THE DAILY WHIP: TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2015

H.Res. 507 – Rule providing for consideration of the Senate Amendments to H.R. 22 – DRIVE Act (Transportation and Infrastructure) (One hour of debate). The Rules Committee has recommended a structured Rule that provides for one hour of general debate equally divided and controlled by the Chair and Ranking Member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.  The Rule allows for 29 amendments, debatable for 10 minutes each equally divided between the offeror and an opponent, and waives all points of order against the legislation.

The Rule also allows for suspension authority for Thursday, November 5, for legislation related to the National Defense Authorization Act. 

Begin Consideration of House Amendments to Senate Amendments to H.R. 22 – DRIVE Act (Transportation and Infrastructure) (Subject to a Rule) (One Hour of Debate). This measure would replace the Highway policy in the Senate passed, DRIVE Act, with the text of H.R. 3763, as reported from the Transportation and Infrastructure committee. H.R. 3763 is a bipartisan bill that provides $325 billion to reauthorize federal-aid highway and transit programs for six years. 

The Statement of Administrative Policy indicates that the measure does not provide highway funding levels that are robust enough to meet our infrastructure needs, but the bill does enable state and local governments to undertake large-scale projects which were not possible under the short-term, stop gap measures previously used to fund our country’s transportation system. The measure improves the movement of goods by establishing a nationally significant freight and highway projects program and providing $500 million in freight rail projects. Additionally, it increases American manufacturing by strengthening Buy America requirements and raising the domestic content threshold of transit buses and rail cars from 60% to 70%. 

This measure combines the Highway policy in H.R. 3763 with the offsets contained in the Senate passed transportation funding bill. The offsets include a proposal to cut the six percent dividend paid to banks on investments in the Federal Reserve to 1.5% while exempting institutions with $1 billion or less in assets and require the Secretary of Energy to draw down and sell 101 million barrels of crude oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. In addition, the Senate-passed transportation funding bill includes a four year reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank, identical to the legislation that passed the House last week by a vote of 313-118. 

The Rule provides for one hour of general debate and makes in order 29 amendments. The complete list of amendments can be found HERE. 

Bill Text for House Amendments to Senate Amendments to H.R. 22:
PDF Version

Postponed Suspension (1 bill)

1.  H.Res. 354– Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the safety and security of Jewish communities in Europe, as amended (Rep. Smith (NJ) – Foreign Affairs)

TOMORROW’S OUTLOOK
The GOP Leadership has announced the following schedule for Wednesday, November 4: The House will meet at 12:00 p.m. for legislative business. The House is expected to continue consideration of House Amendments to Senate Amendments to H.R. 22 – DRIVE Act (Transportation and Infrastructure) (Subject to a Rule).