RESOLUTION

Resolved, That at any time after the adoption of this resolution the Speaker may, pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule XVIII, declare the House resolved into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union for consideration of the bill (H.R. 5822) making appropriations for military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2011, and for other purposes. The first reading of the bill shall be dispensed with. All points of order against consideration of the bill are waived except those arising under clause 9 or 10 of rule XXI. General debate shall be confined to the bill and shall not exceed one hour equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations. After general debate the bill shall be considered for amendment under the five-minute rule. The bill shall be considered as read through page 63, line 4. Points of order against provisions in the bill for failure to comply with clause 2 of rule XXI are waived. Notwithstanding clause 11 of rule XVIII, except as provided in section 2, no amendment shall be in order except the amendments printed in the report of the Committee on Rules accompanying this resolution. Each such amendment may be offered only in the order printed in the report, may be offered only by a Member designated in the report, shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for 10 minutes equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent, and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the question. All points of order against such amendments are waived except those arising under clause 9 or 10 of rule XXI. At the conclusion of consideration of the bill for amendment the Committee shall rise and report the bill to the House with such amendments as may have been adopted. In case of sundry amendments reported from the Committee, the question of their adoption shall be put to the House en gros and without division of the question. The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill and amendments thereto to final passage without intervening motion except one motion to recommit with or without instructions.

Sec. 2. After consideration of the bill for amendment, the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations or their designees each may offer one pro forma amendment to the bill for the purpose of debate, which shall be controlled by the proponent.

Sec. 3. The Chair may entertain a motion that the Committee rise only if offered by the chair of the Committee on Appropriations or his designee. The Chair may not entertain a motion to strike out the enacting words of the bill (as described in clause 9 of rule XVIII).

Sec. 4. It shall be in order at any time through the calendar day of August 1, 2010, for the Speaker to entertain motions that the House suspend the rules. The Speaker or her designee shall consult with the Minority Leader or his designee on the designation of any matter for consideration pursuant to this section.

SUMMARY OF AMENDMENTS PROPOSED TO BE MADE IN ORDER

(summaries derived from information provided by sponsors)

Sponsor

#

Description

Debate Time

1. Holt (NJ)

#5

Would instruct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to set aside at least $20 million for suicide outreach prevention via direct advertising and the use of online social media.

(10 minutes)

2. Buyer (IN)

#17

Would provide $10 million to fund additional professional level VA Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment counselors.

(10 minutes)

3. Buyer (IN)

#19

Would provide $162,734,000 of the amounts appropriated for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Minor Construction for renewable energy projects at VA medical facility campuses.

(10 minutes)

4. Buyer (IN)

#20

Would provide $10 million to fund the second year of the VA-US Paralympics Adaptive Sports Program for disabled veterans.

(10 minutes)

5. Cuellar (TX)

#37

Would prohibit first class travel under this Act.

(10 minutes)

6. Flake, Jeff (AZ)

#4

Would prohibit funding for all of the member-requested earmarks for military construction projects.

(10 minutes)

7. Hill (IN)

#14

Would decrease the Veteran’s Administration General Operating Expense account by $100,000, then increase it by $100,000, for the purpose of directing the VA to examine its practices in how it accounts for returned Post-9/11 GI Benefit payments from either a veteran or an institute of higher learning, and for the purpose of directing the VA to issue a report to Congress no later than Jan 1, 2011, on any changes made or planned to be made to increase efficiency and timeliness of accounting for returned payments.

(10 minutes)

8. Gingrey (GA)

#1

Would prohibit funds under the Act from being used to exercise the power of eminent domain without payment of just compensation.

(10 minutes)

9. Gingrey (GA)

#2

(REVISED) Would prohibit any funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the Department of Defense under this Act to be used to renovate or construct any facility within the Continental United States for the purpose of housing any individual who has been detained, at any time after September 11, 2001, at United States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, .

(10 minutes)

10. Halvorson (IL)

#11

Would subtract $10,000,000 from General Operating Expenses and will add $10,000,000 to Major Construction Projects.

(10 minutes)

11. Bilirakis (FL)

#27

Would require the Veterans Administration to acquire and construct up to four long-term care residential brain injury medical facilities.

(10 minutes)

12. Peters (MI)

#22

(REVISED) Would decrease the Veteran’s Administration General Operating Expense account by $50,000, then increase it by $50,000, for the purpose of directing the VA to implement a program that would re-label prescription drugs used in VA hospitals to be sent home with discharged patients for outpatient use. Currently, veterans often have to go right to the pharmacy to refill what was discarded.

(10 minutes)

13. Peters (MI)

#29

(REVISED) Would decrease the Veteran’s Administration General Operating Expense account by $150,000, then increase it by $150,000, for the purpose of directing the VA to create a program to review all contracts after every 90 day period of inactivity to determine if the funds obligated for the contract could be deobligated and returned to the account from which the funds were obligated to be put to better use.

(10 minutes)

14. Garrett (NJ), Adler (NJ), Lance (NJ)

#10

(REVISED) Would increase funding for the Grants for Construction of State Veterans Cemeteries account by $7,000,000 and decrease funding for the Grants for Construction, Minor Projects account by $7,000,000.

(10 minutes)