THE DAILY WHIP: THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2017

H.Res. 504– Rule providing for consideration of H.R. 3354 – “Make America Secure and Prosperous Appropriations Act, 2018” (Rep. Frelinghuysen – Appropriations) (One hour of debate).  The Rules Committee has recommended a structured Rule for additional amendments.  The Rule provides for consideration of 224 amendments, each debatable for 10 minutes, equally controlled by the proponent and opponent of the amendment. The Rule also provides up to 10 pro forma amendments for the purpose of debate offered by the Chair and Ranking Member or their designee.

Additionally, the Rule provides the Chairman of the Committee on Appropriations authority to offer amendments en bloc, consisting of amendments not previously considered. All en bloc amendments are debatable for 20 minutes equally divided between the Chair and Ranking Member of the committee on Appropriations. 

The Rule allows one motion to recommit, with or without instructions, and waives all points of order against the legislation.  Members are urged to VOTE NO.

Continue Consideration of H.R. 3354– “Make America Secure and Prosperous Appropriations Act, 2018” (Rep. Frelinghuysen – Appropriations).  Before the August district work period, the House passed a package of four regular appropriations bills for FY 2018 as part of a “security minibus.”  That package included the Defense, Legislative Branch, Military Construction-Veterans Affairs, and Energy and Water Development bills.  In addition to multiple poison pill riders, it also contained a fifth division with $1.6 billion in taxpayer funding for construction of President Trump’s border wall.

H.R. 3354 packages together the eight remaining regular appropriations bills for Fiscal Year 2018 in discrete divisions.  They are: Interior & Environment; Agriculture; Commerce, Justice, Science; Financial Services; Homeland Security; Labor, Health and Human Services, Education; State and Foreign Operations; and Transportation-Housing and Urban Development.  A summary of the eight divisions can be found here.  Upon passage, these will be coupled with the security minibus’s five divisions and sent to the Senate as one complete Omnibus Appropriations bill.

H.R. 3354 not only constitutes an inadequate investment in both the domestic and international activities of government, but also a skewed reprioritization laid out within each of its eight divisions that would have devastating impacts throughout the economy.  It is clear that House Republicans would rather waste valuable time on partisan legislation that does not stand a chance of actually being signed into law instead of working with Democrats on responsible solutions that will create jobs and grow the economy. 

Further, House Republicans are breaking their own promises of following regular order and an open legislative process by considering this package under structured rules that forego the open appropriations process, by acting on these bills before passing a budget resolution to provide topline funding guidance, and by packaging multiple unrelated issues into a single vehicle. Members are urged to VOTE NO.

The Rule provides for no further general debate.  A full list of the 224 amendments made in order in the second Rule can be found HERE.  

***Members are advised that amendments to Division G (State and Foreign Operations) that were made in order under the first Rule will be considered today.

The following amendments had recorded votes pending as of last night:

Castro Amendment #71
Roybal-Allard Amendment
Castro Amendment #75
Correa Amendment
Hunter Amendment
King (IA) Amendment
Castro Amendment #81
Jayapal Amendment

TOMORROW’S OUTLOOK
The GOP Leadership has announced the following schedule for Friday, September 8: The House will meet at 9:00 a.m. for legislative business.  The House is expected to complete consideration of H.R. 3354 – “Make America Secure and Prosperous Appropriations Act, 2018” (Rep. Frelinghuysen – Appropriations).  Members are advised that the House may consider additional legislation related to a Continuing Resolution, Hurricane Harvey Supplemental, and the Debt-Ceiling.