policy issues that impact it.
  Four years ago, the Judiciary Committee began considering how to 
modernize our Nation's copyright laws, including how the Copyright 
Office is structured. Making the Register position subject to the 
nomination and consent process with potential candidates identified by 
a congressional selection panel was among the many issues considered by 
the House Judiciary Committee.
  Because the Director of the Patent and Trademark Office, who has an 
equally important voice on patent and trademark issues, is already 
subject to the nomination and consent process, it provided a precedent 
for this approach.
  However, unlike the Patent and Trademark Office, the Copyright Office 
is part of the legislative branch. Thus, it is appropriate to also 
follow the precedent set for other legislative branch agencies, which 
gives Congress a greater say in selecting candidates for the heads of 
legislative branch entities to ensure those agencies are more 
accountable to Congress.
  Because the Register position is now vacant, filled on an acting 
capacity by a well-regarded Acting Register, Ranking Member Conyers and 
I introduced this bipartisan legislation to update the Register 
selection process. To mirror a recent change to the Librarian of 
Congress position that is now subject to a 10-year term limit, the 
legislation also makes the Register of Copyrights position subject to a 
10-year term limit.
  The selection panel would be bipartisan and would consist of leaders 
of the majorities and minorities of the House and Senate, and would 
also include the Librarian of Congress.
  In the past, the authority of the Register of Copyrights to issue 
rulemakings has not been challenged in the courts because the Register 
is not subject to the nomination and consent process.

                              {time}  1400

  This legislation would remedy that question, once and for all. H.R. 
1695 was reported by the House Judiciary Committee by a bipartisan vote 
of 27-1. In addition to strong support from traditional copyright 
groups, such as the Copyright Alliance, and the publishing, movie, 
music, and software industries, the bill has been supported by a wide 
range of diverse groups, such as the American Conservative Union; the 
AFL-CIO; Heritage Foundation scholars; the Directors Guild of America; 
the U.S. Chamber of Commerce; MANA, A National Latina Organization; 
Americans for Tax Reform; and the Council for Citizens Against 
Government Waste.
  With such strong support from a wide range of over 70 groups and a 
vacancy at the Register of Copyrights that needs to be quickly filled 
under the new process created by this legislation, I urge my colleagues 
to support H.R. 1695.
  Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

                                         House of Representatives,


                            Committee on House Administration,

                                   Washington, DC, April 19, 2017.
     Hon. Bob Goodlatte,
     Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Goodlatte: I write to you concerning the 
     jurisdictional interest of the Committee on House 
     Administration in H.R. 1695, the Register of Copyrights 
     Selection and Accountability Act of 2017. The bill, as 
     reported from the Committee on the Judiciary on March 29, 
     2017, contains provisions that fall within the jurisdiction 
     of the Committee on House Administration.
       I recognize and appreciate your desire to bring this 
     legislation before the House of Representatives in an 
     expeditious manner, and accordingly, I will waive Committee 
     consideration of provisions that fall within the Committee's 
     jurisdiction. However, agreeing to waive jurisdiction over 
     these provisions should not be construed as waiving, 
     reducing, or affecting the jurisdiction of the Committee on 
     House Administration.
       Additionally, the Committee on House Administration 
     expressly reserves its authority to seek conferees on any 
     provision within its jurisdiction during any House-Senate 
     conference that may be convened on this, or any similar 
     legislation. I ask for your commitment to support any request 
     by the Committee for conferees on H.R. 1695 for provisions 
     within the Committee's jurisdiction.
       I ask a copy of this letter and your response be placed in 
     the Congressional Record during any floor consideration of 
     H.R. 1695.
       I look forward to working with you on matters of mutual 
     concern.
           Sincerely,
                                                     Gregg Harper,
                                                         Chairman.
                                         House of Representatives,


                                   Committee on the Judiciary,

                                   Washington, DC, April 20, 2017.
     Hon. Gregg Harper,
     Chairman, Committee on House Administration,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Harper: Thank you for consulting with the 
     Committee on the Judiciary and agreeing to be discharged from 
     further consideration of H.R. 1695, the ``Register of 
     Copyrights Selection and Accountability Act,'' so that the 
     bill may proceed expeditiously to the House floor.
       I agree that your foregoing further action on this measure 
     does not in any way diminish or alter the jurisdiction of 
     your committee or prejudice its jurisdictional prerogatives 
     on this bill or similar legislation in the future. I would 
     support your effort to seek appointment of an appropriate 
     number of conferees from your committee to any House-Senate 
     conference on this legislation.
       I will seek to place our letters on H.R. 1695 into the 
     Congressional Record during floor consideration of the bill. 
     I appreciate your cooperation regarding this legislation and 
     look forward to continuing to work together as this measure 
     moves through the legislative process.
           Sincerely,
                                                    Bob Goodlatte,
                                                         Chairman.

  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Chair, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1695, the Register of 
Copyrights Selection and Accountability Act. As lead Democratic 
cosponsor of this bipartisan, bicameral legislation, I am pleased that 
this bill passed out of our Judiciary Committee--thanks to Chairman 
Goodlatte and many others--by a vote of 27-1.
  This legislation represents sound public policy that will strengthen 
the copyright system. To begin with, it has evolved directly from the 
bipartisan copyright review process that Chairman Goodlatte initiated 
way back in 2013. Over the course of that highly deliberative process, 
the Judiciary Committee held no less than 20 hearings and heard from 
over 100 witnesses on how to update the copyright laws for the 21st 
century.
  H.R. 1695 is the product of more than 4 years of outreach efforts 
with a wide range of interested parties who very much want to see, like 
all of us, a Copyright Office that is responsible to all stakeholders 
in the copyright ecosystem.
  This bill is also the product of bicameral collaboration with our 
Senate colleagues, including the Judiciary Committee Chairman Grassley, 
the Ranking Member Feinstein, and Senator Leahy. As a result of this 
inclusive process, the strong bipartisan consensus emerged from the 
Copyright Office that needs to be more accountable to Congress, and 
that it should have greater independence.
  That Office has a long and distinguished history of serving as an 
adviser to Congress on copyright measures, and it is only reasonable 
that Congress play a significant role in deciding who leads that 
important agency.
  H.R. 1695 also elevates the stature of the Register and makes the 
position directly accountable to Congress, which will help ensure a 
strong and vibrant copyright system that fuels our economy, creates 
jobs, and promotes a diverse range of views.

[[Page 6009]]

  Today, core copyright businesses annually contribute more than $1.2 
trillion to our Nation's economy and generate foreign sales of almost 
$180 billion. These businesses are also tremendous job creators, 
creating more than 5 million workers.
  That is why the bill is strongly supported by several unions, 
including the AFL-CIO, the Screen Actors Guild, the American Federation 
of Television and Radio Artists, as well as the Directors Guild of 
America.
  H.R. 1695 is also supported by a broad range of other stakeholders, 
including: the American Intellectual Property Law Association; the 
Intellectual Property Owners Association; and various coalitions of 
creators, such as the Content Creators Coalition (c3), CreativeFuture, 
and the Copyright Alliance.
  Individual creators like Jeff Friday, the founder and CEO of Film 
Life and the producer of the American Black Film Festival also are in 
strong support of the bill.
  Finally, H.R. 1695 will enable Congress to ensure that the Copyright 
Office is led by a well-qualified individual by requiring the Register 
to be confirmed by the Senate. This individual must be responsive to 
the Congress and the public, as well as all the stakeholders in the 
copyright community.
  In fact, an amendment offered by our distinguished colleague from 
Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee), that was accepted during the Judiciary 
Committee markup of the bill, will further strengthen the selection 
process by establishing an even larger role for Congress in choosing 
candidates for the position.
  Accordingly, I urge total support for H.R. 1695, and I reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Chair, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Nadler), a senior member of the committee who has done an 
amazing job.
  Mr. NADLER. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Chair, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1695. This legislation 
would strengthen the Copyright Office and make it more accountable to 
Congress by turning the Register of Copyrights into a Senate-confirmed 
position.
  Since 2013, under the bipartisan leadership of Chairman Goodlatte and 
Ranking Member Conyers, the Judiciary Committee has undertaken a 
comprehensive review of the copyright laws and the Copyright Office. 
Over the course of 20 hearings with 100 witnesses, as well as listening 
sessions across the country, and individual meetings with a broad range 
of stakeholders, we have heard one consistent message: that the 
Copyright Office must be modernized to meet the needs of the public in 
the copyright community.
  This bill is an important first step in that process, and it is 
appropriate that we consider it today on World Intellectual Property 
Day when we recognize the tremendous contribution that intellectual 
property laws, including copyright, make to our economy and to our 
creativity. But maintaining this vibrant copyright ecosystem depends on 
having an effective Copyright Office to oversee it. Throughout the 
copyright review process, it became evident that the current structure 
of the Office has hindered its ability to serve the public and the 
copyright community effectively.
  For historical reasons, the Copyright Office is located in the 
Library of Congress, and the Register of Copyrights answers solely to 
the Librarian of Congress. As an institutional matter, this creates a 
conflict. Libraries are a key stakeholder in the copyright community, 
but they are one among many stakeholders, each with different 
priorities and interests. To place the Copyright Office in the hands of 
one interested party does a disservice to the copyright system it is 
charged with administering.
  H.R. 1695 would remedy this problem by making the Register of 
Copyrights a Presidential appointment subject to Senate confirmation. 
It would establish an open and transparent process for publicly vetting 
a nominee for Register and would allow the broad range of copyright 
stakeholders to provide input through their elected Representatives.
  It would also strengthen the ability of Congress to provide 
meaningful oversight of the Copyright Office, and, by establishing a 
10-year term for the Register, it would insulate the Office from any 
improper political influence.
  It is particularly important that Congress have the final say in who 
serves as Register because, by statute, the Copyright Office serves as 
an expert adviser to Congress on copyright matters. The Office has 
played an invaluable role throughout the Judiciary Committee's 
copyright review process, and this bill would ensure that we continue 
to rely on independent advice from the Register as we make further 
reforms to the copyright laws.
  Under current law, the selection of the Register is left entirely to 
the Librarian. And since the Librarian serves at the pleasure of the 
President, it is really the President who can dictate the choice of 
Register if the Librarian wishes to keep her job. And the Register can 
be dismissed at any time by the Librarian, possibly at the direction of 
the President.
  This bill serves as an important check on the President's power by 
removing his unfettered ability to name a Register, by requiring Senate 
confirmation of the position instead, and by giving the Register a 
fixed 10-year term.
  The role of Congress is further solidified by an important amendment 
that was added during the committee's markup by the gentlewoman from 
Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee). Under her amendment, which is now in the bill, 
a panel of congressional leaders, along with the Librarian of Congress, 
would develop a list of candidates from which the President would 
choose a nominee. This strengthens congressional input and preserves an 
important role in the process for the Librarian as well.
  The Jackson Lee amendment strikes a good balance between respecting 
the roles of Congress, the President, and the Librarian in selecting 
the Register, and I appreciate the contribution she made to the bill.
  The Copyright Office serves a vital function, but its current 
structure does not reflect the importance of the Office. H.R. 1695 
elevates the status and the stature of the Register, and treats the 
position like other Federal officials with similarly significant 
responsibilities--like the Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark 
Office. This would make the Copyright Office more responsive and 
accountable to Congress, and it is the first step to its providing the 
Office with the flexibility and independence it needs to serve all 
members of the copyright community effectively.
  This legislation is independent of any evaluation of the fitness of 
the current Librarian--who is excellent in my opinion--of the fitness 
of the prior Register. This legislation has been developed over a 
period of years, and the importance is institutional, not reflecting 
the personalities of the current occupants.
  This legislation is supported by a broad range of stakeholders, 
including the AFL-CIO and several other major unions, and it passed the 
Judiciary Committee by a nearly unanimous vote of 27-1.
  It deserves similar support by the full House, and I urge all of my 
colleagues to support the bill.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Brady), ranking member of the House Administration 
Committee.
  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, I thank the ranking member 
for whom I have the utmost respect for. But unfortunately, I rise in 
opposition to this bill.
  Dr. Carla Hayden, appointed by President Obama, has been on the job 
less than a year and deserves the opportunity to complete the IT 
modernization of the Copyright Office before this authority is taken 
away from her. As ranking member of the Committee on House 
Administration, I know that Dr. Hayden has made excellent process in 
reforming the Copyright

[[Page 6010]]

Office, knocking 2 years off the estimated time to complete its 
modernization. This bill is a solution in search of a problem.
  This measure not only impedes the progress Dr. Hayden is currently 
making but will also undue the strides that have already been made. 
Simply put, this bill does nothing to improve the operations of the 
Copyright Office.
  Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to stay with Dr. Hayden and vote 
``no'' on this bill.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Lofgren), a senior member of the Judiciary Committee.

                              {time}  1415

  Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Chair, despite all the rhetoric, this bill does 
really just one thing: it takes the appointment of the Register away 
from Dr. Carla Hayden, the most qualified Librarian we have ever had at 
the Library of Congress, and gives it to President Trump.
  Now, the policy excuses for this are simply unpersuasive. Proponents 
say that this would give greater transparency to the Congress and the 
operation of the Copyright Office. I think this is a ridiculous 
statement.
  Once a Presidential appointment is confirmed, there is no greater 
attention to the desires of Congress or transparency than for any other 
non-Presidential appointment. The conflicts that the Republican 
Congress had with President Obama's Environmental Protection Agency and 
IRS appointees are testimony to that truth.
  There are vague claims of elevating the Register and modernizing the 
Office, but, in fact, the Library is finally making progress on 
modernizing the Office. This bill would actually disrupt that progress.
  When you talk about conflicts, the Library doesn't have a conflict 
with this, but who does have a conflict is President Trump. He holds 30 
copyrights. So I don't think the idea of President Trump being a 
superior selector of the Register because of his elevation or his 
expertise as a writer really holds any weight.
  I would like to mention the amendment that our colleague Sheila 
Jackson Lee had offered. I am extremely fond of my friend Sheila 
Jackson Lee, but the amendment does nothing because you cannot limit 
Presidential appointment power through statute. The President is 
limited only by the advice and consent of the Senate.
  Finally, I would like to say that the potential for empowering 
special interests in this bill is very high. We ought to say ``no'' to 
this bill.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Chairman, I continue to reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Cardenas).
  Mr. CARDENAS. Mr. Chair, I appreciate all the great work that my 
colleague, Congressman Conyers, has done not only on this issue, for 
the many years you have served distinguishably in this Congress, but 
thank you so much for yielding some time.
  Mr. Chair, I rise in support of H.R. 1695, the Register of Copyrights 
Selection and Accountability Act of 2017.
  I represent the San Fernando Valley, which is in the Los Angeles 
area. For my constituents, for the families in my district, copyright 
protections are not an abstract philosophical issue, ladies and 
gentlemen. The families in my district depend on strong copyright 
protections in order to earn a living, to feed their family. They work 
in film and television studios and in music publishing. They are 
artists, set designers, producers, union drivers; they work on lots, 
and they work in every aspect supporting this incredible industry.
  There are 127,000 film and television production jobs in Los Angeles 
County. According to a recent report, the core copyright industries--
film, television, music, video games, and publishing--make possible 5.5 
million jobs and bring in $1.2 trillion of gross domestic product to 
the American economy.
  Good copyright laws and regulations mean jobs and whether or not a 
family can put food on the table and a roof over their heads. We need 
to give the Copyright Office the respect and authority it deserves as 
the overseer of 5.5 million American jobs.
  I have heard from my constituents for years about the need to empower 
the Copyright Office to keep up with the industry and the technology 
changes. This is not a new debate, ladies and gentlemen.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill and to 
continue to stand up for American copyright jobs.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Chairman, I continue to reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Johnson), a distinguished member of the 
Judiciary Committee.
  Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Chair, I thank the ranking member, and I 
appreciate his work. I appreciate the chairman's work on this bill.
  I believe that this proposal is ill-timed, and that is why I rise in 
opposition to it.
  Today, World Intellectual Property Day, the protection of our 
Nation's intellectual property and, specifically, our copyrights is too 
important to take lightly.
  The system for the appointment of the Register of Copyrights has long 
been in place, and selection of the head of the Office of Copyrights 
has been within the purview of the Librarian of Congress, this Nation's 
top librarian.
  The system is not broken, but the entire system, including the 
Library of Congress, is in need of congressional attention and upgrade. 
What is needed is modernization, which requires more funding. Our first 
order of business should be to fund adequately the operations of the 
Library of Congress as well as the Office of Copyrights. But in these 
days where we are trying to keep the government from closing, you see 
what we are dealing with in that regard. It is fitting that this 
decision remain with the Librarian, as she has an interest in 
protecting copyrighted materials as head librarian.
  The nomination and consent process has been politicized, with the 
recent theft from President Obama of a United States Supreme Court 
appointment serving as Exhibit A.
  The Library has been well underfunded for many years, and separating 
the Register's Office would not help with the comprehensive 
modernization of the Library or the Copyright Office. Instead, it would 
subject the newly independent Office to the appropriations process, 
which, as I stated, is already failing.
  The Library of Congress is the premiere stakeholder in the smooth and 
efficient operations of the Office of Copyrights. The Librarian of 
Congress is in the best position to monitor the operations of the 
Copyright Office much more than the Office of the President.
  Modernization of the Library has been discussed for the past 10 
years. Let's do it comprehensively. Let's not start off with this 
proposal which, quite frankly, doesn't pass the smell test at this 
time.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Chairman, I continue to reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Chair, I am pleased to yield 4 minutes to the 
distinguished gentleman from Florida (Mr. Deutch).
  Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Chair, I thank my friend, the ranking member from 
Michigan, for the time, and I appreciate the opportunity to join the 
majority of my committee colleagues as a cosponsor of this bill. It 
reflects the general consensus that Congress needs to step in to 
increase the autonomy of the Copyright Office, while still respecting 
its historic connection to the Library.
  This bill is an important first step in reforming the Copyright 
Office, but it can't be the only step. Through the hearings this 
committee has held over the past few years, we have learned how truly 
behind the curve the Copyright Office is.
  I have worked with colleagues to find a bipartisan and consensus-
driven set of reforms for the Copyright Office that would go beyond 
just this step in the

[[Page 6011]]

process of selecting a Register, as have the chairman and Ranking 
Member Conyers and others on the committee.
  It should be obvious that, to bring the Office into the 21st century, 
we need to do more than just change the selection process for the 
Register of Copyrights. It requires a massive overhaul of the IT system 
of the Office to create both a smoother process for creators seeking to 
protect their work and a system to enable the public to search the 
broad catalog of American creativity.
  It requires increased accountability and consultation with both the 
creative and the user communities so that we ensure that the 
improvements and investments meet the needs of all those who rely on 
the Copyright Office to do its job well.
  Establishing the Register of Copyrights with authority outside of the 
Library of Congress is not a reflection on the Librarian of Congress. 
It is a recognition of the reality that the Library and the Copyright 
Office have two fundamentally different missions, and they deserve to 
be empowered to pursue those missions. It is a recognition that success 
for both of these important entities means allowing them to maintain 
their historic connection but operate on a day-to-day basis with 
greater autonomy.
  I am glad that the chairman has taken up this first step, and I look 
forward to working with him and Ranking Member Conyers and others on 
the next steps as well.
  This piece of legislation supports strong copyright laws in our 
country. Having strong copyright means the ability for creators to be 
able to do their work. It means the creation of jobs.
  The reason that this piece of legislation has such strong bipartisan 
support, the reason that it is supported by the thousands and thousands 
of people who earn their living every day as a result of the creativity 
that strong copyright laws protect, the reason they are supporting this 
legislation is because it is an important first step.
  I am glad to participate in this debate, and I look forward to 
passing this bill, H.R. 1695, in order to take that first step to 
promote stronger copyright, to provide the kind of autonomy that the 
Copyright Office needs so that it can move forward rapidly with 
modernization, and, most importantly, at this moment in our Nation's 
history, to ensure that we have the strongest possible avenue to create 
even more good jobs, well-paying jobs. That is what this legislation is 
about.
  Mr. Chair, I encourage all of my colleagues to support this bill.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Chair, I continue to reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Chair, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the 
distinguished gentlewoman from California (Ms. Judy Chu).
  Ms. JUDY CHU of California. Mr. Chair, this is a bill that is 
critical for us to pass. It is the result of more than 3 years of 
hearings, listening tours, and dozens of conversations with a wide 
range of stakeholders.
  Under the leadership of Chairman Bob Goodlatte and Ranking Member 
John Conyers, the Judiciary Committee members sat through hours of 
hearings and even traveled to different cities around the country to 
hear from all the stakeholders that are impacted by our copyright 
policies.
  It is clear that we need a change in the Copyright Office. We need to 
protect our Copyright Office. We can do that with a Presidential 
appointee of the Register. That is why this bill is supported by a wide 
range of stakeholders, including the AFL-CIO; the Screen Actors Guild-
American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, SAG-AFTRA; the 
Directors Guild; the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage 
Employees, or IATSE; the American Federation of Musicians; the Motion 
Picture Association of America; the Recording Industry Association of 
America; the GRAMMYs; the National Association of Broadcasters; 
Software and Information Industry Association; the American 
Intellectual Property Law Association; and the Intellectual Property 
Owners Association, amongst many.
  Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues, for the sake of our future and the 
protection of copyright, to support this bill.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Chairman, I continue to reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Chair, it is my pleasure to yield 5 minutes to the 
gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee), one of the most influential 
members of the Judiciary Committee.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chair, let me thank the gentleman from Michigan 
and all of my colleagues that have spoken on this job-creating 
legislation and recognition of how great America is with all of the 
creative talent that we have mustered, the music that you enjoy, the 
songwriters and others who created both the visual and musical arts. 
This is what this is about.
  Now, I have listened to some of my colleagues from California. I am 
not from California. I am from Houston, Texas. But we know that 
creative artists and writers and those who invent and those who write 
wonderful stories are all part of the arena of what America is great 
about. They generate genius and they create jobs. The Copyright Office 
is that protector that ensures that those jobs will be protected.
  We, over a series of years in the Judiciary Committee, have looked at 
reforming the copyright system. We have had hearings even with the 
former Copyright Register, who indicated that putting her position in a 
Senate confirmation would be the right thing to do. But it has taken 4 
years.
  So today we have come not to be out of order and not doing other 
major aspects of reform. In fact, I want to congratulate the Librarian 
of Congress who, now, is engaged in modernization. I applaud her. Her 
appointment has been significant. She is innovative and is already 
working to make sure that the Library and the creative arts and assets 
and property of those of great talent is protected.

                              {time}  1430

  Today we address an aspect of that work, and that is we want to 
continue to see the progress that our Librarian has made. We want to be 
able to make on an equal status that individual that is dealing with 
copyright just as the director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office 
status as a Presidential appointee does not compromise that person's 
ability to execute their duties as head of the USPTO, nor should it 
compromise or interfere with the responsibilities of cooperation, 
collaboration, jurisdictional compromise, and work between the 
Librarian of Congress and the Register of Copyrights.
  To the Librarian of Congress, my view is keep working, keep doing the 
modernization work. I believe that as we move forward, regardless of 
who at this point is in the Office of President, that we can ensure 
that Congress has insight and oversight over this important position.
  Let me also suggest to my colleagues that the Library of Congress is 
an important part of the work of Congress, and I think all of us should 
be interested stakeholders in the work that it does and should be 
supporters of that.
  We encourage the Library of Congress to work with America's 
constituency by having programs and letting them know of the wonderful 
artifacts that are there, that are held, that tell the history of this 
great Nation. It is always important to be able to do research there 
and to see the storied history.
  Now, we come to this bill that does nothing to undermine that storied 
history or the Librarian of Congress. What it does, as I have 
indicated, is it helps us create jobs.
  Now, in order to recognize the importance of the Librarian of 
Congress, in this instance, Dr. Carla Hayden, I am very grateful that 
my colleagues accepted an amendment that I have that, in fact, does do 
something, and it does a very important action. It respects and 
recognizes the value of Congress' insight on putting forth nominees or 
names that will be selected from to become the Register of Copyrights, 
not to have limited input, but to actually produce the names.
  Ultimately, I hope that an amendment going forward after this bill,

[[Page 6012]]

working with the Senate, can be that there is a limit to the names 
being put forward and that those names are the names that are put 
forward to the President of the United States. I think that is an 
element that should be included.
  The Acting CHAIR (Mr. Fortenberry). The time of the gentlewoman has 
expired.
  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Chair, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the 
gentlewoman from Texas.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. In the amendment, it has that the Speaker of the 
House of Representatives, the President pro tempore of the Senate, the 
majority leader of the House of Representatives, the majority leader of 
the Senate, minority leader of the House of Representatives, and the 
Librarian of Congress will be, in fact, the deciders of who gets 
nominated to be the Register of Copyrights.
  As we well know, the AFL-CIO has provided a letter of support, along 
with the American Federation of Musicians, the Authors Guild, the 
Directors Guild of America, the Graphic Artists Guild, the 
International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, and Screen Actors 
Guild. All of these create jobs and all of these unions have 
representatives all around the Nation.
  Finally, I would say it is extremely important that the musicians and 
artists of color have indicated that they see no bias in this 
particular legislation against the present Librarian and have written a 
letter indicating that they believe that there is no bias.
  The Acting CHAIR. The time of the gentlewoman has again expired.
  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Chair, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the 
gentlewoman from Texas.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. So I ask my colleagues to work together and to pass 
H.R. 1695 to continue the process of modernization of the Copyright 
Office and continue the collaborative work between the Librarian of 
Congress and the Register of Copyrights. There is no difference in the 
cooperation of decades before and, as well, there is no indication that 
that will not occur in the future. Both of them will have 10-year 
terms, and I believe that we will move forward on behalf of the 
American people.
  Mr. Chair, I rise in support of the rule under consideration for H.R. 
1695, the ``Register of Copyrights Selection and Accountability Act of 
2017,'' as amended to include the Jackson Lee Amendment.
  H.R. 1695, the ``Register of Copyrights Selection and Accountability 
Act of 2017,'' if enacted, would change the selection process for the 
Register of Copyrights, who is the Director of the United States 
Copyright Office, which is housed in the Library of Congress.
  The Librarian of Congress, an appointed position subject to Senate 
confirmation since 1987, is currently tasked with modernizing the 
Library of Congress.
  This legislation is not about taking power away from any individual.
  In fact, Dr. Carla Hayden, the current Librarian of Congress, is by 
all accounts serving the various needs of the Library of Congress very 
well.
  This legislation and the Jackson Lee Amendment only further the 
Library's efforts to effectively modernize its copyright selection and 
approval process.
  Just as the Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's status 
as a Presidential appointee does not compromise her ability execute her 
duties as head of the USPTO, the Copyright Register will not be 
compromised by the fact he or she is a Presidential appointee.
  Dr. Hayden is an exceptional administrator and the bill before us in 
no way reflects adversely upon her.
  The Jackson Lee Amendment, accepted during markup with bipartisan 
support by the members of the Judiciary Committee to improve the bill, 
recognizes the dual role of the Library of Congress as both a 
legislative and a national institution, militating against giving 
President carte blanche in nominating the Register of Copyrights.
  Specifically, the bill's amended provision establishes a 7-person 
panel to recommend a list of at least three (3) individuals to the 
President for appointment as the Register of Copyrights.
  The amendment provides that the panel membership shall be as follows:
  1. Speaker of the House of Representatives;
  2. President pro tempore of the Senate;
  3. Majority Leader of the House of Representatives;
  4. Majority Leader of the Senate;
  5. Minority Leader of the House of Representatives;
  6. Minority Leader of the Senate; and the
  7. Librarian of Congress.
  This bill is the product of years of bipartisan deliberation, and 
reflects the collective and considered judgment of Members of Congress 
that the Copyright Office would be strengthened as an institution were 
the Register to be selected through the advise and consent process, 
regardless of which political party occupied the Oval Office or 
controlled majorities in Congress.
  The essential role of government is to protect life, liberty and 
property.
  That is why a fundamental bulwark of the core values demonstrated by 
our constitution is property rights--a notion understood by the 
Founders at the dawn of the Republic.
  For precisely that reason, the Founding Fathers recognized the 
importance of IP in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution: ``To 
promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for 
limited times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their 
respective Writings and Discoveries.''
  This clause, articulated by the Founders, is rooted in the notion 
that the best way to encourage creation and dissemination of new 
inventions and creative works to the benefit of both the public good 
and individual liberty is to recognize one's right to his or her 
intellectual property.
  On November 12, 1975, at the investiture of Daniel J. Boorstin as the 
12th Librarian of Congress, Congressman Lucien N. Nedzi of Michigan, 
the Chairman of the Joint Committee on the Library, stated:

       As its name reveals, the Library is the Library of 
     Congress--a fact in which the Congress of the United States 
     takes great pride--and, of equal importance, if not more so, 
     it is a national library that serves all of the people of the 
     United States.

  H.R. 1695, balanced by the Jackson Lee Amendment, strikes the proper 
balance and harmonizes these dual interests.
  The national interest and character of the institution is preserved 
by elevating the office of the Register of Copyrights and vesting in 
the President the authority to nominate the Register of Copyrights.
  The legislative interest is protected by constraining the President 
to select for appointment 1 of 3 persons recommended by panel that 
represents the institutional interests of Congress in the Library and 
its subdivisions--the joint congressional leadership and the Librarian 
of Congress.
  The panel only possesses the power to recommend candidates to the 
President; it cannot dictate the President's choice.
  Moreover, this arrangement complies with Article II, Section 2, 
Clause 2 of the Constitution, which provides:

       [The President] shall . . . nominate, and by and with the 
     advice and consent of the Senate, shall appoint ambassadors, 
     other public ministers and consuls, judges of the Supreme 
     Court, and all other officers of the United States, whose 
     appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which 
     shall be established by law[.]

  The Founder's wisdom is manifest in today's creative economy, which 
contributes more than $1.2 trillion to GDP and supports 5.5 million 
jobs.
  Yet in a quirk of history, without this legislation, Congress has no 
role in the selection of the Register of Copyrights, even though the 
Register is Congress' statutorily designated expert advisor on 
copyright policy and the head of the Copyright Office.
  What is no accident is that Congress can fix this problem by passing 
H.R. 1695, on World IP Day, Wednesday, April 26, 2017.
  This would increase accountability to Congress as well as 
transparency by giving all Americans a voice in the selection of the 
Register through their elected representatives.
  We can think of no better way to recognize the contributions of 
copyright to the economy than by finally ascribing to the position of 
Register an importance commensurate with the sector it oversees.
  I urge my support for the rule, as well as the underlying legislation 
as amended.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Chairman, I have no speakers remaining, and I am 
prepared to close when Ranking Member Conyers concludes.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the balance of my time to 
close.
  Ladies and gentlemen, in closing, I want to point out that it is 
particularly appropriate that we are considering H.R. 1695 on World 
Intellectual Property Day, a day dedicated to acknowledging the 
critical role that intellectual property rights play in encouraging 
creativity and innovation.

[[Page 6013]]

  First established in 2001, World Intellectual Property Day encourages 
engagement among governments, private industry, and the public about 
the importance of intellectual property promotion and protection.
  H.R. 1695 goes a long way in achieving those goals. Accordingly, I 
thank my colleagues for their support, and I urge that this bill be 
passed.
  Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman 
from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chair, I include in the Record a letter from the 
Content Creators Coalition, dated April 25, 2017, in support of this 
legislation.

                                                   April 25, 2017.
       Congressional Black Caucus Member: On behalf of the Content 
     Creators Coalition, we write in support of H.R. 1695, the 
     Register of Copyrights Selection and Accountability Act, 
     which would modernize and provide greater transparency to the 
     process of selecting the Register of the Copyright Office.
       This is vital legislation that will strengthen the 
     Copyright Office. We believe this selection process should be 
     granted a similar import, rigor, and transparency as the 
     processes of selecting other organizations, such as the U.S. 
     Patent and Trademark office, that oversee large industries: 
     Presidential nomination and Senate confirmation. In light of 
     the specialized knowledge required to lead this office, we 
     also support the appointment of an advisory group to suggest 
     candidates for consideration.
       This legislation would place the Copyright Office on equal 
     footing as other economically and culturally vital agencies. 
     It has wide bipartisan support and was passed out of the 
     typically polarized House Judiciary Committee on a vote of 
     27-1.
       As artists of color, we find it deeply offensive that 
     opponents of this bill have attempted to recast their anti-
     creators' rights goals into a smear campaign against its 
     sponsors and supporters, insinuating that the legislation is 
     about the race and gender of the current Librarian of 
     Congress. The Register of Copyrights Selection and 
     Accountability Act is co-authored by the Dean of the House 
     and the Congressional Black Caucus, Judiciary Ranking Member 
     John Conyers, and supported by Congressman John Lewis. Their 
     lifelong and unshakeable commitment to civil rights is a 
     historical fact and should be honored and respected, not 
     opportunistically and baselessly questioned just to score a 
     few empty political points.
       We would be the first to speak out against prejudice or 
     bias anywhere--in business, culture, the arts, or politics. 
     But here, we know these charges are false. The bill has 
     nothing to do with the current Librarian at all--in fact, 
     these reform proposals pre-date her appointment.
       Nor does this bill have anything to do with the former 
     Register of Copyrights. We are grateful for her tireless 
     efforts and advocacy on behalf of working musicians and find 
     it appalling that some have engaged in efforts to drag her 
     record through the mud to defeat these reforms.
       And certainly the bill has nothing to do with the current 
     President--once again, these proposals to modernize the 
     Copyright Office long pre-date his election. It is the height 
     of cynicism for bill opponents to attempt to ride on the 
     powerful coattails of the ``RESIST'' movement by falsely 
     wrapping this bipartisan pro-artist, pro-creator legislation 
     in the controversies surrounding the President, especially in 
     light of his proposal for massive cuts to funding for the 
     arts. In our view, misleading the President's critics by 
     leveraging fear into opposition for a non-controversial 
     proposal like this ultimately undermines and disrespects our 
     movement.
       The need for this legislation is plain. The current system 
     in which the Librarian of Congress selects the Register is 
     the result of a unique moment in history and outdated 
     concerns: in 1870, the Librarian of Congress asked Congress 
     to give him the authority to appoint the Register in order to 
     deal with a massive influx of new works and the need to 
     quickly grow the Library's collection.
       Nearly 150 years later, the functions of the Copyright 
     Office have changed. It is no mere registry of creative 
     works, but has become the most trusted advisor on Copyright 
     law and its interpretation for the United States Congress. 
     The process of selecting a leader to this office should 
     reflect the importance of copyright to the U.S. economy.
       Congress is reviewing and revising copyright laws to ensure 
     they continue to protect all music creators in a time of 
     rapid transition online. It deserves the best advice it can 
     get, and reform of the Register selection process is long 
     overdue.
       Thank you for consideration of our views,
     Melvin Gibbs.
     Nona Hendryx.
     Ernie Isley.
     Ramsey Jones.
     Darrell McNeill.
     V Jeffery Smith.

  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Chair, I yield myself the balance of my time to 
close.
  I thank Ranking Member Conyers and many other Members across the 
aisle, as well as the subcommittee chair and the subcommittee vice 
chair of the Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual 
Property, and the Internet--Mr. Issa and Mr. Collins--for their hard 
work in support of this legislation, which is urgently needed. It is 
very straightforward. It has very broad bipartisan support here in the 
House.
  It is also strongly supported in a bipartisan fashion in the Senate. 
A wide array of outside organizations--virtually every copyright 
organization in the country--as well as a number of other organizations 
concerned about the importance of intellectual property protection and 
particularly copyright law want to see the status of the Register of 
Copyrights elevated by Presidential appointment with input from six 
leaders in the House and the Senate and the Librarian of Congress to 
select the next Register of Copyrights and have a 10-year term, which 
is compatible with terms of other important legislative branch 
positions.
  Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Chair, today I voted against H.R. 1695, the 
Register of Copyrights Selection and Accountability Act. As the founder 
and co-chair of the Congressional Library of Congress Caucus, I care 
deeply about the services and the mission of the Library, including the 
U.S. Copyright Office. It's past time to bring the Library and the 
Copyright Office into the 21st Century, and I strongly support efforts 
to modernize and reform existing practices. H.R. 1695, however, might 
unnecessarily politicize the Copyright Office and the position of the 
Register and could make its work less transparent and less neutral to 
all parties. We should allow Dr. Carla Hayden to continue to guide the 
modernization process by selecting a Register, a decision enjoyed by 
all of her predecessors to hold the office of Librarian. While it is 
unclear that H.R. 1695 would do more good than harm, I look forward to 
working with my colleagues on both sides of aisle on future efforts to 
reform and modernize the Library of Congress the copyright system.
  The Acting CHAIR. All time for general debate has expired.
  Pursuant to the rule, the bill shall be considered for amendment 
under the 5-minute rule. In lieu of the amendment in the nature of a 
substitute recommended by the Committee on the Judiciary, printed in 
the bill, it shall be in order to consider as an original bill for the 
purpose of amendment under the 5-minute rule an amendment in the nature 
of a substitute consisting of the text of Rules Committee Print 115-13. 
That amendment in the nature of a substitute shall be considered as 
read.
  The text of the amendment in the nature of a substitute is as 
follows:

                               H.R. 1695

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

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Register of Copyrights 
     Selection and Accountability Act of 2017''.

     SEC. 2. REGISTER OF COPYRIGHTS.

       (a) Amendments.--Section 701 of title 17, United States 
     Code, is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a)--
       (A) by striking ``(a) All administrative'' and inserting 
     the following:
       ``(a) Register and Director.--
       ``(1) In general.--All administrative'';
       (B) by striking ``director'' and inserting ``Director'';
       (C) by inserting after the first sentence the following: 
     ``The Register of Copyrights shall be a citizen of the United 
     States with a professional background and experience in 
     copyright law and shall be appointed by the President from 
     the individuals recommended under paragraph (6), by and with 
     the advice and consent of the Senate.''; and
       (D) in the last sentence, by striking ``shall be 
     appointed'' and all that follows through ``and shall act'' 
     and inserting ``shall act'';
       (2) in subsection (b), by redesignating paragraphs (1) 
     through (5) as subparagraphs (A) through (E), respectively, 
     and adjusting the margins accordingly;
       (3) by redesignating subsection (b) as paragraph (2), and 
     adjusting the margins accordingly;
       (4) in paragraph (2), as so redesignated, by inserting 
     ``Duties.--'' before ``In addition'';
       (5) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:
       ``(3) Oath.--The Register of Copyrights shall, before 
     taking office, take an oath to discharge

[[Page 6014]]

     faithfully the duties of the Copyright Office described in 
     paragraph (2).
       ``(4) Removal.--
       ``(A) In general.--The Register of Copyrights may be 
     removed from office by the President.
       ``(B) Notification.--The President shall provide 
     notification to both Houses of Congress of a removal under 
     subparagraph (A).
       ``(5) Term of office.--
       ``(A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph (B), the 
     Register of Copyrights--
       ``(i) shall be appointed for a term of 10 years; and
       ``(ii) may serve until a successor is appointed, confirmed, 
     and taken the oath of office.
       ``(B) Limitation.--The Register of Copyrights may not 
     continue to serve after the date on which Congress adjourns 
     sine die after the date on which the 10-year period described 
     in subparagraph (A)(i) ends.
       ``(C) Reappointment.--An individual appointed to the 
     position of Register of Copyrights, by and with the advice 
     and consent of the Senate, may be reappointed to that 
     position in accordance with the requirements of this section.
       ``(6) Panel for register of copyrights recommendations.--
     There is established a panel to recommend a list of at least 
     3 individuals to the President for appointment as the 
     Register of Copyrights. The panel shall be composed of the 
     following:
       ``(A) The Speaker of the House of Representatives.
       ``(B) The President pro tempore of the Senate.
       ``(C) The majority and minority leaders of the House of 
     Representatives and the Senate.
       ``(D) The Librarian of Congress.'';
       (6) by redesignating subsections (c) through (f) as 
     subsections (b) through (e), respectively;
       (7) in subsection (b), as so redesignated, by inserting 
     ``Seal.--'' before ``The Register'';
       (8) in subsection (c), as so redesignated, by inserting 
     ``Annual Report.--'' before ``The Register'';
       (9) in subsection (d), as so redesignated, by inserting 
     ``Applicability of Title 5.--'' before ``Except as 
     provided''; and
       (10) in subsection (e), as so redesignated, by inserting 
     ``Compensation.--'' before ``The Register''.
       (b) Applicability.--The amendments made by subsection (a) 
     shall apply with respect to any vacancy for the Register of 
     Copyrights after January 1, 2017. If a Register of Copyrights 
     is appointed during the period beginning on January 1, 2017 
     and ending on the day before the date of the enactment of 
     this Act, that Register shall meet the requirements of the 
     amendments made by this Act or shall be replaced in 
     accordance with such amendments.

  The Acting CHAIR. No amendment to that amendment in the nature of a 
substitute shall be in order except those printed in House Report 115-
95. Each such amendment may be offered only in the order printed in the 
report, by a Member designated in the report, shall be considered 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.


                 Amendment No. 1 Offered by Mr. Deutch

  The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 1 
printed in House Report 115-95.
  Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.
  The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
  The text of the amendment is as follows:

       Page 1, line 18, insert after ``law'' the following: ``, 
     shall be capable of identifying and supervising a Chief 
     Information Officer or other similar official responsible for 
     managing modern information technology systems,''.

  The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 275, the gentleman 
from Florida (Mr. Deutch) and a Member opposed each will control 5 
minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida.
  Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Chairman, this amendment will place a much-needed 
priority on advancing the technological capabilities of the U.S. 
Copyright Office.
  I support the underlying bill to make the selection of the Register 
of Copyrights more open and more transparent. I also support the 
additional congressional oversight that will be necessary to ensure 
that the Register is accountable to the American people.
  I agree with Chairman Goodlatte, Ranking Member Conyers, and my other 
colleagues on the Judiciary Committee that it is important that this 
bill move forward now. Making this improvement to the selection process 
for the next Register is an important first step before the committee 
advances broader Copyright Office modernization.
  Even as we take this initial modest step to improve the appointment 
process, we can do more to strengthen the Copyright Office for today's 
economy. The Copyright Office's mission is to administer our Nation's 
copyright laws for the public good.
  Securing Americans' rights to their intellectual property fosters 
creativity and benefits all Americans by advancing the arts and the 
sciences. In recent decades, this mission has been undermined by 
comically outdated information technology systems at the Copyright 
Office.
  My amendment makes a simple change to the underlying bill to ensure 
that technology is always a part of the equation when selecting a new 
Register of Copyrights. My amendment would require the Register of 
Copyrights to be capable of identifying and supervising a chief 
information officer.
  The CIO or a similar official would be responsible for managing 
information technology systems to advance the Copyright Office's 
capabilities and keep pace with our 21st century economy. One would 
assume that any qualified candidate for the Register of Copyrights has 
the skills and experiences necessary to guide the Office's technology 
office.
  Why leave this vital aspect of the Copyright Office to assumptions?
  Requiring the head of the Copyright Office to be ready to make this 
vital selection is not an overly burdensome obligation. For practical 
purposes, this capability is a necessity, and that is why my amendment 
would make technology an explicit part of the selection process.
  My amendment merely requires that the person who will serve as the 
Register be capable of supervising the Office's chief information 
officer. Whatever happens next as we move forward with modernization, 
IT systems of the Copyright Office must keep pace with new advancements 
in technology. If Congress expects real progress toward improving the 
Copyright Office's technology, we must ensure that the leaders we 
select are prepared for the job.
  I thank my Judiciary Committee colleague, Ms. Lofgren. She made this 
point in committee during the markup of this bill, and the language in 
this amendment takes her suggestion a step further. It is a small 
change to the underlying bill, but it sends a much-needed signal that 
the work of the Copyright Office must include a focus on improving its 
IT systems.
  This is only the beginning of Congress' work to modernize the 
Copyright Office. H.R. 1695 is a good first step, and I strongly 
support the underlying bill, but any step forward toward modernization 
must have IT improvements at the front of mind. I hope my colleagues 
also support this change. I think it is a commonsense step.
  Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition to the 
amendment, but I do not oppose the amendment.
  The Acting CHAIR. Without objection, the gentleman from Virginia is 
recognized for 5 minutes.
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Chairman, I rise to speak in support of the 
amendment offered by Mr. Deutch. Mr. Deutch has been a strong supporter 
of intellectual property as well as the modernization of the Copyright 
Office during the House Judiciary Committee's copyright review.

                              {time}  1445

  The needs of a modern copyright registration system require advanced 
information technology systems, so it is critical that all future 
Registers have a strong base of information technology knowledge within 
the Office to lead such efforts. By requiring all future Registers to 
have the skills necessary to identify and hire a chief information 
officer or other similar official to lead such efforts within the 
Office, the Deutch amendment ensures a strong Copyright Office. I want 
to thank the gentleman for making this important contribution to the 
legislation.
  I neglected to mention earlier--I don't see him here now--but I also 
want to thank the ranking member of

[[Page 6015]]

the subcommittee, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Nadler), for the 
important contributions he has made to this legislation as well.
  Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers), the ranking member.
  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Chairman, I just want everyone to know that I rise 
in support of this amendment. As we discovered through the Judiciary 
Committee's comprehensive copyright review process, the Copyright 
Office needs significant upgrades to its technology; so the gentleman's 
amendment would ensure that the Register has someone on her staff with 
the knowledge and skills necessary to bring the Copyright Office 
information technology system into the 21st century.
  It is a useful amendment. It will help modernize the Copyright 
Office, and I appreciate the gentleman from Florida for offering it. I 
urge total support for the amendment.
  Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Chairman, I thank my friend from Michigan. I 
appreciate the strong support from Chairman Goodlatte, and I urge all 
of my colleagues to support this good amendment.
  Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Deutch).
  The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the ayes 
appeared to have it.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.
  The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further 
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Florida will 
be postponed.


         Amendment No. 2 Offered by Ms. Judy Chu of California

  The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 2 
printed in House Report 115-95.
  Ms. JUDY CHU of California. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the 
desk.
  The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
  The text of the amendment is as follows:

       At the end of the bill, add the following new section:

     SEC. 3. CONSTRUCTION.

       Nothing in this Act may be construed to impact the 
     mandatory deposit requirements in title 17, United States 
     Code.

  The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 275, the gentlewoman 
from California (Ms. Judy Chu) and a Member opposed each will control 5 
minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from California.
  Ms. JUDY CHU of California. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of 
H.R. 1695 and the amendment that I offer. This is a simple amendment 
that specifies that the mandatory deposit requirement of the Library of 
Congress will not be affected in any way by the underlying bill.
  Currently, applicants for copyright registration are required to 
submit two deposit copies to the Copyright Office. After the Office 
reviews the material to determine whether it qualifies for copyright 
protection, it makes the copies available for the Library for its use 
in its permanent collection.
  In fact, that is a large reason that the Copyright Office is located 
in the Library of Congress to begin with. In 1870, Librarian Ainsworth 
Rand Spofford convinced Congress that placing the Copyright Office in 
the Library would help build its collection through deposits of 
registered works, which it has done successfully.
  In the digital age, many argue that the mandatory deposit requirement 
should be modified in some way to better balance the needs of creators 
and the Library. My amendment states that H.R. 1695 may not be 
construed to impact the mandatory deposit requirement, and it makes 
clear that this issue is for another day. Passing this amendment will 
allow us to focus instead on the many benefits in turning the Register 
into a Presidentially appointed, Senate-confirmed position.
  The underlying bill is a result of more than 3 years of hearings, 
listening tours, and dozens of conversations with a wide range of 
stakeholders. The Judiciary Committee Members, led by Chairman 
Goodlatte and Ranking Member John Conyers, all sat through hours of 
hearings, and even traveled to different cities around the country to 
hear from all of our stakeholders who are impacted by our copyright 
policies.
  As the Judiciary Committee finished its thorough review of the 
Copyright Act, there was broad consensus that the Copyright Office 
should be modernized and restructured so that it is more accountable to 
Congress and to the public.
  This is why I, along with Congressman Tom Marino, introduced a 
bipartisan bill to carry out these changes. Our bill, the Copyright 
Office for the Digital Economy Act, the CODE Act, would also put in 
place a system similar to the one in H.R. 1695 to elevate the Register. 
We introduced this bill 2 years ago, before the new Librarian was sworn 
in and when President Obama was still in office. This has been a 
bipartisan issue grounded on sound policy considerations.
  I believe the changes proposed in H.R. 1695 will help improve the 
functionality of the Copyright Office, which members of the public rely 
on to protect their works or properly use copyrighted works. The core 
copyright industries are now responsible for $1.2 trillion of our GDP, 
which represents 7 percent of the economy. These industries also employ 
5.5 million people.
  We need to make sure the Copyright Office can modernize to meet the 
demands of the growing industries in our country, and its leadership 
that is accountable to Congress, which will help it move toward that 
direction. I urge my colleagues to support the amendment and the 
underlying bill.
  Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition to the 
amendment, but I do not oppose the amendment.
  The Acting CHAIR. Without objection, the gentleman from Virginia is 
recognized for 5 minutes.
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the amendment 
offered by Ms. Judy Chu. She has been a strong advocate for the 
protection of intellectual property as well as the modernization of the 
Copyright Office during the House Judiciary Committee's copyright 
review, and we miss her on the committee.
  One of the issues that has been raised while we have discussed 
updates to our Nation's copyright laws is the importance of preserving 
our mandatory deposit system. The mandatory deposit system that exists 
in our Nation's copyright law has resulted in numerous copyrighted 
works being added to the collections of the Library of Congress at no 
charge to taxpayers. Without the mandatory deposit system, the 
Library's collections would be vastly smaller, without a significant 
increase in taxpayer funding in order to buy these copyrighted works 
that are now provided free to the Library.
  Ms. Judy Chu's amendment ensures that this system is not disrupted as 
the Register position is made subject to the nomination and consent 
process, and I urge my colleagues to support the amendment.
  Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. JUDY CHU of California. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers), the ranking 
member of the Judiciary Committee.
  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.
  This amendment makes clear that nothing in the bill would impact the 
Library of Congress' mandatory deposit requirement. For over 100 years, 
the Library has built its world-class collection, in large part, 
through the mandatory deposit requirement.
  So H.R. 1695 is a very narrow bill that only changes how the Register 
of Copyrights is selected. I think it is helpful, and I congratulate 
the gentlewoman for this very creative amendment. I urge my colleagues 
to support it.
  Ms. JUDY CHU of California. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of 
my time.

[[Page 6016]]

  The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Judy Chu).
  The amendment was agreed to.


                 Amendment No. 1 Offered by Mr. Deutch

  The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, the unfinished 
business is the demand for a recorded vote on the amendment offered by 
the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Deutch) on which further proceedings 
were postponed and on which the ayes prevailed by voice vote.
  The Clerk will redesignate the amendment.
  The Clerk redesignated the amendment.


                             Recorded Vote

  The Acting CHAIR. A recorded vote has been demanded.
  A recorded vote was ordered.
  The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--ayes 410, 
noes 14, not voting 6, as follows:

                             [Roll No. 226]

                               AYES--410

     Abraham
     Adams
     Aderholt
     Aguilar
     Allen
     Amodei
     Arrington
     Babin
     Bacon
     Banks (IN)
     Barletta
     Barr
     Barragan
     Barton
     Bass
     Beatty
     Bera
     Bergman
     Beyer
     Biggs
     Bilirakis
     Bishop (GA)
     Bishop (MI)
     Bishop (UT)
     Black
     Blackburn
     Blum
     Blumenauer
     Blunt Rochester
     Bonamici
     Bost
     Boyle, Brendan F.
     Brady (TX)
     Brat
     Bridenstine
     Brooks (AL)
     Brooks (IN)
     Brown (MD)
     Brownley (CA)
     Buchanan
     Buck
     Bucshon
     Budd
     Burgess
     Bustos
     Butterfield
     Byrne
     Calvert
     Carbajal
     Cardenas
     Carter (GA)
     Carter (TX)
     Cartwright
     Castor (FL)
     Castro (TX)
     Chabot
     Chaffetz
     Cheney
     Chu, Judy
     Cicilline
     Clark (MA)
     Clarke (NY)
     Clay
     Cleaver
     Clyburn
     Coffman
     Cohen
     Cole
     Collins (GA)
     Collins (NY)
     Comer
     Comstock
     Conaway
     Connolly
     Conyers
     Cook
     Cooper
     Correa
     Costa
     Costello (PA)
     Courtney
     Cramer
     Crawford
     Crist
     Crowley
     Cuellar
     Culberson
     Cummings
     Curbelo (FL)
     Davidson
     Davis (CA)
     Davis, Danny
     Davis, Rodney
     DeFazio
     DeGette
     Delaney
     DeLauro
     DelBene
     Demings
     Denham
     Dent
     DeSantis
     DeSaulnier
     DesJarlais
     Deutch
     Diaz-Balart
     Dingell
     Doggett
     Donovan
     Duffy
     Duncan (TN)
     Dunn
     Ellison
     Emmer
     Engel
     Eshoo
     Espaillat
     Estes (KS)
     Esty (CT)
     Evans
     Farenthold
     Faso
     Ferguson
     Fitzpatrick
     Fleischmann
     Flores
     Fortenberry
     Foster
     Foxx
     Frankel (FL)
     Franks (AZ)
     Frelinghuysen
     Gabbard
     Gallego
     Garamendi
     Garrett
     Gibbs
     Gohmert
     Gonzalez (TX)
     Goodlatte
     Gosar
     Gottheimer
     Gowdy
     Granger
     Graves (GA)
     Graves (LA)
     Graves (MO)
     Green, Al
     Green, Gene
     Griffith
     Grijalva
     Guthrie
     Gutierrez
     Hanabusa
     Harper
     Harris
     Hartzler
     Hastings
     Heck
     Hensarling
     Herrera Beutler
     Hice, Jody B.
     Higgins (LA)
     Higgins (NY)
     Hill
     Himes
     Holding
     Hollingsworth
     Hoyer
     Hudson
     Huffman
     Huizenga
     Hultgren
     Hunter
     Hurd
     Issa
     Jackson Lee
     Jayapal
     Jenkins (KS)
     Jenkins (WV)
     Johnson (GA)
     Johnson (LA)
     Johnson (OH)
     Johnson, E. B.
     Johnson, Sam
     Jones
     Jordan
     Joyce (OH)
     Kaptur
     Katko
     Keating
     Kelly (IL)
     Kelly (MS)
     Kelly (PA)
     Kennedy
     Khanna
     Kihuen
     Kildee
     Kilmer
     Kind
     King (IA)
     King (NY)
     Kinzinger
     Knight
     Krishnamoorthi
     Kuster (NH)
     Kustoff (TN)
     Labrador
     LaHood
     LaMalfa
     Lamborn
     Lance
     Langevin
     Larsen (WA)
     Larson (CT)
     Latta
     Lawrence
     Lawson (FL)
     Lee
     Levin
     Lewis (GA)
     Lewis (MN)
     Lieu, Ted
     Lipinski
     LoBiondo
     Loebsack
     Long
     Loudermilk
     Love
     Lowenthal
     Lowey
     Lucas
     Luetkemeyer
     Lujan Grisham, M.
     Lujan, Ben Ray
     Lynch
     MacArthur
     Maloney, Carolyn B.
     Maloney, Sean
     Marchant
     Marshall
     Massie
     Mast
     Matsui
     McCarthy
     McCaul
     McClintock
     McCollum
     McEachin
     McGovern
     McHenry
     McKinley
     McMorris Rodgers
     McNerney
     McSally
     Meadows
     Meehan
     Meeks
     Meng
     Messer
     Mitchell
     Moolenaar
     Mooney (WV)
     Moore
     Moulton
     Mullin
     Murphy (FL)
     Murphy (PA)
     Nadler
     Napolitano
     Neal
     Noem
     Nolan
     Norcross
     Nunes
     O'Halleran
     O'Rourke
     Olson
     Palazzo
     Pallone
     Palmer
     Panetta
     Paulsen
     Payne
     Pearce
     Pelosi
     Perlmutter
     Perry
     Peters
     Peterson
     Pingree
     Pittenger
     Pocan
     Poe (TX)
     Poliquin
     Polis
     Posey
     Price (NC)
     Quigley
     Raskin
     Ratcliffe
     Reed
     Reichert
     Renacci
     Rice (NY)
     Rice (SC)
     Roby
     Roe (TN)
     Rogers (AL)
     Rogers (KY)
     Rohrabacher
     Rooney, Francis
     Rooney, Thomas J.
     Ros-Lehtinen
     Rosen
     Roskam
     Ross
     Rothfus
     Rouzer
     Roybal-Allard
     Royce (CA)
     Ruiz
     Ruppersberger
     Russell
     Rutherford
     Ryan (OH)
     Sanchez
     Sanford
     Sarbanes
     Scalise
     Schakowsky
     Schiff
     Schneider
     Schrader
     Schweikert
     Scott (VA)
     Scott, Austin
     Scott, David
     Sensenbrenner
     Serrano
     Sessions
     Sewell (AL)
     Shea-Porter
     Sherman
     Shimkus
     Shuster
     Simpson
     Sinema
     Sires
     Smith (MO)
     Smith (NE)
     Smith (NJ)
     Smith (TX)
     Smith (WA)
     Smucker
     Soto
     Speier
     Stefanik
     Stewart
     Stivers
     Suozzi
     Swalwell (CA)
     Takano
     Taylor
     Tenney
     Thompson (CA)
     Thompson (PA)
     Thornberry
     Tiberi
     Tipton
     Titus
     Tonko
     Torres
     Trott
     Tsongas
     Turner
     Upton
     Valadao
     Vargas
     Veasey
     Vela
     Velazquez
     Visclosky
     Wagner
     Walberg
     Walden
     Walker
     Walorski
     Walters, Mimi
     Walz
     Wasserman Schultz
     Waters, Maxine
     Watson Coleman
     Weber (TX)
     Webster (FL)
     Welch
     Wenstrup
     Westerman
     Williams
     Wilson (FL)
     Wilson (SC)
     Wittman
     Womack
     Woodall
     Yarmuth
     Yoder
     Yoho
     Young (AK)
     Young (IA)
     Zeldin

                                NOES--14

     Amash
     Brady (PA)
     Capuano
     Doyle, Michael F.
     Duncan (SC)
     Fudge
     Gaetz
     Gallagher
     Grothman
     Lofgren
     Richmond
     Rokita
     Rush
     Thompson (MS)

                             NOT VOTING--6

     Carson (IN)
     Jeffries
     Marino
     Newhouse
     Pascrell
     Slaughter

                              {time}  1522

  Ms. SANCHEZ, Messrs. GRAVES of Georgia, RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois, 
SESSIONS, PALAZZO, AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia, WILSON of South Carolina, 
and BUTTERFIELD changed their vote from ``no'' to ``aye.''
  So the amendment was agreed to.
  The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
  The Acting CHAIR (Mr. Carter of Georgia). The question is on the 
amendment in the nature of a substitute, as amended.
  The amendment was agreed to.
  The Acting CHAIR. Under the rule, the Committee rises.
  Accordingly, the Committee rose; and the Speaker pro tempore (Mr. 
Hultgren) having assumed the chair, Mr. Carter of Georgia, Acting Chair 
of the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union, reported 
that that Committee, having had under consideration the bill (H.R. 
1695) to amend title 17, United States Code, to provide additional 
responsibilities for the Register of Copyrights, and for other 
purposes, and, pursuant to House Resolution 275, he reported the bill 
back to the House with an amendment adopted in the Committee of the 
Whole.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the rule, the previous question is 
ordered.
  Is a separate vote demanded on any amendment to the amendment 
reported from the Committee of the Whole?
  If not, the question is on the amendment in the nature of a 
substitute, as amended.
  The amendment was agreed to.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the engrossment and third 
reading of the bill.
  The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, and was 
read the third time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the passage of the bill.
  The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that 
the ayes appeared to have it.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. 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, this 5-
minute vote on passage of the bill will be followed by a 5-minute vote 
on the Speaker's approval of the Journal, if ordered.
  The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 378, 
nays 48, not voting 4, as follows:

                             [Roll No. 227]

                               YEAS--378

     Abraham
     Aderholt
     Aguilar
     Allen
     Amash
     Amodei
     Arrington
     Babin
     Bacon
     Banks (IN)
     Barletta
     Barr
     Barragan
     Barton
     Bass
     Bera
     Bergman
     Beyer
     Biggs
     Bilirakis
     Bishop (MI)
     Bishop (UT)
     Black
     Blackburn
     Blum
     Blunt Rochester
     Bonamici
     Bost
     Brady (TX)
     Brat
     Bridenstine
     Brooks (AL)
     Brooks (IN)
     Brown (MD)
     Brownley (CA)
     Buchanan
     Buck
     Bucshon
     Budd

[[Page 6017]]


     Burgess
     Bustos
     Byrne
     Calvert
     Cardenas
     Carson (IN)
     Carter (GA)
     Carter (TX)
     Castor (FL)
     Castro (TX)
     Chabot
     Chaffetz
     Cheney
     Chu, Judy
     Cicilline
     Clark (MA)
     Clarke (NY)
     Clay
     Cleaver
     Coffman
     Cohen
     Cole
     Collins (GA)
     Collins (NY)
     Comer
     Comstock
     Conaway
     Conyers
     Cook
     Cooper
     Costa
     Costello (PA)
     Courtney
     Cramer
     Crawford
     Crist
     Crowley
     Cuellar
     Culberson
     Curbelo (FL)
     Davidson
     Davis, Danny
     Davis, Rodney
     Delaney
     DeLauro
     Demings
     Denham
     Dent
     DeSantis
     DesJarlais
     Deutch
     Diaz-Balart
     Dingell
     Doggett
     Donovan
     Duffy
     Duncan (SC)
     Duncan (TN)
     Dunn
     Ellison
     Emmer
     Engel
     Espaillat
     Estes (KS)
     Esty (CT)
     Evans
     Farenthold
     Faso
     Ferguson
     Fitzpatrick
     Fleischmann
     Flores
     Fortenberry
     Foster
     Foxx
     Frankel (FL)
     Franks (AZ)
     Frelinghuysen
     Gabbard
     Gaetz
     Gallagher
     Gallego
     Garamendi
     Garrett
     Gibbs
     Gohmert
     Gonzalez (TX)
     Goodlatte
     Gosar
     Gottheimer
     Gowdy
     Granger
     Graves (GA)
     Graves (LA)
     Graves (MO)
     Green, Al
     Green, Gene
     Griffith
     Grijalva
     Grothman
     Guthrie
     Gutierrez
     Hanabusa
     Harper
     Harris
     Hartzler
     Hastings
     Heck
     Hensarling
     Herrera Beutler
     Hice, Jody B.
     Higgins (LA)
     Higgins (NY)
     Hill
     Himes
     Holding
     Hollingsworth
     Hoyer
     Hudson
     Huizenga
     Hultgren
     Hunter
     Hurd
     Issa
     Jackson Lee
     Jayapal
     Jeffries
     Jenkins (KS)
     Jenkins (WV)
     Johnson (LA)
     Johnson (OH)
     Johnson, E. B.
     Johnson, Sam
     Jordan
     Joyce (OH)
     Kaptur
     Katko
     Keating
     Kelly (IL)
     Kelly (MS)
     Kelly (PA)
     Kennedy
     Khanna
     Kihuen
     Kildee
     Kilmer
     Kind
     King (IA)
     King (NY)
     Kinzinger
     Knight
     Krishnamoorthi
     Kuster (NH)
     Kustoff (TN)
     Labrador
     LaHood
     LaMalfa
     Lamborn
     Lance
     Langevin
     Larsen (WA)
     Larson (CT)
     Latta
     Lawrence
     Lawson (FL)
     Lee
     Levin
     Lewis (GA)
     Lewis (MN)
     Lieu, Ted
     Lipinski
     LoBiondo
     Loebsack
     Long
     Loudermilk
     Love
     Lowenthal
     Lowey
     Lucas
     Luetkemeyer
     Lujan Grisham, M.
     Lujan, Ben Ray
     Lynch
     MacArthur
     Maloney, Carolyn B.
     Maloney, Sean
     Marchant
     Marshall
     Mast
     McCarthy
     McCaul
     McClintock
     McGovern
     McHenry
     McKinley
     McMorris Rodgers
     McNerney
     McSally
     Meadows
     Meehan
     Meeks
     Meng
     Messer
     Mitchell
     Moolenaar
     Mooney (WV)
     Moore
     Moulton
     Mullin
     Murphy (FL)
     Murphy (PA)
     Nadler
     Napolitano
     Neal
     Noem
     Nolan
     Nunes
     O'Halleran
     O'Rourke
     Olson
     Palazzo
     Pallone
     Palmer
     Panetta
     Paulsen
     Pearce
     Perlmutter
     Perry
     Peters
     Peterson
     Pingree
     Pittenger
     Pocan
     Poe (TX)
     Poliquin
     Posey
     Quigley
     Raskin
     Ratcliffe
     Reed
     Reichert
     Renacci
     Rice (NY)
     Rice (SC)
     Roby
     Roe (TN)
     Rogers (AL)
     Rogers (KY)
     Rohrabacher
     Rokita
     Rooney, Francis
     Rooney, Thomas J.
     Ros-Lehtinen
     Roskam
     Ross
     Rothfus
     Rouzer
     Roybal-Allard
     Royce (CA)
     Ruiz
     Ruppersberger
     Russell
     Rutherford
     Sanchez
     Sanford
     Scalise
     Schiff
     Schneider
     Schrader
     Schweikert
     Scott, Austin
     Scott, David
     Sensenbrenner
     Serrano
     Sessions
     Sewell (AL)
     Sherman
     Shimkus
     Shuster
     Simpson
     Sinema
     Sires
     Smith (MO)
     Smith (NE)
     Smith (NJ)
     Smith (TX)
     Smith (WA)
     Smucker
     Soto
     Stefanik
     Stewart
     Stivers
     Suozzi
     Swalwell (CA)
     Taylor
     Tenney
     Thompson (PA)
     Thornberry
     Tiberi
     Tipton
     Titus
     Tonko
     Torres
     Trott
     Tsongas
     Turner
     Upton
     Valadao
     Vargas
     Veasey
     Vela
     Velazquez
     Visclosky
     Wagner
     Walberg
     Walden
     Walker
     Walorski
     Walters, Mimi
     Walz
     Wasserman Schultz
     Waters, Maxine
     Weber (TX)
     Webster (FL)
     Welch
     Wenstrup
     Westerman
     Williams
     Wilson (FL)
     Wilson (SC)
     Wittman
     Womack
     Woodall
     Yarmuth
     Yoder
     Yoho
     Young (AK)
     Young (IA)
     Zeldin

                                NAYS--48

     Adams
     Beatty
     Bishop (GA)
     Blumenauer
     Boyle, Brendan F.
     Brady (PA)
     Butterfield
     Capuano
     Carbajal
     Cartwright
     Clyburn
     Connolly
     Correa
     Cummings
     Davis (CA)
     DeFazio
     DeGette
     DelBene
     DeSaulnier
     Doyle, Michael F.
     Eshoo
     Fudge
     Huffman
     Johnson (GA)
     Jones
     Lofgren
     Massie
     Matsui
     McCollum
     McEachin
     Norcross
     Payne
     Pelosi
     Polis
     Price (NC)
     Richmond
     Rosen
     Rush
     Ryan (OH)
     Sarbanes
     Schakowsky
     Scott (VA)
     Shea-Porter
     Speier
     Takano
     Thompson (CA)
     Thompson (MS)
     Watson Coleman

                             NOT VOTING--4

     Marino
     Newhouse
     Pascrell
     Slaughter


                Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (during the vote). There are 2 minutes 
remaining.

                              {time}  1532

  So the bill was passed.
  The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________