The U.S. House of Representatives Thursday approved a resolution honoring the Grand Valley State University football team for winning the 2006 NCAA Division II National Championship. House members voted 422-0 in favor of the resolution, H. Res. 62, which was sponsored by Congressman Pete Hoekstra, R-Holland, and co-sponsored by Congressman Vernon J. Ehlers, R-Grand Rapids.

Congressman Ehlers joined a large bipartisan majority of House members Wednesday in approving legislation designed to cut the rates of federally subsidized student loans. The bill would reduce the interest rate paid on federally subsidized loans for undergraduates from 6.8 percent to 3.4 percent over the next five years. The bill passed by a vote of 356-71, with 124 Republicans joining 232 Democrats in support. The bill awaits consideration by the Senate.

Seeking to cure the problems that plagued the House Page Program last fall, Congressman Ehlers joined with his colleagues in approving a bill that would revamp the House Page Program. The bill includes the establishment of a nonpartisan, eight-member board that will meet regularly to oversee the program, which gives high school juniors the opportunity to work in the House of Representatives. The bill passed 416-0. Congressman Ehlers, who helped manage the debate on the bill, said, “We owe it to (the pages) to ensure we are doing everything possible to ensure they are able to have a positive, healthy and beneficial experience. We must ensure that we are taking good care of, and protecting, the young people who have been entrusted to us.”

On Monday, the House will meet at 12:30 p.m. for morning hour and at 2 p.m. for legislative business. Votes will be postponed until 6:30 p.m.

Suspensions (6 Bills):

(Bills on suspension are generally considered non-controversial and have reduced debate time, but require a two-thirds majority vote to be passed.)

1. H. Res. 29 - Supporting the goals and ideals of National Mentoring Month 2007 (January 2007)
2. H.Res. 51 - Honoring the Contributions of Catholic Schools
3. H.Res. 57 - Congratulating Illinois State University as it celebrates its sesquicentennial
4. H.Res. 52 - Paying tribute to Reverend Waitstill Sharp and Martha Sharp for their recognition by the Yad Vashem Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Authority as Righteous Among the Nations for their heroic efforts to save Jews during the Holocaust
5. H.R. 390 - To require the establishment of a national database in the National Archives to preserve records of servitude, emancipation, and post-Civil War reconstruction and to provide grants to State and local entities to establish similar local databases
6. H.R. 476 - Congressional Pension Accountability - To amend title 5, US Code, to make noncreditable for Federal retirement purposes any Member service performed by an individual who is convicted of any of certain offenses committed by that individual while serving as a Member of Congress, and for other purposes: Amends federal civil service law, with respect to both the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS), to require the Office of Personnel and Management (OPM) to prescribe regulations that deny eligibility under CSRS or FERS for a Member convicted of certain felony offenses in which: (1) every act or omission of such individual that is needed to satisfy the elements of the offense occurs while the individual is a Member; (2) such act or omission relates to the performance of the individual's official duties as a Member; and (3) the offense is committed after the enactment of this Act. Requires refund of annuity contributions and deposits, excluding interest earned, to a convicted individual.

On Tuesday, the House will meet at 10:30 a.m. for morning hour and at 12 noon for legislative business. The House Floor will be cleared at 5 p.m. to allow a security sweep of the House Chamber prior to the President’s State of the Union Address. The House will meet again at 8:40 p.m. in joint session with the Senate for the purpose of receiving a State of the Union Address from the President of the United States. On Wednesday, the House will meet at 10 a.m. for legislative business.

Suspensions (3 bills):

1. H.R. 323 - Seasoned Customer CTR Exemption Act: Requires the Treasury Department, within 270 days of enactment, to issue regulations that would permit depository institutions to apply for an exemption from the requirement to file a currency transaction report on a "qualified customer" of the depository institution. The bill authorizes the Treasury Department to define a "qualified customer," but states that the definition must include any business organized or incorporated under state or federal law that has maintained a deposit account with the institution for at least 12 months, and has engaged in multiple currency transactions that are subject to the reporting requirements.
2. H.R. 392 - District of Columbia and United States Territories Circulating Quarter Dollar Program Act: Authorizes the Treasury Department to issue, during 2009, redesigned quarter dollars commemorating the District of Columbia and the U.S. territories — including the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. It also authorizes the department to mint and issue such number of quarter dollars of each design it determines to be appropriate.
3. H.R XXX - To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to streamline the SAFETY Act and anti-terrorism technology procurement process: Includes provisions intended to streamline the processing of applications by the Homeland Security Department under the Support for Anti-Terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies Act, also known as the SAFETY Act, under which the Homeland Security Department can provide liability protection to companies that produce certain anti-terrorism technologies. The bill requires the Homeland Security secretary to ensure that, in addition to personnel engaged in technical evaluations, there are a sufficient number of full-time personnel involved in the review and prioritization of anti-terrorism technologies to determine if they qualify for protection under the SAFETY Act. The bill states that these personnel should be properly trained and qualified to apply legal, economic and risk analysis.

H.Res. 78 - To Amend the Rules of the House of Representatives to permit Delegates and the Resident Commissioner to the Congress to cast votes in the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union: Changes House rules in order to permit the four delegates representing the District of Columbia and U.S. territories, plus the "resident commissioner" from Puerto Rico, to vote in the Committee of the Whole House. It provides that any amendment voted on in the Committee of the Whole for which the delegate votes provided the margin of victory or defeat would automatically be voted on again in the full House, where the delegates cannot vote. The rules change would leave undisturbed the current House rule under which any member can demand a re-vote in the full House on any amendment adopted in the Committee of the Whole. The rules change is identical to the rule in effect in 1993-1994 when the Democrats last controlled the House; at that time, Republicans vigorously opposed that rules change, unsuccessfully challenged its constitutionality in federal court, and eliminated delegate voting in the Committee of the Whole in 1995.

On Thursday and Friday, no votes are expected in the House.