Reauthorization Bill reaches House Floor for a Vote Tomorrow!

Action Alert: www.parentprojectmd.org/08ReauthHouse

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Permalink Reply by Keith Van Houten on September 23, 2008 at 12:54pm

You can watch the floor vote and debate on CSPAN. If you don't get CSPAN on TV, you can watch a live stream on the internet at www.cspan.org and click on LIVE TV/RADIO.

The House is scheduled to take up 39 suspension bills today, which are listed below and they will probably go in this order. We're number 23. My Congressman's staffer estimates our bill will be taken up around 4 pm today.

Suspensions (39 Bills):

1) H.R. 6984 - The Federal Aviation Administration Extension Act of 2008, Part II (Rep. Oberstar – Transportation and Infrastructure/ Ways and Means)

2) H.Res. __ - Recognizing the 150th anniversary year of the founding of Macy’s, Inc. as an American entrepreneurial success story and the role Macy’s Inc. plays in supporting America’s small businesses and vendors (Rep. Chabot – Small Business)

3) H.R. 5443 - United States-Republic of Korea Defense Cooperation Improvement Act of 2008 (Rep. Royce – Foreign Affairs)

4) H.R. 6646 - To require the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, to provide detailed briefings to Congress on any recent discussions conducted between United States Government and the Government of Taiwan and any potential transfer of defense articles or defense services to the Government of Taiwan (Rep. Ros-Lehtinen – Foreign Affairs)

5) H.Con.Res. 255 - Expressing the sense of Congress regarding the U.S. commitment to preservation of religious and cultural sites and condemning instances where sites are desecrated (Rep. Ferguson – Foreign Affairs)

6) H.Res. 1227 - Condemning sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and calling on the international community to take immediate actions to respond to the violence (Rep. Maloney – Foreign Affairs)

7) H.Res. 1314 - Remembering the 75th anniversary of the Ukrainian Famine of 1932-1933 and extending the deepest sympathies of the House of Representatives to the victims, survivors, and families of this tragedy (Rep. Levin – Foreign Affairs)

8) H.Res. 1402 - Supporting a transition to democracy through free, fair, credible, peaceful, and transparent elections in Bangladesh (Rep. Crowley – Foreign Affairs)

9) H.Res. 1435 - Recognizing the 70th anniversary of the 1938 occurrence of Kristallnacht, The Night of Broken Glass (Rep. Hodes – Foreign Affairs)

10) H.Res. 1451 - Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission Establishment Resolution (Rep. McGovern – Foreign Affairs)

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Permalink Reply by Keith Van Houten on September 23, 2008 at 12:57pm

11) H.Res. 1461 - Recognizing the Tenth Anniversary of the terrorist bombings of the United States embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and the memorializing of the citizens and families of the United States, Kenya and Tanzania whose lives were lost or who were injured as a result of these attacks (Rep. Scott (GA) – Foreign Affairs)

12) H.Con.Res. 371 - Strongly supporting and immediate and just restitution of, or compensation for, property illegally confiscated during the last century by Nazi and Communist regimes (Rep. Wexler – Foreign Affairs)

13) H.Res. 1361 - Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States should lead a high-level diplomatic effort to defeat the campaign by some members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference to divert the United Nation's Durban Review Conference from a review of problems in their own and other countries by attacking Israel, promoting anti-Semitism, and undermining the Universal Charter of Human Rights and to ensure that the Durban Review Conference serves as a forum to review commitments to combat all forms of racism (Rep. Berman – Foreign Affairs)

14) H.Res. 1369 - Recognizing nongovernmental organizations working to bring just and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians (Rep. Lee – Foreign Affairs)

15) H.Con.Res. 374 - Supporting the spirit of peace and desire for unity displayed in the letter from 138 leading Muslim scholars, and in the Pope's response (Rep. Wamp – Foreign Affairs)

16) H.R. 5834 - North Korean Human Rights Reauthorization Act of 2008' (Ros-Lehtinen – Foreign Affairs)

17) H.R. 758 - The Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act of 2007 (Rep. DeLauro – Energy and Commerce)

18) H.R. 6908 - The Health Insurance Source of Injury Clarification Act of 2008 (Rep. Burgess – Energy and Commerce)

19) H.R. 6469 - The Stephanie Tubbs Jones Organ Transplant Authorization Act of 2008 (Rep. DeGette – Energy and Commerce)

20) S. 1760 - The Healthy Start Reauthorization Act of 2007 (Sen. Brown – Energy and Commerce)

21) H.R. 1532 - Comprehensive Tuberculosis Elimination Act of 2007 (Rep. Gene Green (TX) – Energy and Commerce)

22) H.R. 2994 - National Pain Care Policy Act of 2007 (Rep. Capps – Energy and Commerce)

23) H.R. 5265 - Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Community Assistance, Research and Education Amendments of 2008 (Rep. Engel – Energy and Commerce)

More info on today's schedule at: http://www.majorityleader.gov/links_and_resources/whip_resources/da...

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Permalink Reply by Jennifer Shumsky on September 23, 2008 at 5:33pm

As of right now they appear to only be on #13, HR 1361 and it's 4:30 CST....I think it's going to be a long night until they get to us

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Permalink Reply by Keith Van Houten on September 23, 2008 at 8:12pm

8:10 PM eastern, they're on number 20...

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Permalink Reply by Gail D. McVicker on September 23, 2008 at 8:33pm

Jennifer Shumsky said:

As of right now they appear to only be on #13, HR 1361 and it's 4:30 CST....I think it's going to be a long night until they get to us

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Permalink Reply by Keith Van Houten on September 23, 2008 at 8:40pm

Gail, your messages aren't coming through. Try using the "Reply to This" at the very bottom of the page and then typing your message.

Do you understand what just happened?

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Permalink Reply by Gail D. McVicker on September 23, 2008 at 8:41pm

I don't understand how this works regarding the quorum -- first Rep. Pallone said to go ahead without a quarum -- it looked like the "ayes" had it and then Rep. Burgess (who also supported it) said to further pospone because there was no quorum. Can someone explain this to me? It sounded like the "ayes" had it without the quorum unless that isn't allowed -- and if it isn't why did they bother to go through the motions? .

Jennifer Shumsky said:

As of right now they appear to only be on #13, HR 1361 and it's 4:30 CST....I think it's going to be a long night until they get to us

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Permalink Reply by Gail D. McVicker on September 23, 2008 at 8:45pm

I don't understand what is going on regarding the quorum -- both Reps (Pallone and Burgess) supported H.R. 5265. Pallone requested to proceed without a quorum and did. Seemed like the "ayes" had it (heard no "nays") and then Burgess requested to postpone because there wasn't a quorum. Does that mean it is tabled? (I've never watched C-Span before).

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Permalink Reply by Keith Van Houten on September 23, 2008 at 8:45pm

I'm asking myself the same question. Burgess is objecting to every bill for lack of a quorum. I thought ours might be different, since he was a cosponsor. If he's going to object for lack of a quorum, why don't they just go home?

I just sent an email to one of the guys at Cornerstone, and my Congressman's health LA. Maybe one of them has a Blackberry and we'll get an answer tonight. I'll let you know if I get a reply.

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Permalink Reply by Keith Van Houten on September 23, 2008 at 8:55pm

Got a note back from my Congressman's Health LA on this quorum thing.

"Passage is just delayed til tomorrow, its a standard procedure thing they do at night. Should pass by voice vote, or possibly a recorded vote some time tomorrow."

I think we're good !!!

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Permalink Reply by Gail D. McVicker on September 23, 2008 at 9:04pm

Thanks for providing this information, Keith -- it is a real eye-opener. Any idea when this will be scheduled tomorrow?
Gail

Keith said:

Got a note back from my Congressman's Health LA on this quorum thing.

"Passage is just delayed til tomorrow, its a standard procedure thing they do at night. Should pass by voice vote, or possibly a recorded vote some time tomorrow."

I think we're good !!!

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Permalink Reply by Keith Van Houten on September 23, 2008 at 10:54pm

No, he didn't say. There won't be any additional debate, but I think that members can add comments to the record for 5 days - they seemed to say something to that effect when they introduced each bill.

Tomorrow it would go to a voice vote, unless someone called for a roll call.

Then it's on to the Senate.... There's special options there for getting a quick vote on a bill also, hopefully that will happen.