[DOCID: f:hr586.110] From the House Reports Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] 110th Congress Report HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 2d Session 110-586 ====================================================================== PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF THE BILL (H.R. 2634) TO PROVIDE FOR GREATER RESPONSIBILITY IN LENDING AND EXPANDED CANCELLATION OF DEBTS OWED TO THE UNITED STATES AND THE INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS BY LOW-INCOME COUNTRIES, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES _______ April 14, 2008.--Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed _______ Mr. Welch, from the Committee on Rules, submitted the following R E P O R T [To accompany H. Res. 1103] The Committee on Rules, having had under consideration House Resolution 1103, by a nonrecord vote, 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. 2634, the Jubilee Act for Responsible Lending and Expanded Debt Cancellation of 2007, under a structured rule. The rule provides one hour of general debate equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Financial Services. The rule waives all points of order against consideration of the bill except clauses 9 and 10 of rule XXI. The rule provides that the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on Financial Services now printed in the bill shall be considered as an original bill for the purpose of amendment and shall be considered as read. The rule waives all points of order against the amendment in the nature of a substitute except for clause 10 of rule XXI. This waiver does not affect the point of order available under clause 9 of rule XXI (regarding earmark disclosure). The rule makes in order only those amendments printed in this report. The amendments made in order may be offered only in the order printed in this report, may be offered only by a Member designated in this report, shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for the time specified in this 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 a division of the question in the House or in the Committee of the Whole. All points of order against the amendments except for clauses 9 and 10 of rule XXI are waived. The rule provides one motion to recommit with or without instructions. The rule 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. EXPLANATION OF WAIVERS Although the rule waives all points of order against consideration of the bill (except for clauses 9 and 10 of rule XXI) the Committee is not aware of any points of order. The waiver of all points of order is prophylactic. The waiver of all points of order against the amendment in the nature of a substitute (except clause 10 of rule XXI) includes a waiver of clause 7 of rule XVI, relating to germaneness. COMMITTEE VOTES 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. 467 Date: April 14, 2008. Measure: H.R. 2634. Motion by: Mr. Sessions. Summary of motion: To make in order and provide appropriate waivers for an amendment by Rep. King (IA), #6, which modifies the definition of an ``eligible low-income country'' to include a requirement that an eligible country must be one that supports the efforts of the United States to curtail human smuggling. Results: Defeated 3-7. Vote by Members: McGovern--Nay; Matsui--Nay; Cardoza--Nay; Welch--Nay; Castor--Nay; Sutton--Nay; Dreier--Yea; Hastings (WA)--Yea; Sessions--Yea; Slaughter--Nay. SUMMARY OF AMENDMENTS MADE IN ORDER 1. Frank (MA)/Bachus (AL)/Biggert (AL): The amendment makes various technical corrections within the bill's ``Findings'' section, and adds under the eligibility criteria the requirement that a country must also be complying with minimum standards for eliminating human trafficking; cooperating with American efforts to stop illegal immigration to the United States; and be committed to free and fair elections. (10 minutes) 2. Rohrabacher (CA): The amendment adds a provision to Section 1626, defining an ``eligible low-income country'' to include that the government shall have been chosen by, and permits, free elections. (10 minutes) 3. Hastings (FL): The amendment adds a Sense of the Congress that, due to the current humanitarian and political instability in Haiti, including food shortages and political turmoil, the Secretary of the Treasury should use his influence to expedite the complete and immediate cancellation of Haiti's debts to all international financial institutions, or if such debt cancellation cannot be provided, to urge the institutions to immediately suspend the requirement that Haiti make further debt service payments on debts owed to the institutions. (10 minutes) 4. Weiner (NY): The amendment modifies the qualification for ``eligible low-income country'' to include those countries that are eligible for both International Development Association loans and World Bank loans. (10 minutes) TEXT OF AMENDMENTS MADE IN ORDER 1. An Amendment To Be Offered by Representative Frank of Massachusetts, or His Designee, Debatable for 10 Minutes Page 6, beginning on line 17, strike ``economic policy conditionality'' and insert ``certain economic policy conditionalities''. Page 6, beginning on line 22, strike ``economic'' and all that follows through ``IMF,'' on line 24 and insert ``certain economic policy conditions, including the privatization of essential basic services such as water,''. Page 7, line 22, strike ``requirements'' and insert ``economic criteria''. Page 9, line 5, insert ``, without undermining the financial integrity of the institution'' before the period. Page 9, line 14, insert ``, or to other countries eligible for assistance from the International Development Association'' before the period. Page 15, line 9, insert ``from'' before ``the''. Page 15, line 20, strike ``repeatedly''. Page 16, line 1, insert ``with the United States'' after ``cooperating''. Page 16, line 2, strike ``and''. Page 16, line 5, strike ``consistent''. Page 16, line 6, strike ``rights.'' and all that follows through the second period and insert ``rights (as defined in section 116 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (Public Law 87-195));''. Page 16, after line 6, insert the following: ``(7) the government of which has not been identified in the most recent Trafficking in Persons Report issued by the Department of State as not fully complying with minimum standards for eliminating human trafficking and not making significant efforts to do so; ``(8) the government of which has been determined by the President to be cooperating with United States efforts to stop illegal immigration to the United States; and ``(9) the government of which has been determined by the President to be committed to free and fair elections.''. Page 16, beginning on line 21, strike ``without any conditions except requiring the government of such a country to--'' and inserting ``only on the condition that the government of such a country--''. ---------- 2. An Amendment To Be Offered by Representative Rohrabacher of California, or His Designee, Debatable for 10 Minutes In section 1626(h) of the International Financial Institutions Act, as proposed to be added by section 3 of the bill, strike ``and'' at the end of paragraph (5), strike the period at the end of paragraph (6) and insert ``; and'', and add at the end the following: ``(7) the government of which was chosen by and permits free and fair elections.''. ---------- 3. An Amendment To Be Offered by Representative Hastings of Florida, or His Designee, Debatable for 10 Minutes At the end of the bill, add the following: SEC. ___. SENSE OF THE CONGRESS. (a) Finding.--The Congress finds that Haiti is scheduled to send $48,700,000 in debt payments to multilateral financial institutions in 2008. (b) Sense of the Congress.--It is the sense of the Congress that, due to the current humanitarian and political instability in Haiti, including food shortages and political turmoil, the Secretary of the Treasury should use his influence to expedite the complete and immediate cancellation of Haiti's debts to all international financial institutions, or if such debt cancellation cannot be provided, to urge the institutions to immediately suspend the requirement that Haiti make further debt service payments on debts owed to the institutions. ---------- 4. An Amendment To Be Offered by Representative Weiner of New York, or His Designee, Debatable for 10 Minutes Page 15, beginning on line 9, strike ``but not'' and insert ``and''. <all>