House Begins Consideration of HR 4909

Yesterday the House began consideration of HR 4909, the FY 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The one hour of general debate was completed and the House considered the first 61 amendments approved by the House Rules Committee.

First Day Action

The first 61 amendments included two of the amendments that I discussed in a blog post on Monday.

34. Sewell (AL) #34 Allows cyber institutes to place a special emphasis on entering into a partnership with a local educational agency located in a rural, under served,or underrepresented community. (10 minutes)

15. Hunter (CA) #164 (REVISED) Expands the use of the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) regarding access at DoD installations. (10 minutes)

Both of these amendments were included in blocks of amendments for consideration in a single vote. The Sewell amendment was included in en block #1 and the Hunter amendment was included in en block #2. Both blocks of amendments were adopted by voice votes, reflecting the low controversy level of each amendment included in the block.

Moving Forward

Consideration is resuming today with 120 additional amendments. Only two more of the amendments that I discussed on Monday were included in the list of amendments to be considered today:

104. Meehan (PA), Costello (PA) #47 Expresses a sense of Congress that reiterates the importance of strong communications systems for the National Guard in the event of a cyber or terrorist attack. (10 minutes)

115. Donovan (NY), Hunter (CA) #226 (REVISED) Expedites processing of applications for transportation security cards for separating members of the Armed forces and veterans to facilitate employment in the maritime industry.

I suspect that both of these amendments will be considered in block votes as well.