Chief Deputy Whip
Rep. Diana DeGette
DeGette is a fourth generation Coloradoan, educated at Denver's South High School and Colorado College. Read More...

The Daily WhipLine

Wednesday, March 7, 2007

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Floor Schedule and Procedure

•   Following the Joint Meeting, the House will reconvene to continue the day’s business at approximately 12:00-12:30 p.m.   Members are strongly encouraged to attend the Joint Meeting.

• H. Res. 214-Rule to provide for consideration of H.R. 569-Water Quality Investment Act of 2007 (Rules).  The House will consider an open rule to provide for consideration of H.R. 569. The open rule provides for one hour of general debate equally divided and controlled by the Chairman and Ranking Minority Member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, provides that the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure now printed in the bill shall be considered as an original bill for the purpose of amendment (under the 5-minute rule) and provides that the committee amendment in the nature of a substitute shall be considered as read. The rule makes in order only those amendments to the amendment in the nature of a substitute that are pre-printed in the Congressional Record or are pro forma amendments for the purpose of debate. The rule further provides that each amendment printed in the Congressional Record may be offered only by the Member who caused it to be printed or a designee and that each amendment shall be considered as read.  All germane amendments that are pre-printed in the Congressional Record will be considered under the 5-minute rule. Finally, the rule provides one motion to recommit with or without instructions.  Debate on the rule will be managed by Rep. Matsui (D-CA) and will proceed in the following order:

• One hour of debate on the open rule.
• Possible vote on the Democratic motion to move the previous question.  Democrats are urged to vote YES.
• Vote on adoption of the rule. Democrats are urged to vote YES.

• H.R. 569 - Water Quality Investment Act of 2007 (Rep. Pascrell – Transportation and Infrastructure). Next the House will consider H.R. 569.  Pursuant to the rule, H.R. 569 will be managed by Transportation and Infrastructure Chair James Oberstar, or his designee, and consideration will proceed in the following order:

• One hour of debate on the bill.
• Debate and votes on amendments to the bill.
• Possible debate and vote on a Republican motion to recommit the bill. Democrats are urged to vote NO on the motion to recommit.
• Vote on final passage of the bill. Democrats are urged to vote YES on final passage.

• Postponed Suspension Vote: Members are reminded that at some point today, the House likely will take a recorded vote on the following suspension bill, which was debated on Tuesday:
  
  
  1. H.R. 710 - Living Kidney Organ Donation Act (Reps. Norwood, Inslee – Energy and Commerce)

Bill Summary and Key Issues

Anticipated Amendments to H.R. 569 :

REP. STEVE KING, R-Iowa, may offer an amendment that reduces the total authorization level in the bill to $1.7 billion over five years, $90 million (5%) less than the reported version of the bill. The amendment authorizes $237.5 million in FY 2008, $285 million in FY 2009, $332.5 million in FY 2010, $380 million in FY 2011 and $475 million in FY 2012.

REP. TOM PRICE, R-Ga., may offer an amendment that prohibits the bill's authorization levels or other provisions from taking effect if they would result in costs to the federal government, except to the extent that the bill also provides offsetting decreases in federal spending, The amendment requires the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to determine the costs of the bill's provisions as well as the bill's effect on the deficit or surplus. (NOTE: Authorization measures generally do not affect direct spending, because funds must subsequently be appropriated by Congress, and thus they are generally not covered by the pay-as-you-go rule. CBO reported that this bill would not affect direct spending or federal revenue.)   

REP. DANA ROHRABACHER, R-Calif., may offer an amendment that prohibits the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from making a grant to an entity unless the EPA has been provided satisfactory assurance that the entity will require all persons, including contractors and subcontractors, that are carrying out grant-funded activities to participate in the Employment Eligibility Verification Pilot Program. (The Employment Eligibility Pilot Program, which is managed by the Homeland Security Department's U.S. Customs and Immigration Service, allows employers to verify the employment eligibility of potential hires and validate Social Security numbers using an Internet-based system connected to government databases. Participating employers voluntarily register with the system and are then required to verify all new hires, although they can leave the program at any time.)

H.R. 569, Reauthorizing Sewer Overflow Control Grants

• There is an increasing problem in many local communities across the country that, after heavy rainfall, sewer systems can overflow – in some cases due to aging sewer systems. 
• Sewer overflow control grants were authorized for 2002 and 2003, but the Republican-controlled Congress never appropriated any funds and let the authorization expire.
• This bill would help improve water quality by authorizing $1.8 billion in grants to local communities over the next five years to construct treatment works to deal with sewer overflows.  This bill is crucial because sewer overflows represent a major public health hazard.  

NOTE: According to the Statement of Administration Policy (SAP) issued on March 6, 2007, the Administration strongly opposes this pro-environment bill that seeks to help our communities deal with the hazards posed by sewage overflows.

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