June 7, 2018 - Issue: Vol. 164, No. 94 — Daily Edition115th Congress (2017 - 2018) - 2nd Session
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ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019; Congressional Record Vol. 164, No. 94
(House of Representatives - June 07, 2018)
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[Pages H4884-H4938] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019 The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Simpson). Pursuant to House Resolution 918 and rule XVIII, the Chair declares the House in the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union for the consideration of the bill, H.R. 5895. The Chair appoints the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Mitchell) to preside over the Committee of the Whole. {time} 1522 In the Committee of the Whole Accordingly, the House resolved itself into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union for the consideration of the bill (H.R. 5895) making appropriations for energy and water development and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019, and for other purposes, with Mr. Mitchell in the chair. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The CHAIR. Pursuant to the rule, the bill is considered read the first time. General debate shall be confined to the bill and shall not exceed 1 hour equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations. The gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Frelinghuysen) and the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Lowey) each will control 30 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey. Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in support of H.R. 5895, the first set of the fiscal year 2019 appropriations bills: Energy and Water, the Legislative Branch, and the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs. I am pleased that the House is considering three appropriations bills this afternoon. These bills provide funding to rebuild our military infrastructure, support military families, improve nuclear security, support our Nation's energy and water infrastructure, and assure the smooth and safe operations of the legislative branch. To highlight a few of these important investments: The Energy and Water bill, under Chairman Simpson's direction, funds our national security and supports the energy and water infrastructure that keeps our economy moving and America open for business. In total, his bill provides $44.7 billion in discretionary funding. To support a strong nuclear national security strategy, particularly at this time of rapidly shifting global dynamics, his bill provides targeted increases that will maintain an effective nuclear arsenal, preserve our Nation's nuclear-powered fleet, and keep nuclear weapons out of the hands of those who would misuse them. Beyond these critical responsibilities, the bill also directs $7.28 billion to the Army Corps of Engineers for projects and activities that will improve America's ports and waterways and promote public health and safety. The bill also further supports economic growth by investing in the Department of Energy's programs to advance the goal of an all-of-the- above solution to energy independence. This includes funding to continue congressional efforts for the safe, secure storage of nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain. Next, the Legislative Branch Appropriations bill under Chairman Yoder's lead provides $3.8 billion in funding for the operation of Congress and its support agencies, excluding Senate-only items. It may be the smallest of the 12 appropriations bills, but it is very important to the operation of our great democracy. This total represents a small increase above current enacted levels. These increases are directed to critical programs that make our Capitol complex more secure and more efficient. This includes supporting our wonderful and dedicated Capitol Police force, which keeps the complex safe for Members and visitors. Lastly, the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill, led initially by former Chairman Dent and now by Chairman Judge Carter, provides a total of $96.9 billion in discretionary funding at a crucial time for our Armed Forces and the VA. This includes $11.3 billion for military construction projects, a 3.8 percent increase above fiscal year 2018 levels, recognizing the need to rebuild our military infrastructure. This funding will enable our troops to fight current and emerging threats around the globe, as well as provide them with peace of mind and care for their families. This bill also includes $85.3 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs, the largest total amount for the VA in its history. These additional funds will be directed to critical priorities within the Veterans Administration: improved access to healthcare; quicker claims processing; and support for crucial health programs like suicide prevention, mental health, and opioid abuse prevention. This also includes $1.2 billion for the new VA Electronic Health Record system to accelerate the progress on this long-awaited project. Accompanying these funding increases are strong oversight provisions that will increase accountability at both the Pentagon and the Veterans Administration and ensure that precious tax dollars go where they are most needed. I want to thank the chairs and ranking members and all the staff who worked on these bills that all Members should be proud to support. These bills received bipartisan support in committee because they focus on universal priorities: national security, care for our veterans and military families, and essential infrastructure. I am extremely disappointed to read and hear the minority has directed its Members to oppose this appropriations package, despite the fact that all of these bills were constructed as they always have been: in a bipartisan manner. If there is no minority support for this package, those Members will be turning their backs on this House's historic support for our veterans and their families and for modernizing our military installations around the world, which include medical facilities, new barracks and mess halls, playgrounds, schools, and family housing. I want to thank Chairman Simpson, Chairman Yoder, former Chairman [[Page H4885]] Dent and now Chairman Judge Carter for their leadership on these bills; and also Ranking Member Kaptur, Ms. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and Mr. Tim Ryan from Ohio for their work on these bills. I would also like to thank the hardworking staff who helped to bring the bills to the floor: Jenny Panone and Tim Monahan from the Legislative Branch Subcommittee; Sue Quantius, Sarah Young, Kiya Batmanglidj, and Tracey Russell from the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee; Angie Giancarlo, Loraine Heckenberg, Perry Yates, and Amy Murphy from the Energy and Water Subcommittee; along with the front office staff and my personal staff. I urge my colleagues to support these responsible appropriations bills and vote ``yes'' on H.R. 5895. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time. [[Page H4886]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH070618.001 [[Page H4887]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH070618.002 [[Page H4888]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH070618.003 [[Page H4889]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH070618.004 [[Page H4890]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH070618.005 [[Page H4891]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH070618.006 [[Page H4892]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH070618.007 [[Page H4893]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH070618.008 [[Page H4894]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH070618.009 [[Page H4895]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH070618.010 [[Page H4896]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH070618.011 [[Page H4897]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH070618.012 [[Page H4898]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH070618.013 [[Page H4899]] {time} 1530 Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the three-bill package that Republicans are bringing to the floor today. Instead of following regular order and debating and amending the Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs bills separately, Republican leadership is forcing us to consider them together. This broken process has a simple aim. Republicans are using America's veterans as pawns to force through cuts to clean energy research and harmful policy provisions that weaken environmental standards. We all recognize the tremendous debt of gratitude we owe to those who have sacrificed for us in our Armed Forces, as well as their family members who share in their service to our country. That is why it is so important that Congress ensure our veterans receive the honors, benefits, and assistance they have earned. While I support many of the increases within the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs bill, Republicans have created a dilemma by transitioning the VA Choice program from mandatory to discretionary funding in the middle of fiscal year 2019. I want to make it clear: This is a serious decision. It should have been adequately debated. Even worse, Republicans have blocked consideration of my amendment to solve this problem. That will mean a further squeeze, and perhaps even cuts, to programs that benefit the middle class. The Bipartisan Budget Act provided an $18 billion increase for both defense and nondefense discretionary spending between fiscal years 2018 and 2019. Instead of using those resources to create jobs and grow our economy, Republicans have chosen to devote $4.8 billion, more than a quarter of that increase, to the Department of Homeland Security, presumably for President Trump's border wall and the deportation force. Not only is such spending a betrayal of our American values, it is a waste of resources that crowds out investments that keep our families and communities safe, strong, and moving forward. Frankly, it is just part of a pattern in which Republicans are underfunding bills that will come later in the appropriations process. For example, Republicans have not provided a single penny in additional resources to the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies appropriations bill. What does that mean? This means that they threaten to starve our schools, hurt job training and workplace rights protection, jeopardize Pell grants, and limit access to affordable healthcare, among many other ill effects. We can and must do better than spending levels that prioritize President Trump's border wall and attacks on immigrant communities over the urgent needs of American children, families, and seniors. Now, with regard to the Energy and Water bill specifically, we are confronted with a partisan bill that contains cuts to many important priorities for the American people. With gas prices approaching $3 a gallon, the bill cuts energy efficiency and renewable energy initiatives. It cuts transformational science efforts, such as the successful and popular ARPA-E program. And just as bad, it contains many harmful riders, including rolling back clean water protections, blocking the National Ocean Policy, further endangering salmon on the Columbia River, and weakening gun safety rules on public lands. These provisions and the cuts to important priorities that drive innovation and safeguard our national security make it impossible for Democrats to support this bill. We can and must do better. I urge my colleagues to vote ``no,'' oppose the Republican raw deal that cuts critical priorities, includes harmful poison-pill riders, and sets Congress on a path to future bills that will cause serious pain for American children, families, and seniors. Before I reserve the balance of my time, I would like to thank our chair, with whom I have always worked cooperatively, and your staff and my staff and all those who spend many, many hours making sure we can work together. However, I do hope, at the end of the process, we can put together a more responsible bipartisan bill. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Simpson), the chairman of the Energy and Water Subcommittee on Appropriations. Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding the time. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to present to the House the fiscal year 2019 Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. Before I review the details of the bill, I would like to thank Chairman Frelinghuysen for his leadership and unwavering commitment to the appropriations process. Our committee is back on track to bring 12 bills through the committee markup and before the full House for the second year in a row. I would also like to thank Ranking Members Lowey and Kaptur. As always, their thoughtful approach to the issues have made this a better bill, even though I was disappointed that the gentlewoman from New York, who is my friend, said she didn't like the Energy and Water bill just now. The Energy and Water bill totals $44.7 billion, which is $1.5 billion more than last year's level and $8.2 billion above the budget request. Increases over last year were targeted to those areas where they are needed most: to provide for our Nation's defense and to support our Nation's infrastructure. The bill provides a total of $15.3 billion for the Department of Energy's nuclear weapons security programs, including Weapons Activities, Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation, and Naval Reactors, a $644 million increase above the fiscal year 2018 enacted level and $222 million above the President's budget request It aligns with the administration's Nuclear Posture Review and calls for continuing to maintain a strong nuclear deterrent to meet the challenges of a changing security environment, revitalizing our nuclear complex, and supporting effective arms control and nonproliferation efforts. Additionally, the bill provides for funding increases across the Department of Energy to defend against cyber attacks and within the administration's new Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response Office to strengthen energy-sector cybersecurity preparedness, response, and recovery. The bill includes strong funding for the Army Corps of Engineers-- $451 million more than last year and $2.5 billion more than the budget request. This is to address our Nation's critical infrastructure needs. Harbor maintenance activities are funded at $1.6 billion, which is $200 million more than the fiscal year 2018 appropriation. The level exceeds the WRDA annual target by $160 million and represents--and I am proud of this--95 percent of the estimated revenue. Basic science research and applied energy research and development programs at the Department of Energy, including Nuclear Energy, Fossil Energy, the Office of Science, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, and ARPA-E, are strongly supported in this bill. Taken together, these programs advance the all-of-the-above energy strategy that will support a strong national economy well into the future. Finally, the bill sends a clear message that it is time to address the long-term storage of spent nuclear fuel and finish the Yucca Mountain license application, with $220 million going to the Department of Energy and $47.7 million to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. We simply cannot wait any longer to finish the license application process and proceed to construction and operation of the permanent repository. This is a strong bill that incorporates priorities and interests of all Members of the House. In fact, this bill addresses, in full or in part, 94 percent of the more than 3,000 separate requests that we received from Members. I urge my colleagues to support this. Before I end, I would like to say and emphasize what the chairman said. These bills would not be possible without the strong work and the competent [[Page H4900]] work of the staff of the Energy and Water Appropriations Committee, both minority and majority, and also from our personal offices. They do a great job trying to address the concerns of individual Members and the requests of individual Members. We wouldn't be able to do this without the strong work they do, and I thank them for that. Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur), the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies. Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, I wish to thank the ranking member from New York, Nita Lowey, for yielding me this time and for the wonderful work she has done on 12 bills, and this is but the first. I also want to thank the chair of the full committee, Congressman Frelinghuysen, whose service has been so meritorious. We miss his service on the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Committee directly, but he has moved up to greater things. I also thank Chairman Simpson and the members of our fine subcommittee and our staff on our side of the aisle, Jaime Shimek and T.J. Loudermilk, and on the majority side, Angie Giancarlo, for their hard work on this bill under rushed circumstances. I value the hard work that all of you have put into this bill and the dispatch with which Chair Simpson has moved through the process, including with great cordiality. Our bill contributes to ensuring the critical availability of energy and waterway improvements for domestic stability and national security, not just for today but for the tomorrows to come. Energy is the power that flows and drives our economy and courses through our Nation. Sometimes people even forget it is there binding our country together at the community level, connecting our Nation from coast to coast, and ensuring our superior defense posture globally. Our Nation has made enormous strides in increasing our energy independence by developing a broad portfolio of power sources, with no bill more important than this one in reaching the strategic goal of energy independence for America's independence. But it is not yet time to declare mission accomplished. Today, the price of oil is on the rise again, standing 50 percent higher than it was 1 year ago, due at least in part to unrest across our globe. It is no secret that every time in recent history--and I am talking 40, 50 years--that fuel prices exceed $4 per gallon our Nation sinks into deep recession. Actually, energy can become a tourniquet that throttles economic growth, and rising fuel prices means our Nation could be headed there again. So we must not lose sight of the ultimate goal of energy independence for American independence. Largely, thanks to the bipartisan budget agreement, the chairman has been able to provide increased funding levels to that end across much of our bill. Turning to the water and waterway elements in our bill, all essential to human life, our bill significantly increases funding for the Army Corps of Engineers to ensure continued forward progress in all regions of our country across all project areas, including navigation and environmental restoration. All projects are job creators and benefit future economic growth and environmental improvement. I am grateful for the chairman's continued partnership to address the Asian carp threat to our freshwater Great Lakes ecosystem, as well as for funding to keep our Great Lakes ports open to shippers, which drive economic investment in the Great Lakes region. And, unfortunately, while the chair has been generous in the funding of most programs, the bill cuts over $400 million in funding from this year's levels for next year for some of the highest priorities to those of us on this side of the aisle. Let me enumerate them: energy efficiency and renewable energy, where America is making great strides and nations like China seek to blunt our lead; transformational science driven by the highest level of research in our country, the advanced research and energy we call ARPA- E; and, finally, in the third important area of nuclear nonproliferation. Those accounts should not be cut. They all exist within the Department of Energy budget. {time} 1545 These programs invest in new horizons to move our country and economy forward through innovation, creating jobs along the way. Think about this: Nearly 3.2 million Americans now work in clean energy industries alone. Those are jobs that didn't exist 35 years ago. Energy means jobs, and new energy systems means economic growth. I remain troubled by the continued unsustainable spending in the Department of Energy's weapons program. Instead of working to rein in costs, just over a month ago, the administration submitted a budget amendment to begin work on a new, low-yield ballistic missile, as proposed in the Nuclear Posture Review. I remain unconvinced this new capability will actually improve our nuclear deterrent. The CHAIR. The time of the gentlewoman has expired. Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentlewoman from Ohio. Ms. KAPTUR. We owe it to the American people to have a full discussion and debate before wandering down a path to new varieties of nuclear weapons, including security, cost, and schedule. The bill, again, includes several unnecessary and controversial policy riders, everything related to the Waters of the United States to new language legislating an ongoing court case in the northwest. I ask my colleagues to vote no when I offer an amendment to eliminate all of them. One of our biggest concerns is the damage this bill does to other bills. It is like musical chairs: if we succeed with our bill, then the 11 bills that follow may not have sufficient funding. Mr. Chairman, I thank the chairman for leading us to this point. We are very proud to be the first bill on the floor this year, 2018, in the appropriations process. Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Carter), the new chairman of the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies on Appropriations, and I also thank him for his leadership and work on the Homeland Security Subcommittee as well. Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to be here as the newly appointed chairman of the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Subcommittee. I arrived post-midstream and I have a lot to learn. But I have served on this subcommittee before and I have got a great base to start with. Charlie Dent and Debbie Wasserman Schultz developed such a good bill that it was approved by a 47-0 vote in the full committee. The Military Construction and Veterans Affairs bill provides generously for our servicemembers, our veterans, their families, and our monuments and cemeteries. Chairman Frelinghuysen and Ranking Member Lowey have provided strong support for this bill. I appreciate their leadership, as well as the participation of all of the members of the subcommittee, and I especially want to thank my ranking member, Ms. Wasserman Schultz. The bill contains $96.9 billion in budget authority, an increase of $4.2 billion over last year's level. The funding recommendation includes: $11.3 billion for military construction, which is a $412 million, or 3.8 percent, increase over the fiscal year 2018 level. The bill includes $10.3 billion in base funding and $921 million in overseas contingency operations funding. The level is $131 million below the request. $85.3 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs, which is an increase of nearly $4 billion, or 4.8 percent over the FY18 level, and the same as the budget request. Of the $85.3 billion provided for VA, $71.2 billion is for medical care for 7 million veterans. We make important investments in many VA programs, including: mental health treatment and suicide prevention; development of the VA electronic health record; prevention of opioid abuse; and disability claims processing. And $2 billion is provided as the second year of the budget deal commitment for infrastructure funding for VA facilities. [[Page H4901]] This bill supports our troops with the facilities necessary to maintain readiness and morale at bases here in the United States and around the world. In addition, the bill funds our veterans healthcare and benefits systems to ensure that our promise to care for those who have sacrificed in defense of our Nation is met as those men and women return home. This is a strong bill, and I urge everyone to support it. Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ryan), the ranking member of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee. Mr. RYAN of Ohio. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman from New York for yielding, and I thank her for her leadership on the Appropriations Committee. I also thank my partner on the Legislative Branch Subcommittee on Appropriations, Mr. Yoder, who was chairman of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee on Appropriations until recently. He carried out his responsibilities as chairman in an inclusive and thoughtful manner. Not only did we hold a budget hearing with almost every agency funded under the bill, but we ended our markup with a bipartisan measure that gives most of the agencies in the legislative branch their full budget request. Chairman Frelinghuysen is now wielding the gavel for both the full Appropriations Committee and the Legislative Branch Subcommittee. I am grateful for the courtesy he has shown me as full committee chair, and in his short tenure so far as my subcommittee chair. I know he will continue to work with me as the ranking minority member in the same sort of respectful bipartisan manner as Mr. Yoder did. And, of course, I would like to thank the staff on both sides of the aisle: subcommittee clerk Jenny Panone, Tim Monahan, Adam Berg; and, from my office, Anne Sokolov and Ryan Keating. As Mr. Frelinghuysen noted, the Legislative Branch division of this bill provides $3.81 billion, excluding Senate items. With $456.4 million for the Capitol Police and $18.8 million for the House Sergeant at Arms, we are looking after the security needs of the Members, staff, and visitors both here in Washington and at our district offices back home. The bill's $5.4 million for the Office of Compliance and $147.6 million for the House chief administrative officer will support our response to the sexual harassment that has been pervasive since longer than any of us have been Members of Congress, but has only recently become a national scandal. The $642 million for the Architect of the Capitol will help continue to reduce our backlog of deferred maintenance. The $578.9 million for the Government Accountability Office will bring the Federal Government's premier auditor and watchdog back up to the staffing level it needs to root out waste, fraud, and abuse. Those are just some of the worthwhile issues to which we are putting taxpayer dollars in the Legislative Branch Appropriations bill. Unfortunately, I have to oppose this bill. It isn't because the funding for legislative branch agencies or energy and water or military construction and veterans affairs is inadequate. On the contrary. It is because the majority has taken the sequestration relief that Democrats fought for, and used it all for Republican priorities in fiscal year 2019, instead of putting it toward programs that help working people support their families and grow the middle class. That was not what we agreed upon. A number of the appropriations bills this year won't see an increase at all, even though there are billions more dollars available for domestic spending. The Republican plan says the Labor, Health, Human Services, and Education bill that funds the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the National Institutes of Health are not priorities, even in the face of the opioid crisis that we see in Ohio. We are saying it isn't a priority to fund the wage and hour division of the Department of Labor, which enforces Federal minimum wage, overtime pay, and recordkeeping laws to prevent wage theft. We are saying we don't care about the Bureau of International Labor Affairs, whose mission it is to promote a fair global playing field for workers in the U.S. and around the world by enforcing trade commitments, strengthening labor standards, and more. We are saying we don't care about job training and apprenticeship programs. But we somehow have billions of dollars for a wasteful, unnecessary, ineffective border wall? Shifting domestic spending away from programs that help the middle class isn't the only way in which the majority is effectively violating the bipartisan budget caps deal we agreed to in February. The majority is also counting over $1 billion for bipartisan veterans programs against the domestic spending caps, even though those dollars were previously outside the caps. They changed the rules to move it under the caps, and you have to spend less somewhere else. It is just another way of squeezing out funding for Democratic priorities. And, as we saw earlier today, they are rescinding money that we were relying on to write 2019 spending bills that made adequate investments in our country under the budget cap levels. Both sides understood we would use rescinded money to cover investments in health and education, for example, and now the Republicans are taking that away. Again, changing the rules to squeeze out spending for programs that help working families. The CHAIR. The time of the gentleman has expired. Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman. Mr. RYAN of Ohio. Lastly, Republicans are trying to simply sit on some of the domestic funds we agreed to in the bipartisan budget deal in February. For example, in the financial services bill, Republicans are taking $585 million away. If Republicans think they can get all the way through this year's appropriations process without bipartisan cooperation, good luck. And to get cooperation, you have to show good faith. We had a deal, we need to keep the deal. Mr. Chairman, I hope we can return to working together, like we did when we produced the fiscal year 2018 omnibus, less than 3 months ago. There is still time. But, for today, we have to oppose this bill. Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert), the chairman of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, and thank him for getting through such a successful markup of 5 hours yesterday afternoon. Actually, I thank all members for their perseverance in that regard. Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of these appropriations bills on the floor. I thank the full committee chairman, Rodney Frelinghuysen, for his dedication to regular order. We are committed to fulfilling our constitutional responsibility and pass these bills before the end of the fiscal year, and I commend the relevant chairmen and ranking members for their hard work on these bills. One of the most important duties of Members of Congress is to provide for the United States Armed Forces. The Military Construction and Veterans Affairs appropriations bill does just that. In particular, the bill provides $50 million in force protection funding for each of the services. This money could be used for access control points, air traffic control towers, and fire stations. This funding is particularly important for bases near my congressional district: March Air Reserve Base and Camp Pendleton. March Air Reserve Base is busier than ever, including managing the deployment of over 4,000 troops every month. In order to ensure the safety of these brave men and women, a new main gate complex is needed. At Camp Pendleton, the fire stations are in dire need of replacement. Of the top six fire stations identified for replacement by the Navy, five are at Camp Pendleton. Of the full-time stations, all but three are spartan wood- [[Page H4902]] frame structures built in the 1940s. The funding in this bill would start the process of replacing old, outdated fire stations with contemporary structures able to respond to the needs of our United States Marine Corps. I also support the Energy and Water portion of the bill put forward by my friend Mike Simpson. The robust funding for the Bureau of Reclamation will go to critical infrastructure, including $134 million for water storage projects. The bill includes language directing FERC to continue working with the industry on cost-effective ways to increase the resilience of our electric transmission system. This is especially important following one of the worst fire seasons in California's modern history. The bill also provides strong funding for the Army Corps of Engineers, allowing them to update and improve water projects throughout the country. The report contains much-needed language for the Murrieta Creek project in my own district. The report highlights that the project is critical to the health, safety, and protection of the communities of Murrieta and Temecula. Finally, the bill also repeals the disastrous Waters of the United States rule that would significantly restrict the ability of private landowners to make decisions about their own property. Deciding how water should be used is a State and local issue, not the Federal Government. {time} 1600 Mr. Chair, I thank the full committee chairman and ranking member, the relevant subcommittee chairmen and ranking members, and staff for their diligent work. Mr. Chair, I urge passage of the bill. Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz), the ranking member of the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Subcommittee. Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. I also thank Chairman Frelinghuysen and former Chairman Dent for their hard work on the bill. Mr. Chair, I recognize Chairman Carter for taking up the reins on this bill. It is not an easy, carefree situation to come in and take over after a bill has been completely written and then have to manage it. But I am confident, given the track record that I have seen Chairman Carter have, that it is going to be an absolute pleasure to work with him, as it has been all throughout my tenure on the Appropriations Committee. As you all know, the MILCON-VA bill has a strong reputation for common ground and bipartisanship. Chairman Dent set a cooperative tone and was inclusive throughout the process before his retirement. The MILCON portion of the bill is up by $241 million over last year's enacted level. In my opinion, the fiscal year 2019 request adequately provides funding for both the Active and Reserve components. One item that I want to point out in the MILCON portion of the bill is new funding for enhancing security and safety. The bill includes $150 million for enhancing much-needed force protection and safety concerns at military installations. Too often, we had situations where these projects were deferred for big-ticket items and then never made it into the request. For the Department of Veterans Affairs, title 2 is $3.9 billion over, for a 5 percent increase above the fiscal year 2018 enacted level. Mr. Chairman, I am also pleased the bill rejects the administration's proposal to combine the Medical Services and Community Care accounts into one enormous account, which was a bipartisan agreement. Maintaining the old structure of two accounts offers us the most transparency for the committee to both monitor and control spending in these two areas. Mr. Chairman, while the Military Construction-Veterans Affairs division makes many important investments, it does fall far short in averting the multibillion-dollar funding shortfall at the VA in both the Choice and Community Care programs. The majority has acknowledged this fact because included in the rule was a self-executing amendment that added $1.1 billion to the Community Care account to address a discretionary shortfall caused by the VA MISSION Act, which the Democrats had repeatedly since the introduction and passage of the MISSION Act warned the majority about. Even with this additional $1.1 billion, the bill fails to address the $1.6 billion shortfall in traditional Community Care due to increased requirements. And it does nothing to address the long-term stability of the Veterans Community Care program, which CBO now estimates will need an additional $1 billion for fiscal year 2019 and at least $47 billion from fiscal year 2020 to fiscal year 2023. This future shortfall--make no mistake, you can take this to the bank, mark my words--if we don't deal with this, will ultimately force the VA to begin cannibalizing other critical VA priorities. Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member Lowey submitted an amendment to the Rules Committee that would have addressed this issue, as did Mr. Walz in the VA authorizing process, that would have preserved the Bipartisan Budget Act deal and prevented cuts to VA programs. It also would have held nondefense discretionary caps for VA negotiated under the Bipartisan Budget Act harmless when funding for the Veterans Choice Program is transferred from mandatory to discretionary accounts. Another concern I have is that, despite calls to return to regular order, as many of my colleagues have discussed here today, we are instead taking up, completely unnecessarily--because we have plenty of time to do this--three bills at once. This year especially, the process should have been better. The bipartisan budget agreement enacted in February provided us relief from unworkable discretionary spending caps by giving this committee a bipartisan top-line number for fiscal year 2018 and fiscal year 2019. Yet here we are, for the second straight year, doing another minibus. This is extremely disappointing, and it is nowhere close to regular order. Mr. Chairman, if we want to return to regular order, we have to know the full 302(b) picture at the beginning of this process, not five bills in to when we have marked up over a third of the bills that we consider every year. We have to return to considering bills one at a time and under an open process that allows each Member of this body to have reasonable input. Mr. Chairman, we cannot continue to govern in this fashion. We must stop listening to the most extreme voices, because it is clear that passing any appropriations bill at the end of the day that will be signed into law is going to require a bipartisan majority of both houses, which this minibus will not get, in my estimation. As a result of this irresponsible posture, I am incredibly disappointed that I will be voting against the minibus and look forward to working towards an appropriations product that both parties have actually worked on together and can support. Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Fleischmann), a valuable member of the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Subcommittee. Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chair, I rise to speak in support of H.R. 5895. But before I do that, I want to thank Chairman Frelinghuysen for his tremendous hard work and efforts and also the ranking member, Mrs. Lowey, for her hard work on this bill as well. Mr. Chair, this bill combines the appropriation bills for Energy and Water Development, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Legislative Branch. As the vice chairman of the Energy and Water Development Subcommittee, I am especially proud to support this bill, which reflects the hard work of the subcommittee members and staff under the leadership of Chairman Simpson and Ranking Member Kaptur. This bill provides robust funding for the National Nuclear Security Administration to maintain the safety and readiness of our Nation's nuclear weapons stockpile, addresses aging infrastructure in our weapons complex facilities, and supports current and future missions of our great nuclear Navy. [[Page H4903]] Another issue that is near and dear to me is nuclear cleanup, as both Y-12 and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory have significant ongoing cleanup missions. As the chairman of the Nuclear Cleanup Caucus, I know that addressing the legacy of the Cold War in communities around the Nation is a vital Federal commitment. This bill provides the Department of Energy's Office of Environmental Management with the funding it needs to continue to live up to this commitment. I am also pleased with the strong support in this bill for the Department of Energy's Office of Science. Notably, this bill supports continued investment in the area of supercomputing and supports the Department of Energy's goal to deploy a first-in-the-world exascale supercomputer. Much of that critical research will take place at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. There is also continued support for Oak Ridge National Laboratory's high-flux neutron sources, which enable novel scientific research into the fundamental nature of matter that can be formed nowhere else in the world. Funding in this bill provides critical infrastructure for our waterways, which is essential to our economy. Mr. Chair, I will close by reiterating my full, strong support for this bill and encouraging all of my colleagues to support this bill and support the incredibly important national priorities that it funds. Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the Democratic whip. Mr. HOYER. Mr. Chair, I thank the ranking member, Mrs. Lowey, for yielding. I rise twice today in sadness. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, albeit on leave, I have great respect for this committee, but I rise to express my concern with this minibus legislation. Republicans brought it to the floor through a closed process and without an agreement on funding levels. Doing so, of course, shuts down debate, limits opportunity for Members to amend an appropriations bill, and sets the House up once again to shortchange important domestic priorities like healthcare and education. And let me say to my friends on the majority side, who regularly and strongly and somewhat sanctimoniously attacked putting bills together, not considering them one at a time, and have now repaired to this `bus system, they are putting America under the bus. And they are putting regular order under the bus. And they are putting the ability to consider bills under the bus. This minibus includes problematic cuts to funding for renewable energy programs, changes to gun safety rules, and a weakening of environmental protections. So if you are for MILCON and you are for the Leg bill, you ought to vote for the stuff you don't like. That is what this process does to all of us. I am also particularly concerned with the title funding the legislative branch. Most people won't talk about this, but, yes, I am known as a person of this institution, and I am proud of it. I am also proud that I have fought for Members for over two decades as a leader. As many of my colleagues are aware but few Americans might be, the people's Representatives have been asked to do more and more each year with fewer and fewer resources. The Members' Representational Allowance exists in order to ensure that Members and their staff can serve their districts and constituents in the most effective and responsible way possible. For example, my office--and all of yours--uses its resources to help veterans navigate the VA system, help seniors collect their Social Security benefits, and to advocate for our district's critical military and civilian installations. Sadly, Mr. Speaker, the MRA is often considered the low-hanging fruit of discretionary cuts, a political messaging freebie that has no constituency to advocate on its behalf. The CHAIR. The time of the gentleman has expired. Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chair, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentleman from Maryland. Mr. HOYER. As result, the MRA today has shrunk to 85 percent of what it was 8 years ago. Meanwhile, the population of the United States has grown by an estimated 19 million people. Less service for our people. That is why I wrote the Appropriations Committee and asked the MRA be funded at least at 2010 levels, 8 years ago. I am disappointed that was not done. At the same time--and, Members, hear this, because most of you won't say it because you are afraid that somehow your constituents will make you pay the price--we have once again frozen the cost-of-living adjustment as the costs go up in Washington, D.C. I don't ask for a raise for Members, but I do ask that they be kept at the same level. We ought to stop all this hair-shirting in this body and treat Members with the respect that they deserve. Mr. Chair, I will vote against this bill. I will vote against this bill because it is bad process and bad product and lets the American people down. Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chair, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Rutherford), a new member of the House Appropriations Committee. Mr. RUTHERFORD. Mr. Chair, I thank Chairman Frelinghuysen for his leadership on this bill with scores of amendments through committee. Mr. Chair, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 5895, the Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2019. This bill makes key investments in water resources infrastructure and coastal flood protection, increases funding for veterans healthcare and benefits, bolsters our military assets, and increases funding for the Capitol Police by $29 million. Of great importance to my district, Mr. Chair, in northeast Florida is the MILCON appropriation, which includes $111 million for two much- needed facilities for the training and support of the littoral combat ship crews at Naval Station Mayport. These facilities will ensure that the LCS crews are efficiently and adequately trained as we continue to rebuild our fleet and deploy these ships in the future. Mr. Chair, I am grateful to former Chairman Dent, Chairman Carter, the committee staff, and my colleagues for their hard work on this package, and I urge its passage. {time} 1615 Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Washington State (Mr. Newhouse). Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Chair, I thank Chairman Frelinghuysen as well as Chairman Simpson for their hard work on this package of bills. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 5895, which includes the fiscal year 2019 Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill. Of all the funding bills I work on with my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee, the Energy and Water legislation is one of the most important for my district of central Washington. From supporting the continued cleanup efforts at the Hanford nuclear site to boosting the groundbreaking scientific research conducted at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, to aiding the vitally important water projects managed and developed by both the Army Corps of Engineers as well as the Bureau of Reclamation, this bill is composed of important resources for central Washington. Regarding Hanford, I am proud this bill restores more than $200 million from the President's request for the Richland office to continue providing for continued safe and effective cleanup operations onsite. I am also pleased with the restoration of more than $40 million to the Office of River Protection to continue important work on the 56 million gallons of radioactive nuclear waste that is stored at the site. I remain steadfast in my commitment to holding the Federal Government accountable to its moral and legal obligation to the cleanup of the Hanford site, and this bill does precisely that, so thank you. I am also encouraged by this legislation's demonstrated commitment to [[Page H4904]] moving forward with Yucca Mountain as the lead geological repository for legacy waste and spent nuclear fuel, as well as the continued commitment to support science, including robust funding for Basic Energy Sciences, cybersecurity, and the National Nuclear Security Administration. These programs are important for the groundbreaking work conducted at PNNL to tackle some of the most challenging problems in energy, the environment, and in national security. Finally, this legislation includes a provision that I authored to stop the dangerous, antiscience forced spill order currently in effect on the eight lower Snake and lower Columbia River dams, which began in early April of this year. Just a week ago, Mr. Chairman, we received news from the Army Corps that fish managers are having to take measures to manage the effects of this reckless spill order. High flow rates from the forced spill are causing fish to stall in their migration upstream, with only 300 to 400 spring chinook passing through Little Goose Dam in late May. However, after the Corps reduced the spill rate by just 20 percent a week ago, the daily passage rose to 2,689 fish. This demonstrates the strain the spill order is placing on our endangered species. Some of my colleagues refuse to acknowledge this unambiguous scientific data and claim to support endangered fish species with their words. The CHAIR. The time of the gentleman has expired. Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chair, I yield the gentleman an additional 15 seconds. Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Chair, they claim to support the endangered species with their words but not with their actions. I am proud to have advocated for the inclusion of this language to stop this misguided spill to help save our fish and save our dams. I urge a ``yes'' vote on H.R. 5895. Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Aderholt), chairman of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Subcommittee on Appropriations. Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of this first package of FY 2019 appropriations bills. This combined bill that we are talking about today is the start of the process, and it is a good example of how the House is doing its job. We have had a lot of hearings and we have had a lot of meetings with administration officials over the last several months, and we have talked about their budget and how they justified it and how we are moving through the process. The Appropriations Committee has now taken action. We have marked up and passed these bills that are before us out of the subcommittee. We have passed them out of the committee. The House has taken action with this legislative package that we will pass tomorrow, and now it is the Senate's turn. Mr. Chairman, let me point out that the Senate has passed just two appropriations bills through subcommittee and full committee and had floor votes in the Senate since 2012, just two standalone bills in 6 years. Mr. Chairman, certainly I think it is a real problem. The House is doing its job and it is time for the Senate to do theirs, and they may have to stay in session during the month of August to get their work done. The President has promised that he will not sign another 12-bill package omnibus bill. We are doing our part here to ensure the process moves forward and that we have the bills to conference with the Senate once they are completed. So I urge my colleagues to support this three- bill package to fund our veterans' healthcare, infrastructure package, and these other important programs. Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Valadao), a great member of the Appropriations Committee. Mr. VALADAO. Mr. Chairman, as a member of the committee of jurisdiction, I am proud to rise today in strong support of the fiscal year 2019 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill. Our military servicemembers have made immeasurable sacrifices for our Nation, and we are forever indebted to the brave men and women who have served. Providing access to benefits ranging from medical care to education opportunities is a small, yet important, symbol of gratitude for their service. The bill before us today improves the management of the VA facilities across the Nation and rebuilds our military infrastructure at facilities such as Naval Air Station Lemoore in California's 21st Congressional District, the district I have the honor of representing. But, most importantly, the legislation ensures our veterans get the care they deserve. In fact, I am proud to say this historic piece of legislation provides the VA with more financial resources than any other previous year, resources desperately needed in order to ensure our veterans receive the services and treatment they have earned and truly deserve. In rural areas like California's Central Valley, where unemployment is high and primary care options are limited, healthcare options are, unfortunately, inadequate. This is especially true for our Nation's veterans living in rural America. However, this package delivers targeted, results-oriented solutions to increase access to healthcare for 3 million veterans living in rural communities across the Nation. On top of that, more than 450,000 veterans from coast to coast are waiting to be compensated for medical claims they have submitted to the VA, and this is simply unacceptable. As a result of this legislation, we can cut through that backlog and provide our veterans with the financial relief they desperately need. Mr. Chairman, I stand here today representing the 22,000 veterans who call California's 21st Congressional District home. They have sacrificed so much for us and it is past time that we repay the favor. Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Simpson), chairman of the Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee. Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Chairman, I yield to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Curtis) for the purpose of a colloquy. Mr. CURTIS. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of increased funding for the Moab UMTRA project in the underlying legislation. This bill would fund the site cleanup at $42 million, an increase of approximately $4 million over last year's funding. Located just across the street from Arches National Park, the Energy Department is currently undertaking the largest uranium mill tailing pile relocation in the United States. Once the cleanup is complete, this valuable real estate can be used for a wide variety of economic and other uses in the area. I appreciate the leadership of Chairman Simpson on this issue as well as his support of other programs that are important to the West within his subcommittee. I urge my colleagues to support funding for the Moab UMTRA project as well as the underlying legislation. Mr. SIMPSON. Reclaiming my time, I appreciate my colleague's support for the cleanup activities of the Department of Energy. The bill provides $62 million for the cleanup at DOE's nondefense small sites, $7.1 million above the budget request. Within that, funding for the Moab uranium mill tailings site is available at $42 million. We would be pleased to work with the gentleman from Utah on expediting cleanup of the site and appreciate his support for the underlying legislation. Mr. CURTIS. I would like to thank Chairman Simpson for his support of the Moab UMTRA cleanup. I look forward to continuing to work on this issue as well as other issues that can benefit our constituents and the American people. Again, I urge my colleagues to vote in support of this bill. Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the balance of my time to close. I urge all of my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this bill, which guts critical [[Page H4905]] investments in clean energy, guts clean water protection. The Republican raw deal prioritizes President Trump's border wall and deportation force over much-needed increases to services that help American families, from early childhood education, job training, to securing the sanctity of our elections. I vote ``no,'' and I yield back the balance of my time. Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to urge Members to vote for this three-bill package. I know that both Members of the majority and minority have worked hard on those bills. I think it is important we deliver this package for the American people. I yield back the balance of my time. Ms. LEE. Mr. Chair, I thank Ranking Member Lowey for yielding and for her tireless work. Mr. Chair, as a member of the Appropriations Committee, I rise in strong opposition to this bill--H.R. 5895--the Fiscal Year 2019 Energy and Water, Leg Branch, and MilconVA spending bills. This Republican minibus fails to protect the health, security, and safety of the American people. And really, this bill is an attempt to block critical funding for education, health, and the economic security. Once again, Republicans are funding defense at the expense of priorities here at home. This is shameful and short-sighted. Mr. Chair, the Pentagon does not need more funding. A Washington Post report in 2016 exposed $125 billion in waste, fraud and abuse at the Pentagon. But rather than come clean, leaders at the Pentagon chose to bury the report and continue wasting taxpayer dollars. Yet, Republicans want to increase Defense spending by $17 billion. Mr. Chair--instead of making defense contractors even richer, how about we start helping struggling families home at home? At a time when we should invest robustly in the American people, Republicans are doing just the opposite. The partisan bill before us cuts vital clean energy initiatives, attacks job-creating investments, and slashes funds for nuclear non- proliferation efforts. All this bill does is make it harder to grow the economy and for hardworking Americans to succeed. By flat funding four of our most important domestic spending bills-- including Labor, HHS, and Education, the funding subcommittee I sit on--there will be less money for job training, education, and public health. This is a shame, Mr. Chair. And I am sad to say that with the flat funding of many of our bills-- people will lose out. Ameicans want good-paying jobs. They want to be able to see a doctor when they're sick. They want safe schools to send their kids to. But instead, Republicans keep shortchanging families so that billionaires, polluters and defense contractors can pad their pockets. This bill is a disgrace. I urge my colleagues to vote no. The CHAIR. All time for general debate has expired. Pursuant to the rule, the bill shall be considered for amendment under the 5-minute rule. An amendment in the nature of a substitute consisting of the text of Rules Committee Print 115-71 shall be considered as adopted, and the bill, as amended, shall be considered as an original bill for the purpose of further amendment under the 5-minute rule and shall be considered as read. The text of the bill, as amended, is as follows: H.R. 5895 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2019''. DIVISION A--ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019 The following sums are appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for energy and water development and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019, and for other purposes, namely: TITLE I CORPS OF ENGINEERS--CIVIL DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY Corps of Engineers--Civil The following appropriations shall be expended under the direction of the Secretary of the Army and the supervision of the Chief of Engineers for authorized civil functions of the Department of the Army pertaining to river and harbor, flood and storm damage reduction, shore protection, aquatic ecosystem restoration, and related efforts. investigations For expenses necessary where authorized by law for the collection and study of basic information pertaining to river and harbor, flood and storm damage reduction, shore protection, aquatic ecosystem restoration, and related needs; for surveys and detailed studies, and plans and specifications of proposed river and harbor, flood and storm damage reduction, shore protection, and aquatic ecosystem restoration projects, and related efforts prior to construction; for restudy of authorized projects; and for miscellaneous investigations, and, when authorized by law, surveys and detailed studies, and plans and specifications of projects prior to construction, $128,000,000, to remain available until expended: Provided, That the Secretary shall initiate six new study starts during fiscal year 2019: Provided further, That the Secretary shall not deviate from the new starts proposed in the work plan, once the plan has been submitted to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress. construction For expenses necessary for the construction of river and harbor, flood and storm damage reduction, shore protection, aquatic ecosystem restoration, and related projects authorized by law; for conducting detailed studies, and plans and specifications, of such projects (including those involving participation by States, local governments, or private groups) authorized or made eligible for selection by law (but such detailed studies, and plans and specifications, shall not constitute a commitment of the Government to construction); $2,323,000,000, to remain available until expended; of which such sums as are necessary to cover the Federal share of construction costs for facilities under the Dredged Material Disposal Facilities program shall be derived from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund as authorized by Public Law 104-303; and of which such sums as are necessary to cover one-half of the costs of construction, replacement, rehabilitation, and expansion of inland waterways projects shall be derived from the Inland Waterways Trust Fund, except as otherwise specifically provided for in law: Provided, That the Secretary shall initiate five new construction starts during fiscal year 2019: Provided further, That for new construction projects, project cost sharing agreements shall be executed as soon as practicable but no later than August 31, 2019: Provided further, That no allocation for a new start shall be considered final and no work allowance shall be made until the Secretary provides to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress an out-year funding scenario demonstrating the affordability of the selected new starts and the impacts on other projects: Provided further, That the Secretary may not deviate from the new starts proposed in the work plan, once the plan has been submitted to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress. mississippi river and tributaries For expenses necessary for flood damage reduction projects and related efforts in the Mississippi River alluvial valley below Cape Girardeau, Missouri, as authorized by law, $430,000,000, to remain available until expended, of which such sums as are necessary to cover the Federal share of eligible operation and maintenance costs for inland harbors shall be derived from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund. operation and maintenance For expenses necessary for the operation, maintenance, and care of existing river and harbor, flood and storm damage reduction, aquatic ecosystem restoration, and related projects authorized by law; providing security for infrastructure owned or operated by the Corps, including administrative buildings and laboratories; maintaining harbor channels provided by a State, municipality, or other public agency that serve essential navigation needs of general commerce, where authorized by law; surveying and charting northern and northwestern lakes and connecting waters; clearing and straightening channels; and removing obstructions to navigation, $3,820,000,000, to remain available until expended, of which such sums as are necessary to cover the Federal share of eligible operation and maintenance costs for coastal harbors and channels, and for inland harbors shall be derived from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund; of which such sums as become available from the special account for the Corps of Engineers established by the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 shall be derived from that account for resource protection, research, interpretation, and maintenance activities related to resource protection in the areas at which outdoor recreation is available; and of which such sums as become available from fees collected under section 217 of Public Law 104-303 shall be used to cover the cost of operation and maintenance of the dredged material disposal facilities for which such fees have been collected: Provided, That 1 percent of the total amount of funds provided for each of the programs, projects, or activities funded under this heading shall not be allocated to a field operating activity prior to the beginning of the fourth quarter of the fiscal year and shall be available for use by the Chief of Engineers to fund such emergency activities as the Chief of Engineers determines to be necessary and appropriate, and that the Chief of Engineers shall allocate during the fourth quarter any remaining funds which have not been used for emergency activities proportionally in accordance with the amounts provided for the programs, projects, or activities. regulatory program For expenses necessary for administration of laws pertaining to regulation of navigable [[Page H4906]] waters and wetlands, $200,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2020. formerly utilized sites remedial action program For expenses necessary to clean up contamination from sites in the United States resulting from work performed as part of the Nation's early atomic energy program, $150,000,000, to remain available until expended. flood control and coastal emergencies For expenses necessary to prepare for flood, hurricane, and other natural disasters and support emergency operations, repairs, and other activities in response to such disasters as authorized by law, $35,000,000, to remain available until expended. expenses For expenses necessary for the supervision and general administration of the civil works program in the headquarters of the Corps of Engineers and the offices of the Division Engineers; and for costs of management and operation of the Humphreys Engineer Center Support Activity, the Institute for Water Resources, the United States Army Engineer Research and Development Center, and the United States Army Corps of Engineers Finance Center allocable to the civil works program, $187,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2020, of which not to exceed $5,000 may be used for official reception and representation purposes and only during the current fiscal year: Provided, That no part of any other appropriation provided in this title shall be available to fund the civil works activities of the Office of the Chief of Engineers or the civil works executive direction and management activities of the division offices: Provided further, That any Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies appropriation may be used to fund the supervision and general administration of emergency operations, repairs, and other activities in response to any flood, hurricane, or other natural disaster. office of the assistant secretary of the army for civil works For the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works as authorized by 10 U.S.C. 3016(b)(3), $5,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2020: Provided, That not more than 25 percent of such amount may be obligated or expended until the Assistant Secretary submits to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress a work plan that allocates at least 95 percent of the additional funding provided under each heading in this title (as designated under such heading in the report of the Committee on Appropriations accompanying this Act) to specific programs, projects, or activities. GENERAL PROVISIONS--CORPS OF ENGINEERS--CIVIL (including transfer of funds) Sec. 101. (a) None of the funds provided in this title shall be available for obligation or expenditure through a reprogramming of funds that-- (1) creates or initiates a new program, project, or activity; (2) eliminates a program, project, or activity; (3) increases funds or personnel for any program, project, or activity for which funds have been denied or restricted by this Act; (4) reduces funds that are directed to be used for a specific program, project, or activity by this Act; (5) increases funds for any program, project, or activity by more than $2,000,000 or 10 percent, whichever is less; or (6) reduces funds for any program, project, or activity by more than $2,000,000 or 10 percent, whichever is less. (b) Subsection (a)(1) shall not apply to any project or activity authorized under section 205 of the Flood Control Act of 1948, section 14 of the Flood Control Act of 1946, section 208 of the Flood Control Act of 1954, section 107 of the River and Harbor Act of 1960, section 103 of the River and Harbor Act of 1962, section 111 of the River and Harbor Act of 1968, section 1135 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1986, section 206 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1996, or section 204 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1992. (c) The Corps of Engineers shall submit reports on a quarterly basis to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress detailing all the funds reprogrammed between programs, projects, activities, or categories of funding. The first quarterly report shall be submitted not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act. Sec. 102. None of the funds made available in this title may be used to award or modify any contract that commits funds beyond the amounts appropriated for that program, project, or activity that remain unobligated, except that such amounts may include any funds that have been made available through reprogramming pursuant to section 101. Sec. 103. The Secretary of the Army may transfer to the Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Fish and Wildlife Service may accept and expend, up to $5,400,000 of funds provided in this title under the heading ``Operation and Maintenance'' to mitigate for fisheries lost due to Corps of Engineers projects. Sec. 104. None of the funds in this Act shall be used for an open lake placement alternative for dredged material, after evaluating the least costly, environmentally acceptable manner for the disposal or management of dredged material originating from Lake Erie or tributaries thereto, unless it is approved under a State water quality certification pursuant to section 401 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1341): Provided, That until an open lake placement alternative for dredged material is approved under a State water quality certification, the Corps of Engineers shall continue upland placement of such dredged material consistent with the requirements of section 101 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1986 (33 U.S.C. 2211). Sec. 105. None of the funds made available in this title may be used for any acquisition of buoy chain that is not consistent with 48 CFR 225.7007, subsections (a)(1) and (a)(2). Sec. 106. None of the funds made available by this Act may be used to carry out any water supply reallocation study under the Wolf Creek Dam, Lake Cumberland, Kentucky, project authorized under the Act of July 24, 1946 (60 Stat. 636, ch. 595). Sec. 107. Notwithstanding section 404(f)(2) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1344(f)(2)), none of the funds made available by this Act may be used to require a permit for the discharge of dredged or fill material under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.) for the activities identified in subparagraphs (A) and (C) of section 404(f)(1) of the Act (33 U.S.C. 1344(f)(1)(A), (C)). Sec. 108. The final rule issued by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Secretary of the Army entitled ``Clean Water Rule: `Definition of Waters of the United States' '' (80 Fed. Reg. 37053 (June 29, 2015)) is repealed, and, until such time as the Administrator and the Secretary issue a final rule after the date of enactment of this Act defining the scope of waters protected under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act and such new final rule goes into effect, any regulation or policy revised under, or otherwise affected as a result of, the rule repealed by this section shall be applied as if that repealed rule had not been issued. Sec. 109. As of the date of enactment of this Act and each fiscal year thereafter, the Secretary of the Army shall not promulgate or enforce any regulation that prohibits an individual from possessing a firearm, including an assembled or functional firearm, at a water resources development project covered under section 327.0 of title 36, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on the date of enactment of this Act), if-- (1) the individual is not otherwise prohibited by law from possessing the firearm; and (2) the possession of the firearm is in compliance with the law of the State in which the water resources development project is located. Sec. 110. For fiscal year 2019, none of the funds provided in this Act or available in the revolving fund established by the Civil Functions Appropriations Act of 1954 (33 U.S.C. 576(a)) may be obligated or expended on a new hopper dredge. TITLE II DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Central Utah Project central utah project completion account For carrying out activities authorized by the Central Utah Project Completion Act, $15,000,000, to remain available until expended, of which $898,000 shall be deposited into the Utah Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation Account for use by the Utah Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation Commission: Provided, That of the amount provided under this heading, $1,398,675 shall be available until September 30, 2020, for expenses necessary in carrying out related responsibilities of the Secretary of the Interior: Provided further, That for fiscal year 2019, of the amount made available to the Commission under this Act or any other Act, the Commission may use an amount not to exceed $1,500,000 for administrative expenses. Bureau of Reclamation The following appropriations shall be expended to execute authorized functions of the Bureau of Reclamation: water and related resources (including transfers of funds) For management, development, and restoration of water and related natural resources and for related activities, including the operation, maintenance, and rehabilitation of reclamation and other facilities, participation in fulfilling related Federal responsibilities to Native Americans, and related grants to, and cooperative and other agreements with, State and local governments, federally recognized Indian tribes, and others, $1,381,992,000, to remain available until expended, of which $67,393,000 shall be available for transfer to the Upper Colorado River Basin Fund and $5,551,000 shall be available for transfer to the Lower Colorado River Basin Development Fund; of which such amounts as may be necessary may be advanced to the Colorado River Dam Fund: Provided, That such transfers may be increased or decreased within the overall appropriation under this heading: Provided further, That of the total appropriated, the amount for program activities that can be financed by the Reclamation Fund or the Bureau of Reclamation special fee account established by 16 U.S.C. 6806 shall be derived from that Fund or account: Provided further, That funds contributed under 43 U.S.C. 395 are available until expended for the purposes for which the funds were contributed: Provided further, That funds advanced under 43 U.S.C. 397a shall be credited to this account and are available until expended for the same purposes as the sums appropriated under this heading: Provided further, That of the amounts provided herein, funds may be used for high-priority projects which shall be carried out by the Youth Conservation Corps, as authorized by 16 U.S.C. 1706. central valley project restoration fund For carrying out the programs, projects, plans, habitat restoration, improvement, and acquisition provisions of the Central Valley Project Improvement Act, $62,008,000, to be derived from such sums as may be collected in the Central Valley Project Restoration Fund pursuant to sections 3407(d), 3404(c)(3), and 3405(f) of Public Law 102-575, to remain available until [[Page H4907]] expended: Provided, That the Bureau of Reclamation is directed to assess and collect the full amount of the additional mitigation and restoration payments authorized by section 3407(d) of Public Law 102-575: Provided further, That none of the funds made available under this heading may be used for the acquisition or leasing of water for in-stream purposes if the water is already committed to in-stream purposes by a court adopted decree or order. california bay-delta restoration (including transfers of funds) For carrying out activities authorized by the Water Supply, Reliability, and Environmental Improvement Act, consistent with plans to be approved by the Secretary of the Interior, $35,000,000, to remain available until expended, of which such amounts as may be necessary to carry out such activities may be transferred to appropriate accounts of other participating Federal agencies to carry out authorized purposes: Provided, That funds appropriated herein may be used for the Federal share of the costs of CALFED Program management: Provided further, That CALFED implementation shall be carried out in a balanced manner with clear performance measures demonstrating concurrent progress in achieving the goals and objectives of the Program. policy and administration For expenses necessary for policy, administration, and related functions in the Office of the Commissioner, the Denver office, and offices in the five regions of the Bureau of Reclamation, to remain available until September 30, 2020, $61,000,000, to be derived from the Reclamation Fund and be nonreimbursable as provided in 43 U.S.C. 377: Provided, That no part of any other appropriation in this Act shall be available for activities or functions budgeted as policy and administration expenses. administrative provision Appropriations for the Bureau of Reclamation shall be available for purchase of not to exceed five passenger motor vehicles, which are for replacement only. GENERAL PROVISIONS--DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Sec. 201. (a) None of the funds provided in this title shall be available for obligation or expenditure through a reprogramming of funds that-- (1) creates or initiates a new program, project, or activity; (2) eliminates a program, project, or activity; (3) increases funds for any program, project, or activity for which funds have been denied or restricted by this Act; (4) restarts or resumes any program, project or activity for which funds are not provided in this Act, unless prior approval is received from the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress; (5) transfers funds in excess of the following limits-- (A) 15 percent for any program, project or activity for which $2,000,000 or more is available at the beginning of the fiscal year; or (B) $400,000 for any program, project or activity for which less than $2,000,000 is available at the beginning of the fiscal year; (6) transfers more than $500,000 from either the Facilities Operation, Maintenance, and Rehabilitation category or the Resources Management and Development category to any program, project, or activity in the other category; or (7) transfers, where necessary to discharge legal obligations of the Bureau of Reclamation, more than $5,000,000 to provide adequate funds for settled contractor claims, increased contractor earnings due to accelerated rates of operations, and real estate deficiency judgments. (b) Subsection (a)(5) shall not apply to any transfer of funds within the Facilities Operation, Maintenance, and Rehabilitation category. (c) For purposes of this section, the term ``transfer'' means any movement of funds into or out of a program, project, or activity. (d) The Bureau of Reclamation shall submit reports on a quarterly basis to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress detailing all the funds reprogrammed between programs, projects, activities, or categories of funding. The first quarterly report shall be submitted not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act. Sec. 202. (a) None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act may be used to determine the final point of discharge for the interceptor drain for the San Luis Unit until development by the Secretary of the Interior and the State of California of a plan, which shall conform to the water quality standards of the State of California as approved by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, to minimize any detrimental effect of the San Luis drainage waters. (b) The costs of the Kesterson Reservoir Cleanup Program and the costs of the San Joaquin Valley Drainage Program shall be classified by the Secretary of the Interior as reimbursable or nonreimbursable and collected until fully repaid pursuant to the ``Cleanup Program--Alternative Repayment Plan'' and the ``SJVDP--Alternative Repayment Plan'' described in the report entitled ``Repayment Report, Kesterson Reservoir Cleanup Program and San Joaquin Valley Drainage Program, February 1995'', prepared by the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation. Any future obligations of funds by the United States relating to, or providing for, drainage service or drainage studies for the San Luis Unit shall be fully reimbursable by San Luis Unit beneficiaries of such service or studies pursuant to Federal reclamation law. Sec. 203. Hereinafter, notwithstanding any other provision of law, during the period from November 1 through April 30, water users may use their diversion structures for the purpose of recharging the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer, when the Secretary, in consultation with the Advisory Committee and Water District 1 watermaster, determines there is water available in excess of that needed to satisfy existing Minidoka Project storage and hydropower rights and ensure operational flexibility. Sec. 204. Section 9001(d) of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-11; 123 Stat. 1295) is amended by striking ``10'' and inserting ``20''. Sec. 205. None of the funds in this Act shall be available to implement the Stipulation of Settlement (Natural Resources Defense Council, et al. v. Kirk Rodgers, et al., Eastern District of California, No. Civ. 9 S-88-1658 LKK/GGH) or subtitle A of title X of Public Law 111-11. Sec. 206. None of the funds in this Act shall be available for the purchase of water in the State of California to supplement instream flow within a river basin that has suffered a drought within the last two years. Sec. 207. Section 9(c)(1) of the Reclamation Project Act of 1939 (43 U.S.C. 485h(c)(1)) is amended by inserting ``and pumped storage hydropower development exclusively using Bureau of Reclamation reservoirs'' after ``including small conduit hydropower development''. TITLE III DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ENERGY PROGRAMS Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy For Department of Energy expenses including the purchase, construction, and acquisition of plant and capital equipment, and other expenses necessary for energy efficiency and renewable energy activities in carrying out the purposes of the Department of Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.), including the acquisition or condemnation of any real property or any facility or for plant or facility acquisition, construction, or expansion, $2,078,640,000, to remain available until expended: Provided, That of such amount, $153,700,000 shall be available until September 30, 2020, for program direction. Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response For Department of Energy expenses including the purchase, construction, and acquisition of plant and capital equipment, and other expenses necessary for energy sector cybersecurity, energy security, and emergency response activities in carrying out the purposes of the Department of Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.), including the acquisition or condemnation of any real property or any facility or for plant or facility acquisition, construction, or expansion, $146,000,000, to remain available until expended: Provided, That of such amount, $11,500,000 shall be available until September 30, 2020, for program direction. Electricity Delivery For Department of Energy expenses including the purchase, construction, and acquisition of plant and capital equipment, and other expenses necessary for electricity delivery activities in carrying out the purposes of the Department of Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.), including the acquisition or condemnation of any real property or any facility or for plant or facility acquisition, construction, or expansion, $175,000,000, to remain available until expended: Provided, That of such amount, $17,000,000 shall be available until September 30, 2020, for program direction. Nuclear Energy For Department of Energy expenses including the purchase, construction, and acquisition of plant and capital equipment, and other expenses necessary for nuclear energy activities in carrying out the purposes of the Department of Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.), including the acquisition or condemnation of any real property or any facility or for plant or facility acquisition, construction, or expansion, $1,346,090,000, to remain available until expended: Provided, That of such amount, $66,500,000 shall be available until September 30, 2020, for program direction. Fossil Energy Research and Development For Department of Energy expenses necessary in carrying out fossil energy research and development activities, under the authority of the Department of Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.), including the acquisition of interest, including defeasible and equitable interests in any real property or any facility or for plant or facility acquisition or expansion, and for conducting inquiries, technological investigations and research concerning the extraction, processing, use, and disposal of mineral substances without objectionable social and environmental costs (30 U.S.C. 3, 1602, and 1603), $785,000,000, to remain available until expended: Provided, That of such amount $61,070,000 shall be available until September 30, 2020, for program direction. Naval Petroleum and Oil Shale Reserves For Department of Energy expenses necessary to carry out naval petroleum and oil shale reserve activities, $10,000,000, to remain available until expended: Provided, That notwithstanding any other provision of law, unobligated funds remaining from prior years shall be available for all naval petroleum and oil shale reserve activities. Strategic Petroleum Reserve For Department of Energy expenses necessary for Strategic Petroleum Reserve facility development and operations and program management activities pursuant to the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6201 et seq.), $252,000,000, to remain available until expended: [[Page H4908]] Provided, That, as authorized by section 404 of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 (Public Law 114-74; 42 U.S.C. 6239 note), the Secretary of Energy shall draw down and sell not to exceed $300,000,000 of crude oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in fiscal year 2019: Provided further, That the proceeds from such drawdown and sale shall be deposited into the ``Energy Security and Infrastructure Modernization Fund'' during fiscal year 2019: Provided further, That such amounts shall be made available and shall remain available until expended for necessary expenses to carry out the Life Extension II project for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. SPR Petroleum Account For the acquisition, transportation, and injection of petroleum products, and for other necessary expenses pursuant to the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6201 et seq.), sections 403 and 404 of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 (42 U.S.C. 6241, 6239 note), and section 5010 of the 21st Century Cures Act (Public Law 114-255), $10,000,000, to remain available until expended. Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve For Department of Energy expenses necessary for Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve storage, operation, and management activities pursuant to the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6201 et seq.), $10,000,000, to remain available until expended. Energy Information Administration For Department of Energy expenses necessary in carrying out the activities of the Energy Information Administration, $125,000,000, to remain available until expended. Non-Defense Environmental Cleanup For Department of Energy expenses, including the purchase, construction, and acquisition of plant and capital equipment and other expenses necessary for non-defense environmental cleanup activities in carrying out the purposes of the Department of Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.), including the acquisition or condemnation of any real property or any facility or for plant or facility acquisition, construction, or expansion, $240,000,000, to remain available until expended. Uranium Enrichment Decontamination and Decommissioning Fund For Department of Energy expenses necessary in carrying out uranium enrichment facility decontamination and decommissioning, remedial actions, and other activities of title II of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, and title X, subtitle A, of the Energy Policy Act of 1992, $870,000,000, to be derived from the Uranium Enrichment Decontamination and Decommissioning Fund, to remain available until expended, of which $32,959,000 shall be available in accordance with title X, subtitle A, of the Energy Policy Act of 1992, including for the purchase of not to exceed one ambulance for replacement only. Science For Department of Energy expenses including the purchase, construction, and acquisition of plant and capital equipment, and other expenses necessary for science activities in carrying out the purposes of the Department of Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.), including the acquisition or condemnation of any real property or any facility or for plant or facility acquisition, construction, or expansion, and purchase of not more than 16 passenger motor vehicles and one airplane for replacement only, including one bus, $6,600,000,000, to remain available until expended: Provided, That of such amount, $183,000,000 shall be available until September 30, 2020, for program direction. Nuclear Waste Disposal For Department of Energy expenses necessary for nuclear waste disposal activities to carry out the purposes of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (Public Law 97-425), as amended (hereinafter referred to as the ``NWPA''), including the acquisition of any real property or facility construction, or expansion, $190,000,000, to remain available until expended, and to be derived from the Nuclear Waste Fund: Provided, That of the funds made available in this Act for nuclear waste disposal and defense nuclear waste disposal activities, 1.62 percent shall be provided to the Office of the Attorney General of the State of Nevada solely for expenditures, other than salaries and expenses of State employees, to conduct scientific oversight responsibilities and participate in licensing activities pursuant to the NWPA: Provided further, That of the funds made available in this Act for nuclear waste disposal and defense nuclear waste disposal activities, 2.91 percent shall be provided to affected units of local government, as defined in the NWPA, to conduct appropriate activities and participate in licensing activities under Section 116(c) of the NWPA: Provided further, That of the amounts provided to affected units of local government, 7.5 percent shall be made available to affected units of local government in California with the balance made available to affected units of local government in Nevada for distribution as determined by the Nevada affected units of local government: Provided further, That of the funds made available in this Act for nuclear waste disposal and defense nuclear waste disposal activities, 0.16 percent shall be provided to the affected Federally- recognized Indian tribes, as defined in the NWPA, solely for expenditures, other than salaries and expenses of tribal employees, to conduct appropriate activities and participate in licensing activities under section 118(b) of the NWPA: Provided further, That of the funds made available in this Act for nuclear waste disposal and defense nuclear waste disposal activities, 3.0 percent shall be provided to Nye County, Nevada, 0.05 percent shall be provided to Clark County, Nevada, and 0.46 percent shall be provided to the State of Nevada as payment equal to taxes under section 116(c)(3) of the NWPA: Provided further, That within 90 days of the completion of each Federal fiscal year, the Office of the Attorney General of the State of Nevada, each affected Federally-recognized Indian tribe, and each of the affected units of local government shall provide certification to the Department of Energy that all funds expended from such payments have been expended for activities authorized by the NWPA and this Act: Provided further, That failure to provide such certification shall cause such entity to be prohibited from any further funding provided for similar activities: Provided further, That none of the funds herein appropriated may be: (1) used for litigation expenses; (2) used for interim storage activities; or (3) used to support multi- State efforts or other coalition building activities inconsistent with the restrictions contained in this Act: Provided further, That all proceeds and recoveries realized by the Secretary in carrying out activities authorized by the NWPA, including but not limited to any proceeds from the sale of assets, shall be credited to this account, to remain available until expended, for carrying out the purposes of this account. Advanced Research Projects Agency--Energy For Department of Energy expenses necessary in carrying out the activities authorized by section 5012 of the America COMPETES Act (Public Law 110-69), $325,000,000, to remain available until expended: Provided, That of such amount, $29,250,000 shall be available until September 30, 2020, for program direction. Title 17 Innovative Technology Loan Guarantee Program Such sums as are derived from amounts received from borrowers pursuant to section 1702(b) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 under this heading in prior Acts, shall be collected in accordance with section 502(7) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974: Provided, That for necessary administrative expenses to carry out this Loan Guarantee program, $32,000,000 is appropriated from fees collected in prior years pursuant to section 1702(h) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 which are not otherwise appropriated, to remain available until September 30, 2020: Provided further, That if the amount in the previous proviso is not available from such fees, an amount for such purposes is also appropriated from the general fund so as to result in a total amount appropriated for such purpose of no more than $32,000,000: Provided further, That fees collected pursuant to such section 1702(h) for fiscal year 2019 shall be credited as offsetting collections under this heading and shall not be available until appropriated: Provided further, That the Department of Energy shall not subordinate any loan obligation to other financing in violation of section 1702 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 or subordinate any Guaranteed Obligation to any loan or other debt obligations in violation of section 609.10 of title 10, Code of Federal Regulations. Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program For Department of Energy administrative expenses necessary in carrying out the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program, $5,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2020. Tribal Energy Loan Guarantee Program For Department of Energy administrative expenses necessary in carrying out the Tribal Energy Loan Guarantee Program, $1,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2020. Departmental Administration For salaries and expenses of the Department of Energy necessary for departmental administration in carrying out the purposes of the Department of Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.), $280,524,000, to remain available until September 30, 2020, including the hire of passenger motor vehicles and official reception and representation expenses not to exceed $30,000, plus such additional amounts as necessary to cover increases in the estimated amount of cost of work for others notwithstanding the provisions of the Anti-Deficiency Act (31 U.S.C. 1511 et seq.): Provided, That such increases in cost of work are offset by revenue increases of the same or greater amount: Provided further, That moneys received by the Department for miscellaneous revenues estimated to total $96,000,000 in fiscal year 2019 may be retained and used for operating expenses within this account, as authorized by section 201 of Public Law 95-238, notwithstanding the provisions of 31 U.S.C. 3302: Provided further, That the sum herein appropriated shall be reduced as collections are received during the fiscal year so as to result in a final fiscal year 2019 appropriation from the general fund estimated at not more than $184,524,000. Office of the Inspector General For expenses necessary for the Office of the Inspector General in carrying out the provisions of the Inspector General Act of 1978, $51,330,000, to remain available until September 30, 2020. ATOMIC ENERGY DEFENSE ACTIVITIES NATIONAL NUCLEAR SECURITY ADMINISTRATION Weapons Activities For Department of Energy expenses, including the purchase, construction, and acquisition of plant and capital equipment and other incidental expenses necessary for atomic energy defense weapons activities in carrying out the purposes of the Department of Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.), including the acquisition or condemnation of any real property or any facility or for plant or facility acquisition, construction, or expansion, and the purchase of not to exceed one ambulance for replacement only, $11,200,000,000, to remain available until expended: Provided, That of such amount, [[Page H4909]] $102,022,000 shall be available until September 30, 2020, for program direction. Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation For Department of Energy expenses, including the purchase, construction, and acquisition of plant and capital equipment and other incidental expenses necessary for defense nuclear nonproliferation activities, in carrying out the purposes of the Department of Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.), including the acquisition or condemnation of any real property or any facility or for plant or facility acquisition, construction, or expansion, and the purchase of not to exceed three aircraft, $1,902,000,000, to remain available until expended. Naval Reactors (including transfer of funds) For Department of Energy expenses necessary for naval reactors activities to carry out the Department of Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.), including the acquisition (by purchase, condemnation, construction, or otherwise) of real property, plant, and capital equipment, facilities, and facility expansion, $1,788,618,000, to remain available until expended, of which, $85,500,000 shall be transferred to ``Department of Energy--Energy Programs-- Nuclear Energy'', for the Advanced Test Reactor: Provided, That of such amount, $48,709,000 shall be available until September 30, 2020, for program direction. Federal Salaries and Expenses For expenses necessary for Federal Salaries and Expenses in the National Nuclear Security Administration, $422,529,000, to remain available until September 30, 2020, including official reception and representation expenses not to exceed $12,000. ENVIRONMENTAL AND OTHER DEFENSE ACTIVITIES Defense Environmental Cleanup For Department of Energy expenses, including the purchase, construction, and acquisition of plant and capital equipment and other expenses necessary for atomic energy defense environmental cleanup activities in carrying out the purposes of the Department of Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.), including the acquisition or condemnation of any real property or any facility or for plant or facility acquisition, construction, or expansion, and the purchase of not to exceed one passenger minivan for replacement only, $5,759,220,000, to remain available until expended: Provided, That of such amount, $295,000,000 shall be available until September 30, 2020, for program direction. Other Defense Activities For Department of Energy expenses, including the purchase, construction, and acquisition of plant and capital equipment and other expenses, necessary for atomic energy defense, other defense activities, and classified activities, in carrying out the purposes of the Department of Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.), including the acquisition or condemnation of any real property or any facility or for plant or facility acquisition, construction, or expansion, $870,300,000, to remain available until expended: Provided, That of such amount, $301,085,000 shall be available until September 30, 2020, for program direction. Defense Nuclear Waste Disposal For Department of Energy expenses necessary for nuclear waste disposal activities to carry out the purposes of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982, as amended, including the acquisition of real property or facility construction or expansion, $30,000,000, to remain available until expended. POWER MARKETING ADMINISTRATIONS Bonneville Power Administration Fund Expenditures from the Bonneville Power Administration Fund, established pursuant to Public Law 93-454, are approved for official reception and representation expenses in an amount not to exceed $5,000: Provided, That during fiscal year 2019, no new direct loan obligations may be made. Operation and Maintenance, Southeastern Power Administration For expenses necessary for operation and maintenance of power transmission facilities and for marketing electric power and energy, including transmission wheeling and ancillary services, pursuant to section 5 of the Flood Control Act of 1944 (16 U.S.C. 825s), as applied to the southeastern power area, $6,500,000, including official reception and representation expenses in an amount not to exceed $1,500, to remain available until expended: Provided, That notwithstanding 31 U.S.C. 3302 and section 5 of the Flood Control Act of 1944, up to $6,500,000 collected by the Southeastern Power Administration from the sale of power and related services shall be credited to this account as discretionary offsetting collections, to remain available until expended for the sole purpose of funding the annual expenses of the Southeastern Power Administration: Provided further, That the sum herein appropriated for annual expenses shall be reduced as collections are received during the fiscal year so as to result in a final fiscal year 2019 appropriation estimated at not more than $0: Provided further, That notwithstanding 31 U.S.C. 3302, up to $55,360,000 collected by the Southeastern Power Administration pursuant to the Flood Control Act of 1944 to recover purchase power and wheeling expenses shall be credited to this account as offsetting collections, to remain available until expended for the sole purpose of making purchase power and wheeling expenditures: Provided further, That for purposes of this appropriation, annual expenses means expenditures that are generally recovered in the same year that they are incurred (excluding purchase power and wheeling expenses). Operation and Maintenance, Southwestern Power Administration For expenses necessary for operation and maintenance of power transmission facilities and for marketing electric power and energy, for construction and acquisition of transmission lines, substations and appurtenant facilities, and for administrative expenses, including official reception and representation expenses in an amount not to exceed $1,500 in carrying out section 5 of the Flood Control Act of 1944 (16 U.S.C. 825s), as applied to the Southwestern Power Administration, $45,802,000, to remain available until expended: Provided, That notwithstanding 31 U.S.C. 3302 and section 5 of the Flood Control Act of 1944 (16 U.S.C. 825s), up to $35,402,000 collected by the Southwestern Power Administration from the sale of power and related services shall be credited to this account as discretionary offsetting collections, to remain available until expended, for the sole purpose of funding the annual expenses of the Southwestern Power Administration: Provided further, That the sum herein appropriated for annual expenses shall be reduced as collections are received during the fiscal year so as to result in a final fiscal year 2019 appropriation estimated at not more than $10,400,000: Provided further, That notwithstanding 31 U.S.C. 3302, up to $10,000,000 collected by the Southwestern Power Administration pursuant to the Flood Control Act of 1944 to recover purchase power and wheeling expenses shall be credited to this account as offsetting collections, to remain available until expended for the sole purpose of making purchase power and wheeling expenditures: Provided further, That for purposes of this appropriation, annual expenses means expenditures that are generally recovered in the same year that they are incurred (excluding purchase power and wheeling expenses). Construction, Rehabilitation, Operation and Maintenance, Western Area Power Administration For carrying out the functions authorized by title III, section 302(a)(1)(E) of the Act of August 4, 1977 (42 U.S.C. 7152), and other related activities including conservation and renewable resources programs as authorized, $265,142,000, including official reception and representation expenses in an amount not to exceed $1,500, to remain available until expended, of which $265,142,000 shall be derived from the Department of the Interior Reclamation Fund: Provided, That notwithstanding 31 U.S.C. 3302, section 5 of the Flood Control Act of 1944 (16 U.S.C. 825s), and section 1 of the Interior Department Appropriation Act, 1939 (43 U.S.C. 392a), up to $175,770,000 collected by the Western Area Power Administration from the sale of power and related services shall be credited to this account as discretionary offsetting collections, to remain available until expended, for the sole purpose of funding the annual expenses of the Western Area Power Administration: Provided further, That the sum herein appropriated for annual expenses shall be reduced as collections are received during the fiscal year so as to result in a final fiscal year 2019 appropriation estimated at not more than $89,372,000, of which $89,372,000 is derived from the Reclamation Fund: Provided further, That notwithstanding 31 U.S.C. 3302, up to $180,408,000 collected by the Western Area Power Administration pursuant to the Flood Control Act of 1944 and the Reclamation Project Act of 1939 to recover purchase power and wheeling expenses shall be credited to this account as offsetting collections, to remain available until expended for the sole purpose of making purchase power and wheeling expenditures: Provided further, That for purposes of this appropriation, annual expenses means expenditures that are generally recovered in the same year that they are incurred (excluding purchase power and wheeling expenses). Falcon and Amistad Operating and Maintenance Fund For operation, maintenance, and emergency costs for the hydroelectric facilities at the Falcon and Amistad Dams, $5,207,000, to remain available until expended, and to be derived from the Falcon and Amistad Operating and Maintenance Fund of the Western Area Power Administration, as provided in section 2 of the Act of June 18, 1954 (68 Stat. 255): Provided, That notwithstanding the provisions of that Act and of 31 U.S.C. 3302, up to $4,979,000 collected by the Western Area Power Administration from the sale of power and related services from the Falcon and Amistad Dams shall be credited to this account as discretionary offsetting collections, to remain available until expended for the sole purpose of funding the annual expenses of the hydroelectric facilities of these Dams and associated Western Area Power Administration activities: Provided further, That the sum herein appropriated for annual expenses shall be reduced as collections are received during the fiscal year so as to result in a final fiscal year 2019 appropriation estimated at not more than $228,000: Provided further, That for purposes of this appropriation, annual expenses means expenditures that are generally recovered in the same year that they are incurred: Provided further, That for fiscal year 2019, the Administrator of the Western Area Power Administration may accept up to $122,000 in funds contributed by United States power customers of the Falcon and Amistad Dams for deposit into the Falcon and Amistad Operating and Maintenance Fund, and such funds shall be available for the purpose for which contributed in like manner as if said sums had been specifically appropriated for such purpose: Provided further, That any such funds shall be available without further appropriation and without fiscal year limitation for use by the Commissioner of the United States Section of the International Boundary and [[Page H4910]] Water Commission for the sole purpose of operating, maintaining, repairing, rehabilitating, replacing, or upgrading the hydroelectric facilities at these Dams in accordance with agreements reached between the Administrator, Commissioner, and the power customers. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission salaries and expenses For expenses necessary for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to carry out the provisions of the Department of Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.), including services as authorized by 5 U.S.C. 3109, official reception and representation expenses not to exceed $3,000, and the hire of passenger motor vehicles, $369,900,000, to remain available until expended: Provided, That notwithstanding any other provision of law, not to exceed $369,900,000 of revenues from fees and annual charges, and other services and collections in fiscal year 2019 shall be retained and used for expenses necessary in this account, and shall remain available until expended: Provided further, That the sum herein appropriated from the general fund shall be reduced as revenues are received during fiscal year 2019 so as to result in a final fiscal year 2019 appropriation from the general fund estimated at not more than $0. GENERAL PROVISIONS--DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (including transfers of funds) Sec. 301. (a) No appropriation, funds, or authority made available by this title for the Department of Energy shall be used to initiate or resume any program, project, or activity or to prepare or initiate Requests For Proposals or similar arrangements (including Requests for Quotations, Requests for Information, and Funding Opportunity Announcements) for a program, project, or activity if the program, project, or activity has not been funded by Congress. (b)(1) Unless the Secretary of Energy notifies the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress at least 3 full business days in advance, none of the funds made available in this title may be used to-- (A) make a grant allocation or discretionary grant award totaling $1,000,000 or more; (B) make a discretionary contract award or Other Transaction Agreement totaling $1,000,000 or more, including a contract covered by the Federal Acquisition Regulation; (C) issue a letter of intent to make an allocation, award, or Agreement in excess of the limits in subparagraph (A) or (B); or (D) announce publicly the intention to make an allocation, award, or Agreement in excess of the limits in subparagraph (A) or (B). (2) The Secretary of Energy shall submit to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress within 15 days of the conclusion of each quarter a report detailing each grant allocation or discretionary grant award totaling less than $1,000,000 provided during the previous quarter. (3) The notification required by paragraph (1) and the report required by paragraph (2) shall include the recipient of the award, the amount of the award, the fiscal year for which the funds for the award were appropriated, the account and program, project, or activity from which the funds are being drawn, the title of the award, and a brief description of the activity for which the award is made. (c) The Department of Energy may not, with respect to any program, project, or activity that uses budget authority made available in this title under the heading ``Department of Energy--Energy Programs'', enter into a multiyear contract, award a multiyear grant, or enter into a multiyear cooperative agreement unless-- (1) the contract, grant, or cooperative agreement is funded for the full period of performance as anticipated at the time of award; or (2) the contract, grant, or cooperative agreement includes a clause conditioning the Federal Government's obligation on the availability of future year budget authority and the Secretary notifies the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress at least 3 days in advance. (d) Except as provided in subsections (e), (f), and (g), the amounts made available by this title shall be expended as authorized by law for the programs, projects, and activities specified in the ``Bill'' column in the ``Department of Energy'' table included under the heading ``Title III-- Department of Energy'' in the report of the Committee on Appropriations accompanying this Act. (e) The amounts made available by this title may be reprogrammed for any program, project, or activity, and the Department shall notify the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress at least 30 days prior to the use of any proposed reprogramming that would cause any program, project, or activity funding level to increase or decrease by more than $5,000,000 or 10 percent, whichever is less, during the time period covered by this Act. (f) None of the funds provided in this title shall be available for obligation or expenditure through a reprogramming of funds that-- (1) creates, initiates, or eliminates a program, project, or activity; (2) increases funds or personnel for any program, project, or activity for which funds are denied or restricted by this Act; or (3) reduces funds that are directed to be used for a specific program, project, or activity by this Act. (g)(1) The Secretary of Energy may waive any requirement or restriction in this section that applies to the use of funds made available for the Department of Energy if compliance with such requirement or restriction would pose a substantial risk to human health, the environment, welfare, or national security. (2) The Secretary of Energy shall notify the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress of any waiver under paragraph (1) as soon as practicable, but not later than 3 days after the date of the activity to which a requirement or restriction would otherwise have applied. Such notice shall include an explanation of the substantial risk under paragraph (1) that permitted such waiver. (h) The unexpended balances of prior appropriations provided for activities in this Act may be available to the same appropriation accounts for such activities established pursuant to this title. Available balances may be merged with funds in the applicable established accounts and thereafter may be accounted for as one fund for the same time period as originally enacted. Sec. 302. Funds appropriated by this or any other Act, or made available by the transfer of funds in this Act, for intelligence activities are deemed to be specifically authorized by the Congress for purposes of section 504 of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3094) during fiscal year 2019 until the enactment of the Intelligence Authorization Act for fiscal year 2019. Sec. 303. None of the funds made available in this title shall be used for the construction of facilities classified as high-hazard nuclear facilities under 10 CFR Part 830 unless independent oversight is conducted by the Office of Enterprise Assessments to ensure the project is in compliance with nuclear safety requirements. Sec. 304. None of the funds made available in this title may be used to approve critical decision-2 or critical decision-3 under Department of Energy Order 413.3B, or any successive departmental guidance, for construction projects where the total project cost exceeds $100,000,000, until a separate independent cost estimate has been developed for the project for that critical decision. Sec. 305. The Secretary of Energy may not transfer more than $274,833,000 from the amounts made available under this title to the working capital fund established under section 653 of the Department of Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7263): Provided, That the Secretary may transfer additional amounts to the working capital fund after the Secretary provides notification in advance of any such transfer to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress: Provided further, That any such notification shall identify the sources of funds by program, project, or activity: Provided further, That the Secretary shall notify the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress before adding or removing any activities from the fund. Sec. 306. (a) None of the funds made available in this or any prior Act under the heading ``Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation'' may be made available to enter into new contracts with, or new agreements for Federal assistance to, the Russian Federation. (b) The Secretary of Energy may waive the prohibition in subsection (a) if the Secretary determines that such activity is in the national security interests of the United States. This waiver authority may not be delegated. (c) A waiver under subsection (b) shall not be effective until 15 days after the date on which the Secretary submits to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress, in classified form if necessary, a report on the justification for the waiver. Sec. 307. (a) New Regional Reserves.--The Secretary of Energy may not establish any new regional petroleum product reserve unless funding for the proposed regional petroleum product reserve is explicitly requested in advance in an annual budget submission and approved by the Congress in an appropriations Act. (b) The budget request or notification shall include-- (1) the justification for the new reserve; (2) a cost estimate for the establishment, operation, and maintenance of the reserve, including funding sources; (3) a detailed plan for operation of the reserve, including the conditions upon which the products may be released; (4) the location of the reserve; and (5) the estimate of the total inventory of the reserve. Sec. 308. (a) Funds provided by this Act for Project 99-D- 143, Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility, and any funds provided by prior Acts for such Project that remain unobligated, may be made available only for construction and project support activities for such Project. (b) The Secretary of Energy may waive the requirement under subsection (a) if the Secretary concurrently submits to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress-- (1) the commitment, certification, and details described in section 3121(b) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (Public Law 115-91; 131 Stat. 1892); and (2) the lifecycle cost estimate used to make such certification. (c) If the Secretary waives the requirements under subsection (a), the Secretary may not use funds provided for the Project described in such subsection to eliminate such Project until the date that is 30 days after the submission of the lifecycle cost estimate required under subsection (b)(2). Sec. 309. Notwithstanding section 161 of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6241), upon a determination by the President in this fiscal year that a regional supply shortage of refined petroleum product of significant scope and duration exists, that a severe increase in the price of refined petroleum product will likely result from such shortage, and that a draw down and sale of refined petroleum product would assist directly and significantly in reducing the adverse impact of such shortage, the Secretary of Energy may draw down and sell refined petroleum product from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Proceeds from a sale under this section shall be deposited into the SPR Petroleum Account established in section 167 of the [[Page H4911]] Energy Policy and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6247), and such amounts shall be available for obligation, without fiscal year limitation, consistent with that section. Sec. 310. (a) Report.--The Secretary of Energy shall submit to Congress and the State of Nevada a report on the potential of locating a reprocessing or recycling facility for spent nuclear fuel near the Yucca Mountain site. (b) Contents.--The Secretary shall include in the report required under subsection (a) a description of-- (1) the energy technology benefits associated with a reprocessing or recycling facility for spent nuclear fuel; (2) the potential economic benefits for the host community associated with such a facility, including employment, infrastructure development, and workforce development benefits; (3) the energy and national security implications for the supply and availability of nuclear fuel associated with such a facility; and (4) the potential for locating other nuclear fuel cycle facilities near the Yucca Mountain site, such as an enrichment facility for national defense purposes. (c) Consultation.--In preparing the report required under subsection (a), the Secretary shall consult with institutions in the Nevada System of Higher Education, as defined by the State of Nevada, with prior reprocessing research experience. (d) Yucca Mountain Site Defined.--In this section, the term ``Yucca Mountain site'' has the meaning given that term in section 2(30) of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (42 U.S.C. 10101(30)). TITLE IV INDEPENDENT AGENCIES Appalachian Regional Commission For expenses necessary to carry out the programs authorized by the Appalachian Regional Development Act of 1965, and for expenses necessary for the Federal Co-Chairman and the Alternate on the Appalachian Regional Commission, for payment of the Federal share of the administrative expenses of the Commission, including services as authorized by 5 U.S.C. 3109, and hire of passenger motor vehicles, $155,000,000, to remain available until expended. Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board salaries and expenses For expenses necessary for the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board in carrying out activities authorized by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended by Public Law 100-456, section 1441, $31,243,000, to remain available until September 30, 2020. Delta Regional Authority salaries and expenses For expenses necessary for the Delta Regional Authority and to carry out its activities, as authorized by the Delta Regional Authority Act of 2000, notwithstanding sections 382F(d), 382M, and 382N of said Act, $15,000,000, to remain available until expended. Denali Commission For expenses necessary for the Denali Commission including the purchase, construction, and acquisition of plant and capital equipment as necessary and other expenses, $15,000,000, to remain available until expended, notwithstanding the limitations contained in section 306(g) of the Denali Commission Act of 1998: Provided, That funds shall be available for construction projects in an amount not to exceed 80 percent of total project cost for distressed communities, as defined by section 307 of the Denali Commission Act of 1998 (division C, title III, Public Law 105-277), as amended by section 701 of appendix D, title VII, Public Law 106-113 (113 Stat. 1501A-280), and an amount not to exceed 50 percent for non-distressed communities: Provided further, That notwithstanding any other provision of law regarding payment of a non-Federal share in connection with a grant-in-aid program, amounts under this heading shall be available for the payment of such a non-Federal share for programs undertaken to carry out the purposes of the Commission. Northern Border Regional Commission For expenses necessary for the Northern Border Regional Commission in carrying out activities authorized by subtitle V of title 40, United States Code, $12,000,000, to remain available until expended: Provided, That such amounts shall be available for administrative expenses, notwithstanding section 15751(b) of title 40, United States Code. Southeast Crescent Regional Commission For expenses necessary for the Southeast Crescent Regional Commission in carrying out activities authorized by subtitle V of title 40, United States Code, $250,000, to remain available until expended. Nuclear Regulatory Commission salaries and expenses For expenses necessary for the Commission in carrying out the purposes of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 and the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, $953,050,000, including official representation expenses not to exceed $25,000, to remain available until expended, of which $47,700,000 shall be derived from the Nuclear Waste Fund: Provided, That of the amount appropriated herein, not more than $9,500,000 may be made available for salaries, travel, and other support costs for the Office of the Commission, to remain available until September 30, 2020, of which, notwithstanding section 201(a)(2)(c) of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5841(a)(2)(c)), the use and expenditure shall only be approved by a majority vote of the Commission: Provided further, That revenues from licensing fees, inspection services, and other services and collections estimated at $763,640,000 in fiscal year 2019 shall be retained and used for necessary salaries and expenses in this account, notwithstanding 31 U.S.C. 3302, and shall remain available until expended: Provided further, That of the amounts appropriated under this heading, not less than $9,896,000 shall be for activities related to the development of regulatory infrastructure for advanced nuclear technologies, and $16,080,000 shall be for international activities, except that the amounts provided under this proviso shall not be derived from fee revenues, notwithstanding 42 U.S.C. 2214: Provided further, That the sum herein appropriated shall be reduced by the amount of revenues received during fiscal year 2019 so as to result in a final fiscal year 2019 appropriation estimated at not more than $189,410,000: Provided further, That of the amounts appropriated under this heading, $10,000,000 shall be for university research and development in areas relevant to the Commission's mission, and $5,000,000 shall be for a Nuclear Science and Engineering Grant Program that will support multiyear projects that do not align with programmatic missions but are critical to maintaining the discipline of nuclear science and engineering, except that the amounts provided under this proviso shall not be derived from fee revenues, notwithstanding 42 U.S.C. 2214. office of inspector general For expenses necessary for the Office of Inspector General in carrying out the provisions of the Inspector General Act of 1978, $12,609,000, to remain available until September 30, 2020: Provided, That revenues from licensing fees, inspection services, and other services and collections estimated at $10,355,000 in fiscal year 2019 shall be retained and be available until September 30, 2020, for necessary salaries and expenses in this account, notwithstanding section 3302 of title 31, United States Code: Provided further, That the sum herein appropriated shall be reduced by the amount of revenues received during fiscal year 2019 so as to result in a final fiscal year 2019 appropriation estimated at not more than $2,254,000: Provided further, That of the amounts appropriated under this heading, $1,103,000 shall be for Inspector General services for the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, which shall not be available from fee revenues. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board salaries and expenses For expenses necessary for the Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board, as authorized by Public Law 100-203, section 5051, $3,600,000, to be derived from the Nuclear Waste Fund, to remain available until September 30, 2020. GENERAL PROVISIONS--INDEPENDENT AGENCIES Sec. 401. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission shall comply with the July 5, 2011, version of Chapter VI of its Internal Commission Procedures when responding to Congressional requests for information, consistent with Department of Justice guidance for all federal agencies. Sec. 402. (a) The amounts made available by this title for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission may be reprogrammed for any program, project, or activity, and the Commission shall notify the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress at least 30 days prior to the use of any proposed reprogramming that would cause any program funding level to increase or decrease by more than $500,000 or 10 percent, whichever is less, during the time period covered by this Act. (b)(1) The Nuclear Regulatory Commission may waive the notification requirement in subsection (a) if compliance with such requirement would pose a substantial risk to human health, the environment, welfare, or national security. (2) The Nuclear Regulatory Commission shall notify the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress of any waiver under paragraph (1) as soon as practicable, but not later than 3 days after the date of the activity to which a requirement or restriction would otherwise have applied. Such notice shall include an explanation of the substantial risk under paragraph (1) that permitted such waiver and shall provide a detailed report to the Committees of such waiver and changes to funding levels to programs, projects, or activities. (c) Except as provided in subsections (a), (b), and (d), the amounts made available by this title for ``Nuclear Regulatory Commission--Salaries and Expenses'' shall be expended as directed in the report of the Committee on Appropriations accompanying this Act. (d) None of the funds provided for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission shall be available for obligation or expenditure through a reprogramming of funds that increases funds or personnel for any program, project, or activity for which funds are denied or restricted by this Act. (e) The Commission shall provide a monthly report to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress, which includes the following for each program, project, or activity, including any prior year appropriations-- (1) total budget authority; (2) total unobligated balances; and (3) total unliquidated obligations. TITLE V GENERAL PROVISIONS Sec. 501. None of the funds appropriated by this Act may be used in any way, directly or indirectly, to influence congressional action on any legislation or appropriation matters pending before Congress, other than to communicate to Members of Congress as described in 18 U.S.C. 1913. Sec. 502. (a) None of the funds made available in title III of this Act may be transferred to any department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States Government, except pursuant to a transfer made by or transfer authority provided in this Act or any other appropriations Act for any fiscal year, transfer authority referenced in the report of the Committee on Appropriations [[Page H4912]] accompanying this Act, or any authority whereby a department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States Government may provide goods or services to another department, agency, or instrumentality. (b) None of the funds made available for any department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States Government may be transferred to accounts funded in title III of this Act, except pursuant to a transfer made by or transfer authority provided in this Act or any other appropriations Act for any fiscal year, transfer authority referenced in the report of the Committee on Appropriations accompanying this Act, or any authority whereby a department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States Government may provide goods or services to another department, agency, or instrumentality. (c) The head of any relevant department or agency funded in this Act utilizing any transfer authority shall submit to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress a semiannual report detailing the transfer authorities, except for any authority whereby a department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States Government may provide goods or services to another department, agency, or instrumentality, used in the previous 6 months and in the year-to-date. This report shall include the amounts transferred and the purposes for which they were transferred, and shall not replace or modify existing notification requirements for each authority. Sec. 503. None of the funds made available by this Act may be used in contravention of Executive Order No. 12898 of February 11, 1994 (Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations). Sec. 504. (a) None of the funds made available in this Act may be used to maintain or establish a computer network unless such network blocks the viewing, downloading, and exchanging of pornography. (b) Nothing in subsection (a) shall limit the use of funds necessary for any Federal, State, tribal, or local law enforcement agency or any other entity carrying out criminal investigations, prosecution, or adjudication activities. Sec. 505. None of the funds made available by this Act may be used to further implementation of the coastal and marine spatial planning and ecosystem-based management components of the National Ocean Policy developed under Executive Order No. 13547 of July 19, 2010. Sec. 506. None of the funds made available in this Act, or federal funds provided from any other source, may be used to operate the Federal Columbia River Power System hydroelectric dams in a manner that is inconsistent with the Army Corps of Engineers' 2017 Fish Operations Plan. Sec. 507. None of the funds made available by this Act may be used for the removal of any federally owned or operated dam unless the removal was previously authorized by Congress. Sec. 508. None of the funds made available by this Act may be used to conduct closure of adjudicatory functions, technical review, or support activities associated with the Yucca Mountain geologic repository license application, or for actions that irrevocably remove the possibility that Yucca Mountain may be a repository option in the future. references to act Sec. 509. Except as expressly provided otherwise, any reference to ``this Act'' contained in this division shall be treated as referring only to the provisions of this division. references to report Sec. 510. Any reference to a ``report accompanying this Act'' contained in this division shall be treated as a reference to House Report 115-697. The effect of such Report shall be limited to this division and shall apply for purposes of determining the allocation of funds provided by, and the implementation of, this division. spending reduction account Sec. 511. The amount by which the applicable allocation of new budget authority made by the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives under section 302(b) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 exceeds the amount of proposed new budget authority is $0. This division may be cited as the ``Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2019''. DIVISION B--LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019 The following sums are appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the Legislative Branch for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019, and for other purposes, namely: TITLE I LEGISLATIVE BRANCH HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Salaries and Expenses For salaries and expenses of the House of Representatives, $1,232,143,035, as follows: House Leadership Offices For salaries and expenses, as authorized by law, $25,378,875, including: Office of the Speaker, $7,123,634, including $25,000 for official expenses of the Speaker; Office of the Majority Floor Leader, $2,642,739, including $10,000 for official expenses of the Majority Leader; Office of the Minority Floor Leader, $7,751,946, including $10,000 for official expenses of the Minority Leader; Office of the Majority Whip, including the Chief Deputy Majority Whip, $2,197,163, including $5,000 for official expenses of the Majority Whip; Office of the Minority Whip, including the Chief Deputy Minority Whip, $1,700,079, including $5,000 for official expenses of the Minority Whip; Republican Conference, $2,186,819; Democratic Caucus, $1,776,495: Provided, That such amount for salaries and expenses shall remain available from January 3, 2019 until January 2, 2020. Members' Representational Allowances Including Members' Clerk Hire, Official Expenses of Members, and Official Mail For Members' representational allowances, including Members' clerk hire, official expenses, and official mail, $573,630,000. Committee Employees Standing Committees, Special and Select For salaries and expenses of standing committees, special and select, authorized by House resolutions, $127,903,173: Provided, That such amount shall remain available for such salaries and expenses until December 31, 2020, except that $4,000,000 of such amount shall remain available until expended for committee room upgrading. Committee on Appropriations For salaries and expenses of the Committee on Appropriations, $23,112,971, including studies and examinations of executive agencies and temporary personal services for such committee, to be expended in accordance with section 202(b) of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 and to be available for reimbursement to agencies for services performed: Provided, That such amount shall remain available for such salaries and expenses until December 31, 2020. Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission For salaries and expenses of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission established under House Resolution 1451, One Hundred Tenth Congress, $230,000: Provided, That such amount shall remain available for such salaries and expenses from January 3, 2019 until January 3, 2020. Salaries, Officers and Employees For compensation and expenses of officers and employees, as authorized by law, $217,845,000, including: for salaries and expenses of the Office of the Clerk, including the positions of the Chaplain and the Historian, and including not more than $25,000 for official representation and reception expenses, of which not more than $20,000 is for the Family Room and not more than $2,000 is for the Office of the Chaplain, $28,305,000; for salaries and expenses of the Office of the Sergeant at Arms, including the position of Superintendent of Garages and the Office of Emergency Management, and including not more than $3,000 for official representation and reception expenses, $18,773,000 of which $5,524,000 shall remain available until expended; for salaries and expenses of the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer including not more than $3,000 for official representation and reception expenses, $147,558,000, of which $11,631,000 shall remain available until expended; for salaries and expenses of the Office of the Inspector General, $5,019,000; for salaries and expenses of the Office of General Counsel, $1,502,000; for salaries and expenses of the Office of the Parliamentarian, including the Parliamentarian, $2,000 for preparing the Digest of Rules, and not more than $1,000 for official representation and reception expenses, $2,026,000; for salaries and expenses of the Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the House, $3,327,000; for salaries and expenses of the Office of the Legislative Counsel of the House, $9,937,000; for salaries and expenses of the Office of Interparliamentary Affairs, $814,000; for other authorized employees, $584,000. Allowances and Expenses For allowances and expenses as authorized by House resolution or law, $264,043,016, including: supplies, materials, administrative costs and Federal tort claims, $525,016; official mail for committees, leadership offices, and administrative offices of the House, $190,000; Government contributions for health, retirement, Social Security, and other applicable employee benefits, $239,000,000, to remain available until March 31, 2020; Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery, $16,186,000 of which $5,000,000 shall remain available until expended; transition activities for new members and staff, $3,000,000, to remain available until expended; Wounded Warrior Program $2,750,000, to remain available until expended; Office of Congressional Ethics, $1,670,000; and miscellaneous items including purchase, exchange, maintenance, repair and operation of House motor vehicles, interparliamentary receptions, and gratuities to heirs of deceased employees of the House, $722,000. Administrative Provisions requiring amounts remaining in members' representational allowances to be used for deficit reduction or to reduce the federal debt Sec. 110. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any amounts appropriated under this Act for ``HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES--Salaries and Expenses--Members' Representational Allowances'' shall be available only for fiscal year 2019. Any amount remaining after all payments are made under such allowances for fiscal year 2019 shall be deposited in the Treasury and used for deficit reduction (or, if there is no Federal budget deficit after all such payments have been made, for reducing the Federal debt, in such manner as the Secretary of the Treasury considers appropriate). (b) Regulations.--The Committee on House Administration of the House of Representatives shall have authority to prescribe regulations to carry out this section. (c) Definition.--As used in this section, the term ``Member of the House of Representatives'' means a Representative in, or a Delegate or Resident Commissioner to, the Congress. delivery of bills and resolutions Sec. 111. (a) None of the funds made available in any fiscal year may be used to deliver a printed copy of a bill, joint resolution, or resolution to the office of a Member of the House of [[Page H4913]] Representatives (including a Delegate or Resident Commissioner to the Congress) unless the Member requests a copy. (b) This section shall apply with respect to fiscal year 2019 and each succeeding fiscal year. delivery of congressional record Sec. 112. (a) None of the funds made available in any fiscal year may be used to deliver a printed copy of any version of the Congressional Record to the office of a Member of the House of Representatives (including a Delegate or Resident Commissioner to the Congress). (b) This section shall apply with respect to fiscal year 2019 and each succeeding fiscal year. limitation on amount available to lease vehicles Sec. 113. None of the funds made available in this Act may be used by the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives to make any payments from any Members' Representational Allowance for the leasing of a vehicle, excluding mobile district offices, in an aggregate amount that exceeds $1,000 for the vehicle in any month. limitation on printed copies of u.s. code to house Sec. 114. (a) None of the funds made available in any fiscal year may be to provide an aggregate number of more than 50 printed copies of any edition of the United States Code to all offices of the House of Representatives. (b) This section shall apply with respect to fiscal year 2019 and each succeeding fiscal year. delivery of reports of disbursements Sec. 115. (a) None of the funds made available in any fiscal year may be used to deliver a printed copy of the report of disbursements for the operations of the House of Representatives under section 106 of the House of Representatives Administration Reform Technical Corrections Act (2 U.S.C. 5535) to the office of a Member of the House of Representatives (including a Delegate or Resident Commissioner to the Congress). (b) This section shall apply with respect to fiscal year 2019 and each succeeding fiscal year. delivery of daily calendar Sec. 116. (a) None of the funds made available in any fiscal year may be used to deliver to the office of a Member of the House of Representatives (including a Delegate or Resident Commissioner to the Congress) a printed copy of the Daily Calendar of the House of Representatives which is prepared by the Clerk of the House of Representatives. (b) This section shall apply with respect to fiscal year 2019 and each succeeding fiscal year. delivery of congressional pictorial directory Sec. 117. (a) None of the funds made available in any fiscal year may be used to deliver a printed copy of the Congressional Pictorial Directory to the office of a Member of the House of Representatives (including a Delegate or Resident Commissioner to the Congress). (b) This section shall apply with respect to fiscal year 2019 and each succeeding fiscal year. repeal of authorizations for former speakers Sec. 118. (a) Repeal of Authorizations for Office Space, Office Expenses, Franking and Printing Privileges, and Staff.--The first section and sections 2, 4, 5, and 8 of House Resolution 1238, Ninety-first Congress, agreed to December 22, 1970 (as enacted into permanent law by chapter VIII of the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1971) (2 U.S.C. 5125(a), 5126, 5127, 5128, and 5129) are repealed. (b) Conforming Amendment.--Subsection (b) of the first section of Public Law 93-532 (2 U.S.C. 5125(b)) is repealed. (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall apply with respect to any individual who serves as a Representative in Congress during the One Hundred Fifteenth Congress or any succeeding Congress. adjustments to compensation Sec. 119. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no adjustment shall be made under section 601(a) of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 4501) (relating to cost of living adjustments for Members of Congress) during fiscal year 2019. transfer authority Sec. 120. (a) Authority To Make Transfers Among House Leadership Offices.--Section 101 of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1993 (2 U.S.C. 5507) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: ``(f) Amounts appropriated for any fiscal year for the House of Representatives under the heading `House Leadership Offices' may be transferred among and merged with the various offices and activities under such heading, effective upon the expiration of the 21-day period (or such alternative period that may be imposed by the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives) which begins on the date such Committee has been notified of the transfer.''. (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall apply with respect to fiscal year 2019 and each succeeding fiscal year. JOINT ITEMS For Joint Committees, as follows: Joint Economic Committee For salaries and expenses of the Joint Economic Committee, $4,203,000, to be disbursed by the Secretary of the Senate. Joint Committee on Taxation For salaries and expenses of the Joint Committee on Taxation, $11,169,000, to be disbursed by the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives. For other joint items, as follows: Office of the Attending Physician For medical supplies, equipment, and contingent expenses of the emergency rooms, and for the Attending Physician and his assistants, including: (1) an allowance of $2,175 per month to the Attending Physician; (2) an allowance of $1,300 per month to the Senior Medical Officer; (3) an allowance of $725 per month each to three medical officers while on duty in the Office of the Attending Physician; (4) an allowance of $725 per month to 2 assistants and $580 per month each not to exceed 11 assistants on the basis heretofore provided for such assistants; and (5) $2,740,000 for reimbursement to the Department of the Navy for expenses incurred for staff and equipment assigned to the Office of the Attending Physician, which shall be advanced and credited to the applicable appropriation or appropriations from which such salaries, allowances, and other expenses are payable and shall be available for all the purposes thereof, $3,798,000, to be disbursed by the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives. Office of Congressional Accessibility Services Salaries and Expenses For salaries and expenses of the Office of Congressional Accessibility Services, $1,486,000, to be disbursed by the Secretary of the Senate. CAPITOL POLICE Salaries For salaries of employees of the Capitol Police, including overtime, hazardous duty pay, and Government contributions for health, retirement, social security, professional liability insurance, and other applicable employee benefits, $374,804,000 of which overtime shall not exceed $47,000,000 unless the Committee on Appropriations of the House and Senate are notified, to be disbursed by the Chief of the Capitol Police or his designee. General Expenses For necessary expenses of the Capitol Police, including motor vehicles, communications and other equipment, security equipment and installation, uniforms, weapons, supplies, materials, training, medical services, forensic services, stenographic services, personal and professional services, the employee assistance program, the awards program, postage, communication services, travel advances, relocation of instructor and liaison personnel for the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, and not more than $5,000 to be expended on the certification of the Chief of the Capitol Police in connection with official representation and reception expenses, $81,554,000, to be disbursed by the Chief of the Capitol Police or his designee: Provided, That, notwithstanding any other provision of law, the cost of basic training for the Capitol Police at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center for fiscal year 2019 shall be paid by the Secretary of Homeland Security from funds available to the Department of Homeland Security. OFFICE OF COMPLIANCE Salaries and Expenses For salaries and expenses of the Office of Compliance, as authorized by section 305 of the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1385), $5,410,000, of which $550,000 shall remain available until September 30, 2019: Provided, That not more than $500 may be expended on the certification of the Executive Director of the Office of Compliance in connection with official representation and reception expenses. CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE Salaries and Expenses For salaries and expenses necessary for operation of the Congressional Budget Office, including not more than $6,000 to be expended on the certification of the Director of the Congressional Budget Office in connection with official representation and reception expenses, $50,737,000. Administrative Provision relocation expenses Sec. 130. (a) Authorizing Payment of Relocation Expenses.-- Amounts made available for salaries and expenses of the Congressional Budget Office for a fiscal year may be used to reimburse new employees of the Office for relocation expenses if the Director of the Office determines that reimbursing such expenses is of sufficient benefit or value to the Office. (b) Effective Date.--This section shall apply with respect to fiscal year 2019 and each succeeding fiscal year. ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL Capital Construction and Operations For salaries for the Architect of the Capitol, and other personal services, at rates of pay provided by law; for all necessary expenses for surveys and studies, construction, operation, and general and administrative support in connection with facilities and activities under the care of the Architect of the Capitol including the Botanic Garden; electrical substations of the Capitol, Senate and House office buildings, and other facilities under the jurisdiction of the Architect of the Capitol; including furnishings and office equipment; including not more than $5,000 for official reception and representation expenses, to be expended as the Architect of the Capitol may approve; for purchase or exchange, maintenance, and operation of a passenger motor vehicle, $103,962,000. Capitol Building For all necessary expenses for the maintenance, care and operation of the Capitol, $44,379,000, of which $17,731,000 shall remain available until September 30, 2023. [[Page H4914]] Capitol Grounds For all necessary expenses for care and improvement of grounds surrounding the Capitol, the Senate and House office buildings, and the Capitol Power Plant, $16,761,000, of which $5,519,000 shall remain available until September 30, 2023. House Office Buildings For all necessary expenses for the maintenance, care and operation of the House office buildings, $187,098,000, of which $127,552,000 shall remain available until September 30, 2023, and of which $62,000,000 shall remain available until expended for the restoration and renovation of the Cannon House Office Building; Provided, That of the amount made available under this heading, $7,000,000 shall be derived by transfer from the House Office Building Fund established under section 176(d) of the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2017, as added by section 101(3) of the Further Continuing Appropriation Act, 2017 (Public Law 114-254; 2 U.S.C. 2001 note). In addition, for a payment to the House Historic Buildings Revitalization Trust Fund, $10,000,000, to remain available until expended. Capitol Power Plant For all necessary expenses for the maintenance, care and operation of the Capitol Power Plant; lighting, heating, power (including the purchase of electrical energy) and water and sewer services for the Capitol, Senate and House office buildings, Library of Congress buildings, and the grounds about the same, Botanic Garden, Senate garage, and air conditioning refrigeration not supplied from plants in any of such buildings; heating the Government Publishing Office and Washington City Post Office, and heating and chilled water for air conditioning for the Supreme Court Building, the Union Station complex, the Thurgood Marshall Federal Judiciary Building and the Folger Shakespeare Library, expenses for which shall be advanced or reimbursed upon request of the Architect of the Capitol and amounts so received shall be deposited into the Treasury to the credit of this appropriation, $118,980,000, of which $36,292,000 shall remain available until September 30, 2023: Provided, That not more than $9,000,000 of the funds credited or to be reimbursed to this appropriation as herein provided shall be available for obligation during fiscal year 2019. Library Buildings and Grounds For all necessary expenses for the mechanical and structural maintenance, care and operation of the Library buildings and grounds, $70,201,000, of which $42,079,000 shall remain available until September 30, 2023. Capitol Police Buildings, Grounds and Security For all necessary expenses for the maintenance, care and operation of buildings, grounds and security enhancements of the United States Capitol Police, wherever located, the Alternate Computing Facility, and Architect of the Capitol security operations, $52,542,000, of which $26,605,000 shall remain available until September 30, 2023. Botanic Garden For all necessary expenses for the maintenance, care and operation of the Botanic Garden and the nurseries, buildings, grounds, and collections; and purchase and exchange, maintenance, repair, and operation of a passenger motor vehicle; all under the direction of the Joint Committee on the Library, $14,759,000, of which $3,559,000 shall remain available until September 30, 2023: Provided, That, of the amount made available under this heading, the Architect of the Capitol may obligate and expend such sums as may be necessary for the maintenance, care and operation of the National Garden established under section 307E of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1989 (2 U.S.C. 2146), upon vouchers approved by the Architect of the Capitol or a duly authorized designee. Capitol Visitor Center For all necessary expenses for the operation of the Capitol Visitor Center, $23,322,000. Administrative Provisions no bonuses for contractors behind schedule or over budget Sec. 140. None of the funds made available in this Act for the Architect of the Capitol may be used to make incentive or award payments to contractors for work on contracts or programs for which the contractor is behind schedule or over budget, unless the Architect of the Capitol, or agency- employed designee, determines that any such deviations are due to unforeseeable events, government-driven scope changes, or are not significant within the overall scope of the project and/or program. scrims Sec. 141. (a) None of the funds made available in any fiscal year may be used for scrims containing photographs of building facades during restoration or construction projects performed by the Architect of the Capitol. (b) This section shall apply with respect to fiscal year 2019 and each succeeding fiscal year. security programs Sec. 142. (a) Purpose of Programs.--Section 906(b) of the 2002 Supplemental Appropriations Act for Further Recovery From and Response To Terrorist Attacks on the United States (2 U.S.C. 1865(b)) is amended to read as follows: ``(b) Funds in the account shall be used by the Architect of the Capitol for all necessary expenses for-- ``(1) resilience and security programs of the Architect of the Capitol; and ``(2) the maintenance, care, and operation of buildings, grounds, and security enhancements for facilities of the United States Capitol Police and for other facilities associated with such resilience and security programs at any location.''. (b) Transfers of Funds.--Section 906 of such Act (2 U.S.C. 1865) is amended-- (1) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (d); and (2) by inserting after subsection (b) the following new subsection: ``(c)(1) For carrying out the purposes of the account, the Architect of the Capitol may receive transfers of appropriations from any agency or instrumentality of the United States Government upon the approval of-- ``(A) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives, in the case of a transfer from an office of the House of Representatives; ``(B) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate, in the case of a transfer from an office of the Senate; or ``(C) the Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Senate, in the case of a transfer from any other office of the Government. ``(2) Amounts transferred under this subsection shall be merged with the account and made available under this section. ``(3) This subsection shall apply with respect to fiscal year 2019 and each succeeding fiscal year.''. increase in threshold for small purchase contracting authority Sec. 143. (a) Increase.--Section 1201(a)(1) of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2003 (2 U.S.C. 1821(a)(1)) is amended by striking ``$100,000'' and inserting ``$250,000''. (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall apply with respect to fiscal year 2019 and each succeeding fiscal year. interagency details Sec. 144. (a) Authorizing Details of Employees Under Joint Agency Agreements.--In addition to any other authority relating to the detail of employees, the Architect of the Capitol and the head of any other department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States Government may enter into a joint agency agreement under which-- (1) employees of the Office of the Architect of the Capitol (including employees of the United States Botanic Garden) may be detailed to such department, agency, or instrumentality on a reimbursable or non-reimbursable basis; and (2) employees of such department, agency, or instrumentality may be detailed to the Office of the Architect of the Capitol on a reimbursable or non- reimbursable basis. (b) Duration.--The detail of an employee under a joint agency agreement under this section shall be for such duration as may be provided in the agreement, except that in the case of a detail made on a non-reimbursable basis, the duration of the detail may not exceed one year unless the Architect of the Capitol and the head of the department, agency, or instrumentality involved each determine that an extension of the detail of the employee is in the public interest. (c) No Effect on Appropriations of Recipient of Non- reimbursable Detail.--For purposes of any law, rule, or regulation, the detail of an employee on a non-reimbursable basis under a joint agency agreement under this section for a fiscal year shall not be treated as an increase or modification of the appropriation for the fiscal year of the office to whom the employee is detailed. (d) Effective Date.--This section shall apply with respect to fiscal year 2019 and each succeeding fiscal year. acceptance of travel expenses from non-federal sources Sec. 145. (a) Permitting Acceptance of Expenses.-- Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Architect of the Capitol may accept payment or authorize an employee of the Office of the Architect of the Capitol to accept payment on the Office's behalf from non-Federal sources for travel, subsistence, and related expenses with respect to attendance of the employee (or the spouse of such employee) at any meeting or similar function relating to the employee's official duties. Any cash payment so accepted shall be credited to the appropriation applicable to such expenses. In the case of a payment in kind so accepted, a pro rata reduction shall be made in any entitlement of the employee to payment from the Government for such expenses. (b) Prohibiting Acceptance From Other Sources.--Except as provided in this section or section 7342 of title 5, United States Code, the Office or an employee of the Office may not accept payment for expenses referred to in subsection (a). An employee who accepts any payment in violation of the preceding sentence-- (1) may be required, in addition to any penalty provided by law, to repay, for deposit in the general fund of the Treasury, an amount equal to the amount of the payment so accepted; and (2) in the case of a repayment under paragraph (1), shall not be entitled to any payment from the Government for such expenses. (c) Effective Date.--This section shall apply with respect to fiscal year 2019 and each succeeding fiscal year. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS Salaries and Expenses For all necessary expenses of the Library of Congress not otherwise provided for, including development and maintenance of the Library's catalogs; custody and custodial care of the Library buildings; special clothing; cleaning, laundering and repair of uniforms; preservation of motion pictures in the custody of the Library; operation and maintenance of the American Folklife Center in the Library; preparation and distribution of catalog records and other publications of the Library; hire or purchase of one [[Page H4915]] passenger motor vehicle; and expenses of the Library of Congress Trust Fund Board not properly chargeable to the income of any trust fund held by the Board, $493,818,272, of which not more than $6,000,000 shall be derived from collections credited to this appropriation during fiscal year 2019, and shall remain available until expended, under the Act of June 28, 1902 (chapter 1301; 32 Stat. 480; 2 U.S.C. 150): Provided, That the Library of Congress may not obligate or expend any funds derived from collections under the Act of June 28, 1902, in excess of the amount authorized for obligation or expenditure in appropriations Acts: Provided further, That the total amount available for obligation shall be reduced by the amount by which collections are less than $6,350,000: Provided further, That of the total amount appropriated, not more than $12,000 may be expended, on the certification of the Librarian of Congress, in connection with official representation and reception expenses for the Overseas Field Offices: Provided further, That of the total amount appropriated, $8,589,000 shall remain available until expended for the digital collections and educational curricula program: Provided further, That of the total amount appropriated, $1,133,000 shall remain available until expended for upgrade of the Legislative Branch Financial Management System: Provided further, That of the total amount appropriated, $20,000,000 is provided to enhance public exhibits and visitor services at the Library to remain available until expended, may be obligated and expended only upon written approval by the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Senate, following review of a project plan. Copyright Office salaries and expenses For all necessary expenses of the Copyright Office, $93,407,000, of which not more than $39,218,000, to remain available until expended, shall be derived from collections credited to this appropriation during fiscal year 2019 under section 708(d) of title 17, United States Code: Provided, That the Copyright Office may not obligate or expend any funds derived from collections under such section, in excess of the amount authorized for obligation or expenditure in appropriations Acts: Provided further, That not more than $6,272,000 shall be derived from collections during fiscal year 2019 under sections 111(d)(2), 119(b)(3), 803(e), 1005, and 1316 of such title: Provided further, That the total amount available for obligation shall be reduced by the amount by which collections are less than $45,490,000: Provided further, That $4,328,000 shall be derived from prior year unobligated balances: Provided further, That not more than $100,000 of the amount appropriated is available for the maintenance of an ``International Copyright Institute'' in the Copyright Office of the Library of Congress for the purpose of training nationals of developing countries in intellectual property laws and policies: Provided further, That not more than $6,500 may be expended, on the certification of the Librarian of Congress, in connection with official representation and reception expenses for activities of the International Copyright Institute and for copyright delegations, visitors, and seminars: Provided further, That, notwithstanding any provision of chapter 8 of title 17, United States Code, any amounts made available under this heading which are attributable to royalty fees and payments received by the Copyright Office pursuant to sections 111, 119, and chapter 10 of such title may be used for the costs incurred in the administration of the Copyright Royalty Judges program, with the exception of the costs of salaries and benefits for the Copyright Royalty Judges and staff under section 802(e). Congressional Research Service salaries and expenses For all necessary expenses to carry out the provisions of section 203 of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 166) and to revise and extend the Annotated Constitution of the United States of America, $125,688,000: Provided, That no part of such amount may be used to pay any salary or expense in connection with any publication, or preparation of material therefor (except the Digest of Public General Bills), to be issued by the Library of Congress unless such publication has obtained prior approval of either the Committee on House Administration of the House of Representatives or the Committee on Rules and Administration of the Senate: Provided further, That this prohibition does not apply to publication of non-confidential Congressional Research Service (CRS) products: Provided further, That a non-confidential CRS product includes any written product containing research or analysis that is currently available for general congressional access on the CRS Congressional Intranet, or that would be made available on the CRS Congressional Intranet in the normal course of business and does not include material prepared in response to Congressional requests for confidential analysis or research. Books for the Blind and Physically Handicapped salaries and expenses For all necessary expenses to carry out the Act of March 3, 1931 (chapter 400; 46 Stat. 1487; 2 U.S.C. 135a), $52,783,000: Provided, That of the total amount appropriated, $650,000 shall be available to contract to provide newspapers to blind and physically handicapped residents at no cost to the individual. Administrative Provisions reimbursable and revolving fund activities Sec. 150. (a) In General.--For fiscal year 2019, the obligational authority of the Library of Congress for the activities described in subsection (b) may not exceed $194,608,000. (b) Activities.--The activities referred to in subsection (a) are reimbursable and revolving fund activities that are funded from sources other than appropriations to the Library in appropriations Acts for the legislative branch. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE Congressional Publishing (including transfer of funds) For authorized publishing of congressional information and the distribution of congressional information in any format; publishing of Government publications authorized by law to be distributed to Members of Congress; and publishing, and distribution of Government publications authorized by law to be distributed without charge to the recipient, $79,000,000: Provided, That this appropriation shall not be available for paper copies of the permanent edition of the Congressional Record for individual Representatives, Resident Commissioners or Delegates authorized under section 906 of title 44, United States Code: Provided further, That this appropriation shall be available for the payment of obligations incurred under the appropriations for similar purposes for fiscal year 2019: Provided further, That notwithstanding the 2-year limitation under section 718 of title 44, United States Code, none of the funds appropriated or made available under this Act or any other Act for printing and binding and related services provided to Congress under chapter 7 of title 44, United States Code, may be expended to print a document, report, or publication after the 27-month period beginning on the date that such document, report, or publication is authorized by Congress to be printed, unless Congress reauthorizes such printing in accordance with section 718 of title 44, United States Code: Provided further, That any unobligated or unexpended balances in this account or accounts for similar purposes for fiscal year 2019 and each succeeding fiscal year may be transferred to the Government Publishing Office Business Operations Revolving Fund for carrying out the purposes of this heading, subject to the approval of the Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and Senate: Provided further, That notwithstanding sections 901, 902, and 906 of title 44, United States Code, this appropriation may be used to prepare indexes to the Congressional Record on only a monthly and session basis. Public Information Programs of the Superintendent of Documents salaries and expenses (including transfer of funds) For expenses of the public information programs of the Office of Superintendent of Documents necessary to provide for the cataloging and indexing of Government publications and their distribution to the public, Members of Congress, other Government agencies, and designated depository and international exchange libraries as authorized by law, $32,000,000: Provided, That amounts of not more than $2,000,000 from current year appropriations are authorized for producing and disseminating Congressional serial sets and other related publications for fiscal years 2017 and 2018 to depository and other designated libraries: Provided further, That any unobligated or unexpended balances in this account or accounts for similar purposes for fiscal year 2019 and each succeeding fiscal year may be transferred to the Government Publishing Office Business Operations Revolving Fund for carrying out the purposes of this heading, subject to the approval of the Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and Senate. Government Publishing Office Business Operations Revolving Fund For payment to the Government Publishing Office Business Operations Revolving Fund, $6,000,000, to remain available until expended, for information technology development and facilities repair: Provided, That the Government Publishing Office is hereby authorized to make such expenditures, within the limits of funds available and in accordance with law, and to make such contracts and commitments without regard to fiscal year limitations as provided by section 9104 of title 31, United States Code, as may be necessary in carrying out the programs and purposes set forth in the budget for the current fiscal year for the Government Publishing Office Business Operations Revolving Fund: Provided further, That not more than $7,500 may be expended on the certification of the Director of the Government Publishing Office in connection with official representation and reception expenses: Provided further, That the Business Operations Revolving Fund shall be available for the hire or purchase of not more than 12 passenger motor vehicles: Provided further, That expenditures in connection with travel expenses of the advisory councils to the Director of the Government Publishing Office shall be deemed necessary to carry out the provisions of title 44, United States Code: Provided further, That the Business Operations Revolving Fund shall be available for temporary or intermittent services under section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, but at rates for individuals not more than the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay for level V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of such title: Provided further, That activities financed through the Business Operations Revolving Fund may provide information in any format: Provided further, That the Business Operations Revolving Fund and the funds provided under the heading ``Public Information Programs of the Superintendent of Documents'' may not be used for contracted security services at Government Publishing Office's passport facility in the District of Columbia. GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE Salaries and Expenses For necessary expenses of the Government Accountability Office, including not more than [[Page H4916]] $12,500 to be expended on the certification of the Comptroller General of the United States in connection with official representation and reception expenses; temporary or intermittent services under section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, but at rates for individuals not more than the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay for level IV of the Executive Schedule under section 5315 of such title; hire of one passenger motor vehicle; advance payments in foreign countries in accordance with section 3324 of title 31, United States Code; benefits comparable to those payable under sections 901(5), (6), and (8) of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 4081(5), (6), and (8)); and under regulations prescribed by the Comptroller General of the United States, rental of living quarters in foreign countries, $578,916,653: Provided, That, in addition, $23,800,000 of payments received under sections 782, 791, 3521, and 9105 of title 31, United States Code, shall be available without fiscal year limitation: Provided further, That this appropriation and appropriations for administrative expenses of any other department or agency which is a member of the National Intergovernmental Audit Forum or a Regional Intergovernmental Audit Forum shall be available to finance an appropriate share of either Forum's costs as determined by the respective Forum, including necessary travel expenses of non-Federal participants: Provided further, That payments hereunder to the Forum may be credited as reimbursements to any appropriation from which costs involved are initially financed: Provided further, That this appropriation shall be available to transfer amounts to the Department of the Army for the construction of an Army facility at Redstone Arsenal for the sole, unlimited use of GAO: Provided further, That hereafter, amounts appropriated for the salaries and expenses of the Government Accountability Office shall be available to transfer to the Department of the Army for the maintenance of such facility. OPEN WORLD LEADERSHIP CENTER TRUST FUND For a payment to the Open World Leadership Center Trust Fund for financing activities of the Open World Leadership Center under section 313 of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2001 (2 U.S.C. 1151), $5,600,000: Provided, That funds made available to support Russian participants shall only be used for those engaging in free market development, humanitarian activities, and civic engagement, and shall not be used for officials of the central government of Russia. John C. Stennis Center for Public Service Training and Development For payment to the John C. Stennis Center for Public Service Development Trust Fund established under section 116 of the John C. Stennis Center for Public Service Training and Development Act (2 U.S.C. 1105), $430,000. TITLE II GENERAL PROVISIONS maintenance and care of private vehicles Sec. 201. No part of the funds appropriated in this Act shall be used for the maintenance or care of private vehicles, except for emergency assistance and cleaning as may be provided under regulations relating to parking facilities for the House of Representatives issued by the Committee on House Administration and for the Senate issued by the Committee on Rules and Administration. fiscal year limitation Sec. 202. No part of the funds appropriated in this Act shall remain available for obligation beyond fiscal year 2019 unless expressly so provided in this Act. rates of compensation and designation Sec. 203. Whenever in this Act any office or position not specifically established by the Legislative Pay Act of 1929 (46 Stat. 32 et seq.) is appropriated for or the rate of compensation or designation of any office or position appropriated for is different from that specifically established by such Act, the rate of compensation and the designation in this Act shall be the permanent law with respect thereto: Provided, That the provisions in this Act for the various items of official expenses of Members, officers, and committees of the Senate and House of Representatives, and clerk hire for Senators and Members of the House of Representatives shall be the permanent law with respect thereto. consulting services Sec. 204. The expenditure of any appropriation under this Act for any consulting service through procurement contract, under section 3109 of title 5, United States Code, shall be limited to those contracts where such expenditures are a matter of public record and available for public inspection, except where otherwise provided under existing law, or under existing Executive order issued under existing law. costs of lbfmc Sec. 205. Amounts available for administrative expenses of any legislative branch entity which participates in the Legislative Branch Financial Managers Council (LBFMC) established by charter on March 26, 1996, shall be available to finance an appropriate share of LBFMC costs as determined by the LBFMC, except that the total LBFMC costs to be shared among all participating legislative branch entities (in such allocations among the entities as the entities may determine) may not exceed $2,000. limitation on transfers Sec. 206. None of the funds made available in this Act may be transferred to any department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States Government, except pursuant to a transfer made by, or transfer authority provided in, this Act or any other appropriation Act. guided tours of the capitol Sec. 207. (a) Except as provided in subsection (b), none of the funds made available to the Architect of the Capitol in this Act may be used to eliminate or restrict guided tours of the United States Capitol which are led by employees and interns of offices of Members of Congress and other offices of the House of Representatives and Senate, unless through regulations as authorized by section 402(b)(8) of the Capitol Visitor Center Act of 2008 (2 U.S.C. 2242(b)(8)). (b) At the direction of the Capitol Police Board, or at the direction of the Architect of the Capitol with the approval of the Capitol Police Board, guided tours of the United States Capitol which are led by employees and interns described in subsection (a) may be suspended temporarily or otherwise subject to restriction for security or related reasons to the same extent as guided tours of the United States Capitol which are led by the Architect of the Capitol. references to act Sec. 208. Except as expressly provided otherwise, any reference to ``this Act'' contained in this division shall be treated as referring only to the provisions of this division. references to report Sec. 209. Any reference to a ``report accompanying this Act'' contained in this division shall be treated as a reference to House Report 115-696. The effect of such Report shall be limited to this division and shall apply for purposes of determining the allocation of funds provided by, and the implementation of, this division. spending reduction account Sec. 210. The amount by which the applicable allocation of new budget authority made by the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives under section 302(b) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 exceeds the amount of proposed new budget authority is $0. This division may be cited as the ``Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2019''. DIVISION C--MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, VETERANS AFFAIRS, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019 The following sums are appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019, and for other purposes, namely: TITLE I DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Military Construction, Army For acquisition, construction, installation, and equipment of temporary or permanent public works, military installations, facilities, and real property for the Army as currently authorized by law, including personnel in the Army Corps of Engineers and other personal services necessary for the purposes of this appropriation, and for construction and operation of facilities in support of the functions of the Commander in Chief, $1,001,768,000, to remain available until September 30, 2023: Provided, That, of this amount, not to exceed $110,068,000 shall be available for study, planning, design, architect and engineer services, and host nation support, as authorized by law, unless the Secretary of the Army determines that additional obligations are necessary for such purposes and notifies the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress of the determination and the reasons therefor. Military Construction, Navy and Marine Corps For acquisition, construction, installation, and equipment of temporary or permanent public works, naval installations, facilities, and real property for the Navy and Marine Corps as currently authorized by law, including personnel in the Naval Facilities Engineering Command and other personal services necessary for the purposes of this appropriation, $2,100,298,000, to remain available until September 30, 2023: Provided, That, of this amount, not to exceed $185,542,000 shall be available for study, planning, design, and architect and engineer services, as authorized by law, unless the Secretary of the Navy determines that additional obligations are necessary for such purposes and notifies the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress of the determination and the reasons therefor. Military Construction, Air Force For acquisition, construction, installation, and equipment of temporary or permanent public works, military installations, facilities, and real property for the Air Force as currently authorized by law, $1,454,723,000, to remain available until September 30, 2023: Provided, That, of this amount, not to exceed $206,577,000 shall be available for study, planning, design, and architect and engineer services, as authorized by law, unless the Secretary of the Air Force determines that additional obligations are necessary for such purposes and notifies the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress of the determination and the reasons therefor. Military Construction, Defense-Wide (including transfer of funds) For acquisition, construction, installation, and equipment of temporary or permanent public works, installations, facilities, and real property for activities and agencies of the Department of Defense (other than the military departments), as currently authorized by law, $2,465,738,000, to remain available until September 30, 2023: Provided, That such amounts of this appropriation as may be determined by the Secretary of Defense may be transferred to such appropriations of the Department of Defense available for military construction or family housing as the Secretary may designate, to be merged with and to be available for the same purposes, and for the same time period, as the appropriation or fund to which transferred: [[Page H4917]] Provided further, That, of the amount, not to exceed $195,345,000 shall be available for study, planning, design, and architect and engineer services, as authorized by law, unless the Secretary of Defense determines that additional obligations are necessary for such purposes and notifies the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress of the determination and the reasons therefor: Provided further, That the Director of the Missile Defense Agency shall provide quarterly reports to the congressional defense committees on the construction timeline and obligations for the Poland Aegis Ashore complex. Military Construction, Army National Guard For construction, acquisition, expansion, rehabilitation, and conversion of facilities for the training and administration of the Army National Guard, and contributions therefor, as authorized by chapter 1803 of title 10, United States Code, and Military Construction Authorization Acts, $180,122,000, to remain available until September 30, 2023: Provided, That, of the amount, not to exceed $16,622,000 shall be available for study, planning, design, and architect and engineer services, as authorized by law, unless the Director of the Army National Guard determines that additional obligations are necessary for such purposes and notifies the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress of the determination and the reasons therefor. Military Construction, Air National Guard For construction, acquisition, expansion, rehabilitation, and conversion of facilities for the training and administration of the Air National Guard, and contributions therefor, as authorized by chapter 1803 of title 10, United States Code, and Military Construction Authorization Acts, $129,126,000, to remain available until September 30, 2023: Provided, That, of the amount, not to exceed $18,500,000 shall be available for study, planning, design, and architect and engineer services, as authorized by law, unless the Director of the Air National Guard determines that additional obligations are necessary for such purposes and notifies the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress of the determination and the reasons therefor. Military Construction, Army Reserve For construction, acquisition, expansion, rehabilitation, and conversion of facilities for the training and administration of the Army Reserve as authorized by chapter 1803 of title 10, United States Code, and Military Construction Authorization Acts, $64,919,000, to remain available until September 30, 2023: Provided, That, of the amount, not to exceed $5,855,000 shall be available for study, planning, design, and architect and engineer services, as authorized by law, unless the Chief of the Army Reserve determines that additional obligations are necessary for such purposes and notifies the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress of the determination and the reasons therefor. Military Construction, Navy Reserve For construction, acquisition, expansion, rehabilitation, and conversion of facilities for the training and administration of the reserve components of the Navy and Marine Corps as authorized by chapter 1803 of title 10, United States Code, and Military Construction Authorization Acts, $43,065,000, to remain available until September 30, 2023: Provided, That, of the amount, not to exceed $4,695,000 shall be available for study, planning, design, and architect and engineer services, as authorized by law, unless the Secretary of the Navy determines that additional obligations are necessary for such purposes and notifies the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress of the determination and the reasons therefor. Military Construction, Air Force Reserve For construction, acquisition, expansion, rehabilitation, and conversion of facilities for the training and administration of the Air Force Reserve as authorized by chapter 1803 of title 10, United States Code, and Military Construction Authorization Acts, $50,163,000, to remain available until September 30, 2023: Provided, That, of the amount, not to exceed $4,055,000 shall be available for study, planning, design, and architect and engineer services, as authorized by law, unless the Chief of the Air Force Reserve determines that additional obligations are necessary for such purposes and notifies the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress of the determination and the reasons therefor: Provided further, That, the Chief of the Air Force Reserve shall take immediate action to address unfunded military construction requirements for access control points and security issues at Air Force Reserve facilities. North Atlantic Treaty Organization Security Investment Program For the United States share of the cost of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Security Investment Program for the acquisition and construction of military facilities and installations (including international military headquarters) and for related expenses for the collective defense of the North Atlantic Treaty Area as authorized by section 2806 of title 10, United States Code, and Military Construction Authorization Acts, $171,064,000, to remain available until expended. Department of Defense Base Closure Account For deposit into the Department of Defense Base Closure Account, established by section 2906(a) of the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act of 1990 (10 U.S.C. 2687 note), $322,390,000, to remain available until expended. Family Housing Construction, Army For expenses of family housing for the Army for construction, including acquisition, replacement, addition, expansion, extension, and alteration, as authorized by law, $330,660,000, to remain available until September 30, 2023: Provided, That none of the funds provided under this heading for family housing construction may be expended for family housing improvements on Kwajalein Atoll until the Secretary of the Army certifies to the congressional defense committees that the new housing units represent the best value to the taxpayer and that no reasonable alternatives exist at a lower cost. Family Housing Operation and Maintenance, Army For expenses of family housing for the Army for operation and maintenance, including debt payment, leasing, minor construction, principal and interest charges, and insurance premiums, as authorized by law, $376,509,000. Family Housing Construction, Navy and Marine Corps For expenses of family housing for the Navy and Marine Corps for construction, including acquisition, replacement, addition, expansion, extension, and alteration, as authorized by law, $104,581,000, to remain available until September 30, 2023. Family Housing Operation and Maintenance, Navy and Marine Corps For expenses of family housing for the Navy and Marine Corps for operation and maintenance, including debt payment, leasing, minor construction, principal and interest charges, and insurance premiums, as authorized by law, $314,536,000. Family Housing Construction, Air Force For expenses of family housing for the Air Force for construction, including acquisition, replacement, addition, expansion, extension, and alteration, as authorized by law, $78,446,000, to remain available until September 30, 2023. Family Housing Operation and Maintenance, Air Force For expenses of family housing for the Air Force for operation and maintenance, including debt payment, leasing, minor construction, principal and interest charges, and insurance premiums, as authorized by law, $317,274,000. Family Housing Operation and Maintenance, Defense-Wide For expenses of family housing for the activities and agencies of the Department of Defense (other than the military departments) for operation and maintenance, leasing, and minor construction, as authorized by law, $58,373,000. Department of Defense Family Housing Improvement Fund For the Department of Defense Family Housing Improvement Fund, $1,653,000, to remain available until expended, for family housing initiatives undertaken pursuant to section 2883 of title 10, United States Code, providing alternative means of acquiring and improving military family housing and supporting facilities. Department of Defense Military Unaccompanied Housing Improvement Fund For the Department of Defense Military Unaccompanied Housing Improvement Fund, $600,000, to remain available until expended, for unaccompanied housing initiatives undertaken pursuant to section 2883 of title 10, United States Code, providing alternative means of acquiring and improving military unaccompanied housing and supporting facilities. Administrative Provisions Sec. 101. None of the funds made available in this title shall be expended for payments under a cost-plus-a-fixed-fee contract for construction, where cost estimates exceed $25,000, to be performed within the United States, except Alaska, without the specific approval in writing of the Secretary of Defense setting forth the reasons therefor. Sec. 102. Funds made available in this title for construction shall be available for hire of passenger motor vehicles. Sec. 103. Funds made available in this title for construction may be used for advances to the Federal Highway Administration, Department of Transportation, for the construction of access roads as authorized by section 210 of title 23, United States Code, when projects authorized therein are certified as important to the national defense by the Secretary of Defense. Sec. 104. None of the funds made available in this title may be used to begin construction of new bases in the United States for which specific appropriations have not been made. Sec. 105. None of the funds made available in this title shall be used for purchase of land or land easements in excess of 100 percent of the value as determined by the Army Corps of Engineers or the Naval Facilities Engineering Command, except: (1) where there is a determination of value by a Federal court; (2) purchases negotiated by the Attorney General or the designee of the Attorney General; (3) where the estimated value is less than $25,000; or (4) as otherwise determined by the Secretary of Defense to be in the public interest. Sec. 106. None of the funds made available in this title shall be used to: (1) acquire land; (2) provide for site preparation; or (3) install utilities for any family housing, except housing for which funds have been made available in annual Acts making appropriations for military construction. Sec. 107. None of the funds made available in this title for minor construction may be used to transfer or relocate any activity from one base or installation to another, without prior notification to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress. Sec. 108. None of the funds made available in this title may be used for the procurement of steel for any construction project or activity for [[Page H4918]] which American steel producers, fabricators, and manufacturers have been denied the opportunity to compete for such steel procurement. Sec. 109. None of the funds available to the Department of Defense for military construction or family housing during the current fiscal year may be used to pay real property taxes in any foreign nation. Sec. 110. None of the funds made available in this title may be used to initiate a new installation overseas without prior notification to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress. Sec. 111. None of the funds made available in this title may be obligated for architect and engineer contracts estimated by the Government to exceed $500,000 for projects to be accomplished in Japan, in any North Atlantic Treaty Organization member country, or in countries bordering the Arabian Gulf, unless such contracts are awarded to United States firms or United States firms in joint venture with host nation firms. Sec. 112. None of the funds made available in this title for military construction in the United States territories and possessions in the Pacific and on Kwajalein Atoll, or in countries bordering the Arabian Gulf, may be used to award any contract estimated by the Government to exceed $1,000,000 to a foreign contractor: Provided, That this section shall not be applicable to contract awards for which the lowest responsive and responsible bid of a United States contractor exceeds the lowest responsive and responsible bid of a foreign contractor by greater than 20 percent: Provided further, That this section shall not apply to contract awards for military construction on Kwajalein Atoll for which the lowest responsive and responsible bid is submitted by a Marshallese contractor. Sec. 113. The Secretary of Defense shall inform the appropriate committees of both Houses of Congress, including the Committees on Appropriations, of plans and scope of any proposed military exercise involving United States personnel 30 days prior to its occurring, if amounts expended for construction, either temporary or permanent, are anticipated to exceed $100,000. Sec. 114. Funds appropriated to the Department of Defense for construction in prior years shall be available for construction authorized for each such military department by the authorizations enacted into law during the current session of Congress. Sec. 115. For military construction or family housing projects that are being completed with funds otherwise expired or lapsed for obligation, expired or lapsed funds may be used to pay the cost of associated supervision, inspection, overhead, engineering and design on those projects and on subsequent claims, if any. Sec. 116. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any funds made available to a military department or defense agency for the construction of military projects may be obligated for a military construction project or contract, or for any portion of such a project or contract, at any time before the end of the fourth fiscal year after the fiscal year for which funds for such project were made available, if the funds obligated for such project: (1) are obligated from funds available for military construction projects; and (2) do not exceed the amount appropriated for such project, plus any amount by which the cost of such project is increased pursuant to law. (including transfer of funds) Sec. 117. Subject to 30 days prior notification, or 14 days for a notification provided in an electronic medium pursuant to sections 480 and 2883 of title 10, United States Code, to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress, such additional amounts as may be determined by the Secretary of Defense may be transferred to: (1) the Department of Defense Family Housing Improvement Fund from amounts appropriated for construction in ``Family Housing'' accounts, to be merged with and to be available for the same purposes and for the same period of time as amounts appropriated directly to the Fund; or (2) the Department of Defense Military Unaccompanied Housing Improvement Fund from amounts appropriated for construction of military unaccompanied housing in ``Military Construction'' accounts, to be merged with and to be available for the same purposes and for the same period of time as amounts appropriated directly to the Fund: Provided, That appropriations made available to the Funds shall be available to cover the costs, as defined in section 502(5) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, of direct loans or loan guarantees issued by the Department of Defense pursuant to the provisions of subchapter IV of chapter 169 of title 10, United States Code, pertaining to alternative means of acquiring and improving military family housing, military unaccompanied housing, and supporting facilities. (including transfer of funds) Sec. 118. In addition to any other transfer authority available to the Department of Defense, amounts may be transferred from the Department of Defense Base Closure Account to the fund established by section 1013(d) of the Demonstration Cities and Metropolitan Development Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 3374) to pay for expenses associated with the Homeowners Assistance Program incurred under 42 U.S.C. 3374(a)(1)(A). Any amounts transferred shall be merged with and be available for the same purposes and for the same time period as the fund to which transferred. Sec. 119. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, funds made available in this title for operation and maintenance of family housing shall be the exclusive source of funds for repair and maintenance of all family housing units, including general or flag officer quarters: Provided, That not more than $15,000 per unit may be spent annually for the maintenance and repair of any general or flag officer quarters without 30 days prior notification, or 14 days for a notification provided in an electronic medium pursuant to sections 480 and 2883 of title 10, United States Code, to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress, except that an after-the-fact notification shall be submitted if the limitation is exceeded solely due to costs associated with environmental remediation that could not be reasonably anticipated at the time of the budget submission: Provided further, That the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) is to report annually to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress all operation and maintenance expenditures for each individual general or flag officer quarters for the prior fiscal year. Sec. 120. Amounts contained in the Ford Island Improvement Account established by subsection (h) of section 2814 of title 10, United States Code, are appropriated and shall be available until expended for the purposes specified in subsection (i)(1) of such section or until transferred pursuant to subsection (i)(3) of such section. (including transfer of funds) Sec. 121. During the 5-year period after appropriations available in this Act to the Department of Defense for military construction and family housing operation and maintenance and construction have expired for obligation, upon a determination that such appropriations will not be necessary for the liquidation of obligations or for making authorized adjustments to such appropriations for obligations incurred during the period of availability of such appropriations, unobligated balances of such appropriations may be transferred into the appropriation ``Foreign Currency Fluctuations, Construction, Defense'', to be merged with and to be available for the same time period and for the same purposes as the appropriation to which transferred. Sec. 122. (a) Except as provided in subsection (b), none of the funds made available in this Act may be used by the Secretary of the Army to relocate a unit in the Army that-- (1) performs a testing mission or function that is not performed by any other unit in the Army and is specifically stipulated in title 10, United States Code; and (2) is located at a military installation at which the total number of civilian employees of the Department of the Army and Army contractor personnel employed exceeds 10 percent of the total number of members of the regular and reserve components of the Army assigned to the installation. (b) Exception.--Subsection (a) shall not apply if the Secretary of the Army certifies to the congressional defense committees that in proposing the relocation of the unit of the Army, the Secretary complied with Army Regulation 5-10 relating to the policy, procedures, and responsibilities for Army stationing actions. Sec. 123. Amounts appropriated or otherwise made available in an account funded under the headings in this title may be transferred among projects and activities within the account in accordance with the reprogramming guidelines for military construction and family housing construction contained in Department of Defense Financial Management Regulation 7000.14-R, Volume 3, Chapter 7, of March 2011, as in effect on the date of enactment of this Act. Sec. 124. None of the funds made available in this title may be obligated or expended for planning and design and construction of projects at Arlington National Cemetery. Sec. 125. For an additional amount for the accounts and in the amounts specified, to remain available until September 30, 2023: ``Military Construction, Army'', $44,100,000; ``Military Construction, Navy and Marine Corps'', $317,800,000; ``Military Construction, Air Force'', $144,450,000; ``Military Construction, Army National Guard'', $11,000,000; ``Military Construction, Air National Guard'', $62,000,000; ``Military Construction, Army Reserve'', $23,000,000; and ``Military Construction, Air Force Reserve'', $84,800,000: Provided, That such funds may only be obligated to carry out construction projects identified in the respective military department's unfunded priority list for fiscal year 2019 submitted to Congress: Provided further, That such projects are subject to authorization prior to obligation and expenditure of funds to carry out construction: Provided further, That not later than 30 days after enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the military department concerned, or his or her designee, shall submit to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress an expenditure plan for funds provided under this section. (rescissions of funds) Sec. 126. Of the unobligated balances available to the Department of Defense from prior appropriation Acts, the following funds are hereby rescinded from the following accounts in the amounts specified: ``NATO Security Investment Program'', $25,000,000; ``Military Construction, Air Force'', $31,158,000; and ``The fund established in section 1013(d) of the Demonstration Cities and Metropolitan Development Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 3374)'', $15,000,000: Provided, That no amounts may be rescinded from amounts that were designated by the Congress for Overseas Contingency Operations/Global War on Terrorism or as an emergency requirement pursuant to a concurrent resolution on the budget or the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended. [[Page H4919]] Sec. 127. For the purposes of this Act, the term ``congressional defense committees'' means the Committees on Armed Services of the House of Representatives and the Senate, the Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs of the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate, and the Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs of the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives. Sec. 128. None of the funds made available by this Act may be used to carry out the closure or realignment of the United States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Sec. 129. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, none of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this or any other Act may be used to consolidate or relocate any element of a United States Air Force Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineer (RED HORSE) outside of the United States until the Secretary of the Air Force (1) completes an analysis and comparison of the cost and infrastructure investment required to consolidate or relocate a RED HORSE squadron outside of the United States versus within the United States; (2) provides to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress (``the Committees'') a report detailing the findings of the cost analysis; and (3) certifies in writing to the Committees that the preferred site for the consolidation or relocation yields the greatest savings for the Air Force: Provided, That the term ``United States'' in this section does not include any territory or possession of the United States. Sec. 130. All amounts appropriated to ``Department of Defense--Military Construction accounts for Army, Navy and Marine Corps, Air Force and Defense-Wide'' pursuant to the authorization of appropriations in the National Defense Authorization Act specified for fiscal year 2019 in the funding table in section 4601 of that Act, shall be immediately available and allotted to contract for the full scope of authorized projects. Sec. 131. For an additional amount for the accounts and in the amounts specified, for enhancing force protection and safety at military installations, to remain available until September 30, 2023: ``Military Construction, Army'', $50,000,000; ``Military Construction, Navy and Marine Corps'', $50,000,000; ``Military Construction, Air Force'', $50,000,000: Provided , That such projects are subject to authorization prior to obligation and expenditure of funds to carry out construction: Provided further, That not later than 30 days after enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the military department concerned, or his or her designee, shall submit to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress an expenditure plan for funds provided under this section. TITLE II DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Veterans Benefits Administration compensation and pensions (including transfer of funds) For the payment of compensation benefits to or on behalf of veterans and a pilot program for disability examinations as authorized by section 107 and chapters 11, 13, 18, 51, 53, 55, and 61 of title 38, United States Code; pension benefits to or on behalf of veterans as authorized by chapters 15, 51, 53, 55, and 61 of title 38, United States Code; and burial benefits, the Reinstated Entitlement Program for Survivors, emergency and other officers' retirement pay, adjusted- service credits and certificates, payment of premiums due on commercial life insurance policies guaranteed under the provisions of title IV of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (50 U.S.C. App. 541 et seq.) and for other benefits as authorized by sections 107, 1312, 1977, and 2106, and chapters 23, 51, 53, 55, and 61 of title 38, United States Code, $108,530,139,000, to remain available until expended, of which $107,119,807,000 shall become available on October 1, 2019: Provided, That not to exceed $18,047,000 of the amount made available for fiscal year 2020 under this heading shall be reimbursed to ``General Operating Expenses, Veterans Benefits Administration'', and ``Information Technology Systems'' for necessary expenses in implementing the provisions of chapters 51, 53, and 55 of title 38, United States Code, the funding source for which is specifically provided as the ``Compensation and Pensions'' appropriation: Provided further, That such sums as may be earned on an actual qualifying patient basis, shall be reimbursed to ``Medical Care Collections Fund'' to augment the funding of individual medical facilities for nursing home care provided to pensioners as authorized. readjustment benefits For the payment of readjustment and rehabilitation benefits to or on behalf of veterans as authorized by chapters 21, 30, 31, 33, 34, 35, 36, 39, 41, 51, 53, 55, and 61 of title 38, United States Code, $14,065,282,000, to remain available until expended and to become available on October 1, 2019: Provided, That expenses for rehabilitation program services and assistance which the Secretary is authorized to provide under subsection (a) of section 3104 of title 38, United States Code, other than under paragraphs (1), (2), (5), and (11) of that subsection, shall be charged to this account. veterans insurance and indemnities For military and naval insurance, national service life insurance, servicemen's indemnities, service-disabled veterans insurance, and veterans mortgage life insurance as authorized by chapters 19 and 21, title 38, United States Code, $111,340,000, which shall become available on October 1, 2019, and shall remain available until expended. veterans housing benefit program fund For the cost of direct and guaranteed loans, such sums as may be necessary to carry out the program, as authorized by subchapters I through III of chapter 37 of title 38, United States Code: Provided, That such costs, including the cost of modifying such loans, shall be as defined in section 502 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974: Provided further, That, during fiscal year 2019, within the resources available, not to exceed $500,000 in gross obligations for direct loans are authorized for specially adapted housing loans. In addition, for administrative expenses to carry out the direct and guaranteed loan programs, $200,612,000. vocational rehabilitation loans program account For the cost of direct loans, $39,000, as authorized by chapter 31 of title 38, United States Code: Provided, That such costs, including the cost of modifying such loans, shall be as defined in section 502 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974: Provided further, That funds made available under this heading are available to subsidize gross obligations for the principal amount of direct loans not to exceed $2,037,000. In addition, for administrative expenses necessary to carry out the direct loan program, $396,000, which may be paid to the appropriation for ``General Operating Expenses, Veterans Benefits Administration''. native american veteran housing loan program account For administrative expenses to carry out the direct loan program authorized by subchapter V of chapter 37 of title 38, United States Code, $1,149,000. general operating expenses, veterans benefits administration For necessary operating expenses of the Veterans Benefits Administration, not otherwise provided for, including hire of passenger motor vehicles, reimbursement of the General Services Administration for security guard services, and reimbursement of the Department of Defense for the cost of overseas employee mail, $2,922,000,000: Provided, That expenses for services and assistance authorized under paragraphs (1), (2), (5), and (11) of section 3104(a) of title 38, United States Code, that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs determines are necessary to enable entitled veterans: (1) to the maximum extent feasible, to become employable and to obtain and maintain suitable employment; or (2) to achieve maximum independence in daily living, shall be charged to this account: Provided further, That, of the funds made available under this heading, not to exceed 5 percent shall remain available until September 30, 2020. Veterans Health Administration medical services For necessary expenses for furnishing, as authorized by law, inpatient and outpatient care and treatment to beneficiaries of the Department of Veterans Affairs and veterans described in section 1705(a) of title 38, United States Code, including care and treatment in facilities not under the jurisdiction of the Department, and including medical supplies and equipment, bioengineering services, food services, and salaries and expenses of healthcare employees hired under title 38, United States Code, aid to State homes as authorized by section 1741 of title 38, United States Code, assistance and support services for caregivers as authorized by section 1720G of title 38, United States Code, loan repayments authorized by section 604 of the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-163; 124 Stat. 1174; 38 U.S.C. 7681 note), monthly assistance allowances authorized by section 322(d) of title 38, United States Code, grants authorized by section 521A of title 38, United States Code, and administrative expenses necessary to carry out sections 322(d) and 521A of title 38, United States Code, and hospital care and medical services authorized by section 1787 of title 38, United States Code, $48,747,988,000, plus reimbursements, shall become available on October 1, 2019, and shall remain available until September 30, 2020: Provided, That, of the amount made available on October 1, 2018, under this heading, $1,400,000,000 shall remain available until September 30, 2021: Provided further, That, notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall establish a priority for the provision of medical treatment for veterans who have service-connected disabilities, lower income, or have special needs: Provided further, That, notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall give priority funding for the provision of basic medical benefits to veterans in enrollment priority groups 1 through 6: Provided further, That, notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs may authorize the dispensing of prescription drugs from Veterans Health Administration facilities to enrolled veterans with privately written prescriptions based on requirements established by the Secretary: Provided further, That the implementation of the program described in the previous proviso shall incur no additional cost to the Department of Veterans Affairs. medical community care For necessary expenses for furnishing health care to individuals pursuant to chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code, at non-Department facilities, $500,000,000 which shall be in addition to funds previously appropriated under this heading that become available on October 1, 2018: and, in addition, $14,419,786,000, plus reimbursements, shall become available on October 1, 2019, and shall remain available until September 30, 2020: Provided, That, of the amount made available on October 1, 2019, under this heading, $2,000,000,000 shall remain available until September 30, 2021. [[Page H4920]] medical support and compliance For necessary expenses in the administration of the medical, hospital, nursing home, domiciliary, construction, supply, and research activities, as authorized by law; administrative expenses in support of capital policy activities; and administrative and legal expenses of the Department for collecting and recovering amounts owed the Department as authorized under chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code, and the Federal Medical Care Recovery Act (42 U.S.C. 2651 et seq.), $7,106,150,000, plus reimbursements, shall become available on October 1, 2019, and shall remain available until September 30, 2020: Provided, That, of the amount made available on October 1, 2019, under this heading, $100,000,000 shall remain available until September 30, 2021. medical facilities For necessary expenses for the maintenance and operation of hospitals, nursing homes, domiciliary facilities, and other necessary facilities of the Veterans Health Administration; for administrative expenses in support of planning, design, project management, real property acquisition and disposition, construction, and renovation of any facility under the jurisdiction or for the use of the Department; for oversight, engineering, and architectural activities not charged to project costs; for repairing, altering, improving, or providing facilities in the several hospitals and homes under the jurisdiction of the Department, not otherwise provided for, either by contract or by the hire of temporary employees and purchase of materials; for leases of facilities; and for laundry services, $5,276,676,000, plus reimbursements, shall become available on October 1, 2019, and shall remain available until September 30, 2020: Provided, That, of the amount made available on October 1, 2019, under this heading, $250,000,000 shall remain available until September 30, 2021. medical and prosthetic research For necessary expenses in carrying out programs of medical and prosthetic research and development as authorized by chapter 73 of title 38, United States Code, $732,262,000, plus reimbursements, shall remain available until September 30, 2020: Provided, That of the amount made available under this heading, $27,000,000 shall remain available until September 30, 2023 . National Cemetery Administration For necessary expenses of the National Cemetery Administration for operations and maintenance, not otherwise provided for, including uniforms or allowances therefor; cemeterial expenses as authorized by law; purchase of one passenger motor vehicle for use in cemeterial operations; hire of passenger motor vehicles; and repair, alteration or improvement of facilities under the jurisdiction of the National Cemetery Administration, $315,836,000, of which not to exceed 10 percent shall remain available until September 30, 2020. Departmental Administration general administration (including transfer of funds) For necessary operating expenses of the Department of Veterans Affairs, not otherwise provided for, including administrative expenses in support of Department-wide capital planning, management and policy activities, uniforms, or allowances therefor; not to exceed $25,000 for official reception and representation expenses; hire of passenger motor vehicles; and reimbursement of the General Services Administration for security guard services, $346,091,000, of which not to exceed 5 percent shall remain available until September 30, 2020: Provided, That funds provided under this heading may be transferred to ``General Operating Expenses, Veterans Benefits Administration''. board of veterans appeals For necessary operating expenses of the Board of Veterans Appeals, $174,748,000, of which not to exceed 10 percent shall remain available until September 30, 2020. information technology systems (including transfer of funds) For necessary expenses for information technology systems and telecommunications support, including developmental information systems and operational information systems; for pay and associated costs; and for the capital asset acquisition of information technology systems, including management and related contractual costs of said acquisitions, including contractual costs associated with operations authorized by section 3109 of title 5, United States Code, $4,105,500,000, plus reimbursements: Provided, That $1,235,320,000 shall be for pay and associated costs, of which not to exceed 5 percent shall remain available until September 30, 2020: Provided further, That $2,521,650,000 shall be for operations and maintenance, of which not to exceed 5 percent shall remain available until September 30, 2020: Provided further, That $348,530,000 shall be for information technology systems development, and shall remain available until September 30, 2020: Provided further, That amounts made available for information technology systems development may not be obligated or expended until the Secretary of Veterans Affairs or the Chief Information Officer of the Department of Veterans Affairs submits to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress a certification of the amounts, in parts or in full, to be obligated and expended for each development project: Provided further, That amounts made available for salaries and expenses, operations and maintenance, and information technology systems development may be transferred among the three subaccounts after the Secretary of Veterans Affairs requests from the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress the authority to make the transfer and an approval is issued: Provided further, That amounts made available for the ``Information Technology Systems'' account for development may be transferred among projects or to newly defined projects: Provided further, That no project may be increased or decreased by more than $1,000,000 of cost prior to submitting a request to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress to make the transfer and an approval is issued, or absent a response, a period of 30 days has elapsed: Provided further, That the funds made available under this heading for information technology systems development shall be for the projects, and in the amounts, specified under this heading in the report accompanying this Act. veterans electronic health record For activities related to implementation, preparation, development, interface, management, rollout, and maintenance of a Veterans Electronic Health Record system, including contractual costs associated with operations authorized by section 3109 of title 5, United States Code, and salaries and expenses of employees hired under titles 5 and 38, United States Code, $1,207,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2021: Provided, That the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress quarterly reports detailing obligations, expenditures, and deployment implementation by facility: Provided further, That the funds provided in this account shall only be available to the Office of the Deputy Secretary, to be administered by that Office. office of inspector general For necessary expenses of the Office of Inspector General, to include information technology, in carrying out the provisions of the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.), $172,054,000, of which not to exceed 10 percent shall remain available until September 30, 2020. construction, major projects For constructing, altering, extending, and improving any of the facilities, including parking projects, under the jurisdiction or for the use of the Department of Veterans Affairs, or for any of the purposes set forth in sections 316, 2404, 2406 and chapter 81 of title 38, United States Code, not otherwise provided for, including planning, architectural and engineering services, construction management services, maintenance or guarantee period services costs associated with equipment guarantees provided under the project, services of claims analysts, offsite utility and storm drainage system construction costs, and site acquisition, where the estimated cost of a project is more than the amount set forth in section 8104(a)(3)(A) of title 38, United States Code, or where funds for a project were made available in a previous major project appropriation, $1,127,486,000, of which $647,486,000 shall remain available until September 30, 2023; and of which $480,000,000 shall remain available until expended, of which $400,000,000 shall be available for seismic improvement projects and seismic program management activities, including for projects that would otherwise be funded by the Construction, Minor Projects, Medical Facilities or National Cemetery Administration accounts: Provided, That except for advance planning activities, including needs assessments which may or may not lead to capital investments, and other capital asset management related activities, including portfolio development and management activities, and investment strategy studies funded through the advance planning fund and the planning and design activities funded through the design fund, including needs assessments which may or may not lead to capital investments, and salaries and associated costs of the resident engineers who oversee those capital investments funded through this account and contracting officers who manage specific major construction projects, and funds provided for the purchase, security, and maintenance of land for the National Cemetery Administration through the land acquisition line item, none of the funds made available under this heading shall be used for any project that has not been notified to Congress through the budgetary process or that has not been approved by the Congress through statute, joint resolution, or in the explanatory statement accompanying such Act and presented to the President at the time of enrollment: Provided further, That funds made available under this heading for fiscal year 2019, for each approved project shall be obligated: (1) by the awarding of a construction documents contract by September 30, 2019; and (2) by the awarding of a construction contract by September 30, 2020: Provided further, That the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall promptly submit to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress a written report on any approved major construction project for which obligations are not incurred within the time limitations established above: Provided further , That notwithstanding the requirements of section 8104(a) of title 38, United States Code, amounts made available under this heading for seismic improvement projects and seismic program management activities shall be available for the completion of both new and existing seismic projects of the Department. construction, minor projects For constructing, altering, extending, and improving any of the facilities, including parking projects, under the jurisdiction or for the use of the Department of Veterans Affairs, including planning and assessments of needs which may lead to capital investments, architectural and engineering services, maintenance or guarantee period services costs associated with equipment guarantees provided under the project, services of claims analysts, offsite utility and storm [[Page H4921]] drainage system construction costs, and site acquisition, or for any of the purposes set forth in sections 316, 2404, 2406 and chapter 81 of title 38, United States Code, not otherwise provided for, where the estimated cost of a project is equal to or less than the amount set forth in section 8104(a)(3)(A) of title 38, United States Code, $649,514,000, to remain available until September 30, 2023, along with unobligated balances of previous ``Construction, Minor Projects'' appropriations which are hereby made available for any project where the estimated cost is equal to or less than the amount set forth in such section: Provided, That funds made available under this heading shall be for: (1) repairs to any of the nonmedical facilities under the jurisdiction or for the use of the Department which are necessary because of loss or damage caused by any natural disaster or catastrophe; and (2) temporary measures necessary to prevent or to minimize further loss by such causes. grants for construction of state extended care facilities For grants to assist States to acquire or construct State nursing home and domiciliary facilities and to remodel, modify, or alter existing hospital, nursing home, and domiciliary facilities in State homes, for furnishing care to veterans as authorized by sections 8131 through 8137 of title 38, United States Code, $150,000,000, to remain available until expended. grants for construction of veterans cemeteries For grants to assist States and tribal organizations in establishing, expanding, or improving veterans cemeteries as authorized by section 2408 of title 38, United States Code, $45,000,000, to remain available until expended. Administrative Provisions (including transfer of funds) Sec. 201. Any appropriation for fiscal year 2019 for ``Compensation and Pensions'', ``Readjustment Benefits'', and ``Veterans Insurance and Indemnities'' may be transferred as necessary to any other of the mentioned appropriations: Provided, That, before a transfer may take place, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall request from the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress the authority to make the transfer and such Committees issue an approval, or absent a response, a period of 30 days has elapsed. (including transfer of funds) Sec. 202. Amounts made available for the Department of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2019, in this or any other Act, under the ``Medical Services'', ``Medical Community Care'', ``Medical Support and Compliance'', and ``Medical Facilities'' accounts may be transferred among the accounts: Provided, That any transfers among the ``Medical Services'', ``Medical Community Care'', and ``Medical Support and Compliance'' accounts of 1 percent or less of the total amount appropriated to the account in this or any other Act may take place subject to notification from the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress of the amount and purpose of the transfer: Provided further, That any transfers among the ``Medical Services'', ``Medical Community Care'', and ``Medical Support and Compliance'' accounts in excess of 1 percent, or exceeding the cumulative 1 percent for the fiscal year, may take place only after the Secretary requests from the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress the authority to make the transfer and an approval is issued: Provided further, That any transfers to or from the ``Medical Facilities'' account may take place only after the Secretary requests from the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress the authority to make the transfer and an approval is issued. Sec. 203. Appropriations available in this title for salaries and expenses shall be available for services authorized by section 3109 of title 5, United States Code; hire of passenger motor vehicles; lease of a facility or land or both; and uniforms or allowances therefore, as authorized by sections 5901 through 5902 of title 5, United States Code. Sec. 204. No appropriations in this title (except the appropriations for ``Construction, Major Projects'', and ``Construction, Minor Projects'') shall be available for the purchase of any site for or toward the construction of any new hospital or home. Sec. 205. No appropriations in this title shall be available for hospitalization or examination of any persons (except beneficiaries entitled to such hospitalization or examination under the laws providing such benefits to veterans, and persons receiving such treatment under sections 7901 through 7904 of title 5, United States Code, or the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.)), unless reimbursement of the cost of such hospitalization or examination is made to the ``Medical Services'' account at such rates as may be fixed by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Sec. 206. Appropriations available in this title for ``Compensation and Pensions'', ``Readjustment Benefits'', and ``Veterans Insurance and Indemnities'' shall be available for payment of prior year accrued obligations required to be recorded by law against the corresponding prior year accounts within the last quarter of fiscal year 2018. Sec. 207. Appropriations available in this title shall be available to pay prior year obligations of corresponding prior year appropriations accounts resulting from sections 3328(a), 3334, and 3712(a) of title 31, United States Code, except that if such obligations are from trust fund accounts they shall be payable only from ``Compensation and Pensions''. (including transfer of funds) Sec. 208. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, during fiscal year 2019, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall, from the National Service Life Insurance Fund under section 1920 of title 38, United States Code, the Veterans' Special Life Insurance Fund under section 1923 of title 38, United States Code, and the United States Government Life Insurance Fund under section 1955 of title 38, United States Code, reimburse the ``General Operating Expenses, Veterans Benefits Administration'' and ``Information Technology Systems'' accounts for the cost of administration of the insurance programs financed through those accounts: Provided, That reimbursement shall be made only from the surplus earnings accumulated in such an insurance program during fiscal year 2019 that are available for dividends in that program after claims have been paid and actuarially determined reserves have been set aside: Provided further, That if the cost of administration of such an insurance program exceeds the amount of surplus earnings accumulated in that program, reimbursement shall be made only to the extent of such surplus earnings: Provided further, That the Secretary shall determine the cost of administration for fiscal year 2019 which is properly allocable to the provision of each such insurance program and to the provision of any total disability income insurance included in that insurance program. Sec. 209. Amounts deducted from enhanced-use lease proceeds to reimburse an account for expenses incurred by that account during a prior fiscal year for providing enhanced-use lease services, may be obligated during the fiscal year in which the proceeds are received. (including transfer of funds) Sec. 210. Funds available in this title or funds for salaries and other administrative expenses shall also be available to reimburse the Office of Resolution Management, the Office of Employment Discrimination Complaint Adjudication, the Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection, and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion for all services provided at rates which will recover actual costs but not to exceed $48,431,000 for the Office of Resolution Management, $4,333,000 for the Office of Employment Discrimination Complaint Adjudication, $17,700,000 for the Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection, and $3,230,000 for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion: Provided, That payments may be made in advance for services to be furnished based on estimated costs: Provided further, That amounts received shall be credited to the ``General Administration'' and ``Information Technology Systems'' accounts for use by the office that provided the service. Sec. 211. No funds of the Department of Veterans Affairs shall be available for hospital care, nursing home care, or medical services provided to any person under chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code, for a non-service-connected disability described in section 1729(a)(2) of such title, unless that person has disclosed to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in such form as the Secretary may require, current, accurate third-party reimbursement information for purposes of section 1729 of such title: Provided, That the Secretary may recover, in the same manner as any other debt due the United States, the reasonable charges for such care or services from any person who does not make such disclosure as required: Provided further, That any amounts so recovered for care or services provided in a prior fiscal year may be obligated by the Secretary during the fiscal year in which amounts are received. (including transfer of funds) Sec. 212. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, proceeds or revenues derived from enhanced-use leasing activities (including disposal) may be deposited into the ``Construction, Major Projects'' and ``Construction, Minor Projects'' accounts and be used for construction (including site acquisition and disposition), alterations, and improvements of any medical facility under the jurisdiction or for the use of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Such sums as realized are in addition to the amount provided for in ``Construction, Major Projects'' and ``Construction, Minor Projects''. Sec. 213. Amounts made available under ``Medical Services'' are available-- (1) for furnishing recreational facilities, supplies, and equipment; and (2) for funeral expenses, burial expenses, and other expenses incidental to funerals and burials for beneficiaries receiving care in the Department. (including transfer of funds) Sec. 214. Such sums as may be deposited to the Medical Care Collections Fund pursuant to section 1729A of title 38, United States Code, may be transferred to the ``Medical Services'' and ``Medical Community Care'' accounts to remain available until expended for the purposes of these accounts. Sec. 215. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may enter into agreements with Federally Qualified Health Centers in the State of Alaska and Indian tribes and tribal organizations which are party to the Alaska Native Health Compact with the Indian Health Service, to provide healthcare, including behavioral health and dental care, to veterans in rural Alaska. The Secretary shall require participating veterans and facilities to comply with all appropriate rules and regulations, as established by the Secretary. The term ``rural Alaska'' shall mean those lands which are not within the boundaries of the municipality of Anchorage or the Fairbanks North Star Borough. (including transfer of funds) Sec. 216. Such sums as may be deposited to the Department of Veterans Affairs Capital Asset Fund pursuant to section 8118 of title 38, United States Code, may be transferred to the [[Page H4922]] ``Construction, Major Projects'' and ``Construction, Minor Projects'' accounts, to remain available until expended for the purposes of these accounts. Sec. 217. Not later than 30 days after the end of each fiscal quarter, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress a report on the financial status of the Department of Veterans Affairs for the preceding quarter: Provided, That, at a minimum, the report shall include the direction contained in the paragraph entitled ``Quarterly reporting'', under the heading ``General Administration'' in the joint explanatory statement accompanying Public Law 114-223. (including transfer of funds) Sec. 218. Amounts made available under the ``Medical Services'', ``Medical Community Care'', ``Medical Support and Compliance'', ``Medical Facilities'', ``General Operating Expenses, Veterans Benefits Administration'', ``Board of Veterans Appeals'', ``General Administration'', and ``National Cemetery Administration'' accounts for fiscal year 2019 may be transferred to or from the ``Information Technology Systems'' account: Provided, That such transfers may not result in a more than 10 percent aggregate increase in the total amount made available by this Act for the ``Information Technology Systems'' account: Provided further, That, before a transfer may take place, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall request from the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress the authority to make the transfer and an approval is issued. (including transfer of funds) Sec. 219. Of the amounts appropriated to the Department of Veterans Affairs which become available on October 1, 2019, for ``Medical Services'', ``Medical Community Care'', ``Medical Support and Compliance'', and ``Medical Facilities'', up to $307,609,000, plus reimbursements, may be transferred to the Joint Department of Defense--Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Facility Demonstration Fund, established by section 1704 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 (Public Law 111-84; 123 Stat. 3571) and may be used for operation of the facilities designated as combined Federal medical facilities as described by section 706 of the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417; 122 Stat. 4500): Provided, That additional funds may be transferred from accounts designated in this section to the Joint Department of Defense--Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Facility Demonstration Fund upon written notification by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress. (including transfer of funds) Sec. 220. Such sums as may be deposited to the Medical Care Collections Fund pursuant to section 1729A of title 38, United States Code, for healthcare provided at facilities designated as combined Federal medical facilities as described by section 706 of the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417; 122 Stat. 4500) shall also be available: (1) for transfer to the Joint Department of Defense--Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Facility Demonstration Fund, established by section 1704 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 (Public Law 111-84; 123 Stat. 3571); and (2) for operations of the facilities designated as combined Federal medical facilities as described by section 706 of the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417; 122 Stat. 4500): Provided, That, notwithstanding section 1704(b)(3) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 (Public Law 111-84; 123 Stat. 2573), amounts transferred to the Joint Department of Defense-- Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Facility Demonstration Fund shall remain available until expended. (including transfer of funds) Sec. 221. Of the amounts available in this title for ``Medical Services'', ``Medical Community Care'', ``Medical Support and Compliance'', and ``Medical Facilities'', a minimum of $15,000,000 shall be transferred to the DOD-VA Health Care Sharing Incentive Fund, as authorized by section 8111(d) of title 38, United States Code, to remain available until expended, for any purpose authorized by section 8111 of title 38, United States Code. Sec. 222. None of the funds available to the Department of Veterans Affairs, in this or any other Act, may be used to replace the current system by which the Veterans Integrated Service Networks select and contract for diabetes monitoring supplies and equipment. Sec. 223. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall notify the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress of all bid savings in a major construction project that total at least $5,000,000, or 5 percent of the programmed amount of the project, whichever is less: Provided, That such notification shall occur within 14 days of a contract identifying the programmed amount: Provided further, That the Secretary shall notify the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress 14 days prior to the obligation of such bid savings and shall describe the anticipated use of such savings. Sec. 224. None of the funds made available for ``Construction, Major Projects'' may be used for a project in excess of the scope specified for that project in the original justification data provided to the Congress as part of the request for appropriations unless the Secretary of Veterans Affairs receives approval from the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress. Sec. 225. Not later than 30 days after the end of each fiscal quarter, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress a quarterly report containing performance measures and data from each Veterans Benefits Administration Regional Office: Provided, That, at a minimum, the report shall include the direction contained in the section entitled ``Disability claims backlog'', under the heading ``General Operating Expenses, Veterans Benefits Administration'' in the joint explanatory statement accompanying Public Law 114-223: Provided further, That the report shall also include information on the number of appeals pending at the Veterans Benefits Administration as well as the Board of Veterans Appeals on a quarterly basis. Sec. 226. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall provide written notification to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress 15 days prior to organizational changes which result in the transfer of 25 or more full-time equivalents from one organizational unit of the Department of Veterans Affairs to another. Sec. 227. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall provide on a quarterly basis to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress notification of any single national outreach and awareness marketing campaign in which obligations exceed $2,000,000. (including transfer of funds) Sec. 228. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, upon determination that such action is necessary to address needs of the Veterans Health Administration, may transfer to the ``Medical Services'' account any discretionary appropriations made available for fiscal year 2019 in this title (except appropriations made to the ``General Operating Expenses, Veterans Benefits Administration'' account) or any discretionary unobligated balances within the Department of Veterans Affairs, including those appropriated for fiscal year 2019, that were provided in advance by appropriations Acts: Provided, That transfers shall be made only with the approval of the Office of Management and Budget: Provided further, That the transfer authority provided in this section is in addition to any other transfer authority provided by law: Provided further, That no amounts may be transferred from amounts that were designated by Congress as an emergency requirement pursuant to a concurrent resolution on the budget or the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985: Provided further, That such authority to transfer may not be used unless for higher priority items, based on emergent healthcare requirements, than those for which originally appropriated and in no case where the item for which funds are requested has been denied by Congress: Provided further, That, upon determination that all or part of the funds transferred from an appropriation are not necessary, such amounts may be transferred back to that appropriation and shall be available for the same purposes as originally appropriated: Provided further, That before a transfer may take place, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall request from the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress the authority to make the transfer and receive approval of that request. (including transfer of funds) Sec. 229. Amounts made available for the Department of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2019, under the ``Board of Veterans Appeals'' and the ``General Operating Expenses, Veterans Benefits Administration'' accounts may be transferred between such accounts: Provided, That before a transfer may take place, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall request from the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress the authority to make the transfer and receive approval of that request. Sec. 230. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may not reprogram funds among major construction projects or programs if such instance of reprogramming will exceed $7,000,000, unless such reprogramming is approved by the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress. Sec. 231. (a) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure that the toll-free suicide hotline under section 1720F(h) of title 38, United States Code-- (1) provides to individuals who contact the hotline immediate assistance from a trained professional; and (2) adheres to all requirements of the American Association of Suicidology. (b)(1) None of the funds made available by this Act may be used to enforce or otherwise carry out any Executive action that prohibits the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from appointing an individual to occupy a vacant civil service position, or establishing a new civil service position, at the Department of Veterans Affairs with respect to such a position relating to the hotline specified in subsection (a). (2) In this subsection-- (A) the term ``civil service'' has the meaning given such term in section 2101(1) of title 5, United States Code; and (B) the term ``Executive action'' includes-- (i) any Executive order, presidential memorandum, or other action by the President; and (ii) any agency policy, order, or other directive. Sec. 232. None of the funds in this or any other Act may be used to close Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals, domiciliaries, or clinics, conduct an environmental assessment, or to diminish healthcare services at existing Veterans Health Administration medical facilities located in Veterans Integrated Service Network 23 as part of a planned realignment of VA services until the Secretary provides to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress a report including the following elements: (1) a national realignment strategy that includes a detailed description of realignment plans within each Veterans Integrated Services [[Page H4923]] Network (VISN), including an updated Long Range Capital Plan to implement realignment requirements; (2) an explanation of the process by which those plans were developed and coordinated within each VISN; (3) a cost versus benefit analysis of each planned realignment, including the cost of replacing Veterans Health Administration services with contract care or other outsourced services; (4) an analysis of how any such planned realignment of services will impact access to care for veterans living in rural or highly rural areas, including travel distances and transportation costs to access a VA medical facility and availability of local specialty and primary care; (5) an inventory of VA buildings with historic designation and the methodology used to determine the buildings' condition and utilization; (6) a description of how any realignment will be consistent with requirements under the National Historic Preservation Act; and (7) consideration given for reuse of historic buildings within newly identified realignment requirements: Provided, That, this provision shall not apply to capital projects in VISN 23, or any other VISN, which have been authorized or approved by Congress. Sec. 233. Effective during the period beginning on October 1, 2018 and ending on January 1, 2024, none of the funds made available to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs by this or any other Act may be obligated or expended in contravention of the ``Veterans Health Administration Clinical Preventive Services Guidance Statement on the Veterans Health Administration's Screening for Breast Cancer Guidance'' published on May 10, 2017, as issued by the Veterans Health Administration National Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention. Sec. 234. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the amounts appropriated or otherwise made available to the Department of Veterans Affairs for the ``Medical Services'' account may be used to provide-- (1) fertility counseling and treatment using assisted reproductive technology to a covered veteran or the spouse of a covered veteran; or (2) adoption reimbursement to a covered veteran. (b) In this section: (1) The term ``service-connected'' has the meaning given such term in section 101 of title 38, United States Code. (2) The term ``covered veteran'' means a veteran, as such term is defined in section 101 of title 38, United States Code, who has a service-connected disability that results in the inability of the veteran to procreate without the use of fertility treatment. (3) The term ``assisted reproductive technology'' means benefits relating to reproductive assistance provided to a member of the Armed Forces who incurs a serious injury or illness on active duty pursuant to section 1074(c)(4)(A) of title 10, United States Code, as described in the memorandum on the subject of ``Policy for Assisted Reproductive Services for the Benefit of Seriously or Severely Ill/Injured (Category II or III) Active Duty Service Members'' issued by the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs on April 3, 2012, and the guidance issued to implement such policy, including any limitations on the amount of such benefits available to such a member except that-- (A) the time periods regarding embryo cryopreservation and storage set forth in part III(G) and in part IV(H) of such memorandum shall not apply; and (B) such term includes embryo cryopreservation and storage without limitation on the duration of such cryopreservation and storage. (4) The term ``adoption reimbursement'' means reimbursement for the adoption-related expenses for an adoption that is finalized after the date of the enactment of this Act under the same terms as apply under the adoption reimbursement program of the Department of Defense, as authorized in Department of Defense Instruction 1341.09, including the reimbursement limits and requirements set forth in such instruction. (c) Amounts made available for the purposes specified in subsection (a) of this section are subject to the requirements for funds contained in section 508 of division H of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (Public Law 115- 141). Sec. 235. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act or any other Act for the Department of Veterans Affairs may be used in a manner that is inconsistent with: (1) section 842 of the Transportation, Treasury, Housing and Urban Development, the Judiciary, the District of Columbia, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 2006 (Public Law 109-115; 119 Stat. 2506); or (2) section 8110(a)(5) of title 38, United States Code. Sec. 236. None of the funds appropriated in this or prior appropriations Acts or otherwise made available to the Department of Veterans Affairs may be used to transfer any amounts from the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund to any other account within the Department of Veterans Affairs. Sec. 237. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act may be used to conduct research using canines unless: the scientific objectives of the study can only be met by research with canines; the study has been directly approved by the Secretary; and the study is consistent with the revised Department of Veterans Affairs canine research policy document released on December 18, 2017: Provided, That not later than 180 days after enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress a detailed report outlining under what circumstances canine research may be needed if there are no other alternatives, how often it was used during that time period, and what protocols are in place to determine both the safety and efficacy of the research. Sec. 238. For an additional amount for the Department of Veterans Affairs, $2,000,000,000 to remain available until expended, for infrastructure improvements, including new construction, and in addition to amounts otherwise made available in this Act for such purpose, of which: (1) $750,000,000 shall be available for seismic improvement projects and seismic program management activities, including projects that would otherwise be funded by the Construction, Major Projects, the Construction, Minor Projects, Medical Facilities, or National Cemetery Administration accounts; (2) $100,000,000 shall be for National Cemetery Administration projects within ``Department Administration - Construction, Major Projects''; (3) $800,000,000 shall be for ``Veterans Health Administration--Medical Facilities'' to be used for non- recurring maintenance; and (4) $350,000,000 shall be for ``Departmental Administration--Construction, Minor Projects''; Provided, That the additional amounts appropriated for the purposes of non-recurring maintenance and minor construction may be used to carry out critical life-safety projects identified in the Department's annual facility condition assessments; sustainment projects; modernization projects; infrastructure repair; renovations at existing Veterans Health Administration medical centers and outpatient clinics; and projects included in the Strategic Capital Investment Process plan: Provided further, That notwithstanding the requirements of section 8104(a) of title 38, United States Code, amounts made available under this heading for seismic improvement projects and seismic program management activities shall be available for the completion of both new and existing projects of the Department: Provided further, That the additional amounts appropriated under this section may not be obligated or expended until the Secretary of Veterans Affairs submits to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress, and such Committees approve, a detailed expenditure plan, including project descriptions and costs, for any non-recurring maintenance, major construction or minor construction project being funded with the additional amounts made available in this section. TITLE III RELATED AGENCIES American Battle Monuments Commission salaries and expenses For necessary expenses, not otherwise provided for, of the American Battle Monuments Commission, including the acquisition of land or interest in land in foreign countries; purchases and repair of uniforms for caretakers of national cemeteries and monuments outside of the United States and its territories and possessions; rent of office and garage space in foreign countries; purchase (one-for-one replacement basis only) and hire of passenger motor vehicles; not to exceed $42,000 for official reception and representation expenses; and insurance of official motor vehicles in foreign countries, when required by law of such countries, $75,100,000, to remain available until expended. foreign currency fluctuations account For necessary expenses, not otherwise provided for, of the American Battle Monuments Commission, such sums as may be necessary, to remain available until expended, for purposes authorized by section 2109 of title 36, United States Code. United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims salaries and expenses For necessary expenses for the operation of the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims as authorized by sections 7251 through 7298 of title 38, United States Code, $33,600,000: Provided , That $2,580,000 shall be available for the purpose of providing financial assistance as described and in accordance with the process and reporting procedures set forth under this heading in Public Law 102- 229. Department of Defense--Civil Cemeterial Expenses, Army salaries and expenses For necessary expenses for maintenance, operation, and improvement of Arlington National Cemetery and Soldiers' and Airmen's Home National Cemetery, including the purchase or lease of passenger motor vehicles for replacement on a one- for-one basis only, and not to exceed $1,000 for official reception and representation expenses, $70,800,000, of which not to exceed $15,000,000 shall remain available until September 30, 2021. In addition, such sums as may be necessary for parking maintenance, repairs and replacement, to be derived from the ``Lease of Department of Defense Real Property for Defense Agencies'' account. construction For necessary expenses for planning and design and construction at Arlington National Cemetery and Soldiers' and Airmen's Home National Cemetery, $73,855,000, to remain available until expended, for planning and design and construction associated with the Southern Expansion project at Arlington National Cemetery. Armed Forces Retirement Home trust fund For expenses necessary for the Armed Forces Retirement Home to operate and maintain the Armed Forces Retirement Home-- Washington, District of Columbia, and the Armed Forces Retirement Home--Gulfport, Mississippi, to be paid from funds available in the Armed Forces Retirement Home Trust Fund, $64,300,000, of which $1,000,000 shall remain available until expended for construction and renovation of the physical plants at the Armed Forces Retirement Home--Washington, District of Columbia, and the Armed Forces Retirement Home-- Gulfport, Mississippi: Provided, That of the amounts made [[Page H4924]] available under this heading from funds available in the Armed Forces Retirement Home Trust Fund, $22,000,000 shall be paid from the general fund of the Treasury to the Trust Fund. Administrative Provision Sec. 301. Amounts deposited into the special account established under 10 U.S.C. 4727 are appropriated and shall be available until expended to support activities at the Army National Military Cemeteries. TITLE IV OVERSEAS CONTINGENCY OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Military Construction, Army For an additional amount for ``Military Construction, Army'', $261,250,000, to remain available until September 30, 2023, for projects outside of the United States: Provided, That such amount is designated by the Congress for Overseas Contingency Operations/Global War on Terrorism pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A)(ii) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985: Provided further, That none of the funds made available under this heading shall be for construction of the High Value Detention Facility, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, unless authorized in an Act authorizing appropriations for fiscal year 2019 for military construction. Military Construction, Navy and Marine Corps For an additional amount for ``Military Construction, Navy and Marine Corps'', $227,320,000, to remain available until September 30, 2023, for projects outside of the United States: Provided, That such amount is designated by the Congress for Overseas Contingency Operations/Global War on Terrorism pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A)(ii) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985. Military Construction, Air Force For an additional amount for ``Military Construction, Air Force'' $345,800,000, to remain available until September 30, 2023, for projects outside of the United States: Provided, That such amount is designated by the Congress for Overseas Contingency Operations/Global War on Terrorism pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A)(ii) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985. Military Construction, Defense-Wide For an additional amount for ``Military Construction, Defense-Wide'', $87,050,000, to remain available until September 30, 2023, for projects outside of the United States: Provided, That such amount is designated by the Congress for Overseas Contingency Operations/Global War on Terrorism pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A)(ii) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985. Administrative Provisions Sec. 401. Each amount designated in this Act by the Congress for Overseas Contingency Operations/Global War on Terrorism pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A)(ii) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 shall be available only if the President subsequently so designates all such amounts and transmits such designations to the Congress. Sec. 402. None of the funds appropriated for military construction projects outside the United States under this title may be obligated or expended for planning and design of any project associated with the European Deterrence Initiative until the Secretary of Defense submits to the congressional defense committees a list of all of the military construction projects associated with the European Deterrence Initiative which the Secretary acticipates will be carried out during each of the fiscal years 2019 through 2023. TITLE V GENERAL PROVISIONS Sec. 501. No part of any appropriation contained in this Act shall remain available for obligation beyond the current fiscal year unless expressly so provided herein. Sec. 502. None of the funds made available in this Act may be used for any program, project, or activity, when it is made known to the Federal entity or official to which the funds are made available that the program, project, or activity is not in compliance with any Federal law relating to risk assessment, the protection of private property rights, or unfunded mandates. Sec. 503. All departments and agencies funded under this Act are encouraged, within the limits of the existing statutory authorities and funding, to expand their use of ``E-Commerce'' technologies and procedures in the conduct of their business practices and public service activities. Sec. 504. Unless stated otherwise, all reports and notifications required by this Act shall be submitted to the Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies of the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies of the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate. Sec. 505. None of the funds made available in this Act may be transferred to any department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States Government except pursuant to a transfer made by, or transfer authority provided in, this or any other appropriations Act. Sec. 506. None of the funds made available in this Act may be used for a project or program named for an individual serving as a Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner of the United States House of Representatives. Sec. 507. (a) Any agency receiving funds made available in this Act, shall, subject to subsections (b) and (c), post on the public Web site of that agency any report required to be submitted by the Congress in this or any other Act, upon the determination by the head of the agency that it shall serve the national interest. (b) Subsection (a) shall not apply to a report if-- (1) the public posting of the report compromises national security; or (2) the report contains confidential or proprietary information. (c) The head of the agency posting such report shall do so only after such report has been made available to the requesting Committee or Committees of Congress for no less than 45 days. Sec. 508. (a) None of the funds made available in this Act may be used to maintain or establish a computer network unless such network blocks the viewing, downloading, and exchanging of pornography. (b) Nothing in subsection (a) shall limit the use of funds necessary for any Federal, State, tribal, or local law enforcement agency or any other entity carrying out criminal investigations, prosecution, or adjudication activities. Sec. 509. None of the funds made available in this Act may be used by an agency of the executive branch to pay for first-class travel by an employee of the agency in contravention of sections 301-10.122 through 301-10.124 of title 41, Code of Federal Regulations. Sec. 510. None of the funds made available in this Act may be used to execute a contract for goods or services, including construction services, where the contractor has not complied with Executive Order No. 12989. Sec. 511. None of the funds made available by this Act may be used by the Department of Defense or the Department of Veterans Affairs to lease or purchase new light duty vehicles for any executive fleet, or for an agency's fleet inventory, except in accordance with Presidential Memorandum--Federal Fleet Performance, dated May 24, 2011. Sec. 512. (a) In General.--None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the Department of Defense in this Act may be used to construct, renovate, or expand any facility in the United States, its territories, or possessions to house any individual detained at United States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for the purposes of detention or imprisonment in the custody or under the control of the Department of Defense. (b) The prohibition in subsection (a) shall not apply to any modification of facilities at United States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. (c) An individual described in this subsection is any individual who, as of June 24, 2009, is located at United States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and who-- (1) is not a citizen of the United States or a member of the Armed Forces of the United States; and (2) is-- (A) in the custody or under the effective control of the Department of Defense; or (B) otherwise under detention at United States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. references to act Sec. 513. Except as expressly provided otherwise, any reference to ``this Act'' contained in this division shall be treated as referring only to the provisions of this division. references to report Sec. 514. Any reference to a ``report accompanying this Act'' contained in this division shall be treated as a reference to House Report 115-673. The effect of such Report shall be limited to this division and shall apply for purposes of determining the allocation of funds provided by, and the implementation of, this division. spending reduction account Sec. 515. The amount by which the applicable allocation of new budget authority made by the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives under section 302(b) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 exceeds the amount of proposed new budget authority is $0. This division may be cited as the ``Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2019''. The CHAIR. Are there any points of order against the bill? Point of Order Mr. HARPER. Mr. Chairman, I raise a point of order against the following provision contained in H.R. 5895 because it violates clause 2 of House rule XXI. This provision is on page 66, line 14, through page 66, line 20, and relates to the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission. Under clause 2(a)(1) of rule XXI, ``an appropriation may not be reported in a general appropriation bill . . . for an expenditure not previously authorized by law. . . . '' Mr. Chairman, the Committee on House Administration is responsible for providing funding for House Committees, other than for the Committee on House Appropriations. Sections 5 and 7 of H. Res. 1451 of the Commission's enabling resolution, which is carried forward through H. Res. 5, make clear the Commission is not authorized to receive a direct appropriation. The Commission's enabling resolution specifies the role of the Committee on Foreign Affairs in providing staff and resources for the Commission, as well as funding for the Commission. In fact, consistent with H. Res. 1451, at the request of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on House Administration adopted Committee Resolution 115-9 earlier this year authorizing $200,000 from the Committee's reserve fund to provide for support for Commission personnel. [[Page H4925]] In summary, Mr. Chairman, there is no authorization for the Commission to receive a direct appropriation of funds, and I reiterate my point of order. I ask for a ruling of the Chair. The CHAIR. Does any other Member wish to be heard on the point of order? If not, the Chair will rule. The provision proposes an item of appropriation for the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission. Under clause 2(a) of rule XXI, such an item of appropriation must be specifically authorized by law. The burden of establishing the authorization in law rests in this instance with the committee or other proponent of the provision. Finding that this burden has not been carried, the point of order is sustained and the provision is stricken from the bill. announcement by the chair The CHAIR. No further amendment to the bill, as amended, shall be in order except those printed in part B of House Report 115-711 and pro forma amendments described in section 4 of this resolution. =========================== NOTE =========================== June 7, 2018, on page H4925, the following appeared: Finding that this burden has not been carried, the point of order is sustained and the provision is stricken from the bill. No further amendment to the bill, as amended, shall be in order except those printed in part B of House Report 115-711 and pro forma amendments described in section 4 of this resolution. The online version has been corrected to read: Finding that this burden has not been carried, the point of order is sustained and the provision is stricken from the bill. ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE CHAIR The CHAIR. No further amendment to the bill, as amended, shall be in order except those printed in part B of House Report 115-711 and pro forma amendments described in section 4 of this resolution. ========================= END NOTE ========================= Each further amendment printed in part B of the report shall be considered 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 the time specified in the report equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent, may be withdrawn by the proponent at any time before action thereon, shall not be subject to amendment except as provided by section 4 of House Resolution 918, and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the question. {time} 1630 Amendment No. 1 Offered by Mr. Collins of New York The CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 1 printed in part B of House Report 115-711. Mr. COLLINS of New York. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk. The CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment is as follows: Page 2, line 23, after the dollar amount, insert (increased by $1,200,000). Page 7, line 16, after the dollar amount, insert (reduced by $1,200,000). The CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 918, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Collins) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York. Mr. COLLINS of New York. Mr. Chair, my amendment would increase the Army Corps investigation account by $1.2 million. Increased funding under this account will allow additional studies that were previously authorized in the Water Resources Development Act to be completed by the Army Corps. One example is the Great Lakes Coastal Resiliency Study. This study was authorized in 1986, and, although it is a priority of the Army Corps, it has not been funded. This study pulls together Federal, State, local, and private resources to create a strategy to preserve and protect the shorelines of the Great Lakes. Last year, my constituents in western New York felt the devastating impact of high lake levels. We saw the worst flooding we have seen in decades along Lake Ontario. The flooding destroyed homes and wreaked havoc on businesses along the shoreline. This study will create a comprehensive strategy to protect these communities so they do not suffer again. I look forward to working with my colleagues in Congress, as well as the Army Corps, to ensure that studies like the Great Lakes Coastal Resiliency Study receive funding. Mr. Chair, I urge support of my amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Chair, I claim time in opposition to the amendment, although I am not opposed to the amendment. The Acting CHAIR (Mr. Zeldin). Without objection, the gentleman from Idaho is recognized for 5 minutes. There was no objection. Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Chair, I understand the Great Lakes Coastal Resiliency Study is of great importance to my colleague from New York as well as other Members from the Great Lakes region. I would like to note that the underlying bill includes funding and authority for new studies, including a multipurpose study like the Great Lakes study. I also remind my colleagues that the amendment increases the funding level of an account. It does not direct the funding to any particular activity. For that reason and because the amendment does not constitute a major shift in funding between accounts, I would not oppose the amendment. Mr. Chair, I yield to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur), if she has any comments to make. Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of my fellow Great Lakes colleague's amendment and thank him for raising the issue. I think the Great Lakes have finally arrived at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. As the gentleman knows and as I have made clear to the Corps, our Great Lakes Members and myself are very supportive of the proposal for a Great Lakes Coastal Resiliency Study. The study will take an inclusive view of how to make our coastline more resilient, with an eye toward using more sustainable, green, or natural infrastructure to reduce runoff, mitigate erosion and flooding, and protect property. This approach will ultimately save money as the Corps looks to fulfill its mission in the face of changing environmental hazards. And I have to say, over my many years of service, we finally have at the Corps not just civil engineers, we have environmental engineers. We have raised a new generation of Americans who understand the relationship between structures and the environment. It is a new day at the Corps, and nobody welcomes it more than this Member. Mr. Chair, I want to thank the gentleman for offering this amendment, and I urge my colleagues to support it. Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time. Mr. COLLINS of New York. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time. The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from New York (Mr. Collins). The amendment was agreed to. Amendment No. 2 Offered by Mr. Abraham The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 2 printed in part B of House Report 115-711. Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment is as follows: Page 3, line 15, after the dollar amount, insert ``(increased by $17,410,000)''. Page 32, line 1, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced by $17,410,000)''. The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 918, the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Abraham) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Louisiana. Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. Chairman, my amendment would increase the Corps of Engineers construction account to address the $96 billion backlog in construction projects across the country. My amendment would offset this increase by reducing the Department of Energy's departmental administration and bringing it closer in line with the President's budget request. Our water infrastructure is aging and deteriorating, and the Corps of Engineers has failed to keep up with these projects across the country because of the growing bureaucratic morass that delays construction and leads to wasteful cost overruns. While the Corps needs reforms to expedite project delivery, we in Congress should also prioritize spending and provide more resources to water infrastructure. Projects in Louisiana would greatly benefit from increased construction and operation and maintenance funding, especially projects like the J. Bennett Johnston Waterway, the Ouachita-Black Rivers Navigation Project, and the Madison Parish and Lake Providence Ports. These projects are critical for the economy in the Mississippi Delta. I commend Chairman Simpson for his leadership in increasing water infrastructure funding since he has been chairman of the Energy and Water Subcommittee. This bill provides significant increases in the additional funding pots for both construction and operation [[Page H4926]] and maintenance. This additional funding will increase the opportunities for worthy projects to compete for limited dollars. Although I intend to withdraw my amendment, Congress should continue to provide more funding to projects across the country that improve commerce, grow the economy, and that protect homes and businesses from flooding. I hope to work with Chairman Simpson and his committee to address the issue moving forward. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition. The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Idaho is recognized for 5 minutes. Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Chair, I want to assure my colleague that when the Appropriations Committee develops its bills it takes into consideration the requests and priorities of Members of the House. Funding levels in the underlying bill reflect those requests, including those requests from the gentleman from Louisiana. Specifically, funding above the budget request for construction of navigation projects totals $625 million, an increase of $176 million above fiscal year 2018. Additional funding for operation and maintenance of inland navigation projects is at $50 million, an increase of $20 million above last year's additional funding level. While we can't specify funding for any particular project, we have worked hard to ensure significant funding for which projects not in the budget request can compete. I would be happy to continue working with my colleague from Louisiana to ensure significant funding for the critical water resources infrastructure work of the Corps of Engineers, and I thank him for his willingness to withdraw the amendment. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time. Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. Chair, I thank the chairman for his commitment to work with me on this issue, and I yield back the balance of my time. Mr. Chair, I withdraw my amendment. The Acting CHAIR. The amendment is withdrawn. Amendment No. 3 Offered by Mr. Keating The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 3 printed in part B of House Report 115-711. Mr. KEATING. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment is as follows: Page 3, line 15, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced by $7,000,000) (increased by $7,000,000)''. The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 918, the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Keating) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Massachusetts. Mr. KEATING. Mr. Chairman, this amendment would direct the Army Corps to consider the historic and national significance of dredging projects as the Corps makes its funding decisions. In my area, this amendment will provide much-needed support for the completion of the Plymouth Harbor dredging project in time for the celebrations of the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower landing in Plymouth and Provincetown, Massachusetts. The year 2020 will be a momentous year for our country, as we commemorate the 400th anniversary of the settlement at Plymouth by the Pilgrims, the vital contributions of the Aquinnah and Mashpee Wampanoag Tribes, and the significant events that followed, including the signing of the Mayflower Compact, the 50-year Pilgrim-Wampanoag peace treaty, and, of course, the first Thanksgiving. For my entire time in Congress, I have worked closely with my constituents to prepare for this commemoration of Plymouth 400. The Plymouth Harbor dredging project has always been at the heart of these preparations. The dredging project is required ahead of the return to Plymouth of the fully restored Mayflower II, a full-scale replica of the original ship that brought the Pilgrims to Cape Cod in 1620. The Mayflower II cannot return to her home in Plymouth Harbor unless much-needed dredging work is completed. We also anticipate a maritime salute to mark the return of the Mayflower II as part of the commemoration, and the flotilla will need safe passage in the harbor. Furthermore, an uptick in marine traffic is also expected as Americans and visitors from around the world travel to Plymouth to participate in the 2020 celebration. It is therefore critical for navigational safety concerns that this dredging occur. This amendment will help ensure that one of the final pieces of the 2020 commemoration is completed and in place. We anticipate an exceedingly memorable year for the people of our community, for visitors across the country, and for a significant number of international visitors as well. Mr. Chair, I look forward to the completion of this project ahead of the commemoration, which also, it is important to note, will bring in significant added revenue and jobs. I thank the chairman, and I urge my colleagues to support this amendment. I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition, although I am not opposed to the amendment. The Acting CHAIR. Without objection, the gentleman from Idaho is recognized for 5 minutes. There was no objection. Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Chair, I can certainly understand my colleague's interest in this issue, and I agree that there are certain circumstances where the Corps should consider more than just commercial tonnage using a waterway when allocating funding. In fact, a report accompanying the bill directs the Corps to consider several criteria other than just tonnage. Since the amendment does not upset the balance of priorities within the bill nor direct funds to any particular project or activity, I will not oppose the amendment. I yield back the balance of my time. Mr. KEATING. Mr. Chairman, I thank the chairman and staff for their cooperation. And I also invite them to come to Plymouth in 2020 and enjoy what will be an amazing international celebration and a celebration of the beginning of our country as well. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time. The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Keating). The amendment was agreed to. Amendment No. 4 Offered by Mr. Beyer The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 4 printed in part B of House Report 115-711. Mr. BEYER. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment is as follows: Page 11, beginning on line 21, strike section 107. The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 918, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Beyer) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Virginia. Mr. BEYER. Mr. Chairman, this amendment seeks to preserve our current Clean Water Act protections over our rivers, streams, and wetlands. Our Nation's river system and wetlands provide values that no other ecosystem can: natural water quality improvement; flood protection; shoreline erosion control; recreation; general aesthetic appreciation; and national products for our use at no cost. Yet section 107 of this bill seeks to undermine protection of streams and wetlands and the critical balance between protecting these waters and the day-to-day operations of our Nation's farmers, ranchers, and foresters. Under current law, farmers, ranchers, and foresters can carry out their normal operations in any water body without requiring a Clean Water Act permit. What this means is that farmers can continue to plow their fields--including potential wet areas that have been farmed for decades--plant their seeds, and harvest their crops without ever having to obtain approval under the Clean Water Act. Any normal farming, ranching, or forestry exemption is going to include [[Page H4927]] minor limitations. For example, a farmer cannot use the current exemption to convert his farmland to a residential development without obtaining a permit; a rancher can't use this exemption to plow under a wetland to expand his grazing lands; and forestry operations can't use this exemption to change the course of a local stream to improve drainage on their growing lands. In short, the way the Clean Water Act currently operates is to allow normal ranching, farming, and forestry operations to continue without a permit unless the activity either changes or converts the use of a water body to a new purpose or impairs the historic flow or reach of a stream or wetland. If the planned activity triggers either of these limitations, current law obviously would require that activity to obtain a permit. Section 107 of this bill, in essence, would provide an absolute Clean Water Act exemption for impacts to any streams or wetlands that happen to be on agricultural, ranching, or forestry lands. Mr. Chairman, this is a fundamental change to the Clean Water Act, and it is one where the impacts have never been explored. This amendment would be a significant departure from almost 40 years of implementation of the Clean Water Act by Democrats and Republicans by eliminating the existing provision requiring that the exemptions apply only to normal--as in established, ongoing--farming practices. {time} 1645 Mr. Chairman, we should not be using an appropriations bill to change Federal policy related to the protection of our Nation's rivers and streams. To the best of my knowledge, no hearings or investigations on the impacts of this provision have ever been held. If this Congress is interested in overturning almost 40 years of Clean Water Act precedent, regular order would require hearings before the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and approval by that committee before consideration on the floor. This rider is bad policy for the protection of our environment, bad policy for the protection of human health, and bad policy for the protection of public safety. Mr. Chairman, I urge support for my amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in strong opposition to this amendment. The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from California is recognized for 5 minutes. Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Chairman, this amendment would allow the regulatory overreach that has been happening to the agriculture community through misuse of the Clean Water Act. The recapture provision of the Clean Water Act was never meant to swallow the original intent of the agricultural exemptions, the clear ag exemptions in the law. But that is exactly what has started happening, and if this amendment passes, it will only get worse. The agriculture industry is already one of the most overregulated in the country, and there is little clarity for farmers and ranchers about what exactly those regulations are and how they apply to their operations. This amendment provides additional uncertainty. It was never the intention of the Clean Water Act to punish farmers for conducting normal farming operations such as plowing or doing stock pond maintenance, yet that is what is happening. Without the ability to freely conduct these normal activities, farmers and ranchers are unable to do their jobs and grow the food we need as a nation. There is a difference between filling a river, a wetland, and plowing the corner of your own field. These exemptions were constructed to address that difference. The ongoing expansion of enforcement under the Clean Water Act has chipped away at the rights of landowners and has made it a danger to farmers to effectively utilize their own property. This hasn't been happening for 40 years. It was never the original intent. This is a fairly recent expansion of the interpretation of the law. Indeed, it is ridiculous that a farmer has to worry about being slapped with a fine, in some cases millions of dollars. This has occurred for simply conducting normal farming activities on their land where there are clear exemptions for agriculture. In my own district in northern California, there have already been lawsuits against residents for farming without Federal permission. Cases like these across the country cost farmers millions of dollars in legal damages, and they risk running farmers out of business. If this amendment is not defeated, these damages to the farm community will only grow. It is not a situation we want to put upon an industry that is already, in many cases, in financial crisis. Farmers and ranchers deserve our support, and they deserve the ability to make decisions about managing their land, whether it is going to be in a crop this year or not, and not have the Federal Government decide if it has been idle for a few years now that that is an abandonment of their land. Market conditions and a lot of different things affect what a farmer's decision is going to be; but, indeed, it is their land without having more ambiguity and aggressive enforcements over things that really clearly are exempt in the Clean Water Act. So we don't need additional red tape, and we don't need these threats. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. BEYER. Mr. Chairman, I find myself confused by the comments of my distinguished friend from California. Nothing has changed in the law in 40 years. This law has been applied under Democratic and Republican Presidents and administrations. The law is very clear that any normal farming use, forestry, agriculture or ranching is exempt already. It is only a wholesale shift from what the farm's original exemption was intended for that would require a Clean Water Act permit. So if a farmer is, in fact, going to turn out and develop houses, a subdivision, you need a clean water permit. But there is nothing in there that says you need a clean water permit to plow, to plant, or to use the land as it has always been used. My fear is that I don't know of any specific instances where there has been an overinterpretation of existing law, but section 107 would basically throw out the entire baby in order to fix an overinterpretation problem by one or two agents of the Department of Agriculture. Essentially, section 107 says everything is accepted under the Clean Water Act if it is agriculture, forestry, or ranching on that land. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Chairman, I would invite my friend, Mr. Beyer, to come talk to the ranchers and farmers who are being hit with these new interpretations and aggressive interpretations coming out of the divisions of northern California to see what is happening to them for simply applying farming techniques to their land. Mr. Chairman, I yield to the gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Simpson). Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the gentleman for yielding. Yes, it is true that this was written in 1977. The law has stayed the same since 1977. That doesn't mean that the interpretation of the law by agencies has been the same since then, and that interpretation has changed over time. In recent years, the Corps and the EPA have changed the implementation of these provisions to significantly reduce the application of the statutory exemptions. This language in the underlying bill is intended to get us back to the original intent of the law. That is all it is meant to do is get back to the original intent of the law. If the gentleman is correct and they are interpreting the law the same as they have for 40 years, then this wouldn't be necessary. But the fact is that is not the case. They have been changing the way they implement this law. This is meant to get us back to the original intent, and, therefore, I must oppose the amendment that would strike this language. Mr. LaMALFA. How much time do I have remaining, Mr. Chairman? The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from California has 5 seconds remaining. Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time. [[Page H4928]] Mr. BEYER. Mr. Chairman, in closing, I respect the concern about an overinterpretation of existing law that has been on the books for 40 years. The real challenge with section 107 is it throws out the entire exemption process and makes everything legal. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time. Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Chairman, again, it has been a much more aggressive interpretation of the exemptions under the Clean Water Act that were clearly made by Congress to allow normal farming activities, the normal crop rotation that you would use. Indeed, if these activities were applied even more aggressively, normal year-to-year crops could find themselves unable to be planted because of plowing or disking or land planing, things that are considered normal in the millions of acres we have in northern California that are under agriculture. So the activities of the EPA and the Army Corps go above the law to impose these requirements, and they certainly expand the jurisdiction of the Clean Water Act well beyond what Congress had ever intended 40- plus years ago. Mr. Chairman, I strongly oppose this amendment and urge my colleagues to vote ``no.'' I yield back the balance of my time. The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Beyer). The amendment was rejected. Amendment No. 5 Offered by Mr. Ruiz The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 5 printed in part B of House Report 115-711. Mr. RUIZ. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment is as follows: Page 14, line 16, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced by $2,000,000) (increased by $2,000,000)''. The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 918, the gentleman from California (Mr. Ruiz) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California. Mr. RUIZ. Mr. Chairman, I rise to offer an amendment to H.R. 5895 to provide $2 million in additional critical funding for Bureau of Reclamation environmental restoration projects that will benefit our public health within a region such as the Salton Sea in my congressional district in southern California. The Bureau of Reclamation is responsible for managing, developing, and restoring our Nation's waters to support the interests of the American people, and there are few interests more important than protecting the public's health. To demonstrate why projects that support the public's health are so important, I want to talk about the Salton Sea, the largest inland body of water in the entire State of California. Located in Riverside and Imperial Counties, the Salton Sea was once the jewel of the southern California desert, drawing thousands of tourists, birdwatchers, and other outdoors and water sports enthusiasts. Having grown up near the Salton Sea, I have wonderful memories of going fishing there with my father and picnicking with my family. However, for decades now, deteriorating water quality and reduced water inflows have made the declining lake bed of the Salton Sea a public health danger to the residents in the surrounding area. If we do not take decisive action now, the sea will harm the public's health in cities all across southern California. You see, as the sea dries and the water level recedes, the exposed lake bed releases windblown contaminants containing selenium, arsenic, and pesticides. These are in small particulate matter small enough to go through your lungs and straight into your bloodstream. Exposure to these contaminants has been shown to increase the number and severity of asthma attacks, decrease the growth and development of lung function in school-age children, and increase the risk of cardiac disease, heart attacks, and mortality in adults. In fact, children in this underserved area already have the highest pediatric asthma hospitalization rate in the entire State of California. So adding this insult and adding this exposure is going to be devastating for the surrounding pediatric population. As an emergency medicine doctor, I care deeply about the health of our communities and have seen firsthand the effects of poor air quality in these underserved communities. So the public health danger to families and children from the Salton Sea is very real and must be addressed at all levels of government--local, State, and Federal--and through public-private partnerships. We are making progress. I also appreciate the committee's strong support of the memorandum of understanding that I helped broker between the Department of the Interior and the State of California to support the State's mitigation plan by including report language in the underlying bill. In addition to the Salton Sea, funding for the Bureau of Reclamation supports restoration projects across the Western United States that protect public health. For example, in Congressman Ken Calvert's district which neighbors my own district, the Bureau of Reclamation helped to mitigate public health concerns and water quality issues at Lake Elsinore. Lake Elsinore, like the Salton Sea, has faced chronic challenges relating to water level, water quality, and associated public health concerns. However, a collaboration between the city of Lake Elsinore, Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District, Riverside County, and the Bureau of Reclamation came together to finally address these challenges. Together they built levees to contain the lake, established a supply of recycled water to help maintain water levels, and installed aerators to prevent fish die-offs by keeping oxygen levels high. So it can work. Lake Elsinore now supports many local businesses and has a flourishing tourism industry. Most importantly, the water is now safer for residents to enjoy all the benefits the lake has to offer, including swimming and water sports. There are countless other examples of Bureau of Reclamation restoration projects helping to protect public health. That is why I urge my colleagues to support my amendment and provide an additional $2 million to these types of projects. That is why, if we know that this can work in other areas with pending public health crises, it can and will work in my district with the Salton Sea if they are so fortunate to receive some grant moneys and work in a collaborative way like Lake Elsinore. The health of the American people must be put above politics. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment, although I am not opposed to it. The Acting CHAIR. Without objection, the gentleman from Idaho is recognized for 5 minutes. There was no objection. Mr. SIMPSON. I understand the gentleman seeks to show support for additional funding for projects such as the one important to his district and his constituents. I would note that the underlying bill includes a total of $379 million above the budget request for various types of projects that may have public health benefits. Since the amendment before us does not upset the balance of priorities within the bill nor direct funds to any particular project or activity, I would not oppose the amendment. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time. Mr. RUIZ. Mr. Chair, I want to thank the chairman for not opposing. I also want to thank the ranking member for yielding me the time and allowing all of this to proceed. On behalf of those children with pediatric asthma, on behalf of our seniors with COPD, chronic bronchitis, and on behalf of the doctors who work in emergency departments, I truly want to bring this awareness to everybody here that this is a pending public health nightmare catastrophe that, if we do nothing, will cost up to $9 billion to address the effects--the public health and the economic effects--that this will do. So putting money in the front end is going to save money in the back end, and it is going to prevent the bad health of our pediatric and our senior populations. Mr. Chairman, I thank the leadership for both listening, understanding, and proceeding with this amendment. [[Page H4929]] Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time. The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from California (Mr. Ruiz). The amendment was agreed to. Amendment No. 6 Offered by Ms. Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico The Acting CHAIR (Mr. Holding). It is now in order to consider amendment No. 6 printed in part B of House Report 115-711. Ms. MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM of New Mexico. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment is as follows: Page 14, line 16, after the dollar amount, insert ``(decreased by $15,000,000)(increased by $15,000,000)''. The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 918, the gentlewoman from New Mexico (Ms. Michelle Lujan Grisham) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from New Mexico. Ms. MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM of New Mexico. Mr. Chairman, 99.9 percent of New Mexico is under drought conditions, including over 60 percent of the State which is suffering from extreme drought or worse. It is so dry that more than half the State is at significant risk for dangerous and destructive wildfires, and long stretches of the Rio Grande riverbed are already dry as a bone. {time} 1700 As I speak, there are wildfires raging across the state, including a massive fire in Ute Park, which is threatening multiple communities and hundreds of buildings. On top of that, last winter's mountain snowpack was the second lowest on record, creating significant issues for New Mexico's agricultural industry. Farmers are leaving fields unplanted and ranchers are downsizing their herds. Many farmers and ranchers, including families who have worked their land for generations, are worried that they will not have the water to grow their crops or the hay to feed their livestock in the months and years ahead. Extreme drought is the new normal in large parts of the American Southwest and we have to develop innovative technologies and management practices to both preserve the water resources we have and increase access to previously unusable water. My amendment intends to prioritize $15 million for the Bureau of Reclamation's water research and development programs. It is critical that we make new investments to develop innovative methods to recycle, reuse, and purify water for agricultural, environmental, residential, and industrial uses. This funding also supports the Brackish Groundwater National Desalination Research Facility located in Alamogordo, New Mexico, that develops more cost-effective and efficient ways to desalinate and purify water. This cutting-edge facility brings together researchers from a range of Federal agencies, universities, private companies, and State and local governments to work collaboratively on sustainability using billions of previously untapped brackish groundwater in New Mexico. Mr. Chairman, if we don't develop innovative water management strategies to do more with less, we won't have the water we need to plant our fields, feed our livestock, or grow New Mexico's economy. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support my amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time. Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition, although I am not opposed to the amendment. The Acting CHAIR. Without objection, the gentleman from Idaho is recognized for 5 minutes. There was no objection. Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Chairman, I understand that the gentlewoman seeks to show support for additional funding for water research and development activities that are important to her district and to the country. I would just like to clarify that the amendment does not direct funds to any particular activities. For that reason and because it does not upset the balance within the bill, I will not oppose the amendment. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time. The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from New Mexico (Ms. Michelle Lujan Grisham). The amendment was agreed to. Amendment No. 7 Offered by Mr. DeSaulnier The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 7 printed in part B of House Report 115-711. Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment is as follows: Page 15, line 17, after the dollar amount insert ``(reduced by $5,000,000) (increased by $5,000,000)''. The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 918, the gentleman from California (Mr. DeSaulnier) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California. Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Chairman, this amendment seeks a modest amount of dedicated funding for the repair and maintenance of existing equipment in the migrating fish screen program. Fish screens are an important part of the water supply infrastructure of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta that help to protect fish in the delta ecosystem. These fish screens work to prevent fish from being drawn into various locations in the Bay-Delta Watershed where our water supply takes in water. Fish screens in the delta are particularly important for protecting multiple species listed or threatened as endangered under the Endangered Species Act, including salmon, steelhead, and delta smelt. Fish screen components operate under water and are constantly exposed to stress and damage that wears them down and makes them less effective. Without proper upkeep, debris, sediment, and changes in temperature can create gaps or holes in the screening material and damage cleaning mechanisms. While I appreciate that in its report the Appropriations Committee has recognized the need for continued support of the fish screen program overall, it is important that we include money specifically for the maintenance and repair of existing equipment. My commonsense amendment helps us to do that, I urge my colleagues to support it. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition, although I am not opposed to the amendment. The Acting CHAIR. Without objection, the gentleman from Idaho is recognized for 5 minutes. There was no objection. Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Chairman, I understand that the gentleman seeks to show support for additional funding for fish screen projects important to his district and his constituents. I would simply note that this account is one where we historically have given the administration, Republican or Democratic, great flexibility in allocating the funds. If there is widespread interest, we should take a comprehensive look at funding levels within the program, not just adjust funding levels in one activity. Since the amendment does not direct funds to a specific activity and because it does not upset the balance of the bill, I will not oppose the amendment. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time. Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the gentleman's comments, and I yield back the balance of my time. The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from California (Mr. DeSaulnier). The amendment was agreed to. The Acting CHAIR. The Chair understands that amendment No. 8 will not be offered. Amendment No. 9 Offered by Mr. Cohen The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 9 printed in part B of House Report 115-711. Mr. COHEN. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment is as follows: [[Page H4930]] Page 21, line 24, after the dollar amount, insert ``(increased by $2,000,000)''. Page 32, line 1, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced by $2,000,000)''. The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 918, the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cohen) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee. Mr. COHEN. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today to offer an amendment to increase funding for the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy account by $2 million, specifically for use in the SuperTruck II program. The SuperTruck program was started by the Department of Energy under President Obama and former Secretary of Energy Steven Chu to improve freight and heavy-duty vehicle efficiency. The Appropriations Committee acknowledged in the committee report the success of the SuperTruck II program, noting these funds will help SuperTruck II to continue to dramatically improve the freight efficiency of heavy-duty class 8 long-haul and regional-haul vehicles through system level improvements like the hybridization of vehicles, saving more fuel while idling--that is something I saw in a field demonstration and it is pretty amazing how they turn off at intersections with lights, et cetera--engineering high-efficiency HVAC technologies, and more. This amendment to increase funding for the SuperTruck II program will allow the Department of Energy to better achieve its freight efficiency goals, and the amendment is fully offset by decreasing the departmental administration account. I would like to thank Chairman Simpson and Ranking Member Kaptur for their hard work on this bill and for including this amendment. The Rules Committee might have done that, but I don't think they would have if there were objections from the chair and ranking member. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to vote yes on the amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time. The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cohen). The amendment was agreed to. Amendment No. 10 Offered by Mr. Keating The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 10 printed in part B of House Report 115-711. Mr. KEATING. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment is as follows: Page 21, line 24, after the dollar amount, insert ``(increased by $10,000,000)''. Page 32, line 1, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced by $10,000,000)''. The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 918, the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Keating) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Massachusetts. Mr. KEATING. Mr. Chairman, my amendment seeks to provide adequate resources for the marine and hydrokinetic energy resource supported by the Department of Energy's Water Power Technologies Office. Renewable power offers exciting and important security opportunities for our energy future here in the United States. My amendment would allocate resources to support these efforts, including for the development of pilot project plans, development of prototype turbines and associated undersea cables, as well as environmental impact assessments. In my district, there is an important research already underway in marine and hydrokinetic energy technologies to tap the power of ocean waves, tides, and currents to generate electricity. For example, the Marine Energy Renewable Collaborative of New England created the first permanent tidal power testing station in the entire United States. This state-of-the-art testing station is collecting new and valuable data every day on tidal power. Companies like MERCO in Marion, Massachusetts, and Littoral Power in Fairhaven, Massachusetts, are also pursuing this cutting-edge science in this emerging field of energy projection. Southeastern Massachusetts is a leader in the maritime economy. The research and technologies being developed currently will enhance our energy security for the future. We must make these investments today to ensure our security, health, and economic competitiveness going forward. The power supplied by these marine and hydrokinetic technologies is clean, predictable, and domestic. These technologies are environmentally friendly and don't rely on the importation of energy from foreign sources. They give us even more flexibility to keep our energy prices low for families and businesses. Cheaper energy means keeping business operating costs low so they can invest in more employees and on products and research. Supporting research in these technologies also means investigating the potential positive and negative effects that they might hold. We need to know more about water quality, our cultural and historic sites, our electromagnetic devices, and our shellfish, fish stocks, marine habitats, and large mammals. This is a very important program for my region and for the country. I thank my colleagues. I will say, this is so technologically advanced, this is a real tongue twister as I have gone through this whole thing, but don't let that dissuade anyone going forward. This is the future. This is where economic growth is already occurring in our region. We should do everything in our power to help the development of this power. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment. The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Idaho is recognized for 5 minutes. Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my colleague's passion for research and development in the Water Power Technologies Office. He is a strong advocate in his State for research in this important work. Although I could not support the original amendment, I would appreciate it if the gentleman would be willing to withdraw it and instead work together as we move toward conference to discuss efficient funding for the Water Power Technologies Office. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time. Mr. KEATING. Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank Chairman Simpson for that opportunity to work together. I think we can work together going forward in the short term. Perhaps as this goes to conference, we can look at working together in the long-term and really investigating the importance of this new energy that can be developed here in the United States so cleanly. I yield back the balance of my time. Mr. Chairman, I withdraw my amendment. The Acting CHAIR. The amendment is withdrawn. Amendment No. 11 Offered by Ms. Bonamici The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 11 printed in part B of House Report 115-711. Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment is as follows: Page 21, line 24, after the dollar amount, insert ``(increased by $10,000,000)''. Page 32, line 1, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced by $10,000,000)''. The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 918, the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Bonamici) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Oregon. Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Chair, I rise today to offer a bipartisan amendment to increase investments in research and development that support marine energy, hydropower, and pump storage. I first want to thank Chairman Simpson and Ranking Member Kaptur for their leadership in supporting the Water Power Technologies Office. Robust funding for the Department of Energy's Water Power Technologies Office will support investments in innovative hydropower, marine, and hydrokinetic energy technologies. This bipartisan amendment would increase funding for the Office of Energy and Efficiency and Renewable Energy by $10 million for water power and decrease funding for departmental administrative spending to result in no additional cost. [[Page H4931]] Harnessing energy from waves, currents, and tides is an exciting frontier in the renewable energy sector. Oregon State University, the University of Washington, and the University of Alaska Fairbanks are partnering to support marine renewable energy research and development at the Pacific Marine Energy Center. The center relies on Federal investments from the Department of Energy to establish the Nation's fully energetic on-grid wave energy test facility off the Oregon coast. This facility will be able to test wave energy converters that capture the energy of ocean waves, current, tides, and in-river resources and turn it into electricity. Hydropower has tremendous potential to become the major source of electricity for the United States and the world, but other countries are ahead of us here. We must continue to develop clean and sustainable energy sources, and that means supporting new solutions like marine and hydrokinetic renewable energy. We should be doing more to harness the power of water to meet our Nation's clean energy needs, create good-paying jobs, and spur economic growth in our communities. {time} 1715 Mr. Chair, I again thank the chairman and ranking member for their work on this issue and also Representatives Perry and Pingree for their bipartisan leadership on water power. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Chair, I claim time in opposition to the amendment. The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Idaho is recognized for 5 minutes. Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Chairman, similar to the previous amendment, I appreciate my colleague's passion for this important research and development and work done in the Water Power Technologies Office. They are each strong advocates, and I recognize their leadership in their States for this important work. Although I could not support this amendment, I would again make the offer that, if the gentlewoman is willing to withdraw the amendment, I would work with her and others to make sure that we have sufficient funding for the Water Power Technologies Office when we go to conference. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time. Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Chair, I appreciate that offer of the gentleman to work together on this important issue with a lot of promise for additional renewable energy jobs and sources. So, Mr. Chairman, we do need to be making stronger investments in clean and sustainable energy sources like water power. With that offer to work together, I will withdraw this amendment but do hope that we will work together going forward to increase funding for this very important program. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time. Mr. Chairman, I withdraw my amendment. The Acting CHAIR. The amendment is withdrawn. Amendment No. 12 Offered by Ms. Esty of Connecticut The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 12 printed in part B of House Report 115-711. Ms. ESTY of Connecticut. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment is as follows: Page 21, line 24, after the dollar amount, insert ``(increased by $15,000,000)''. Page 27, line 21, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced by $15,000,000)''. The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 918, the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. Esty) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Connecticut. Ms. ESTY of Connecticut. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of my amendment, which would protect millions of good-paying manufacturing jobs across the country, including in my home State of Connecticut. My amendment would restore $15 million to the Advanced Manufacturing Office in fiscal year 2019. The Department of Energy's Advanced Manufacturing Office is the only technology development office in the Federal Government that is dedicated to enhancing American manufacturing competitiveness. Unfortunately, the appropriations bill before us here today cuts funding to the Advanced Manufacturing Office by $45 million from the FY18 enacted levels. That is a mistake. One of the vital programs funded through the Advanced Manufacturing Office is the Industrial Assessment Centers program. Industrial Assessment Centers are located across the United States and provide companies with the tools they need to promote energy efficiency. A couple of years ago, I visited Forum Plastics, a plastic molding company in Waterbury, Connecticut. Forum Plastics had recently partnered with our regional Industrial Assessment Center at the University of Massachusetts to carry out an audit of Forum Plastics' energy costs and energy efficiency. That audit showed the small company ways they could save energy, reduce waste, and see cost savings. In fact, the audit helped Forum Plastics develop more energy-efficient processes, which resulted in a cost savings of nearly $25,000 the very next year. For small and medium-size companies like Forum Plastics, savings like this are real. They free up budgets to hire more employees, carry out systems and equipment upgrades, and expand their facilities. We know that much of America's innovation comes from exactly these sort of small and medium-size companies that the Advanced Manufacturing Office is designed to help. These companies are not able to afford high-priced consultants or systems analysts but benefit greatly from the analyses that the Industrial Assessment Centers offer. This helps create jobs in our communities, helps support American competitiveness, and ensures that taxpayer dollars support smaller manufacturers that are the backbone of so many of our communities. Mr. Chair, I urge support of my amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Chair, I claim time in opposition to the amendment. The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Idaho is recognized for 5 minutes. Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate my colleague's advocacy for the Advanced Manufacturing Office within the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy account. The Advanced Manufacturing Office performs research and development to improve the productivity and energy efficiency of U.S. manufacturing. This is important work, and I recognize my colleague's leadership in highlighting the office. While I could not support using the Nuclear Waste Disposal account as an offset for the original amendment, I would appreciate my colleague's willingness to offer to withdraw this amendment. I look forward to working with my colleague as we move forward toward conference to discuss sufficient funding for the Advanced Manufacturing Office. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time. Ms. ESTY of Connecticut. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate Chairman Simpson's and Ranking Member Kaptur's support for the Advanced Manufacturing Office, and I look forward to working with both of them in the future to increase funding for these important programs for fiscal year 2019. Therefore, I will withdraw my amendment to restore $15 million to the Advanced Manufacturing Office in fiscal year 2019. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time. Mr. Chair, I withdraw my amendment. The Acting CHAIR. The amendment is withdrawn. Amendment No. 13 Offered by Ms. Tsongas The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 13 printed in part B of House Report 115-711. Ms. TSONGAS. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment is as follows: Page 21, line 24, after the dollar amount, insert ``(increased by $5,000,000)''. Page 32, line 1, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced by $5,000,000)''. The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 918, the gentlewoman [[Page H4932]] from Massachusetts (Ms. Tsongas) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Massachusetts. Ms. TSONGAS. Mr. Chair, my amendment increases funding by $5 million for the Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy for the purposes of offshore wind job training grants. The amendment is paid for by using an equal offset from the Department's administration accounts. According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, our Nation's offshore wind energy potential is nearly double our total electricity need. It is also an energy resource available to nearly every coastline in the country, including the Great Lakes. Offshore wind is broadly recognized as our Nation's next great energy resource, one that has the potential to create tens of thousands of new jobs in manufacturing, logistics, engineering, construction, and long- term operations and maintenance of these projects. This potential has been acknowledged by the Trump administration. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke recently spoke at an offshore wind energy conference and said that offshore wind has more growth potential than any other energy resource. In fact, he also published an op-ed in The Boston Globe in April underscoring the importance of offshore wind to the Trump administration's all-of-the-above energy strategy and announced two new proposed lease sales in Massachusetts for commercial wind development. As he said in the op-ed--and we have it printed right here: ``The Trump administration supports an all-of-the-above American energy policy, and wind energy is an important part of the energy mix. Just like the pioneers who drilled our Nation's first offshore wells in the 1890s, those men and women who construct wind turbines in American waters in the years to come will continue to set our Nation toward clean energy dominance.'' To realize the full potential of our Nation's offshore wind resources, we must make sure that a cadre of American workers are fully trained and ready to pave the way for growth and innovation in this rapidly growing industry. This amendment makes a modest investment toward this goal by specifically appropriating $5 million for offshore wind job training grants at the Department of Energy. Workforce development and education is one of several focus areas at the Wind Energy Technologies Office, and grants funded by this amendment would help develop curricula, apprenticeships, health and safety certification programs, and other activities that help workers transition to the offshore wind industry. The Trump administration recently announced similar workforce training grants for solar through DOE's Solar Energy Technologies Office, and we should be doing the same for offshore wind workforce development through DOE's Wind Energy Technologies Office. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support American energy jobs by voting ``yes'' on this amendment. And I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Chair, I claim time in opposition to the amendment. The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Idaho is recognized for 5 minutes. Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Chair, this bill includes $84 million for research and development on wind energy within the EERE account. That is more than $53 million higher than the budget request--$53 million higher than the budget request. Research and development in the wind office was targeted to support our Nation's wind turbine testing infrastructure and advanced solutions to wind energy challenges. This is a strategic focus to lay the foundation for technological innovations that can be picked up by industry at a later stage. While I support research and development on wind energy and recognize my colleague's advocacy for these activities, focusing funds on job training grants strays too far from the bill's strategic priorities. Therefore, I must oppose the amendment and urge my colleagues to do the same. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time. Ms. TSONGAS. Mr. Chair, this amendment really is a very modest investment in our Nation's workforce and, therefore, worthy of increased funding devoted to this purpose. We can't just be investing in energy technologies; we need to be investing in our people who will bring these technologies out of the lab and into our homes and businesses. Offshore wind has the potential to create tens of thousands of jobs and make the United States a global industry leader. The gentleman referenced some increases, but, even with this amendment, funding for the Wind Energy Technologies Office is still below last year's level. Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur), the ranking member. Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, I rise to strongly support Congresswoman Tsongas' amendment. In our country today, there are 12 wind projects in various stages of development, spanning 10 States off the east, west, and Texas coasts and, of course, in the Great Lakes as well. These offshore projects alone represent over 5,000 megawatts of potential offshore development. We don't have a kilowatt to waste. These projects can create thousands of manufacturing, construction, and supply-chain jobs across our country and drive billions of dollars of local economic investment. We know we will need workers to do these clean energy jobs. And I can guarantee you those towers are very high. So I definitely support funding for training activities in this regard for the future. The Department of Energy already has workforce training grants for solar, and, therefore, I would very much wish to carry over that effort as well to the Wind Power Technologies Office. Mr. Chairman, I congratulate the gentlewoman for offering this important amendment, and I urge my colleagues to support the amendment. Ms. TSONGAS. Mr. Chairman, I yield 15 seconds to my colleague from Massachusetts (Mr. Keating). Mr. KEATING. Mr. Chairman, there are people in our country who are looking for jobs. We also have in our country jobs that are looking for people. So this matches that up. Research and development is important, but without people to be trained to go forward it will come to no avail in our country. It is important for our region; it is important for our country. The Acting CHAIR. The time of the gentleman has expired. Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Keating). Mr. KEATING. Mr. Chair, I thank Chairman Simpson for yielding me additional time. This gives me a brief time to tell how it is important in my region as well as how real it is in our region. In my district, a major offshore wind project just got the green light to build an 800-megawatt wind farm 15 miles south of Martha's Vineyard. It is going to bring with it hundreds and hundreds of new, high-quality job opportunities in southeastern Massachusetts. This requires skilled labor, and the amendment would try to connect those workers with these skills and the training they need to take advantage of these opportunities to these new jobs. This is something that has to be done ahead of time in our country. One of the biggest weaknesses we do have, I think, economically, is that we have to prepare for the jobs that are here that we don't have people for and the jobs that will grow that we don't have enough people for. It is an opportunity to do this. I thank the chairman again for yielding the time, and I thank the leadership of the gentlewoman from Massachusetts, Ms. Tsongas. Ms. TSONGAS. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time. Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the gentleman and gentlewoman's passion for this. I have to oppose the amendment at this time but look forward to working with the gentlewoman to try to address this issue as we move forward in the future. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time. The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from Massachusetts (Ms. Tsongas). [[Page H4933]] The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the noes appeared to have it. Ms. TSONGAS. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote. The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from Massachusetts will be postponed. {time} 1730 Amendment No. 14 Offered by Mr. Soto The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 14 printed in part B of House Report 115-711. Mr. SOTO. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment is as follows: Page 22, line 13, after the dollar amount, insert ``(increased by $1,000,000)''. Page 32, line 1, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced by $1,000,000)''. The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 918, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Soto) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida. Mr. SOTO. Mr. Chair, my amendment would increase funding for the Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response program by $1 million and decrease the departmental administration fund within the Department of Energy by an equal amount. The new Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response addresses the emerging threats of tomorrow while protecting the reliable flow of energy to America's broad population today by improving energy infrastructure security and supporting the Department of Energy's national security mission. Being prepared and ready to respond quickly and effectively to all hazards is crucial. We need to make sure we can improve the ability of energy sector stakeholders to prevent, prepare for, and respond to threats, hazards, natural disaster, and other supply disruptions. Additionally, in today's highly interconnected world, reliable energy delivery requires cyber resilient energy delivery systems. This amendment would increase funds to focus on preparedness and response activities to natural and manmade threats, ensuring a stronger, more prosperous, and secure future for the Nation. Mr. Chair, I thank the chairman for his support. I urge my colleagues to support the amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time. The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Soto). The amendment was agreed to. Amendment No. 15 Offered by Mr. Soto The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 15 printed in part B of House Report 115-711. Mr. SOTO. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment is as follows: Page 22, line 25, after the dollar amount, insert ``(increased by $1,000,000)''. Page 32, line 1, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced by $1,000,000)''. The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 918, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Soto) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida. Mr. SOTO. Mr. Chair, my amendment would increase funding for the Electric Delivery program by $1 million and decrease the departmental administrative fund within the Department of Energy by an equal amount. This amendment is intended to increase funding for the new Electric Delivery program's activities to accelerate discovery and innovation in electrical transmission and distribution technologies and create next generation devices, software, tools, and techniques to help modernize the electric grid. Additionally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the committee for all their work in advancing high-power capacity batteries and grid restoration efforts in Puerto Rico. First, I thank the committee for the inclusion of report language discussing the potential benefits of high-power, high-capacity batteries. These batteries could provide energy resilience in the face of extreme weather disasters. These technologies could have prevented hardships during last year's hurricane season and decrease reliance on generators during emergencies. In Florida, Hurricane Maria caused a prolonged power outage in assisted living facilities that cost lives. This could have been prevented, and this amendment assists in that. Second, I thank the committee for the report language that supports the Department's involvement in the grid restoration efforts in Puerto Rico. Their continued effort and support provide technical assistance as Puerto Rico works to rebuild its energy infrastructure and is essential to long-term recovery. Again, my amendment would increase funding for the Electric Delivery program, which would advance our Nation's grid reliability and resiliency. I thank the chairman and the committee for their support, and I urge my colleagues to support this amendment. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time. The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Soto). The amendment was agreed to. Amendment No. 16 Offered by Mr. Weber of Texas The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 16 printed in part B of House Report 115-711. Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment is as follows: Page 23, line 12, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced by $35,000,000)(increased by $35,000,000)''. The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 918, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Weber) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas. Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I rise to offer an amendment to H.R. 5895, the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2019. I want to thank the gentleman from Idaho, Representative Mike Simpson, the chairman of the House Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee for bringing a pro-science bill to the floor that supports nuclear energy innovation. I strongly support division A of this legislation and appreciate the chairman's work on this bill. Over the past 4 years, the Science, Space, and Technology Committee championed legislation to provide the tools needed to develop advanced nuclear reactor technology in these United States. My bill, the Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities Act, passed the House three times last Congress and, most recently, was included in H.R. 589, the Department of Energy Research and Innovation Act, that passed the House in January of last year. A key part of this legislation authorizes DOE to construct a research reactor. This reactor, or versatile neutron source, is critical for the development of advanced reactor designs, materials, and nuclear fuels. Access to fast neutrons currently only available for civilian research in Russia is crucial for private sector development of next generation materials and fuels needed for advanced nuclear reactor technology. The versatile neutron source will also enable the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to verify data on new fuels, materials, and designs more efficiently, expediting regulatory approval for advanced nuclear reactors. Earlier this year, the House passed a second bill that authorizes specific funding from within the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy for the construction of that versatile neutron source. My bill, the Nuclear Energy Research Infrastructure Act, included $100 million for this project in fiscal year 2019. While I am pleased to see the report for this legislation direct $65 million in funding for this facility, we must move forward on construction for the versatile neutron source as quickly as possible. My amendment is intended to increase funding for this vital project from within the Office of Nuclear Energy to match the House-passed authorization. [[Page H4934]] Modeling and simulation can accelerate R&D, but nuclear energy research must be validated through a physical source like a research reactor. Building this open-access user facility in the DOE national lab system will facilitate nuclear energy research in the United States, which otherwise simply will not take place. We cannot afford to lose the ability to develop innovative nuclear technology right here at home. I want to again thank Chairman Simpson for his support of nuclear energy research and for prioritizing the research infrastructure that keeps America safe while keeping America globally competitive. I am prepared to withdraw my amendment and to continue working with the chairman to advance the House-passed authorization levels for this important project in conference if I can get assurance from him. I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Chair, I claim time in opposition to the amendment, even though I am not opposed to it. The Acting CHAIR. Without objection, the gentleman from Idaho is recognized for 5 minutes. There was no objection. Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Chair, I thank my colleague for his amendment and for his willingness to withdraw it and for the authorizer's strong support for this bill. I recognize the House-passed authorization for the versatile neutron source is a priority of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee and also of me. I appreciate my colleague's highlighting these priorities, and I look forward to working with him as we move into conference to ensure these priorities have sufficient funding in the final legislation. I yield back the balance of my time. Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman, and I yield back the balance of my time. Mr. Chair, I withdraw my amendment. The Acting CHAIR. The amendment is withdrawn. Amendment No. 17 Offered by Ms. Esty of Connecticut The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 17 printed in part B of House Report 115-711. Ms. ESTY of Connecticut. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment is as follows: Page 24, line 3, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced by $20,000,000) (increased by $20,000,000)''. The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 918, the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. Esty) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Connecticut. Ms. ESTY of Connecticut. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of my amendment to increase funding to the Office of Fossil Energy's program to support solid oxide fuel cell research technology for power generation, and I want to thank my colleague from Connecticut (Mr. Larson) for working on this amendment with me. Countries around the world--China, Korea, Germany, and Japan--are already prioritizing the development of their fuel cell industries. In order for the United States to remain competitive in this global economy, we must support the research and development of new and innovative energy technologies, including fuel cells. Robust Federal funding of technologies that are not yet commercially viable, like solid oxide fuel cells, allow the United States to remain in the forefront of cleaner energy technologies and will help grow jobs across the country to meet the entire world's demand for cleaner, cheaper energy. In my home State of Connecticut, FuelCell Energy, a Danbury- and Torrington-based company, has become one of the world's leaders in delivering clean, efficient, and affordable fuel cell solutions. Researchers at FuelCell are developing new applications for solid oxide fuel cell technology and are making great advances in the field of stationary fuel cells. The Department of Energy program that our amendment increases funding for supports jobs in Connecticut at FuelCell Energy, FuelCell Energy's Connecticut vendors, the University of Connecticut, which receives SECA funding through the FuelCell subcontractors, and at innovative companies and institutions across this country. Mr. Chair, this amendment is a win-win for our economy. New innovation in fuel cell technology promotes cleaner, more sustainable energy and creates American jobs. I urge my colleagues to support funding for the Office of Fossil Energy's program to support solid oxide fuel cell research technology. I thank the Members for their support, and I yield back the balance of my time. The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. Esty). The amendment was agreed to. Amendment No. 18 Offered by Mr. Beyer The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 18 printed in part B of House Report 115-711. Mr. BEYER. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment is as follows: Page 24, line 3, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced by $28,310,000)''. Page 30, line 7, after the dollar amount, insert ``(increased by $28,310,000)''. The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 918, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Beyer) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Virginia. Mr. BEYER. Mr. Chairman, the Beyer-Eshoo-Esty amendment simply restores funding to the Advanced Research Project-Energy, ARPA-E, to the FY18 enacted level that was already approved by this Congress earlier this year. ARPA-E was created to replicate the successful DARPA model by incentivizing researchers to develop promising research into game- changing technologies that can meet our future energy needs. Mr. Chairman, despite the huge payoff, the private sector does not often and cannot invest efficiently in kind of high-risk, high-reward energy research. ARPA-E has already demonstrated incredible success in advancing energy technology solutions that neither the public nor the private sector has been willing or able to support in the past. Since 2009, 136 of these projects have attracted more than $2.6 billion in private sector follow-on funding. And please note, the amendment does not cut fossil energy research. It simply reduces the plus-up for the account. The Fossil Energy R&D will still receive $30 million more than last year and 50 percent more than President Trump's FY19 request level. I urge my colleagues to support the Beyer-Eshoo-Esty amendment to make ARPA-E whole. ARPA-E is a smart bet on America's proven ability to turn creative ideas into market-creating, job-growing businesses. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. JENKINS of West Virginia. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment. The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from West Virginia is recognized for 5 minutes. Mr. JENKINS of West Virginia. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. McKinley). Mr. McKINLEY. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to this amendment, but let's just step back a second. Here is the reality. America and the entire world will be relying on fossil energy for years to come. The Energy Information Administration estimates that, in 2040, fossil energy will still make up 78 percent of the energy used in the world. {time} 1745 Let's look at two examples of what America stands to lose if this amendment is adopted. The fossil R&D program has put America on the cusp of producing zero carbon emissions from electric generation using the innovative and unique Allam cycle. The innovative NET Power plant in Texas was funded by DOE in its research. It is amazing what they are doing using CO2 to spin a turbine instead of as an emission. [[Page H4935]] To this end, Congress should be putting more money into this program on research, not reducing it. Secondly, the fossil R&D program also has had tremendous success in extracting rare earth elements from coal and mine drainage. But, currently, China controls over 90 percent of the world's rare earth elements. These minerals are critical to our national defense and are used in hybrid vehicles, wind turbines, fuel cells, and portable electronics. By adopting this amendment, we would be unnecessarily putting the environment at risk and lose a potential key supply of rare earth minerals. Fossil fuels will be around for the foreseeable future. We should be utilizing them in the cleanest, most efficient manner through research, and all of that requires more research at the Federal level. The House has soundly defeated a similar amendment in the past, and I urge my colleagues to do so now as well. Mr. BEYER. Mr. Chairman, there is virtually nothing my friend from West Virginia said that I disagree with, except the idea that we are somehow taking money from fossil fuel research that is untoward. Just remember, this is a $30 million step up from last year and 50 percent more than President Trump has even asked for. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Eshoo). Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I rise in strong support of this amendment, the Beyer-Eshoo-Esty amendment, which restores funding to make it equal to the fiscal year 2018 level agreed to by Congress earlier this year for ARPA-E, which is the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy. ARPA-E is housed within the Department of Energy and invests in emerging clean energy technologies to make our country more energy- secure, reduce costs, and increase energy efficiency. So it is smart. It is smart. That is what America has been known for, and we want to retain that reputation. The Agency specializes in high-risk, high-reward technologies that are, in many instances, too risky for the private sector but have enormous potential to change how we produce and consume energy. ARPA-E is doing for energy development what the NIH does for medical research. It provides early-stage support for new moonshot ideas that have the potential to transform the everyday lives of Americans and our economy. ARPA-E is a product of the 2006 Innovation Agenda and was modeled after the highly acclaimed DARPA, created 60 years ago in the Department of Defense. It is credited with launching some of the most successful technologies of our time, including GPS and the internet. ARPA-E was created by Congress in 2007 with bipartisan support, it was signed into law by a Republican President, and it has been a resounding success. In its 10-year history, the agency has funded over 660 projects that have helped create 71 new companies; attracted over $2.6 billion in private sector funding; led to the creation of 245 new patents; and fostered over 1,700 peer-reviewed articles to further our understanding of the energy ecosystem. Mr. Chairman, the United States, I think, is really at an important crossroads in our history. We will decide whether our country is going to continue to lead the world in innovation. Foreign competitors, such as China, are surging investments in new R&D and threaten to overtake our country in that area. We must continue our basic investments to ensure we remain the most innovative and successful economy in the world, and this amendment helps to advance this. This has been bipartisan and overwhelmingly successful for our country. Why would we turn the pages back? So, for all these reasons and more, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment. Mr. JENKINS of West Virginia. Mr. Chairman, fossil energy helped make America the great Nation it is today. West Virginia coal, for example, helped forge the steel that built skyscrapers and won world wars. The DOE Fossil Energy account helps our Nation develop the next generation of fossil technologies. If we don't develop it, other nations will. America must continue its energy dominance and independence, and fossil fuels must play a critical role in our energy strategy. The Fossil Energy account invests in research and development for coal, oil, and natural gas, which produce, as you have heard, more than 60 percent of our Nation's electricity. The research being done at the National Energy Technology Laboratory in Morgantown, West Virginia, and other locations is paying off. We are seeing breakthroughs in coal use in energy production, as well as carbon capture and storage technology. These breakthroughs mean the United States does not need to rely on unfriendly nations for energy anymore. Within 5 years, the United States will become the largest producer in the world of crude oil, bigger than Russia or Saudi Arabia. Investing in fossil energy programs will fuel the next generation of innovation and do so responsibly. Cutting this funding will only set America back. We have abundant, reliable, domestic energy resources, and abandoning this research will put our energy future in severe jeopardy. President Trump, just last week, took action to strengthen our Nation's coal-fired power plants to protect our national security and grid reliability. Cutting this funding is irresponsible and jeopardizes our energy independence. Therefore, I urge Members to vote against this amendment, which would impose significant cuts to R&D funding for fossil energy technology. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time. Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, as the designee of Ranking Member Lowey, I move to strike the last word. The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Ohio is recognized for 5 minutes. Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, I just wanted to point out that, if one looks at the fine print in our bill, the account, actually, for fossil is increased by over $50 million over the current year. That is a pretty healthy increase. We are not really cutting anything in that bill if we take the funds that you are offering here. Fossil will still see a $30 million increase over this year. It isn't being cut to the bones or anything like that. In fact, we are adding flesh to the bones of the fossil accounts. I think it is important to support the Beyer-Eshoo-Esty proposal here in this amendment because we are creating the future with ARPA-E. Nobody knows what ARPA-E means in the average neighborhood of our country. It really is not just the moonshot; it is the Mars-shot. It is the highest level of energy research we do. When I saw Members from Massachusetts down on the floor here a little earlier, I thought to myself: When I saw the Russian tanker come in last year with natural gas because parts of the East Coast couldn't heat their homes in the wintertime, I have to tell you, I am worried. Every American should be worried. We should be developing energy on many fronts. An all-of-the-above strategy is exactly what this country should be doing. We shouldn't be peeling away funds for the highest level of research that we do in our Nation. Truly, ARPA-E helps us become a global leader. It is transformational in what it does. It is a model for others to imitate. It is smart, it is agile, it is fast-acting, it is nonbureaucratic, and it is bold-- qualities that both Republicans and Democrats like. Last year, actually, many Republican officials and business leaders, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said ARPA-E is a blueprint for smart Federal investments that boost our global competitiveness. And surely it does, because I can remember a time when America was not running its way to energy independence. It was, in fact, completely dependent on imported sources of energy. ARPA-E has been nothing short of remarkable. One hundred and thirty- six projects have attracted over $2.6 billion in private sector follow- on funding. I repeat: private sector. While I do support fossil--and Ohio is a State right now where we have a lot of coal, we have a lot of natural gas. We even have some oil being brought up with the natural gas. I support all that. But we know one thing about [[Page H4936]] that: it is finite. It is not going to be there for future generations. ARPA-E leads us into a new future, and this amendment moves us in the proper direction. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support the Beyer-Eshoo-Esty amendment. I yield back the balance of my time. Mr. BEYER. Mr. Chairman, I simply add that we are not cutting the fossil fuel research and development, which we do believe in. This is a plus-up from last year of at least $30 million and 50 percent more than President Trump has requested. All we are simply doing is trying to appropriate to ARPA-E what was enacted by this Congress and, also, to point out that ARPA-E does not exclude fossil fuel research. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time. The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Beyer). The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the noes appeared to have it. Mr. BEYER. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote. The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Virginia will be postponed. Amendment No. 19 Offered by Mr. Smith of Texas The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 19 printed in part B of House Report 115-711. Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment is as follows: Page 27, line 11, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced by $126,800,000) (increased by $126,800,000)''. The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 918, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Smith) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas. Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment to H.R. 5895, the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2019. I first want to thank the gentleman from Idaho, Congressman Mike Simpson, the chairman of the House Appropriations Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Subcommittee, for working with us to develop a strong, pro-science appropriations bill. I strongly support division A of this legislation, and I appreciate the chairman's initiative in basic science research. This amendment provides for critical facility upgrades and construction of basic research infrastructure that are within the core mission of the Department of Energy and will lead to scientific discoveries that will maintain U.S. leadership in innovation and technology. In February, the House unanimously passed three bipartisan House Science, Space, and Technology Committee research infrastructure bills: H.R. 4376, the Department of Energy Research Infrastructure Act; H.R. 4377, the Accelerating American Leadership in Science Act; and H.R. 4378, the Nuclear Energy Research Infrastructure Act. These bills authorized full funding for upgrades in construction of several high- priority user facilities at DOE National Labs. This amendment provides $76.8 million from within funds appropriated to the Office of Science to meet the House-passed authorization levels for four of the infrastructure projects included in these bills, including the LINAC Coherent Light Source high energy upgrade, the proton power upgrade to the Spallation Neutron Source, the construction of the Spallation Neutron Source Second Target Station, and the construction of the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams. My amendment also fully supports basic research in fusion energy science, a field that could lead to a revolutionary new energy source. Specifically, it provides $50 million from within the funds appropriated to the Office of Science for the direct U.S. commitment for fiscal year 2019 to the construction of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, or ITER, project. While I am pleased that division A of this legislation provides $163 million for the agreed-to hardware and other in-kind contributions, cash contributions to ITER are not designated in the bill. My amendment is intended to address this issue and fully fund the U.S. commitment in fiscal year 2019. I want to also draw attention to another shared priority with the chairman, reinstating the Low Dose Radiation Research Program at DOE. This program is essential to understanding the health impact of low doses of radiation. There is a broad consensus within the radiobiology community that more research is necessary for Federal agencies, physicians, and related experts to make better-informed decisions regarding low-dose radiation. {time} 1800 Earlier this year, the House passed H.R. 4675, the Low Dose Radiation Research Act, which authorizes $20 million in fiscal year 2019. I hope we can work together to provide this funding for low dose radiation research. Mr. Chair, I again thank Chairman Simpson for his long-standing support of basic research and investments in DOE's best-in-the-world science facilities. I greatly appreciate the effort the chairman has made to prioritize fundamental science and our long-standing partnership to responsibly fund DOE. Mr. Chair, I am prepared to withdraw my amendment and to continue working with the chairman to advance the House-passed authorization levels for these important projects in conference. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment, even though I am not opposed to it. The Acting CHAIR. Without objection, the gentleman from Idaho is recognized for 5 minutes. There was no objection. Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Chair, I thank the chairman of the Science Committee for his amendment and for the authorizers' strong support for this bill. I recognize the House-passed authorizations for DOE research, infrastructure construction and facilities upgrades, and the low dose radiation research are priorities of the Science Committee. I appreciate the chairman highlighting these priorities and I look forward to working with him as we move to conference to ensure these projects receive sufficient funding. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time. Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Chair, I appreciate Chairman Simpson's commitment and support. I yield back the balance of my time. Mr. Chair, I withdraw my amendment. The Acting CHAIR. The amendment is withdrawn. Amendment No. 20 Offered by Mr. Keating The Acting CHAIR (Mr. Thompson of Pennsylvania). It is now in order to consider amendment No. 20 printed in part B of House Report 115-711. Mr. KEATING. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment is as follows: Page 27, line 21, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced by $5,000,000)(increased by $5,000,000)''. The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 918, the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Keating) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Massachusetts. Mr. KEATING. Mr. Chairman, my amendment allocates resources for additional research into innovative technologies and processes for safe and secure storage, treatment, transportation, and disposal of spent nuclear fuel from civilian nuclear reactors. Five nuclear power plants have retired since 2013. Six more across the country, including the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant in my district, are slated to retire just in the next few years. This is also timely, because just last month, this House passed, by a margin of 340-72, a bill to improve nuclear waste storage. Reactors can shut down, but that doesn't mean there is a safe, secure plan for spent fuel stored onsite. [[Page H4937]] Pilgrim has been operating for over 45 years in Massachusetts, and its spent fuel has been stored there ever since. The Pilgrim Plant is slated to retire in 2019, almost exactly 1 year from today. The spent fuel there needs to be addressed. My community in Plymouth and those around the country are asking legitimate questions on how the safety and security of these materials can be increased. We have an opportunity to dig deeper into these questions and find better answers for my constituents and for people around the country who have a nuclear power plant nearby. New advanced research should examine how the safety and security of spent fuel pools can be improved. Additionally, the safe transfer of materials to dry casks deserves to be reexamined, as does the design and long-term integrity of dry casks. Furthermore, research into the transportation and ultimate disposal of spent fuel is crucial in identifying the best and safest long-term solutions. They too need to be examined and improved. My amendment supports further research into these areas so that when nuclear energy is part of our communities, we are able to ensure, as best we can, that spent nuclear fuel is secure and not posing unnecessary threats. Mr. Chair, I thank my colleagues for their consideration of this amendment and urge their support. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time. Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment, even though I am not opposed to it. The Acting CHAIR. Without objection, the gentlewoman from Ohio is recognized for 5 minutes. There was no objection. Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, I rise to support my good colleague, Congressman Keating, and his amendment dealing with spent nuclear fuel. We need a solution all across our country to spent nuclear fuel stored on dozens and dozens of sites across our country. We thought we had a solution. $14 billion has been invested in the Yucca Mountain facility, and yet because of opposition from those who were not consulted in Nevada before that site was constructed, our Nation has been at a standstill. So I want to compliment the gentleman from Massachusetts for bringing up this issue. Northern Ohio, a vast region that I and other Ohio Members represent, has more than one nuclear power plant that is faced with spent nuclear fuel onsite. We know that the Department of Energy is doing tremendous work in this arena, very fine work, but we simply can't continue to just keep talking about this. We actually have to begin to store fuel in a much safer way. This amendment would build on the work that DOE has been doing to continue to invest in such a critically important area as spent nuclear fuel and its permanent storage. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support the Keating amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time. Mr. KEATING. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time. The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Keating). The amendment was agreed to. The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 21 printed in part B of House Report 115-711. Amendment No. 22 Offered by Mr. Langevin The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 22 printed in part B of House Report 115-711. Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment is as follows: Page 27, line 11, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced by $3,000,000) (increased by $3,000,000)''. The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 918, the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Rhode Island. Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Chairman, I offer this amendment today to direct $3 million to the Office of Science within the Department of Energy for important nuclear fusion science work being done across the country. Specifically, these funds would support divertor test tokamak research and development. The fusion community has identified the need for a tokamak specifically designed for divertor testing as a necessary research facility to drive divertor innovation. Fusion science, Mr. Chairman, is the future of energy production, offering unique and substantial advantages compared to other approaches. Fusion power is a safe, clean, and sustainable energy source that could provide the United States with energy independence and a nearly limitless energy supply. The future is closer than we think. Sustainable fusion energy production is a very real possibility within the next 10 years. However, there are outstanding technical issues that must be solved before we can harness fusion as a practical energy source. Among them is dealing with extreme temperatures generated through the process, over a million degrees. A tokamak designed with divertor tests in mind could test potential solutions to this problem. These funds support the immediate need of design conceptualization, which will help keep the United States as a world leader in this area. We must seize this opportunity and vigorously pursue this research and development work. This work may also have critical national security implications. The House Report accompanying H.R. 5515, the fiscal year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act that recently passed the House, contains language asking the Department of Defense to explore this technology and its potential use towards our national security objectives. History has shown, Mr. Chairman, that research funding fosters innovative ideas and new technologies that can produce order-of- magnitude improvements over those presently employed. The current fusion science research program suggests promising advancements in plasma and material science, which could readily support defense initiatives. To ensure this critical work continues and that we capitalize on its findings, Congress must act to fund this important work. Mr. Chair, I thank Chairman Simpson and Ranking Member Kaptur for taking my request into consideration. This investment is critical in providing for our collective national and energy security, and I respectfully urge its adoption. Mr. Chair, I thank my colleagues for the consideration of this amendment. I think it is important to try and meet the future energy needs and national security needs of our country, and I again urge its adoption. Mr. Chair, I yield back of balance of my time. The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin). The amendment was agreed to. Amendment No. 23 Offered by Mr. Kihuen The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 23 printed in part B of House Report 115-711. Mr. KIHUEN. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment is as follows: Page 27, line 21, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced by $190,000,000)''. Page 64, line 6, after the dollar amount, insert ``(increased by $190,000,000)''. The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 918, the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Kihuen) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Nevada. Mr. KIHUEN. Mr. Chairman, I come to the floor to discuss the State of Nevada's fierce opposition to using Yucca Mountain as a nuclear waste dump. While I appreciate having the opportunity to speak to you today, I am extremely frustrated with the recent actions Congress has taken to revive this project. Mr. Chairman, Yucca Mountain lies in my congressional district. In the 30 years since Congress passed the ``Screw Nevada'' bill, Congress has wasted $3.7 billion of taxpayers' money on a project that Nevada has repeatedly said will not happen. [[Page H4938]] And now, this Congress wants to continue to egregiously spend money on this failed project in fiscal year 2019 appropriations. So once again, I am here to fight to prevent nuclear waste from ever coming to my home State of Nevada. That is why I have introduced an amendment to H.R. 5895, the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2019. My amendment, Mr. Chairman, would strike $190 million for the licensing of the nuclear waste depository at Yucca Mountain. I routinely hear from my Republican colleagues on the need to reduce our deficit and debt. I fully agree with the sentiment. Congress should not waste another $190 million of taxpayer money on a project that will not come to fruition. But you should support my amendment not just on the fiscal basis. Mr. Chairman, my home State of Nevada, which has no nuclear energy- producing facilities, should not be the dumping ground for the rest of the country's nuclear waste. And this is not just an issue facing Nevadans. It is an issue that impacts constituents from 329 congressional districts in 44 States and Washington, D.C. Putting a nuclear repository in Nevada's backyard means that this high level nuclear waste must travel through your backyards first as well. Your constituents will see high level nuclear waste transported through their communities on rail and by truck. A simple car crash or train derailment will leave your constituents at risk and cost our taxpayers more money to clean up the mess. It is clear that reopening Yucca Mountain is fiscally unsound, presents threats to people across the country, and is unwanted by the people of Nevada. That is why I encourage you to support my amendment to prevent nuclear waste from ever coming to Nevada. Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Rosen), my colleague. {time} 1815 Ms. ROSEN. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of our amendment, which would strike funding for the Yucca Mountain project. Like the vast majority of Nevadans, I firmly oppose any attempt to turn my State into the Nation's nuclear waste dump. Dumping nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain wouldn't only endanger the health and safety of my constituents, who live just 90 miles away in the Las Vegas Valley, it would threaten millions of Americans in 44 States. This ill-conceived plan would mean transporting tens of thousands of metric tons of radioactive waste across this country. Those shipments of hazardous material would travel on our highways and railways to Nevada through over 329 congressional districts on a weekly basis for more than 50 years. Finally, reviving Yucca Mountain would jeopardize military testing and training at our defense facilities. Our amendment would strike $190 million for the licensing for this administration's plan to turn Nevada into a dumping ground. That is the bulk of the funding for this dangerous failure of a project. We shouldn't waste another dime of taxpayer money on failed efforts to try to send nuclear waste to Yucca Mountain. It is time to move on from this reckless and costly project, so I urge my colleagues to support our amendment to remove this licensing funding and, instead, work with us on alternative solutions that repurpose Yucca Mountain into something that can create jobs and keep our families safe. Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment. The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Illinois is recognized for 5 minutes. Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Chairman, let me be clear what this amendment does. This is 1,000 pages of the safety and evaluation report by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission--5 volumes. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is our independent safety agency on all things nuclear. What my colleague from Nevada's amendment does is strip the money for what they keep telling me they want. They want to prove the science. They want to say it is not safe. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission says it is safe for a million years. Now, if my colleagues from Nevada want to debate the science, then they can do that, per the Nuclear Waste Policy Act, through the licensing project. But, no, they don't want to put their science up against our independent nuclear safety agency. They want to adjudicate this in the court of public opinion and deprive the money to have that final science debate. So this amendment is really an anti-science amendment to not debate the NRC's finding, because we know that in their conclusion they say storing nuclear waste in a long-term geological repository--and this is the world consensus--in a deep geological repository is what the world's scientists say is the safest way to store spent nuclear fuel and defense waste. That is not just the United States. That is France. That is Norway. That is Great Britain. That is many of our allies and friends and their scientists. Again, 1,000 pages, 5 volumes, public record. This amendment takes that money away so we don't have a debate on the science. It is either in the desert underneath a mountain, 1,000 feet above the ground table, 1,000 feet below the top of the mountain, or it is on the Pacific Ocean. Those are the choices that we had debated in H.R. 3053. And not only that, the Chamber as a whole, in a bipartisan manner, said--340 Members--actually, more Democrats supported H.R. 3053 than opposed it--340-72. Why? Because we have a national problem which requires a national solution. We have to keep our promises. These are the operating commercial and nuclear reactors. This doesn't even talk about the defense issue. The national media from around the country is on our side as far as moving forward if the science is found to be reliable. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission says a million years. The State of Nevada says: Not so. Let's have the debate. Let's not strip the money away to have that final debate. That is why I ask my colleagues to reject this amendment. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. KIHUEN. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Chairman, I am glad this amendment came, because our job now is to educate, not only the State of Nevada, but it is also to educate our colleagues from across the country that the science debate, the final decision needs to be through the licensing. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission, our independent Federal nuclear safety agency, says it will be safe for a million years. Nevada says: Not so. Let's have the debate. Let's not strip the money. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time. Mr. KIHUEN. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time. The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Kihuen). The amendment was rejected. The Acting CHAIR. The Committee will rise informally. The Speaker pro tempore (Mr. Shimkus) assumed the chair. ____________________
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