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LEGISLATIVE DAY OF MARCH 12, 2009
111TH CONGRESS - FIRST SESSION

5:50 P.M. -
The House adjourned. The next meeting is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. on March 16, 2009.

On motion to adjourn Agreed to by voice vote.

Mr. Rohrabacher moved that the House do now adjourn.

2:58 P.M. -
SPECIAL ORDER SPEECHES - The House has concluded all anticipated legislative business and has proceeded to Special Order speeches.

2:57 P.M. -
Mr. Burton of IN requested the following general leaves to address the House on March 19: Mr. Poe of TX for 5 min and Mr. Jones for 5 min.

2:49 P.M. -
ONE MINUTE SPEECHES - The House proceeded with further one minute speeches.

2:48 P.M. -
Mr. Hoyer asked unanimous consent That when the House adjourns on Thursday, March, 12, 2009, it adjourn to meet at 12:30 p.m. on Monday, March 16, 2009, for Morning-Hour Debate. Agreed to without objection.

H. Res. 224:
supporting the designation of Pi Day, and for other purposes

2:30 P.M. -
On motion to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 391 - 10 (Roll no. 124).

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

2:21 P.M. -
Considered as unfinished business.

2:20 P.M. -
UNFINISHED BUSINESS - The Chair announced that the unfinished business was the question of adoption of a motion to suspend the rules which had been debated earlier and on which further proceedings had been postponed.

H.R. 1262:
to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to authorize appropriations for State water pollution control revolving funds, and for other purposes

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

On passage Passed by recorded vote: 317 - 101 (Roll no. 123).

2:03 P.M. -
The House adopted the amendment as agreed to by the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union.

2:02 P.M. -
The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.

The House rose from the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union to report H.R. 1262.

2:01 P.M. -
On agreeing to the Mack amendment Failed by recorded vote: 140 - 284 (Roll no. 122).

1:28 P.M. -
UNFINISHED BUSINESS - The Chair announced that the unfinished business was the question of adoption of amendments which had been debate earlier and on which further proceedings had been postponed.

1:27 P.M. -
On agreeing to the Driehaus amendment as modified Agreed to by voice vote.

1:26 P.M. -
Driehaus amendment modified by unanimous consent. The modification is technical in nature.

1:11 P.M. -
DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H.Res. 235, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Driehaus amendment.

Amendment offered by Mr. Driehaus.

An amendment numbered 10 printed in House Report 111-36 to increase from $1.8 billion to $2.5 billion the authorization level for the grant program that makes funds available for combined sewer overflows and sanitary sewer overflows.

1:10 P.M. -
On agreeing to the Wittman amendment Agreed to by voice vote.

1:00 P.M. -
DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H.Res. 235, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Wittman amendment.

Amendment offered by Mr. Wittman.

An amendment numbered 9 printed in House Report 111-36 to require the OMB Director to submit to Congress a financial report containing an interagency crosscut budget for restoration activities that protect, conserve, or restore water quality in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Also, the EPA Administrator would have to develop and update an adaptive management plan for Chesapeake Bay restoration activities.

12:59 P.M. -
On agreeing to the Dahlkemper amendment Agreed to by voice vote.

12:56 P.M. -
DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H.Res. 235, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Dahlkemper amendment.

12:55 P.M. -
Amendment offered by Mrs. Dahlkemper.
An amendment numbered 8 printed in House Report 111-36 to require certification by a system operator that both water and energy conservation are components of their fiscal sustainability plan.

On agreeing to the Roskam amendment Agreed to by voice vote.

12:52 P.M. -
DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H.Res. 235, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Roskam amendment.

Amendment offered by Mr. Roskam.

An amendment numbered 7 printed in House Report 111-36 to require the Director of OMB to study programs authorized by the Act under the Program Assessment Rating Tool or a successor performance assessment tool developed by OMB.

On agreeing to the Oberstar amendment Agreed to by voice vote.

12:50 P.M. -
DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H.Res. 235, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Oberstar amendment.

12:49 P.M. -
Amendment offered by Mr. Oberstar.
An amendment numbered 6 printed in House Report 111-36 to require that States, in the development of their priority methodology, give priority to projects that construct bioswales that filter and naturally store stormwater runoff and floodwaters for future water supply and recharge of natural aquifers.

On agreeing to the Flake amendment Agreed to by voice vote.

12:41 P.M. -
DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H.Res. 235, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Flake amendment.

12:40 P.M. -
Amendment offered by Mr. Flake.
An amendment numbered 5 printed in House Report 111-36 to prohibit earmarking of funds appropriated as a result of the reauthorization of the Water Pollution Control Revolving Loan Funds included in the bill.

On agreeing to the Miller (MI) amendment Agreed to by voice vote.

12:35 P.M. -
DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H.Res. 235, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Miller(MI) amendment.

Amendment offered by Mrs. Miller (MI).

An amendment numbered 4 printed in House Report 111-36 to direct the EPA to convene a task force (EPA, FDA, and others appointed by the Administrator of the EPA) to develop recommendations on the proper disposal of unused pharmaceuticals and a strategy to educate the public on those recommendations. It also would permit, at the request of the head of the task force, any federal agency or department to detail personnel to the task force.

12:34 P.M. -
On agreeing to the Markey (CO) amendment Agreed to by voice vote.

12:28 P.M. -
DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H.Res. 235, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Markey(CO) amendment.

Amendment offered by Ms. Markey (CO).

An amendment numbered 3 printed in House Report 111-36 to require states to use at least 15% (instead of 10% as required in the bill) of each capitalization grant for water pollution control to provide assistance to municipalities of less than 10,000 people to the extent that there are sufficient applications for assistance.

12:27 P.M. -
POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the Mack amendment, the Chair put the question on adoption of the amendment, and by voice vote announced that the noes had prevailed. Mr Mack demanded a recorded vote and the Chair postponed further proceedings on adoption of the amendment until later in the legislative day.

12:04 P.M. -
DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H.Res. 235, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 20 minutes of debate on the Mack amendment.

Amendment offered by Mr. Mack.

An amendment numbered 2 printed in House Report 111-36 to remove all Davis-Bacon prevailing wage provisions from the bill.

12:03 P.M. -
On agreeing to the Oberstar amendment Agreed to by voice vote.

11:59 A.M. -
DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H.Res. 235, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Oberstar amendment.

11:58 A.M. -
Amendment offered by Mr. Oberstar.
An amendment numbered 1 printed in House Report 111-36 to authorize tribal governments to be eligible for technical and management assistance for small publicly-owned sewerage agencies; amend an existing Clean Water Act authority for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to carry out pilot projects by ensuring that certain `green technology' activities are eligible for controlling stormwater runoff, and increase the authorization of appropriations for this authority to $100 million for each of fiscal years 2010 through 2014; clarify the eligibility for construction of energy-efficient or renewable-energy generation technologies at publicly-owned sewerage agencies under the Clean Water State Revolving Fund; provide additional criteria for States to determine `affordability criteria' for waste-water infrastructure projects and activities, including factors related to per capita income and local unemployment rates; provide additional transparency and accountability for expenditures from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund by requiring EPA to conduct, and make publicly available, an annual performance review of expenditures from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, including a review of the types and categories of projects and activities carried out using the fund, and an estimate of the number of jobs created from proceeds of the fund; strike a provision related to the collection of tonnage duties that was unnecessary; authorize additional studies on the water-related infrastructure needs along the United States-Mexican border region, and the condition of wastewater infrastructure on the Great Lakes; require States to set-aside 20 percent of combined sewer and sanitary sewer grants to communities that implement green infrastructure or other water and energy efficient improvements; and require the EPA Administrator to conduct a study on the presence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in the waters of the United States.

11:44 A.M. -
GENERAL DEBATE - The Committee of the Whole continued with further general debate on H.R. 1262.

Subsequently, the Committee resumed it's sitting.

The House received a message from the Senate. The Senate passed H.R. 1127 without amendment.

H.R. 1262:
to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to authorize appropriations for State water pollution control revolving funds, and for other purposes

The Committee of the Whole rose informally to recieve a message from the Senate.

10:59 A.M. -
GENERAL DEBATE - The Committee of the Whole proceeded with one hour of general debate on H.R. 1262.

10:58 A.M. -
The Speaker designated the Honorable Ed Pastor to act as Chairman of the Committee.

House resolved itself into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union pursuant to H. Res. 235 and Rule XVIII.

10:57 A.M. -
Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 235.

Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 1262 with 1 hour of general debate. Previous question shall be considered as ordered without intervening motions except motion to recommit with or without instructions. Measure will be considered read. Specified amendments are in order. All points of order against consideration of the bill are waived except those arising under clause 9 or 10 of rule XXI. 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 Committee on Transportation now printed in the bill.

10:56 A.M. -
TWO MINUTE VOTING AUTHORITY - Mr. Polis of Colorado asked unanimous consent that, during proceedings today in the House and in the Committee of the Whole, the Chair be authorized to reduce to two minutes the minimum time for electronic voting on any question that otherwise could be subjected to five-minute voting under clause 8 or 9 of rule 20 or under clause 6 of rule 18. Agreed to without objection.

H. Res. 229:
waiving a requirement of clause 6(a) of rule XIII with respect to consideration of certain resolutions reported from the Committee on Rules, and for other purposes

Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 235, H. Res. 229 is laid on the table.

H. Res. 219:
providing for consideration of the joint resolution (H.J.Res. 38) making further continuing appropriations for the fiscal year 2009, and for other purposes

Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 235, H. Res. 219 is laid on the table.

H. Res. 218:
waiving a requirement of clause 6(a) of rule XIII with respect to consideration of certain resolutions reported from the Committee on Rules

Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 235, H. Res. 218 is laid on the table.

H. Res. 235:
providing for consideration of the bill ( H.R. 1262) to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to authorize appropriations for State water pollution control revolving funds, and for other purposes

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

On agreeing to the resolution Agreed to by voice vote.

The previous question was ordered without objection.

10:20 A.M. -
DEBATE - The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H. Res. 235.

Considered as privileged matter.

10:09 A.M. -
ONE MINUTE SPEECHES - The House proceeded with one minute speeches, which by direction of the Chair would be limited to 5 per side of the aisle.

H. Res. 237:
Electing a Member to a certain standing committee of the House of Representatives.

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

On agreeing to the resolution Agreed to by voice vote.

10:08 A.M. -
Considered as privileged matter.

10:06 A.M. -
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE - The Chair designated Mrs. Miller of MI to lead the Members in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.

10:05 A.M. -
The Speaker announced approval of the Journal. Pursuant to clause 1, rule I, the Journal stands approved.

10:01 A.M. -
Today's prayer was offered by the House Chaplain, Rev. Daniel Coughlin.

10:00 A.M. -
The House convened, starting a new legislative day.


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