[House Report 108-236]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



108th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 1st Session                                                    108-236
=====================================================================
 
   PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 2861, DEPARTMENTS OF VETERANS 
  AFFAIRS AND HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND INDEPENDENT AGENCIES 
                        APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2004

                                _______
                                

   July 25 (legislative day, July 24), 2003.--Referred to the House 
                   Calendar and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

Ms. Pryce of Ohio, from the Committee on Rules, submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                       [To accompany H. Res. 338]

    The Committee on Rules, having had under consideration 
House Resolution 338, by a record vote of 8 to 4, report the 
same to the House with the recommendation that the resolution 
be adopted.

                SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS OF THE RESOLUTION

    The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 2861, 
Department of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban 
Development, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act for 
fiscal year 2004, under an open rule. The rule provides one 
hour of general debate equally divided and controlled by the 
chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on 
Appropriations. The rule waives all points of order against 
consideration of the bill.
    The rule waives points of order against provisions in the 
bill for failure to comply with clause 2 of rule XXI 
(prohibiting unauthorized appropriations or legislative 
provisions in an appropriations bill), except as specified in 
the resolution. The rule authorizes the Chair to accord 
priority in recognition to Members who have pre-printed their 
amendments in the Congressional Record. Finally, the rule 
provides one motion to recommit with or without instructions.
    The waiver of all points of order against consideration of 
the bill includes a waiver of clause 4 of rule XIII (requiring 
a three-day layover of the committee report and requiring the 
three-day availability of printed hearings on a general 
appropriation bill).
    The waiver of clause 2 of rule XXI (prohibiting 
unauthorized appropriations or legislative provisions in an 
appropriations bill) is needed, because there are numerous 
legislative provisions included in the bill. The waiver of 
clause 2 of rule XXI does not extend to the provision specified 
in the resolution, which falls under the authorizing 
jurisdiction of the Committee on Energy and Commerce and is as 
follows: ``, except that, notwithstanding section 1452(n) of 
the Safe Water Drinking Act, as amended, none of the funds made 
available under this heading in this Act, or in previous 
appropriations Acts, shall be reserved by the Administrator for 
health effects studies and drinking water contaminants'' under 
the heading in the bill ``State and Tribal Assistance Grants''.

                            COMMITTEE VOTES

    Pursuant to clause 3(b) of House rule XIII the results of 
each record vote on an amendment or motion to report, together 
with the names of those voting for and against, are printed 
below:

Rules Committee Record Vote No. 191

    Date: July 24, 2003.
    Measure: H.R. 2861.--Departments of Veterans Affairs and 
Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies 
Appropriations Act, 2004.
    Motion by: Mr. Frost.
    Summary of motion: To make in order and provide the 
appropriate waivers for the amendment offered by Representative 
Edwards, which adds $2.2 billion to VA medical care for both 
the priority 1-6 and priority 7-8 veterans. The addition is 
offset by reducing the tax cut provided in the Jobs and Growth 
Reconciliation Act of 2003 by 12.5 percent for taxpayers with 
an adjusted gross income in excess of $1 million.
    Results: Defeated 4 to 7.
    Vote by Members: Goss--Nay; Linder--Nay; Diaz-Balart--Nay; 
Hastings (WA)--Nay; Sessions--Nay; Reynolds--Nay; Frost--Yea; 
Slaughter--Yea; McGovern--Yea; Hastings (FL)--Yea; Dreier--Nay.

Rules Committee Record Vote No. 192

    Date: July 24, 2003.
    Measure: H.R. 2861.--Departments of Veterans Affairs and 
Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies 
Appropriations Act, 2004.
    Motion by: Mr. Frost.
    Summary of motion: To make in order and provide the 
appropriate waivers for the amendment offered by Representative 
Smith of New Jersey which increases by $1.8 billion the dollar 
amount (for a total of $17,579,220,000) for medical services 
provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs to veterans in 
priority categories one through six.
    Results: Defeated 4 to 7.
    Vote by Members: Goss--Nay; Linder--Nay; Diaz-Balart--Nay; 
Hastings (WA)--Nay; Sessions--Nay; Reynolds--Nay; Frost--Yea; 
Slaughter--Yea; McGovern--Yea; Hastings (FL)--Yea; Dreier--Nay.

Rules Committee Record Vote No. 193

    Date: July 24, 2003.
    Measure: H.R. 2861.--Departments of Veterans Affairs and 
Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies 
Appropriations Act, 2004.
    Motion by: Mr. Goss.
    Summary of motion: To report the resolution.
    Results: Agreed to 8 to 4.
    Vote by Members: Goss--Yea; Linder--Yea; Diaz-Balart--Yea; 
Hastings (WA)--Yea; Myrick--Yea; Sessions--Yea; Reynolds--Yea; 
Frost--Nay; Slaughter--Nay; McGovern--Nay; Hastings (FL)--Nay; 
Dreier--Yea.

                                
