THE DAILY WHIP: WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2017

H.Res. 513 – Rule providing for consideration of H.R. 3697 – Criminal Alien Gang Member Removal Act (Rep. Comstock – Judiciary) (One hour of debate). The Rules Committee has recommended a closed Rule that provides for one hour of general debate equally divided and controlled by the Chair and Ranking Member of the Committee on the Judiciary.  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.

**Members are advised that the House will consider amendments to Division D (Financial Services, and General Government) following the first vote series. Members need to be prepared to offer their amendment at the appropriate time.

Postponed Division A (Interior) Amendment Votes (5):

Mullin Amendment #73
Mullin Amendment #74
Polis Amendment #75
Polis Amendment #76
Norman Amendment #77

Postponed Division C (Commerce, Justice, and Science) Amendment Votes (6):

Torres Amendment #87
Grothman Amendment #105
Scott (VA)/DeLauro Amendment #113
Norton Amendment #117
Flores/Byrne Amendment #124
Buck Amendment #125

Postponed Division F (Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education) Amendment Votes (20):

Kildee Amendment #131
Pocan/DeLauro Amendment #134
Meng Amendment #138
Kildee Amendment #145
Flores Amendment #149
Clark/DeLauro Amendment #154
Murphy (PA) Amendment #155
Ben Ray Lujan Amendment #160
Lowey/DeLauro Amendment #161
Courtney Amendment #164
Lewis (MN) Amendment #167
Grothman Amendment #168
Grothman Amendment #170
Meadows Amendment #172
Walberg Amendment #173
Blackburn Amendment#174
Murphy (PA) Amendment #175
Murphy (PA) Amendment #176
Ellison Amendment #186
Gibbs Amendment #187

Postponed Suspension (1 bill)

1. H.R. 3284 – Joint Counterterrorism Awareness Workshop Series Act of 2017, as amended (Rep. Fitzpatrick – Homeland Security)

TOMORROW’S OUTLOOK
The GOP Leadership has announced the following schedule for Thursday, September 14: The House will meet at 9:00 a.m. for legislative business.  The House is expected to complete consideration of H.R. 3697 – Criminal Alien Gang Member Removal Act (Rep. Comstock – Judiciary).  The House is also expected to complete consideration of H.R. 3354 – “Make America Secure and Prosperous Appropriations Act, 2018” (Rep. Frelinghuysen – Appropriations).