COMMITTEE ON RULES - H.Res. 1343: Rule Providing for H.R. 5959 – Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009

COMMITTEE ACTION: REPORTED BY VOICE VOTE on Tuesday, July 15, 2008.
FLOOR ACTION: ADOPTED BY RECORD VOTE 226-193 AFTER AGREEING TO THE PREVIOUS QUESTION BY RECORD VOTE 226-192 on Wednesday, July 16, 2008.

MANAGERS: Hastings (FL)/Hastings (WA)

110th Congress
2nd Session

H.RES. 1343

[Report No. 110-759]

H.R. 5959 – Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009

Structured rule.

Provides one hour of general debate equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

Waives all points of order against consideration of the bill except for those arising under clause 9 of rule XXI.

Provides that the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence shall be considered as an original bill for the purpose of amendment and shall be considered as read.

Waives all points of order against the committee amendment. This waiver does not affect the point of order available under clause 9 of rule XXI (regarding earmark disclosure).

Makes in order only those amendments printed in the Rules Committee report accompanying the resolution.

Provides that the amendments made in order may be offered only in the order printed in the report, may be offered only by a Member designated in the report, shall be considered as 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 in the House or in the Committee of the Whole.

Waives all points of order against the amendments printed in the report except for those arising under clause 9 or 10 of rule XXI.

Provides one motion to recommit with or without instructions.

Provides that, notwithstanding the operation of the previous question, the Chair may postpone further consideration of the bill to a time designated by the Speaker.

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RESOLUTION

Resolved, That at any time after the adoption of this resolution the Speaker may, pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule XVIII, declare the House resolved into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union for consideration of the bill (H.R. 5959) to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2009 for intelligence and intelligence-related activities of the United States Government, the Community Management Account, and the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System, and for other purposes. The first reading of the bill shall be dispensed with. All points of order against consideration of the bill are waived except those arising under clause 9 of rule XXI. General debate shall be confined to the bill and shall not exceed one hour equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. After general debate the bill shall be considered for amendment under the five-minute rule. It shall be in order to consider as an original bill for the purpose of amendment under the five-minute rule the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence now printed in the bill. The committee amendment in the nature of a substitute shall be considered as read. All points of order against the committee amendment in the nature of a substitute are waived. Notwithstanding clause 11 of rule XVIII, no amendment to the committee amendment in the nature of a substitute shall be in order except those printed in the report of the Committee on Rules accompanying this resolution. Each such amendment may be offered only in the order printed in the report, may be offered only by a Member designated in the report, shall be considered as 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 in the House or in the Committee of the Whole. All points of order against such amendments are waived except those arising under clause 9 or 10 of rule XXI. At the conclusion of consideration of the bill for amendment the Committee shall rise and report the bill to the House with such amendments as may have been adopted. Any Member may demand a separate vote in the House on any amendment adopted in the Committee of the Whole to the bill or to the committee amendment in the nature of a substitute. The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill and amendments thereto to final passage without intervening motion except one motion to recommit with or without instructions.

Sec. 2. During consideration in the House of H.R. 5959 pursuant to this resolution, notwithstanding the operation of the previous question, the Chair may postpone further consideration of the bill to such time as may be designated by the Speaker.

SUMMARY OF AMENDMENTS MADE IN ORDER

(summaries derived from information provided by sponsors)

1. Reyes (TX)/Murphy, Patrick (PA):	#15	Would add an exception to the alternative fuel procurement requirement, clarifying that the bill does not prohibit an element of the intelligence community from entering into a contract to purchase a generally available fuel that is not an alternative or synthetic fuel or predominantly produced from a nonconventional petroleum source when certain requirements are met. It also would add an assessment of the feasibility of employing foreign nationals lawfully present in the who have previously worked as translators for the Armed Forces or another department or agency of the Federal Government in or to meet the critical language needs of such element. Finally, it would require that the report required in section 412 on intelligence resources dedicated to and include resources dedicated to intelligence analysis.	(10 minutes)
2. Blunt (MO):	#4	Would express the sense of Congress that (1) the defeat of Colombian paramilitary organizations is in the national interest of the United States; (2) the recent rescue of hostages held by the FARC demonstrates the professionalism of Colombian forces; (3) U.S. intelligence and other assistance played a key role in developing and reinforcing Colombian capabilities; and (4) it is critical that U.S. assistance to the Government of Colombia continue.	(10 minutes)
3. Holt (NJ):	#16	Would require the Director of National Intelligence to inform all holders of the October 2007 National Intelligence Estimate on ’s nuclear program of any new intelligence on ’s nuclear program that has emerged since the publication of the NIE.	(10 minutes)
4. Hoekstra (MI):	#12	Would bar the use of funds to prohibit or discourage the use of the phrases "jihadist," "jihad," "Islamo-fascism," "caliphate," "Islamist," or "Islamic terrorist" within the Intelligence Community or the Federal Government.	(10 minutes)
5. Harman (CA)/Ehlers (MI):	#1	Would express the sense of Congress that the Director of National Intelligence should work with other government agencies and the aerospace industry to develop and implement policies to sustain and expand the aerospace industry workforce.	(10 minutes)
6. Kirk (IL):	#2	Would require the Director of National Intelligence to submit to Congress a National Intelligence Estimate on the production and sale of narcotics in support of international terrorism, including the support the Taliban and al Qaeda receive from the sale of narcotics and the shift in production from opium to hashish in Afghanistan.	(10 minutes)
7. Hinchey (NY):	#20	Would instruct the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency to submit a report on the activities of the intelligence community with regard to human rights violations of the Argentine military government from the mid-1970's until the mid-1980's. The amendment also instructs the inclusion of a compilation of declassified documents and consents to the inclusion of a classified annex in the report.	(10 minutes)