▶ 0:21:24go. The committee will please come to order. A quorum is present. Without objection, the chair is authorized to declare recess at any time. Pursuant to committee rule 5B and House rule 11 clause two, the chair may postpone further proceedings today on the question of approving any measure or matter adopting an amendment on which a recorded vote or the yays and nays are ordered. The committee will continue to use electronic system for recorded votes and amendments and passage of the bills before the committee.
▶ 0:21:52Of course, should any technical issues arise which I do not anticipate, we will immediately transition to traditional roll call votes. Any procedural or motion related votes during today's markup will be dispensed with by traditional roll call vote. Our next item for consideration is HR 3490, the esophical cancer awareness act.
▶ 0:22:16Uh will the clerk please report HR 3490, the esophageal cancer awareness act to require the government accountability office to produce a report on esophageal cancer for other purposes. Without objection, the bill should be considered as read and open for amendment at any point. Without objection, so ordered. The chair recognizes himself to offer an amendment the nature of a substitute. The clerk will please designate the amendment. An amendment in the nature of a substitute. HR3490 is offered by Mr. Comr of Kentucky.
▶ 0:22:42Without objection, the amendment is considered as read and the substitute will be considered as original text for the purposes of further amendment. I now recognize myself for five minutes for an opening statement. Today, we lost a true Jerry Connley was a father, a husband, a friend, and a lifelong public servant that dedicated his life to his constituents, his community, and his country. I'm deeply saddened to learn about his passing.
▶ 0:23:10From the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to 16 years in the US House of Representatives, Jerry Connley was a devoted public servant for Virginia's 11th congressional district. In Congress, Jerry Connley was a friend to many of us. He was steadfast in fighting for what he believed in, but he always committed to bipartisanship where he thought we could agree.
▶ 0:23:35Over his tenure on this committee, I'm proud to say we co-sponsored eight bills together, including the Mail Traffic Deaths Reporting Act, the Fed Ramp Authorization Act, and the Federal AI Governance and Transparency Act. And I know I'm not alone in that. Many of the Republican committee colleagues found Jerry Connley to be a partner and a friend. Esophagal cancer is one of the deadliest and fastest growing cancer diagnosis among Americans today.
▶ 0:24:01The symptoms are often overlooked or misdiagnosed, leading to late detection and limited treatment options. I'm proud to have joined ranking member Jerry Connley in co-sponsoring the Esophical Cancer Awareness Act. And I have an amendment at the desk to rename this bill the Gerald E. Connley Sophocle Cancer Awareness Act. I now yield to the ranking member for his statement. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for your your kind words on behalf of our friend.
▶ 0:24:31Thank you for the the courtesy of of renaming this bill in in Jerry's memory. Our ranking member Connley lived his life serving others and making our country a better place. He was a steadfast advocate of the disadvantaged and voiceless. And he stood up for what was right and just.
▶ 0:24:56Jerry was a skilled legislator, a statesman here in Congress, as well as our congressional representative to NATO. To the very end, Jerry was all about the work before us. I'm sure he would want to tell everyone here to continue fighting like hell to stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves, defend the rights of every American and bring accountability and transparency to power.
▶ 0:25:26Jerry was the epitome of a public servant and he will be deeply missed. It is our job now to continue his fight in his memory. Our prayers are with his wife Kathy and his daughter Caitlyn Rose, his sister Rosemary, Judge Rosemary Connley of Massachusetts. May he remember, May he be remembered in our prayers. I yield back. Ranking member yields back.
▶ 0:25:55Uh does any other member wish to be heard? Seeing none, uh our chair recognized Mr. Christian Morte from Illinois. Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you for your very kind words about our our dear friend.
▶ 0:26:13When I first entered Congress, I I told him uh when I introduced myself in Illinois, um I said, "Hi, my name is Raja Krishna Morphy." And someone said to me, "Roger Christian Murphy." And I told him that. And from that moment, we became uh fast friends because he was very proud of his Irish ancestry. And um he was one of the funniest members of Congress.
▶ 0:26:43Always had a quip, always had a a joke, always could shed light in a serious moment. He's a great man. Thank you. Thank you. Any other members seek recognition? Yes, Mr. to Ron. Yeah, I just want to echo um my condolences to Congressman Conny's family.
▶ 0:27:05Uh Congressman Connelly was a friend and a mentor and he's a titan in Virginia. I mean, he's been a leader for so long from back when he was chair of Board of Supervisors in in Fairfax County. And uh you know, even though he has passed, his work, his spirit, um his everything about him will live on and certainly he mentored so many of us in the Virginia delegation.
▶ 0:27:35I mean I remember when I came to this committee uh you know he he gave me such great advice on on how to be a good member of Congress uh not just here in the legislative body but also to our constituents back home. Uh he taught his staff uh to go the extra mile for their constituents, make the extra call, and uh even when he um you know sparred with the other side, he still found ways to work collaboratively in a bipartisan way.
▶ 0:28:03And he he really passed on a lot of um great um advice to me, but also just um his spirit I think will live in all of us. And so I'm so sad to to um have him leave us, but I and my heart goes out to his family and and the entire staff here on the oversight committee. I know we'll miss him and and the entire committee will as well.
▶ 0:28:27Um but um I also want to thank him and his family um for all that they've done for our country and just know that we will all continue that work moving forward. And I thank the chairman for naming this important bill after Congressman Connelly. So I yield back. Thank you. Yields back. Any other members seek recognition? M Mr. Rank member. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. You know, when we think about Jerry's legacy, uh when I think about it, uh it really is embodied by his staff.
▶ 0:28:58Uh Jerry has some long member long long-standing and longerving uh staff members. uh Colin Davenport and and Jamie Smith among others. I I thank both those gentlemen uh served with Jerry uh in his office and and on committee staff for over 17 years and uh he was enormously proud proud of his staff. Every single person on his staff. Uh he he he bragged on them and rightfully so.
▶ 0:29:28uh they they are the best and uh that that is really part of his living legacy, the team that he put together in in this office. Uh, and I just remember I I just re recall just two of the longest serving, but uh there were many that uh that worked here uh with him and have moved on to other other pursuits.
▶ 0:29:49But uh just want to thank them for their wonderful wonderful support of Jerry uh throughout the years and especially and especially in these these last months when uh that that support that guidance uh and those prayers were deeply felt. Thank you and I yield back. Gentlemen yields back. Any other members seek to recognition? Seeing none, I now recognize myself for the purpose of offering an amendment. Uh madam clerk, I have an amendment at the desk.
▶ 0:30:19Amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR 3490 is offered Mr. Comr of Kentucky. Without objection, the amendment is considered as read. I reserve point of order. I recognize myself. Uh this is the uh amendment to rename the bill after Jerry Connley. And again, I can't say enough about how much respect I had for Jerry Connley. He was a he was a good guy. He was somebody that was here for the right reasons and cared deeply about his district.
▶ 0:30:49uh we disagreed a lot on policy, but I never uh questioned his sincerity or or truthfulness or uh his his knowledge of the issues. He was a he was a great member and I enjoyed working with him and this was the very last piece of legislation that he and I talked about. We had a list of some bipartisan bills.
▶ 0:31:08We'd passed bills in the past together and uh this was something obviously in the last two or three weeks he was very very interested in and u I'm uh very honored to offer an amendment to rename this bill uh rightfully after Jerry Connley. I yield back. Does any other member seek chair recognizer ranking member to speak on the amendment? Sure. I I think this is a fitting one one of the fitting tributes to to Jerry.
▶ 0:31:37uh he has always been a a champion on behalf of uh health services and and uh health care uh especially for federal employees. Uh as you know, Jerry, I believe, has the distinction of having more federal employees in his district than any other. And uh he was valiantly uh in their service uh throughout his career here in Congress.
▶ 0:32:05And uh I think this is a fitting tribute. You Jerry and I sat about 18 inches apart for this past 20 20 some odd years. So uh we traveled together did a lot of codell's. I got elected on September 11th, the day of the attacks uh on on this country and uh and Jerry and I uh partnered up on a lot of the oversight responsibilities uh that emerged from that day uh traveling to Iraq and Afghanistan.
▶ 0:32:36Uh Jerry was our our lead uh in our dialogue with NATO uh for for many years and uh he he embodied the complete legislator. He he was indeed there are politicians and there are statesmen. Jerry Jerry was a statesman. He took that job so seriously and uh for all the right reasons and was a wonderful reflection.
▶ 0:33:05Uh many times during the Munich Security Conference, we would stop in in Brussels and and Jerry would be working on behalf of of this country, on behalf of Congress, and he was such a wonderful reflection of of democracy and of the ideals of this country in that international body. He did that work quietly but relentlessly and we are forever in his debt.
▶ 0:33:35Thank you and I yield back. Gman yields back. Uh chair recognizes Richard Garcia from California. Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman. I first I want to um echo everything that uh was just was just said um by by Mr. Lynch. Uh Mr. Chairman, I also want, of course, to support uh this bill, but I also want to take a moment to recognize um the tragic news we got this morning. Uh my heart goes out to ranking member Connelly, his family, and his team at this awful moment.
▶ 0:34:03Uh Jerry, of course, was a mentor to I think all of us on the oversight committee, uh a dedicated public servant, a fighter, and certainly someone who really believed in the power of government. Um he uh had shared with me his experience, of course, as a county executive and his work that he did uh even prior to getting to Congress. And I think as a champion for federal workers, this really makes sense. I think all of us of course pray for his family and his friends and certainly um his presence here in Congress will be missed but always remembered. And so with that, I yield back.
▶ 0:34:33Gentleman yields back. Any other members seek recognition? Uh seeing none, the question is now on the amendment offered by uh myself. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. All those opposed signify by saying no. In the opinion of chair, the eyes have it and the amendment is to. Do I go on to this? The question is now on the amendment in the nature of a substitute. All those in favor signify by saying I. I.
▶ 0:35:02All those opposed signify by saying no. In the opinion of the chair, the eyes have it. The amendment is agreed to. The question is now on favorably reporting HR 3490 as amended. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. All those opposed signify by saying no. In the opinion of the chair, the eyes have it and the bill. Yes. A recorded vote is ordered as previously announced. Further proceedings on the question will be postponed.
▶ 0:35:32Our next item for consideration is HR 2409, the guidance clarity act. The clerk will please designate the bill. HR2409, a bill to require a guidance clarity statement on certain agency guidance and for other purposes. Without objection, the bill should be considered as read and open for amendment at any point. Without objection to order, the chair recognizes himself to offer an amendment in the nature of substitute. The clerk, please designate the amendment. An amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR2409 is offered by Mr. Comr of Kentucky.
▶ 0:36:01Without objection, the amendment is considered as read and the substitute will be considered as original text for the purposes of further amendment. I now recognize myself for five minutes for a statement on the bill and amendment. The guidance clarity act is an important reform that clarifies what agency regulatory guidance is and what it is not. Agency guidance plays a key role in the federal regulatory system. Often it is unclear how federal statutes or regulations will be administered by a federal agency.
▶ 0:36:31Agency guidance is important to help small businesses and individual households understand how federal agencies will carry out the law and implement programs. These entities typically cannot afford high-priced attorneys to help them understand all the legal nuances that apply to them. So when an agency issues guidance to clarify an issue that helps to avoid unnecessary expense, but and this is a critical distinction, agency guidance is not the law itself.
▶ 0:36:58However, federal agencies sometimes use guidance documents to intimidate entities into compliance with agency views. Other times, they try to evade the Administrative Procedure Act's Congressional Review requirements for issuing binding rules by cleverly slipping what they intend to be rules into guidance documents. Agencies have even been known to threaten enforcement action based on mere guidance.
▶ 0:37:22Recognizing the problem, the first Trump administration's Justice Department issued a formal policy and adopted regulations to prevent its lawyers from bringing such enforcement actions based merely on guidance documents. Unfortunately, President Biden's Justice Department rescended the policy and related regulations. So once again, the threat of abuse became a reality for Americans.
▶ 0:37:47HR2409 solves this problem by requiring regulatory guidance documents to stipulate that they do not have the force and effect of law. With that simple addition, agencies will no longer be able to intimidate regulated parties, unfairly threaten enforcement actions, or impose rules disguised as agency guidance. But agencies will certainly still be free to issue guidance documents to help regulated entities understand how agencies intend to administer the law.
▶ 0:38:16I want to thank Rep. Jared Golden and Donald Davis for their bipartisan co-sponsorship. And I especially want to thank Representative Eric Berles, the bill sponsor, for reintroducing the bill, this Congress, and working to ensure this bipartisan reform is enacted in law. I now recognize ranking member Connley. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh, Mr. Mr.
▶ 0:38:38Chairman, HR 2409 would require all guidance statements uh to explicitly state on the first page that it does not have the force of law. Uh making federal regulatory guidance clearer is a desirable goal, but this bill may have the effect of confusing entities that have to implement federal regulation using the guidance that is provided. Although agency issued guidance to the public does not literally have the force of law.
▶ 0:39:08Stating this on every piece of guidance would be tremendously confusing and I believe misleading particularly for all the statutory programs and regimes that rely on a combination of statute and implementing guidance in the real world to function properly. For example, we do not place a disclaimer on stop signs to say this stop sign does not have the force of law.
▶ 0:39:32that could lead to a lot of people running stop signs and having accidents, then denying responsibility for their actions because the disclaimer told them not to worry about it. Similarly, this legislation would furnish regulated entities many more opportunities to escape the law and to bring frivolous suits over agency guidance with the inevitable result that agencies would be unable to hold polluters accountable, protect workers safety, and ensure that the public has access to health, safety, and food.
▶ 0:40:02For the reasons for those reasons, I strongly oppose this bill in its current form. I yield back. Gentleman yields back. Chair now recognizes the sponsor of the bill and subcommittee chairman Berles from Missouri. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and members of the committee. I'm here to urge you to support the guidance clarity act HR2409. This is a bipartisan bill.
▶ 0:40:24It ensures transparency and fairness by requiring federal agencies to clearly state on each guidance document and I quote, "The contents of this document do not have the force and effect of law and do not of themselves bind the public or the agency in any way. This document is intended only to provide clarity to the public regarding existing requirements under the law or agency policies. This bill is about clarity.
▶ 0:40:51Agency guidance plays a vital role in helping the public understand how agencies interpret law and policies. But too often the agencies abuse this tool. They issue guidance that in intimidates small businesses and individuals into compliance, sometimes under the threat of enforcement. Many lack the legal resources to know what guidance is not that it's not binding and they feel forced to comply with what's merely an agency's opinion.
▶ 0:41:21How is that transparent or fair? This bill will fix this. It also it's also about accountability. Agencies have been known to skirt the Administrative Procedures Act requirements for issuing binding rules by slipping so-called nonrule rules into guidance documents. Courts have struck down these tactics, but the problem persists.
▶ 0:41:44During President Trump's first term, the Justice Department took steps to prevent enforcement based on guidance alone, but those protections were rescended under President Biden. The threat of abuse is real and it undermines the trust in our government. The guidance clarity act closes it by ensuring that guidance cannot be mistaken for something that lawmaker people that were actually elected lawmakers passed as law.
▶ 0:42:11Finally, this bill is about protecting small businesses and ordinary Americans who often can't afford legal teams to challenge agency overreach. They deserve to know in plain language that guidance is just that, guidance, not a mandate. This bill empowers them to push back without fear or of unfair enforcement. Members of the committee, this is a straightforward solution to a real problem.
▶ 0:42:35It promotes transparency, upholds the rule of law, and protects those who can least afford to navigate the bureaucratic overreach. Last Congress, the oversight committee favorably reported an identical version of this bill. And let's so let's build on that momentum and I urge my colleagues to support the bill. Thank you. I yield back. Gentleman yields back. Thank you for your leadership, Mr. Ber on this bill. Chair recognizes uh Miss Norton from Washington DC. Sorry. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield to Mr. Lynch.
▶ 0:43:05I thank the gentle lady. Let's be clear. I mean, if you really think that this is clarification by by putting this statement on on each guidance, have you ever taken a bill that we pass and try to read it?
▶ 0:43:25Especially when it refers to maybe a halfozen other bills that we have passed in in previous congresses, it's complete gobbledegook when you read the statue. When you read the statute, it is totally confounding. You can't put five sentences together to come up with a a a lucid thought when you read it. To suggest that a a business owner, a small business owner, Mr.
▶ 0:43:53Chairman, would go to the statute and try to figure out what the hell Congress intended is is lunacy. Look at some of the bills that we pass here. Read the read the text. It's incomprehensible. It doesn't make sense at all.
▶ 0:44:16The guidance is there as a synthesis of what congressional intent is on that piece of legislation. It actually helps to to translate the the complex legalistic statutory language that that Congress has enacted. It it it allows it allows that small business owner to act in compliance with that statute.
▶ 0:44:44and and and I I I I I totally get the gentleman's point that sometimes a a particular agency might go a field of of of the of the guidance or or might misstate the guidance and and we challenge that on occasion when we believe that that Congress congressional intent is excuse me congressional intent is not being followed that that becomes a matter for the courts because they they
▶ 0:45:14read the statute, they look at the guidance and and sometimes sometimes which happened recently in financial services uh there there's a a direct order to to modify the guidance. That's what they did with the SEC. They changed the guidance for banks on on on So I get the I get the spirit of the gentleman's bill and it's and it's been here before. I think Mr. Palmer was was a sponsor in previous congresses. I so I get that.
▶ 0:45:44But uh to to disavow or to discount the value of of that that guidance I think creates great confusion. It it it undermines the rule of law. It undermines the rule of law. It does not it does not assist the rule of law or clarify the rule of law.
▶ 0:46:07It creates confusion and and doubt in terms of in terms of how we conduct ourselves in this society. Right?
▶ 0:46:21The laws in this country are the software of our It embodies rights and ideals and and provides recourse for those who feel that that their rights of freedom, the freedom to contract, uh private property, all those elements that that make us Americans.
▶ 0:46:47This would be corrosive, I believe, to that effort to maintain the rule of law at a very time when we we need it so desperately. uh you know as members of this congre members of this committee know you know we in our oversight responsibility we travel frequently to to failed states whether it's Afghanistan or Iraq or uh Somalia we've been to all those places time and time again and one of the
▶ 0:47:18uh elements of a failed state is that they lack a an adherence to the rule of law and in many cases they lack an independent judiciary. Um, so I I think I think this type of of confusion of of diluting the force of law by dismissive dismissive language on guidance will will harm adherence
▶ 0:47:49to the rule of law. Will it it will damage the respect for the rule of law by adding frivolous language uh to the guidance that means to interpret that very law. With that, Mr. Chairman, I I yield back. Gentleman yields back. Do any other members wish to be heard? The question is now on the amendment in the nature of a substitute. All those in favor signify by saying I.
▶ 0:48:19I. All those opposed signify by saying no. No. In the opinion of the chair, the eyes have it. The amendment is agreed to. Request a recorded vote. Uh, pursuant to house rules, further proceedings on this measure will be postponed. I think he will withdraw. I'll withdraw that request. The ranking member Lynch withdraws. The question is now in favorably reporting HR 2409 as amended. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. All those opposed signify by saying no.
▶ 0:48:50No. In the opinion chair, the eyes have it and the bill is ordered U now I requested vote. A recurreded vote is ordered as previously announced. Further proceedings on the question will be postponed. Our next item for consideration is HR67 modernizing retrospective regulatory review act. The clerk will please designate the bill. HR67 the modernizing retrospective regulatory review act.
▶ 0:49:14A bill to require the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, OIRA, to issue guidance for using technology to rec retrospectively review existing federal regulations and in consultation with relevant agencies, report on the progress of the federal government in making agency regulations available in a machine readable format. Without objection, the bill should be considered as read and open for amending point. Without objection to order, the chair recognized himself to offer an amendment in the nature of substitute. The clerk please ask amendment. An amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR67 as offered by Mr. Homer of Kentucky.
▶ 0:49:45Without objection, the amendment is considered as read and the substitute will be considered as regional text for the purpose of further amendment. I now recognize the sponsor of the bill, Representative Bigs from Arizona for 5 minutes. Thank Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you for taking up this bill today. Uh I support obviously my bill HR67, the modernizing retrospective regulatory review act. This bill builds on President Trump's deregulatory agenda, which is to cut red tape, restore accountability, and put American businesses first.
▶ 0:50:12Under his leadership, we've seen how progrowth policies lift burdens and unleash opportunity. HR67 carries that mission forward. American businesses must be free to grow without being buried under outdated, duplicative rules from the DC swamp. Thousands of regulations stack up every year and agencies lack the tools to clear them out. President Trump understands this. That's why R67 matters.
▶ 0:50:35It brings in modern tools like artificial intelligence to help agencies identify obsolete or conflicting rules faster and more efficiently. I also want to highlight support from the Administrative Conference of the United States, which is an independent agency that advises the president, Congress, and federal agencies on improving administrative process. and I ask unanimous consent to enter into the record a letter from the office of the chairman of the administrative conference of the United States which highlights the ACUs recommendations that are included in my bill.
▶ 0:51:05Without objection, it's ordered. Thank you. HR67 saves taxpayer dollars, cuts red tape, and clears a path for American job creators. I urge my colleagues to support it. And uh with that, Mr. Chairman, I'll yield back. Gentleman yields back. Chair now recognizes uh Mr. Lynch for five minutes. Um thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I cannot accept the uh current form of this bill. I cannot support it.
▶ 0:51:30The bill would require the administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs at the Office of Management and Budget to issue a report within six months on the progress of the federal government in making regulations available in a machine readable format. This is a laudable goal.
▶ 0:51:48However, the bill would also require the administrator to to issue guidance we go with guidance within one year on how agencies can use technology to identify through retrospective review of regulation typographical errors and inaccurate cross references. These are reasonable steps to help modernize the regulatory process.
▶ 0:52:10However, the bill adds ownorous new requirements for the agencies to submit detailed plans for which regulations they plan to retrospectively review and to implement those plans beginning 6 months after they are submitted. The bill also creates an open open-ended authority giving agency heads the discretion to review regulations when such review is not required by statute.
▶ 0:52:36So when we compare the previous bill which undermined undermined guidance, this adds a layer of of guidance, further confusing the the overall intent of of Congress in the statute. This could be a dangerous tool in the wrong hands and allow for more resources being used on reviewing rules than actually writing those rules.
▶ 0:53:06which I suspect would please the author of this bill. I have a letter from the Coalition for Sensible Safeguards that addresses these issues and I ask unanimous consent to include it in the record. Without objection, so ordered. With that, Mr. Chairman, I I yield back. Gentlemen yields back. I now recognize myself to speak in favor of uh Representative Bigsville. As the regulatory state grows, Congress must ensure agencies review the regulations that currently exist.
▶ 0:53:33Many agencies are already required to engage in periodic retrospective review. Retrospective review helps agencies decide if the current regs impacting the lives of American businesses and consumers need to be revisited. Modern technology, including AI, has the potential to make these agency reviews more efficient and cost-effective and can also improve the accuracy of final assessments. The modernizing retrospective regulatory review act requires the office of management budget to issue guidance on how agencies can use modern technology in the retrospective review process.
▶ 0:54:03Agencies are then required to develop a strategy for how to implement the guidance. Agencies must also identify all regulations that would benefit uh from retrospective review and not just those they are required to review. Each of these requirements in HR67 align with the recommendations from the Administrative Conference of the US, whose mission is to improve federal agency processes to make them fairer and more efficient.
▶ 0:54:26These recommendations are non-controversial and nonpartisan, and they reflect the House Oversight Committee's commitment to meaningful oversight of the federal government's growing regulatory state. I encourage my colleagues to support the bigs bill that ra that increases efficiency and fairness within our federal government's regulatory review process. I want to thank Eddie Biggs for introducing this legislation and I yield back. Any other members seek recognition?
▶ 0:54:53Seeing none, the question is now on the amendment, the nature of a substitute. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. All those opposed say no. In the opinion of the chairs, the eyes have it and the amendment is agreed to. The question is now in favor of reporting HR67 as amended. All those in favor signify by saying I. All those opposed signify by saying no. No. In the opinion of the chair, the eyes have it and the bill is ordered favorably amended. Chairman, I like a recorded vote is ordered.
▶ 0:55:23As previously announced, further proceedings on the question will postponed. Our next item for consideration is HR 689, the Free Act. The clerk will please designate the bill. HR689, the free act, a bill to require each agency to evaluate the permitting system of an agency to consider whether permitting by rule could replace that system and further purposes. Without objection, the bill shall be considered as read and open for amendment at any point. Without objection, so ordered. The chair recognized himself to offer an amendment in the nature of substitute. The clerk, please activate the amendment.
▶ 0:55:52An amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR689 is offered by Mr. Comr, Kentucky. Without objection, the amendment is considered as read and substitute will be considered as original text for the purposes of further amendment. I now recognize myself for 5 minutes on statement on the bill and amendment. HR 689, the full responsibility and expedited enforcement act or free act provides desperately needed reform in federal permitting. Federal permitting has been far too slow for far too long.
▶ 0:56:17Just ask former President Obama who learned that many projects during his presidency were never shovel ready. or look to projects that were supposed to be permitted in the wake of CO 19 but were bogged down by bureaucratic review. The free act promises relief for all permit applicants whether for infrastructure, home construction, critical minerals mining, farming, ranching, building out domestic manufacturing capabilities or a host of other worthy activities.
▶ 0:56:44The bill takes a proven permit streamlining concept permitting by rule and pushes its adoption governmentwide across all types of permitting. Permitting by rule is a process in which the government establishes the conditions an applicant needs to meet to qualify for a permit and then allows applicants to obtain a permit by certifying that they meet these conditions. This process saves times and reduces administrative burden. This bill allows agencies to provide permits for common activities using the permitting by rule process.
▶ 0:57:12Further, HR689 requires that useless that I'm sorry, HR689 requires that unless the agency has made a final approval decision, an application for permit under the permitting by rule process uh be automatically granted within 180 days if the application contains an adequate certification of the requirements.
▶ 0:57:33This legislation also requires agencies to advise permit applicants of any deficiencies in their applications for coverage under permit rule according applicants and opportunity to supply corrections to avoid denial or of coverage. In summary, the free act creates a powerful incentive for agencies to do their job to review permit applications within the f the required time period and issue and issue decisions up or down on whether applicants get their permits. I want to thank Representative Malloy for her leadership on the issue.
▶ 0:58:01I urge my colleagues to support this important and sensible reform legislation. I now yield to ranking member Lynch. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, federal agency review permit applications required for different types of projects including infrastructure, transportation, energy, and mining.
▶ 0:58:20The agencies consider important factors such as whether a project is in the public interest, whether it would pollute our air and water and when relevant whether it would be a good use of our public lands. The full responsibility and expedited enforcement act or free act is not a regulatory relief measure but it would free corporations to pollute our waters and lands for oil, gas and mining projects.
▶ 0:58:49The permit reform embodied in this free act would strip agencies of the ability to do a proper review of essentially any permit applications that they receive on a case-bycase basis. The agencies would have to create processes that would lead to categorical approval of permits if applicants meet basic limited threshold standards.
▶ 0:59:13This attack on public permitting review includes additional provisions that would favor corporate applicants over the expertise of the civil servants who work to protect our lands and access to clean air and clean water. For example, the bill would free an applicant to skip over the administrative appeal process and immediately sue the federal government in US District Court if a permit is denied or if a permit holder's action is restricted due to non-compliance with permit requirements.
▶ 0:59:44The bill also shifts the burden of proof onto the agency to show that an applicant did not meet the already limited standards rather than requiring an applicant to prove that it did meet those standards. The bill further empowers corporate polluters and discourages federal enforcement actions by requiring federal agencies to pay for the attorney's fees of a permit holder or applicant that prevails under the completely skewed legal conditions provided under this bill.
▶ 1:00:14Perhaps most alarmingly, this permit by rule system would eliminate any opportunity for the public to weigh in on permit applications through a notice and comment period. These are the people we for. I have a quickly growing city, the city of Boston, city of Quinsey, city of Brockton in my district.
▶ 1:00:37And right now under that permit process, there is a there is an opportunity for neighbors in a butters and and impacted communities to be involved. This bill would prevent the communities who would be directly affected by permitting pro permitting projects from having their voices heard when their land could be taken or their water or air polluted.
▶ 1:01:02I strongly encourage my colleagues to vote no on this bill and maintain federal agency's ability to thoroughly review permit applications to ensure that all proper measures are taken to protect our lands, air, and water under the rule of law. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back. Do any other members seek recognition? none, the question is now on the amendment in the nature of a substitute. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. All those opposed say no. No.
▶ 1:01:30In the opinion of the chair, the eyes have it and the amendment is agreed to. Oh, that's okay. The question is now Never mind. Question is now on favorably reporting. HR 689 is amended. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. All those opposed signify by saying no. No. In the opinion of the chair of the eyes have it and the bill is ordered. Favorably reported. Chairman. A recorded vote is ordered. As previously announced, further proceedings on the question will be postponed.
▶ 1:01:59Our next item for consideration is HR884 to prohibit individuals who are not citizens of the United States from voting in elections in the District of Columbia and to repeal the Local Resident Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2022. The clerk will please designate the bill HR884 to prohibit individuals who are not citizens of the United States from voting in elections in the District of Columbia and to repeal the local resident voting rights amendment act of 2012. Without objection, the bill should be considered as read and open for amendment. Any point without objections toward the chair recognize himself to offer an amendment in the nature of substitute.
▶ 1:02:29The clerk please the amendment. An amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR884 as offered by Mr. Comr of Kentucky. I recognize myself for 5 minutes. On November 21st, 2022, the DC government enacted the Local Resident Voting Rights Amendment Act, permitting noncitizen residents to vote in local DC elections. This includes illegal immigrants and even foreign diplomats whose interests may be opposed to the interest of Americans.
▶ 1:02:55This radical change to DC's election laws upset lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. DC Mayor Browser would tell her signature on the act, something she has done only a handful of And last Congress when an identical bill was brought to the floor, 262 members voted in favor, including chairman 52 Unfortunately, the Senate refused to take up this bipartisan common sense bill to maintain election integrity in our nation's capital.
▶ 1:03:24The right to vote is a defining privilege of American citizenship. Diluting that right to its noncitizen, whether here legally or illegally, undermines the voice of DC residents. Article one of the Constitution grants Congress exclusive jurisdiction over the nation's capital and the House Oversight Committee is charged with ensuring responsible governance in the district, including its election laws.
▶ 1:03:47I urge my colleagues to support Representative Fluger's bill to restore common sense protections and ensure that only US citizens have the right to vote in local DC elections. Mr. I now recognize Miss Norton. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I strongly oppose this undemocratic paternalistic bill. I ask unanimous consent to submit into the record a letter from the council of the District of Columbia opposing this bill. Without objection to order.
▶ 1:04:14Last Congress, Republicans introduced 14 bills or amendments to prohibit nonitizens from voting in DC or to repeal, nullify or pro prohibit the carrying out of DC's law that permits noncitizens to vote.
▶ 1:04:34Yet, Republicans refuse to make the only election law change DC has asked Congress to make, which is the right to elections for voting members of the House and Senate. I want to discuss democracy or lack thereof in DC. DC has no voting representation in Congress and Congress has the ultimate say on local matters.
▶ 1:05:05While Congress has the authority to legislate on local DC matters, it is not required to do so. In in Federalist 43, James Madison said of DC residents, uh, quote, uh, a munic legislature for local purposes derived from their own suffrages will of course be allowed them. Close quote.
▶ 1:05:32The Supreme Court held in 1953 that quote there is no constitutional barrier to the delegation by Congress uh to the District of Columbia of full legislative power. End quote. DC's local legislature has three has 13 members.
▶ 1:05:58If DC residents do not like how the members vote, residents can vote them out or pass a ballot measure. That is called democracy. Congress has 533 voting members. None are elected by DC residents. If DC residents do not like how members vote on local matters, residents cannot vote them out.
▶ 1:06:27that is the antithesis of democracy. The substance of HR uh of of uh 84 is irrelevant since there is never justification for Congress uh to legislate on local DC matters. However, I will briefly discuss it.
▶ 1:06:52While DC's local voting rights amendment act allows non-citizens to vote only in local DC elections, non-citizen voting at every level of government has been part of the history of the United States since its founding. 40 states have allowed nonitizens to vote.
▶ 1:07:17Nearly 20 cities today allow non-citizens to vote in local elections and Congress only first prohibited non-citizens from voting in federal elections 29 years ago. I will close with a plea to Republicans.
▶ 1:07:36Pass the bipartisan DC local funds act to reverse the $1 billion cut in the continuing resolution made to the local DC budget. That bill has held back at the desk of the house since the Senate passed it nine weeks ago and I yield back. Gentle lady yields back. Any other members seek recognition? Chair recognizes ranking member Lynch. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 1:08:05Before I discuss HR84, I must note that today marks 9 weeks since the Senate passed the bipartisan District of Columbia Local Funds Act of 2025, which would undo the $1 billion cut to the DC local budget in the House Republican drafted fiscal year 2025 fullyear continuing resolution.
▶ 1:08:27The Republicanled Senate understood immediately the cuts harms and passed the DC Local Funds Act within hours of its introduction by Republican Senator Susan Collins, the chair of the Committee on Appropriations in the Senate. On March 28th, President Trump called on the House to pass the DC Local Funds Act immediately. Yet, Speaker Johnson said last week that the House been the House has been too busy to act on it.
▶ 1:08:53Though the House found time two weeks ago to rename the Gulf of Mexico, the DC local budget consists entirely of revenue raised by DC. It's their local tax, which is why the Congressional Budget Office concluded the DC Local Funds Act would have quote no effect on the federal budget close quote. For the last two decades, Congress allowed DC to spend under its current local budget for the duration of every continuing resolution.
▶ 1:09:21However, the fiscal year 2025 fullear CR forced DC to revert to its fiscal year 2024 local budget. Compounding the harm, DC will have to implement the cut with only four months remaining in the fiscal year. DC may have to lay off or furlow employees, close government facilities, and reduce critical services. I call on Speaker Johnson to bring the DC Local Funds Act to the floor immediately and to end this sabotage.
▶ 1:09:52I will turn to HR 884. I oppose the bill because DC should be free to govern its own local affairs. DC's local residents voting rights amendment act of 2022 allows non-citizens to vote only in local elections, namely for mayor, members of the city council, state board of education, attorney general, advisory, neighborhood commissions, and ballot measures. I thought Republicans believed in local control of local affairs.
▶ 1:10:21Regardless of one's view on the merits of non-citizen voting, we must acknowledge that DC is not the first or only jurisdiction to permit it. At various points in American history, Congress and 40 states have allowed non-citizens to vote in local, state, territorial, and federal elections. In fact, every state except one represented by Republicans on this committee has allowed non-citizens to vote, including the home state of the chairman and the sponsor of H HR884.
▶ 1:10:52Today, approximately 20 municipalities permit non-citizens to vote in local local elections. This committee is considering the wrong legislation relating to DC elections. Instead, as the representative, as the delegate for DC has pointed out, it should be considering HR51, the DC statehood bill, which would give more than 700,000 DC residents voting representation in Congress and full home rule. With that, Mr.
▶ 1:11:21Chairman, I yield back. Gentlemen yields back. Any other members seek recognition? Seeing none, the question is now on the amendment in the nature of a substitute. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. All those opposed signify by saying no. No. In the opinion of the chair. The noses have it. The amendments agreed to. The question is now in favor of the reporting HR884 as amended. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. All those opposed signify by saying no. No. In the opinion of the chair. The eyes have it and the bill is ordered favorably reported as amended.
▶ 1:11:51A a vote has been requested. Uh as previously announced, further proceedings on the question will be postponed. Our next item for consideration is HR2096, the Protecting Our Nation's Capital Emergency Act of 2025. The clerk, please designate the bill.
▶ 1:12:08HR2096, the Protecting Our Nation's Capital Emergency Act of 2025, a bill to restore the right to negotiate matters pertaining to the discipline of law enforcement officers of the District of Columbia through collective bargaining to restore the statute of limitations for bringing disciplinary in actions against members or civilian employees of the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia and for other purposes. Without objection, the bill should be considered read open for amendment point. Without objection to order, the chair recognizes himself to offer an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Clerk, please take the amendment.
▶ 1:12:35An amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR2096 is offered by Minister Comr of Kentucky. Uh amendment uh is considered as read. I now recognize myself for five minutes. The men and women of the DC Metropolitan Police Department serve their community every day to keep the district safe and secure. In doing so, members of the department routinely place themselves in dangerous situations to protect others. And yet, Progressive DC Council policies have targeted district police officers and needlessly placed them in unsafe situations.
▶ 1:13:04On January 4th, 2023, the DC Council passed the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act of 2022. The act targeted DC police officers, taking away employee protections and making the jobs more difficult despite rising crime in the district. When DC Council passed this law, Congress acted swiftly and in a bipartisan biccameal fashion to overturn it.
▶ 1:13:26The House and Senate passed uh House Joint Resolution 42, which would have overturned the entire DC law with 14 House Democrats and six Senate Democrats joining Republicans in support of the resolution. Then President Biden, however, vetoed uh HJR42, allowing the harmful policies of the DC Council to remain in effect today.
▶ 1:13:47In another attempt to protect DC police, Representative Gabberino introduced a second bill to repeal certain provisions of DC's comprehensive policing and justice reform amendment act. The bill also passed through this committee last Congress. This bill HR 2096 is identical to that last legislation.
▶ 1:14:05HR 2096 restores DC police officers right to collectively bargain over disciplinary matters and restores clear timelines for disciplinary investigations putting them back on equal footing with other unionized employees in the district. HR 2096 also repeals the DC council's requirement that the time and place of some adverse action hearings be postponed to a public website. This public posting requirement would allow activists to harass officers attempting to pursue their due process in the workplace.
▶ 1:14:34This legislation is necessary to to support the recruitment and retention of the Metropolitan Police Department. DC cannot afford to lose police officers during the ongoing crime crisis. My Republican colleagues recognize the importance of supporting the law enforcement officers who risk their lives to protect our communities. By restoring employee protections, this legislation gives the Metropolitan Police Department officers the due process they deserve. Everyone should feel safe right here in the capital city.
▶ 1:15:02and I'm proud to support this bill and I urge my colleagues to do the statement. I now yield to the ranking member for his statement. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I oppose HR 2096 which would repeal provisions of a law enacted by the District of Columbia. The more than 700,000 DC residents deserve self-government and the Supreme Court has held Congress may delegate full legislative authority to DC for local matters. We are here considering a bill Republicans claim will increase the retention and recruitment of DC police officers.
▶ 1:15:33At the same time that Republicans are refusing to undo the outrageous $1 billion cut they made to the DC local budget in the fiscal year 2025 fullear continuing resolution. As a result of that cut, DC imposed a city-wide freeze on hiring, promotions, overtime pay, and bonuses, and may soon lay off or furlow employees, including police officers.
▶ 1:15:59Nine weeks ago, immediately after passage of the CR, the Republican le Senate with the support of President Trump passed the bipartisan District of Columbia Local Funds Act of 2025, which would reverse the $1 billion cut. The House has not acted on it.
▶ 1:16:18I unanimously I ask unanimous consent to submit into the record a letter from the National Fraternal Order of Police to House Leadership urging passage of the DC Local Funds Act, which it called quote critical to preserving the ability of the Metropolitan Police Department to protect the residents and visitors to the District of Columbia. Close quote.
▶ 1:16:39Without objection to order, before I turn to the substance of HR 2096, I want to address the bill's purpose section, which says the purpose is, and I quote again, to combat the rise in violent crime in our nation's capital. Close quote. However, violent crime is not rising in DC. In fact, year to date, violent crime is down 23%.
▶ 1:17:03And last year, violent crime was down 35%, reaching its lowest level in over 30 Police officers are entrusted with extraordinary authority to carry out their public service mission. The vast majority of officers exercise it honorably and bravely. However, there must be accountability and transparency for those instances in which a police officer might violate their oath of office.
▶ 1:17:28Following the devastating murder of George Floyd in 2020, the DC City Council enacted the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act of 2022. This legislation included provisions allowing the DC Chief of Police to discipline and terminate officers who have committed serious misconduct. Every single DC police chief for the past 25 years has explicitly requested this authority.
▶ 1:17:57HR 2096 would inexplicably repeal that authority. Republicans blame the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amending Act for DC's difficulty retaining and recruiting police officers. However, they failed to mention that police departments across the country have had difficulty retaining and recruiting police officers since before the policing reforms enacted after the murder of George Floyd. I want to close with a question for my Republican colleagues.
▶ 1:18:25If you support police officers, why haven't you installed on the western front of the cap the honorific plaque listing the names of the brave police officers, including from the DC Police Department, who defended this capital on January 6th. Federal law requires it requires its installation by March 15, 2023. With that, Mr. Chairman, I yield back. Dr. Chairman, gentleman yields back.
▶ 1:18:55Chair, Miss Norton. Um, Mr. Chairman, I strongly oppose this bill. The more than 700,000 District of Columbia residents are capable and worthy of self-government. I ask unanimous consent to submit into the record letters from the DC mayor and the DC council opposing this bill. Without objection, to order.
▶ 1:19:18This bill would repeal police discipline provisions in DC's comprehensive policing and justice reform amendment act. Last Congress, Republicans introduced seven bills or amendments to nullify or prohibit DC from carrying out uh from carrying that law or police discipline provisions thereof.
▶ 1:19:47Let's discuss the justification and timing of this bill. Though it is always wrong and never the right time for Congress to legislate on local DC matters. The text of this bill says repealing the police discipline provisions is necessary to combat vising violence in DC and to improve the retention and recruitment of police officers.
▶ 1:20:15This committee may not be aware that violent crime reached a more than 30-year low in DC last year and is down 21% this year. This committee also may not be aware that police departments of all sizes in both red and blue states throughout the country are struggling to retain and recruit officers.
▶ 1:20:44A a and they have been uh doing that for many years. The timing of the introduction and markup of this bill is stunning. This bill was introduced three days after House Republicans passed a continuing resolution that cut DC's local budget by $1 billion.
▶ 1:21:09That act of fiscal sabotage, which did not save the federal government any money, has led to a freeze on overtime, hiring, and pay rises, raises, and furlows or layoffs may be next. Nine weeks ago today, the Senate passed the DC Local Funds Act to reverse the cut.
▶ 1:21:37The DC Local Funds Act is just sitting in the House. Like President Trump and the National Fraternal Order of Police, I call on the House to pass immediately the DC Local Funds Act.
▶ 1:21:53This committee also may not be aware that the DC Police Department supported removing discipline from collective bargaining, eliminating the nine 90day statute of limitations on discipline and allowing the police chief to increase proposed discipline.
▶ 1:22:16I will close by discussing democracy or the lack thereof in DC. The Revolutionary War was forced to give consent to the govern and end taxation without representation. Yet DC residents cannot consent to any action taken by Congress, whether on local DC or federal matters.
▶ 1:22:42and they pay full federal taxes while being denied voting representation in the Congress. If Republicans cared about DC or democracy instead of playing city council, this committee today would be marking up the DC statehood bill HR51, the Washington DC uh admission act.
▶ 1:23:08Congress has the authority to admit the residential and commercial areas of DC as a state. It simply lacks the will. I yield back. Gentle lady yields back. And and I want to publicly say again uh after uh being mentioned by Representative Lynch and and and Norton that uh like President Trump, I strongly support the DC local government funds fix.
▶ 1:23:35So um does any other member wish to speak on this bill? Seeing none, the question is now on the amendment in the nature of a substitute. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. All those opposed signify by saying no. In the opinion of the chair, the eyes have it. The amendment is agreed to. The question is now in favorably reporting HR 2096 as amended. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. All those opposed signify by saying no.
▶ 1:24:06No. In the opinion of the chair, the eyes have it and the bill is ordered. Favorably reported. Question. A recorded vote is ordered as previously announced. Further proceedings on the question will be postponed. Our next item for consideration is HR580, the Unfunded Mandates, Accountability, and Transparency Act of 2025. Clerk, please HR580, the Unfunded Mandates accountability and transparency act of 2025, a bill to amend the unfunded mandates reform act of 1995 to provide for regulatory impact analysis for certain rules and for other purposes.
▶ 1:24:36Without objection, the bill should be considered as read and open for amending point. Without objection to order, the chairs himself to offer an amendment nature of substitute. The clerk please the amendment. An amendment in the nature of a substitute. HR580 is offered by Mr. Comr of Kentucky. Without objection, the amendment is considered as read. The substitute be considered original text for the purposes of further amendment. and I now recognize myself for five minutes for a statement on the bill and the amendment. I support HR580, the unfunded mandates accountability and transparency act. First introduced several congresses ago and still very much needed.
▶ 1:25:03The bill strengthens unfunded mandates reform act of 1995 or UMRA. Umra attempts to bring the the flood of unfunded mandates issued to states uh localities and and tribal governments by the federal bureaucracy under control. Uh it was later amended to help stem the flow of unusually costly mandates imposed upon the private sector.
▶ 1:25:27But unfortunately uh federal regulatory agencies have typically created the the um unfunded mandates reform act. Compliance is a box checking exercise and not a true constraint on their activities. Thus the flood of unfunded mandates has continued. This was particularly true under the Biden Harris administration. Last Congress, the committee received testimony that cost imposed by an new Biden administration regulations in 2021-22 equal $10,000 per household.
▶ 1:25:56In all, the Biden Harris administration turned out nearly $2 trillion in new regulatory burdens. Thankfully, the unfunded mandatory the unfunded mandates accountability and transparency act provides a solution. Uh it increases earlier stakeholder engagement on rules that may impose costly mandates. Uh better positioning stakeholders help agencies identify new ways to achieve goals at lower cost.
▶ 1:26:22Uh uh HR 580 requires agencies to prepare regulatory impact analysis including analysis of cost benefits alternatives disproportionate impacts and effects on jobs for major rules that mandate economic impacts of 100 million or more present major increases in cost or prices or have significant adverse effects on competition, employment or markets.
▶ 1:26:42It requires agencies to publish initial assessments in the federal register and receive public comment in response to notices proposed rulemaking and it requires final agency regulatory impact analysis to accompany notices of final rulemaking. These and other provisions in the bill ensure agencies will better analyze the potential cost of newly proposed mandates. I want to thank Dr. Fox for unwavering efforts over several congresses to enact this bill into law. I also want to thank Representatives Henry Quayar and Gerald Golden for their bipartisan co-sponsorship.
▶ 1:27:11I urge my colleagues to support this critical bipartisan reform bill. I now recognize ranking member Lynch for his statement. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Regulations have been a straw man for the Republicans to attack government agencies for years. Yet, the majority of Americans support government regulations across a range of Regulations are what enable us to feel confident that the food we eat, the water we drink are safe for consumption.
▶ 1:27:39Regulations prevent fraudulent advertising and targeting children with products like tobacco and alcohol. They help protect the quality of the very air we breathe. Regulations have a profound effect on every aspect of our lives. They help keep our nation safe, healthy, and prosperous. I support improving transparency and public participation in the regulatory process, but that is not what this bill does.
▶ 1:28:03HR580 will make this already complex regulatory process more burdensome and give industry which already has significant input in the regulatory process even more power. In contrast, the Biden administration worked to modernize the regulatory process, strengthening democracy by further advancing the transparency, inclusivity, and effectiveness of federal regulations.
▶ 1:28:26The Biden administration's modernization plans promoted both efficiency and fairness with the purpose of ensuring well-funded and well-connected corporations no longer have outsized influence on federal regulations simply because they have the time, the resources, and the lobbyists to bombard federal officials with input.
▶ 1:28:47The changes implemented by the Biden administration require federal officials to proactively seek out the voices of those who are under represented but still critically affected by the rulemaking process, including people with disabilities and people living in rural areas as well as minority groups. This bill would overwhelm those underrepresented voices by giving special interests a megaphone in the regulatory process.
▶ 1:29:13This is not the way to increase public participation and reduce the opacity of regulatory process. It is a fact is in fact a way to increase the influence of special corporate interests. Regulations are a tool for our democracy that serve the public good. Unfortunately, this bill would hinder not improve the ability of the public to be heard and represented. For that reason, I must oppose this legislation. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I yield back. Gentleman yields back.
▶ 1:29:42Any other members seek recognition? Seeing none, the question is now in favor of reporting HR580 as amended. All those in favor signify by saying I. All opposed. Uh this the question is now on the amendment in the nature of a substitute. All those in favor signify by saying I. I oppose. No. In the opinion share the eyes have the amendments agreed to. The question is now in favor of reporting HR 580 as amended. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. All those opposed signify by saying no. No.
▶ 1:30:11In opinion, you share the eyes having the bills ordered, favorably reported. Request a recorded vote. A recorded vote is ordered. Our next item for consideration is HR672 to establish new zip codes for certain communities and for other purposes. The clerk, please designate the bill. HR 672 to establish new zip codes for certain communities and for other purposes. Without objection, the bills shall be considered as read and open for amendment. Any point without objection to order. The chair recognize himself to offer an amendment in the nature of substitute. Clerk, please take note the amendment. An amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR672 is offered by Mr. of Kentucky.
▶ 1:30:41Without objection, the amendment is considered as red and substitute will be considered original text for the purposes of further amendment. I never ask myself for five minutes for a statement on the bill and amendment. HR672 designates simple unique zip codes for communities across the nation. There are currently 41,000 zip codes in the United States. In some cases, zip codes are misaligned with local boundaries.
▶ 1:31:02HR 672 which will create new zip codes for communities across the nation as a product of various members advocacy and I ask unanimous consent to enter into the record various letters of support from the local communities requesting the zip code designations in this bill. Without objection to ordered, I now recognize ranking member Lynch. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 1:31:26Uh HR 672 would require the US Postal Service to designate unique zip codes for a number of communities across the country. This bill aims to address certain issues related to economic development and public safety regulations and mail delivery. For example, Scotland, Connecticut is a town with only 625 households and yet it is broken into six different zip codes. This causes significant issues for the town of Scotland.
▶ 1:31:51For example, the town has reported numerous instances of delays and misdelivered mail and packages, including the delivery of absentee ballots in previous elections. The town of Scotland had already sought assistance from the postal service, which operates a zip code boundary review process, and even sent an appeal level letter after it was denied. Scotland is one of those many communities who have experienced mail delivery disruptions from a zip code issue.
▶ 1:32:16This bill operates as a last resort for towns to get the resources and the attention they deserve. I appreciate the diligence of Congress Congressman Diaz Balot, the chair and committee staff and ensuring each town is being mocked up in today's amended version of this bill satisfies all of the committee's requirements for consideration and I yield back. Gentlemen yields back. Any other member seek recognition? Seeing none, uh questions now on the amendment, the nature of a substitute. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. All those opposed signify by saying no.
▶ 1:32:46In the opinion your chair the eyes have it. The amendment agreed to. The question is now in favor of reporting HR 672 as amended. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. All those opposed say no. In the opinion of the chair the eyes have it. The bill is ordered. Favorably reported amended. Uh and I request a recorded vote as previously announced. Further proceedings on the question will be Our next item for consideration is HR 3095 to direct the United States Postal Service to designate single unique zip codes for certain communities and for other purposes.
▶ 1:33:16The clerk, please designate the bill. HR 3095 to direct the United States Postal Service to designate single unique zip codes for certain communities and further purposes. Without objection, the bill should be considered as read and open for amending point. Without objection to order, the chair recognized himself to offer an amendment in the nature of substitute. The clerk, please designate the amendment. An amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR 3095 is offered by Mr. Homer of Kentucky. Without objection, the amendment is considered as read and the substitute will be considered as original text for the purpose of further amendment.
▶ 1:33:41I now recognize the sponsor of the bill uh who's worked very diligently on this. Representative Boowbert from Colorado for five minutes. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. This bill means a lot to me and at least 65 other communities that are listed on my bill uh that we recognize. And uh this started in a little town in West Cliff, Colorado.
▶ 1:34:05I represented Westcliffe, Colorado um in in the county of uh Kuster in u my first term and one of the very first issues that I learned about there was their unique zip code denial and it is something that I have promised that city, that community that I would continue working on until I saw a resolve.
▶ 1:34:28Now, while I continued working for the town of Westcliffe in Kuster County, Colorado, uh I learned that this is an issue that we see um um all over the nation. And sorry, Westcliffe is the neighboring city, so Silver Cliff that got me started on this. Um but uh throughout the nation we have um these communities uh who are stripped of uh their identity and um so much more that I'll go through in a moment.
▶ 1:34:58U but this is a really uh large issue and when when cities petition the United States Postal Service uh they are often just blanketly denied and it takes 10 years for them to begin the appeals process. Uh, so I I do want to rise today in support of my bill HR 3095 to direct the United States Postal Service to designate single unique zip codes for certain communities and for other purposes.
▶ 1:35:28This common sense bipartisan bill directs the United States Postal Service to assign single unique zip codes to specific communities across the nation, including 15 from my home state of Colorado. Too many towns and cities have gone far too long without a zip code of their own. This may sound like a minor inconvenience to some, but for the people living in these communities, it creates a very real and very frustrating problem.
▶ 1:35:57The zip code system was introduced in the 1960s and has evolved far beyond its original purpose. While the postal service utilizes uh it for mail delivery, zip codes are also relied on by economic develop uh developers, insurers, and emergency personnel. When a community doesn't have its own zip code, it leads to serious logistical and financial challenges.
▶ 1:36:23For example, emergency responders can be ditch dispatched to a wrong location. Businesses suffer from lost deliveries. Residents are overcharged for insurance. and local governments miss out on critical sales tax revenues instead of uh in and that instead get sent to neighboring jurisdictions. These are everyday frustrations that impact real people and hinder the ability of towns to serve their citizens effectively.
▶ 1:36:51This bill empowers communities to better meet the needs of their res residents, strengthens local identity, and improves the operation of local government. A unique zip code can support infrastructure planning, reduce mail inconsistencies, and enhance overall efficiencies. The current process for applying for a new zip code is broken.
▶ 1:37:15Petitions to the postal service are rarely approved and if denied, they cannot appeal this decision for up to 10 years and that is strictly unacceptable. And I hope this legislation creates a new precedence within the United States Postal Service to change uh that time frame. My bill offers a direct practical solution.
▶ 1:37:38With HR3095, we aim to help over 65 communities across our entire country finally resolve these long-standing problems. And this bill is supported by Republicans and Democrats, mayors and town boards. these communities asked for help and we are answering that call.
▶ 1:38:00To me, it is unfortunate that it takes an act of Congress to fix something like this within the United States Postal Service, but we are here um to to resolve this issue. I have heard of cities in Colorado alone that are losing approximately $5 million in sales tax revenue annually. And this will be something that helps uh bring economic development and security.
▶ 1:38:27Uh again, this is a bipartisan bill over 60 uh with 65 communities that are included and I'm excited to see this um pass committee today. I urge adoption um of this uh bill and uh join me in passing HR 3095 so that these communities get the recognition and services that they rightly deserve. And again, a shout out to Silvercliffe, Colorado, who got me started on this wonderful mission. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield.
▶ 1:38:56The gentle lady yields. Before I recognize ranking member Lynch, I ask unanimous consent to enter into the record several letters uh from communities in support of Representative Boowbert's HR 3095. Without objection, so ordered. Chair now recognizes uh ranking member Lynch. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. HR 3095 would indeed require the US Postal Service to designate unique zip codes for a number of communities across the country.
▶ 1:39:23This bill aims to address specific community concerns about disrupted mail delivery and undelivering undeliverable mail. While I also commend Representative Boowbert for her work on this issue, I regrettably am unable to support this legislation at this current time for process reasons. After numerous conversations between the chair and the ranking member Connley, uh the committee agreed that zip code designation bills would be considered in a committee markup if it passed the following checks.
▶ 1:39:53One, the designated locality identified in the bill must submit a letter from local leadership stating the reasons for the zip code change. Two, the community must also attest that they had petitioned the postal service for a unique zip code designation and was not successful. Three, the legislation must also include co-sponsors of all members that would be impacted by the new zip code designation.
▶ 1:40:18Some localities included in this bill have three different members of Congress overlapping a single community. Unfortunately, Miss Boowbert's bill has not satisfied the committee's requirements for consideration. I do wish the chair had held this bill for future markup once it did satisfy all requirements for consideration. I however under these circumstances I will oppose the passage of the bill today in its current form and I thank you and I yield back. Gentleman yields back.
▶ 1:40:48Do any other members seek oh seek recognition? I recognize myself to to speak on behalf of the bill. Um the postal service structures the delivery of mail around zip codes five-digit numbers that organize how to deliver the mail. There are currently over 41,000 zip codes in the US. While zip codes are usually aligned with local boundaries, this is sometimes not the case. Represent Boowbert's HR 3095 will create new zip codes for communities across the nation.
▶ 1:41:16Uh and it's the product of uh several members advocacy and Representative Boowbert's leadership. I ask you consent and I've already entered in the the letters, but she had many letters from uh many of the communities mentioned in the bill. Uh I strongly encourage everyone to support the Boowbert bill. Do any me other members seek recognition? Seeing none, the question is now on the amendment in the nature of a substitute. All those in favor signify by saying I. I.
▶ 1:41:46All those opposed signify by saying no. In the opinion chair, the eyes have it. The amendments agreed to. The question is now on favorably reporting HR3095 as amended. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. All those opposed say no. No. In the opinion of the chair, the eyes have it and the bill is ordered favorably reported as amended. A recorded vote is ordered as previously announced. Further proceedings on the question will be postponed. Now that got all the bills on the markup pursuant to the previous order.
▶ 1:42:13The chair declares this committee in recess subject to the call of the chair at 1:30 for votes on all the bills. So the committee stands in recess till 1:30.
▶ 2:43:01Can't really trust that.
▶ 3:54:17The committee will come to order. The question is on favorably HR 3490, the Gerald E. Connley Esophophical Cancer Awareness Act as amended. Members will record their votes using the electronic voting system. The clerk will now open the vote on favorably reporting HR 3490.
▶ 3:54:48I'll give everyone a little extra time since this is the first vote. If anyone's having any issues with your voting machine, let us know. Voting device. Have all have all members been recorded who wish to be recorded? Okay, we've got Tib.
▶ 3:55:18I'll wait for you, Mr. Tie. Any other member? What? We have one in route, I'm told. All right, Mr. Bigs.
▶ 3:55:47Does any member wish to change their The clerk will close the vote and report the vote total. Mr. Chairman, on this vote, the eyes are 42, the nays are zero. The eyes have it and the bill is ordered favorably reported as amended. Without objection, the motion reconsiders laid on the table.
▶ 3:56:11The question is now on favorably reporting HR 2409. Members will record their votes using the electronic voting system. The clerk will now open the vote on favorably reporting HR 2409, the guidance clarity act. Have all members been recorded who wish to be recorded?
▶ 3:56:42Does any member wish to change the vote? The clerk will close the vote and report the vote total. Mr. Chairman, on this vote, the eyes are 23. The nays are 19. The eyes have it. The bill is ordered. Favorably reported. Without objection, the motion reconsider is laid on the table. The question is now in favorable HR67. Members will record their vote using the electronic voting system.
▶ 3:57:07The clerk will now open the vote on favorably reporting HR67, the modernizing retrospective regulatory act. Have all members been recorded who wish to be recorded? Does any member wish to change their vote? The clerk will close the vote and report the vote Mr. Chairman, on this vote, the eyes are 24, the nays are 18.
▶ 3:57:38The eyes have it and the bill is ordered favorably reported. Without objection, the motion reconsider is laid on the table. The question is now on favorably reporting 689. Members will record their votes using the electronic voting system.
▶ 3:57:51The clerk will now open the vote on favorably reporting HR 689, the full responsibility and expedited enforcement act. Have all members been recorded who wish to be recorded? Does any member wish to change the vote? The clerk will close the vote and report the vote Mr.
▶ 3:58:21Chairman, on this vote the eyes are 23, the nays are 19. The eyes have it and the bill is ordered favorably reported. Without objection, the motion reconsider is laid on the table. The question is now on favorably reporting HR 884. Members will record their vote using the electronic voting system.
▶ 3:58:39The clerk will now open the vote on favorably reporting HR 884 to prohibit individuals who are not citizens of the United States from voting in elections in the District of Columbia. Have all members been recorded who wish to be recorded? Does any member wish to change their vote?
▶ 3:59:09The clerk will close the vote and report the vote total. Mr. Chairman, on this vote, the eyes are 25, the nays are 17. The eyes have it and the bill is ordered, favorably reported. Without objection, the motion reconsider is laid on the table. The question is now on favorably reporting HR 2096. Members will record their votes using electronic voting system.
▶ 3:59:32The clerk will now open the vote on favorably reporting HR 2096, the Protecting Our Nation's Capital Emergency Act. Have all members been recorded who wish to be recorded? Does any member wish to change their vote? The clerk will close the vote.
▶ 3:59:59Report the vote Mr. Chairman, on this vote the eyes are 23, the nays are 18. The eyes have it and the bill is ordered favorably reported. Without objection, the motion reconsider is laid on the table. The question is now on favorably HR580. Members will record their votes using the electronic voting system. The clerk will open the vote on favorably reporting HR 580, the unfunded mandates accountability and transparency act.
▶ 4:00:37Have all members been recorded who wish to be recorded? Does any member wish to change the vote? The clerk will close the vote and report the vote total. One second. One second. One second. We got person. Now, have I have I Okay. Now, have all members been recorded who wish to be recorded? Does any member wish to change the vote?
▶ 4:01:03The clerk will close the vote and report the vote Mr. Chairman, on this vote, the eyes are 23. The nays are 19. Excuse me. The eyes have it and the bill is ordered. Favorably reported. Without objection, the motion reconsider is laid on the table. The question is now in favor of reporting HR 672. Members will record your votes using the electronic voting system.
▶ 4:01:27The clerk will now open the vote on favorably reporting HR 672. Have all members been recorded who wish to be recorded? Does any member wish to change their vote? The clerk will close the vote and report the vote Mr.
▶ 4:01:56Chairman, on this vote the eyes are 42, the nays are one. The eyes have it and the bill is ordered favorably reported. Without objection, the motion reconsider is laid on the table. The question is now on favorably reporting HR 3095. Members will record their votes using the electronic voting system. The clerk will now open the vote on favorably reporting HR3095.
▶ 4:02:40Have all members been recorded who wish to be recorded? Does Does any member wish to change their vote? The clerk will close the vote and report the vote tally. Mr. Chairman, on this vote, the eyes are 22, the nays are 20. The eyes have it and the bill is ordered favorably reported. Without objection, the motion reconsider is laid on the table.
▶ 4:03:09Pursuant to notice, I now call up the following onblock postal naming bills which were distributed in advance on this markup. HRS 100008 and 10009. Without objection, the bills are considered red. If any member would like to speak on any of the measures, they may do so now. Does any member wish to speak? Uh, Miss Stanbury from New Mexico. Mr. chairman.
▶ 4:03:37Um because I was in the rules committee this morning, I didn't have the opportunity to offer my condolences to the ranking member and his family and of course everyone who's grieving in Virginia and across the country. So I just wanted to use this opportunity to thank Mr. Connelly of course in memoriam for his incredible service and to offer my condolences to everyone who's grieving out there. Thank you. I yield back. yields back.
▶ 4:04:04Does any other members seek recognition in the Um the question is now on favorably reporting the onblock package. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. All right. All those opposed signify by saying no. In the opinion of the chair, the eyes have it. The onblock measures are favorably reported.
▶ 4:04:32The motion to reconsider is laid upon the table. That's it. Pursuant to House Rule 11, clause two, I ask that community members have the right to file with the clerk of the committee supplemental, additional, minority, and descending views. Without objection. Additionally, the staff is authorized to make necessary technical conforming changes to the committee print subject to the approval of the minority. Without objection, so ordered. If there's no further business before the committee, Mr. Chairman. Yes.
▶ 4:05:02Chair rec who? Okay. Mr. Mr. Infume. Mr. Chairman, it's it's not business, but uh rather an appreciation of his service to this committee going back for over 20 years. I know Mr. Lynch would join me in this and other members who served with Jerry that we uh close respectfully with a moment of silence.
▶ 4:05:45Thank you, Mr. Infume. And and uh before we close, I'll say again uh my colleagues uh in the majority agree uh 100% Mr. Connley was a was a a statesman, a great man, an honest man, a good man, an effective legislator. Uh he will be dearly missed. He was a strong voice for his constituents and uh a a very very decent human being. So we we miss him.
▶ 4:06:15Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, uh the staff, and I know uh the colleagues on the in the minority. uh we we uh feel feel for you and uh uh just so sorry for your loss. So if there's no further discussion, the committee will stand adjourned.