House Daily Digest — Tuesday, 6/4/2024
The House met at 9 a.m., adjourned at 6:59 p.m.
Tuesday, 6/4/2024 — Activities: 143 – On the Floor: 5 – Votes: 8
Legislation: New: 20, Action: 5, Voted: 2, Passed: 4
Amendments: Voted: 5, Agreed to: 26, Not agreed to: 1
Committee — Meetings: 20 (House.gov) • Legislation: Reported: 5
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D574-D577]
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House of Representatives
Chamber Action
Public Bills and Resolutions Introduced: 17 public bills, H.R. 8603-
8619; and 3 resolutions, H. Res. 1275-1277 were introduced.
Pages H3654-55
Additional Cosponsors:
Pages H3656-57
Reports Filed: Reports were filed today as follows:
H.R. 784, to require any person that maintains an internet website or
that sells or distributes a mobile application that is owned, wholly or
partially, by the Chinese Communist Party or by a non-state-owned
entity located in the People's Republic of China, to disclose that fact
to any individual who downloads or otherwise uses such website or
application, with amendments (H. Rept. 118-536);
H.R. 7984, to require the Administrator of the Small Business
Administration to improve access to disaster assistance for individuals
located in rural areas, and for other purposes (H. Rept. 118-537);
H.R. 7989, to provide for a memorandum of understanding between the
Small Business Administration and the National Council on Disability to
increase employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities,
and for other purposes (H. Rept. 118-538);
H.R. 8014, to require the Administrator of the Small Business
Administration to issue rules for cancelled covered solicitations, to
amend the Small Business Act to provide assistance to small business
concerns relating to certain cancelled solicitations, and for other
purposes (H. Rept. 118-539); and
H.R. 6418, to modify the program of grants to support high-quality
charter schools, with an amendment (H. Rept. 118-540).
Page H3654
Speaker: Read a letter from the Speaker wherein he appointed
Representative Collins to act as Speaker pro tempore for today.
Page H3585
Commission on Reform and Modernization of the Department of State--
Appointment: Read a letter from Representative Scalise, Majority
Leader, in which he jointly with the Senate Republican Leader appointed
the following individual to serve as Co-Chairperson of the Commission
on Reform and Modernization of the Department of State: Honorable Bill
Hagerty of Tennessee.
Page H3587
Recess: The House recessed at 10:24 a.m. and reconvened at 10:30 a.m.
Page H3594
Recess: The House recessed at 3:14 p.m. and reconvened at 3:30 p.m.
Page H3633
Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act, 2025: The House considered H.R. 8580, making
appropriations for military construction, the Department of Veterans
Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30,
2025. Consideration is expected to resume tomorrow, June 5th.
Pages H3601-37
Pursuant to the Rule, an amendment in the nature of a substitute
consisting of the text of Rules Committee Print 118-35, modified by the
amendment printed in part A of H. Rept. 118-535, shall be considered as
adopted in the House and in the Committee of the Whole.
Pages H3605-15
Agreed to:
Carter (TX) amendment en bloc No. 1 consisting of the following
amendments printed in part B of H. Rept. 118-535: Boebert (No. 3) that
transfers $2 million from VA bureaucracy to resources for medical and
prosthetic research to ensure our veterans receive cutting edge medical
care from the VA; Boebert (No. 4) that transfers $2 million from VA
bureaucracy to the office of the inspector general to combat waste,
fraud, and abuse; Boebert (No. 5) that transfers $2 million from VA
bureaucracy to grants for construction of veteran's cemetery programs
to assist state and tribal governments in providing burial benefits for
veterans in rural areas lacking a VA national cemetery; Boebert (No. 6)
that transfers $2 million to provide additional funding for the
construction of new state extended care facilities; Boebert (No. 7)
that transfers $2 million from VA bureaucracy to the board of veterans
appeals to help reduce its backlog so that veteran claims can be
adjudicated in a timely manner; Gluesenkamp Perez (No. 11) that
increases and decreases funding for the Veterans Health Administration
for the purposes of submitting a report to Congress on the efforts of
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to ensure access to health care for
veterans residing in geographic proximity to a Department of Veterans
Affairs community-based outpatient clinic subject to closure;
Gluesenkamp Perez (No. 12) that increases and decreases funding for the
VA Highly Rural Transportation Grant Program to underscore need to
modernize the program, including updating the definition of highly
rural, to provide dependable access to health care for veterans living
in rural areas; Vicente Gonzalez (TX) (No. 13) that increases funding
for the Grants for Construction of Veterans Cemeteries by $2 million to
direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to report to Congress on the
need for veterans' cemeteries in areas of high veteran population as
determined by the Secretary; offsets the Information Technology Systems
Funds Operations and Maintenance account by $2 million; Vicente
Gonzalez (TX)
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(No. 14) that increases and decreases funding by $1 million for the
Grants for Construction of Veterans Cemeteries for the purposes of
emphasizing the need for the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to allow
internment of Military Working Dogs in veteran cemeteries; Gottheimer
(No. 15) that increases and decreases funding for General Operating
Expenses by $1 million to provide additional support for the VA
Transition Assistance Program to provide information, resources, and
tools to service members and their families to help prepare for the
move from military to civilian life; LaLota (No. 23) that increases and
decreases the Grants for Construction of State Extended Care Facilities
account at the Department of Veterans Affairs to express support and
expedite pace of construction for delayed projects for state veterans
homes across the country; LaLota (No. 24) that increases and decreases
the Department of Defense Base Closure account at the Department of
Veterans Affairs to speed up PFAS remediation efforts at closed
military installations where PFAS contamination affects local drinking
water sources; LaLota (No. 25) that increases and decreases the
Veterans Health Administration, Medical Services account at the
Department of Veterans Affairs to support peer-to-peer mental health
programs, which support veterans by providing them with a safe space to
share their experiences and receive support from fellow veterans who
understand their unique challenges, fostering a sense of community and
resilience; LaLota (No. 26) that increases and decreases the Veterans
Health Administration, Medical and Prosthetic Research account at the
Department of Veterans Affairs to support Herbicide-Related Toxic
Exposure Research, which investigates the long-term health impacts of
exposure to harmful chemicals, leading to improved medical care,
accurate diagnoses, and targeted treatments for conditions linked to
such exposures; LaLota (No. 27) that increases and decreases the
Veterans Health Administration, Medical, Medical Facilities account at
the Department of Veterans Affairs to support Community-Based
Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs), which support veterans by offering
accessible, comprehensive healthcare services close to their homes,
ensuring they receive consistent medical care, mental health services,
and personalized treatment plans tailored to their needs; Norton (No.
30) that increases and decreases funding by $1 million for the Veterans
Benefits Administration to provide support to law school clinical
programs that assist veterans with legal matters; and Wagner (No. 47)
that increases and decreases Military Construction Defense-wide by
$200,000,000 to provide inflation relief for unanticipated inflation-
related costs incurred during the Presidential National Emergency
Declaration lasting from March 13, 2020, to May 11, 2023, for firm
fixed price military construction projects that were part of the
Defense Priority and Allocation System program;
Page H3615
Bergman amendment (No. 1 printed in part B of H. Rept. 118-535) that
increases and decreases the Medical and Prosthetic Research account at
the Department of Veterans Affairs to express support for recently
announced VA-funded research into psychedelic-assisted therapies to
treat PTSD and depression, and to encourage VA to prioritize the
proactive training of therapists to administer these treatments;
Pages H3615-16
Bergman amendment (No. 2 printed in part B of H. Rept. 118-535) that
increases and decreases the Medical Services account at the Department
of Veterans Affairs to urge VA to report to Congress no later than 180
days following approval of midomafetamine-assisted treatments to treat
PTSD under Section 505 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act on
possible incorporation of treatments in the formulary of the Department
and the justification for such determination;
Pages H3616-17
Burchett amendment (No. 9 printed in part B of H. Rept. 118-535) that
prohibits funds from being used to ban or remove the photograph “V-J
Day in Times Square”;
Pages H3617-18
Hageman amendment (No. 17 printed in part B of H. Rept. 118-535) that
prohibits funding made available by this act from being used by the VA
to continue decommissioning mileage reimbursement kiosks at VA
facilities;
Pages H3620-21
James amendment (No. 18 printed in part B of H. Rept. 118-535) that
increases and decreases $3,250,000 to Medical Facilities for the
building of a Community-based Outpatient Clinics and Mobile Medical
Units to become more available for leasing, purchasing, and
construction for VA hospital networks;
Page H3621
Kiggans (VA) amendment (No. 19 printed in part B of H. Rept. 118-535)
that increases and decreases funding for the purpose of encouraging the
approval and development of privatized housing for unaccompanied
service members;
Pages H3621-22
Kiggans (VA) amendment (No. 20 printed in part B of H. Rept. 118-535)
that increases and decreases funding for the purpose of ensuring that
the Department of Veterans Affairs maintains sufficient medical care
for veterans who reside in U.S. Territories and Freely Associated
States;
Pages H3622-23
Kiggans (VA) amendment (No. 21 printed in part B of H. Rept. 118-535)
that increases and decreases funding for the purpose of ensuring that
the Department of Veterans Affairs fully funds and competently executes
mental health care programs, with a special emphasis on suicide
prevention and associated outreach;
Pages H3623-24
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Kiggans (VA) amendment (No. 22 printed in part B of H. Rept. 118-535)
that increases and decreases funding for the purpose of expressing the
urgency of expeditiously and efficiently utilizing increased demolition
funding on Navy and Marine Corps bases;
Pages H3624-25
Molinaro amendment (No. 29 printed in part B of H. Rept. 118-535)
that increases and decreases the Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
account by $10 million to reinforce the importance of strengthening the
VHA's Office of Mental Health and its work to assist veterans with
disabilities and mental health and substance abuse challenges;
Page H3626
Ogles amendment (No. 31 printed in part B of H. Rept. 118-535) that
increases and decreases funding for the Veterans Housing Benefit
Program Fund for the development of improved informational materials
regarding the relative benefits of a VA home loan versus other types of
housing loans for different homebuyer profiles;
Pages H3626-27
Ogles amendment (No. 32 printed in part B of H. Rept. 118-535) that
increase and decreases funding for medical services at the Veterans
Health Administration for the treatment of post-traumatic stress
disorder in veterans;
Page H3627
Ogles amendment (No. 33 printed in part B of H. Rept. 118-535) that
increases and decreases funding for the Veterans Health
Administration's medical community care account to increase
accessibility for in-home health care services for veterans;
Pages H3627-28
Ogles amendment (No. 34 printed in part B of H. Rept. 118-535) that
increases and decreases funding for the Board of Veterans Appeals to
prioritize increasing processing speed for veteran casework;
Page H3628
Ogles amendment (No. 35 printed in part B of H. Rept. 118-535) that
increases and decreases funding for grants for construction of State
Extended Care Facilities to focus on creating or maintaining nursing
homes for America's World War II, Korean, and Vietnam Veterans;
Pages H3628-29
Perry amendment (No. 36 printed in part B of H. Rept. 118-535) that
increases and decreases Veterans Health Administration, Medical
Services, by $1 million for furnishing Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB)
therapy to personnel who elect to receive the treatment;
Pages H3629-30
Peters amendment (No. 37 printed in part B of H. Rept. 118-535) that
increases and decreases appropriations for the Veterans Health
Administration--Medical Services--HUD-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH)
program by $1,000,000 to encourage local VA systems and public housing
authorities to work together to streamline the voucher application
process to reduce barriers for veterans seeking housing assistance;
Page H3630
Peters amendment (No. 38 printed in part B of H. Rept. 118-535) that
increases and decreases appropriations for the Veterans Health
Administration--Medical Services--Supportive Services for Low Income
Veterans and Families (SSVF) program by $1,000,000 to recognize the
importance of SSVF's Shallow Subsidy program in keeping veterans in
their homes and preventing veterans from falling into homelessness;
Page H3630
Pfluger amendment (No. 39 printed in part B of H. Rept. 118-535) that
increases and decreases funding to direct the Department of Veteran
Affairs to collaborate with the National Academies of Sciences,
Engineering, and Medicine to conduct a comprehensive study determining
and identifying exposures associated with being a military aviator,
connections between these exposures and various cancers, and prevalence
of and mortality from specified cancers among those who served as
active-duty aircrew;
Pages H3630-31
Rodgers (WA) amendment (No. 40 printed in part B of H. Rept. 118-535)
that increases and decreases the Medical Community Care account to
express the need for the VA to address emergency care coverage;
Page H3631
Rodgers (WA) amendment (No. 41 printed in part B of H. Rept. 118-535)
that increases and decreases the Family Housing Operation and
Maintenance, Air Force, account to emphasize the importance of housing
oversight;
Pages H3631-32
Bost amendment (No. 8 printed in part B of H. Rept. 118-535) that
requires VA to apply the same access standards for Mental Health
Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (MHRRTP) as for primary
care, specialty care, and non institutional extended care services (by
a recorded vote of ayes to 195 noes, Roll No. 237);
Pages H3617, H3633-34
Crane amendment (No. 10 printed in part B of H. Rept. 118-535) that
prohibits the VA from using funds to submit a beneficiary's name to the
NICS list based on VA's appointment of a fiduciary (by a recorded vote
of 211 ayes to 193 noes, Roll No. 238);
Pages H3618-19, H3634
Mast amendment (No. 28 printed in part B of H. Rept. 118-535) that
ensures veterans can participate in state-approved medical marijuana
programs (by a recorded vote of 290 ayes to 116 noes, Roll No. 240);
and
Pages H3625-26, H3635-36
Self amendment (No. 42 printed in part B of H. Rept. 118-535) that
prohibits funds to modify or remove any display of the Department of
Veterans Affairs that bears the mission statement “[[Page D577]]
his orphan' by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's
veterans.'%22" style="text-decoration:none;">To fulfill
President Lincoln's promise `to care for him who shall have borne the
battle, and for his widow, and
[[Page D577]]
his orphan' by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's
veterans.'” (by a recorded vote of 206 ayes to 200 noes, Roll No.
241).
Pages H3632-33, H3636
Rejected:
Greene (GA) amendment (No. 16 printed in part B of H. Rept. 118-535)
that sought to strike funding for the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization Security Investment Program (by a recorded vote of 46 ayes
to 354 noes, Roll No. 239).
Pages H3619-20, H3634-35
H. Res. 1269, the rule providing for consideration of the bills (H.R.
8580) and (H.R. 8282) was agreed to by a recorded vote of 208 ayes to
195 noes, Roll No. 236, after the previous question was ordered by a
yea-and-nay vote of 205 yeas to 193 nays, Roll No. 235.
Pages H3587-96
Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act: The House passed H.R. 8282, to
impose sanctions with respect to the International Criminal Court
engaged in any effort to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute any
protected person of the United States and its allies, by a yea-and-nay
vote of 247 yeas to 155 nays with two answering “present”, Roll No.
242.
Pages H3596-H3601, H3637-38
Pursuant to the Rule, an amendment in the nature of a substitute
consisting of the text of Rules Committee Print 118-37 shall be
considered as adopted.
Pages H3596-97
H. Res. 1269, the rule providing for consideration of the bills (H.R.
8580) and (H.R. 8282) was agreed to by a recorded vote of 208 ayes to
195 noes, Roll No. 236, after the previous question was ordered by a
yea-and-nay vote of 205 yeas to 193 nays, Roll No. 235.
Pages H3587-96
Committee Resignation: Read a letter from Representative Deluzio
wherein he resigned from the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Page H3638
Committee Resignation: Read a letter from Representative Mfume wherein
he resigned from the Committee on Small Business.
Pages H3638-39
Committee Resignation: Read a letter from Representative Zinke wherein
he resigned from the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
Page H3639
Committee Elections: The House agreed to H. Res. 1275, electing Members
to certain standing committees of the House of Representatives.
Page H3639
Meeting Hour: Agreed by unanimous consent that when the House adjourns
today, it adjourn to meet at 9 a.m. tomorrow, June 5th.
Page H3639
Committee Elections: The House agreed to H. Res. 1276, electing Members
to certain standing committees of the House of Representatives.
Page H3639
Discharge Petition: Representative Manning presented to the clerk a
motion to discharge the Committee on Rules from the consideration of
the resolution (H. Res. 1240) a resolution providing for consideration
of the bill (H.R. 4121) to protect an individual's ability to access
contraceptives and to engage in contraception and to protect a health
care provider's ability to provide contraceptives, contraception, and
information related to contraception (Discharge Petition No. 12).
Quorum Calls--Votes: Two yea-and-nay votes and six recorded votes
developed during the proceedings of today and appear on pages H3594-95,
H3595-96, H3633-34, H3634, H3635, H3635-36, H3636, and H3638.
Adjournment: The House met at 9 a.m. and adjourned at 6:59 p.m.Extensions of Remarks, as inserted in this issue
HOUSE
Burgess, Michael C., Tex., E589
Carter, Troy A., La., E589, E591
Cohen, Steve, Tenn., E586
Diaz-Balart, Mario, Fla., E588
Feenstra, Randy, Iowa E590
Kean, Thomas H., Jr., N.J., E590
Kelly, Trent, Miss., E590, E591
Luetkemeyer, Blaine, Mo., E585, E586, E588
McHenry, Patrick T., N.C., E591
Miller-Meeks, Mariannette, Iowa, E587
Moskowitz, Jared, Fla., E585, E587, E588
Raskin, Jamie, Md., E586
Spanberger, Abigail Davis, Va., E591
Thompson, Bennie G., Miss., E585, E586, E587, E588, E589, E590, E591, E592
Thompson, Mike, Calif., E585, E587
Wilson, Joe, S.C., E587