September 19, 2012 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H6121 

NAYS—95 

Ackerman 

Andrews 

Baca 

Bass (CA) 

Becerra 

Brady (PA) 

Brown (FL) 

Capps 

Clarke (MI) 

Clarke (NY) 

Clay 

Cleaver 

Clyburn 

Cohen 

Connolly (VA) 

Conyers 

Cooper 

Courtney 

Crowley 

Davis (IL) 

DeGette 

DeLauro 

Deutch 

Dingell 

Doyle 

Edwards 

Ellison 

Engel 

Eshoo 

Farr 

Fattah 

Frank (MA) 

Fudge 

Gonzalez 

Grijalva 

Gutierrez 

Hastings (FL) 

Hinchey 

Hinojosa 

Holt 

Honda 

Hoyer 

Jackson Lee 

(TX) 

Johnson (GA) 

Johnson, E. B. 

Kaptur 

Kildee 

Larsen (WA) 

Larson (CT) 

Levin 

Lewis (GA) 

Luja ́n 

Markey 

Matsui 

McCollum 

McDermott 

McGovern 

Meeks 

Miller (NC) 

Moore 

Nadler 

Napolitano 

Neal 

Olver 

Pallone 

Pascrell 

Pelosi 

Peters 

Pingree (ME) 

Polis 

Price (NC) 

Rangel 

Reyes 

Richmond 

Roybal-Allard 

Rush 

Sarbanes 

Schakowsky 

Schwartz 

Scott (VA) 

Scott, David 

Serrano 

Sires 

Smith (WA) 

Stark 

Thompson (CA) 

Thompson (MS) 

Towns 

Van Hollen 

Vela ́ zquez 

Visclosky 

Wasserman 

Schultz 

Waters 

Watt 

Yarmuth 

NOT VOTING—24 

Akin 

Brady (TX) 

Campbell 

Filner 

Forbes 

Gallegly 

Granger 

Green, Al 

Hirono 

Jackson (IL) 

Johnson (IL) 

Johnson, Sam 

Labrador 

Lee (CA) 

Lewis (CA) 

Lynch 

Platts 

Rivera 

Ross (AR) 

Ryan (WI) 

Shuler 

Speier 

Tiberi 

Tsongas 

b 1856 

So (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the 

bill, as amended, was passed. 

The result of the vote was announced 

as above recorded. 

The title was amended so as to read: 

‘‘A bill to amend the Internal Revenue 

Code of 1986 to prohibit the use of public funds for political party conventions.’’. 

A motion to reconsider was laid on 

the table. 

Stated against: 

Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, on rollcall 

586, I was away from the Capitol due to prior 

commitments to my constituents. Had I been 

present, I would have voted ‘‘nay.’’ 

f 

b 1900 

PERMISSION FOR MEMBER TO BE 

CONSIDERED AS FIRST SPONSOR 

OF H.R. 5839 

Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I 

ask unanimous consent that I may 

hereafter be considered as the first 

sponsor of H.R. 5839, a bill originally 

introduced by Representative GEOFF

DAVIS of Kentucky, for the purposes of 

adding cosponsors and requesting 

reprintings pursuant to clause 7 of rule 

XII. 

The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. 

PALAZZO). Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Florida? 

There was no objection. 

PERMISSION FOR MEMBER TO BE 

ADDED AS COSPONSOR OF H.R. 

2994 

Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I ask 

unanimous consent to be added as a cosponsor to H.R. 2994, the Marine and 

Hydrokinetic Renewable Energy Promotion Act. The original sponsor is no 

longer in Congress. 

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there 

objection to the request of the gentlewoman from Oregon? 

There was no objection. 

f 

VULNERABLE VETERANS HOUSING 

REFORM ACT OF 2012 

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I move 

to suspend the rules and pass the bill 

(H.R. 6361) to exclude from consideration as income under the United 

States Housing Act of 1937 payments of 

pension made under section 1521 of title 

38, United States Code, to veterans who 

are in need of regular aid and attendance, and for other purposes, as amended. 

The Clerk read the title of the bill. 

The text of the bill is as follows: 

H.R. 6361 

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 ‘‘Vulnerable 

Veterans Housing Reform Act of 2012’’. 

SEC. 2. EXCLUSION FROM INCOME. 

Paragraph (4) of section 3(b) of the United 

States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 

1437a(b)(4)) is amended— 

(1) by striking ‘‘and any amounts’’ and inserting ‘‘, any amounts’’; 

(2) by striking ‘‘or any deferred’’ and inserting ‘‘, any deferred’’; and 

(3) by inserting after ‘‘prospective monthly 

amounts’’ the following: ‘‘, and any expenses 

related to aid and attendance as detailed 

under section 1521 of title 38, United States 

Code’’. 

SEC. 3. UTILITY ALLOWANCES AND DATA. 

Section 8(o) of the United States Housing 

Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)) is amended— 

(1) in paragraph (2), by adding at the end 

the following new subparagraph: 

‘‘(D) UTILITY ALLOWANCE.— 

‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—In determining the 

monthly assistance payment for a family 

under subparagraphs (A) and (B), the amount 

allowed for tenant-paid utilities shall not exceed the appropriate utility allowance for 

the family unit size as determined by the 

public housing agency regardless of the size 

of the dwelling unit leased by the family. 

‘‘(ii) EXCEPTION FOR CERTAIN FAMILIES.— 

Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), upon request by a family that includes a person with 

disabilities, an elderly family, or a family 

that includes any person who is less than 18 

years of age, the public housing agency shall 

approve a utility allowance that is higher 

than the applicable amount on the utility allowance schedule, except that in the case of 

a family that includes a person with disabilities, the agency shall approve such higher 

amount only if a higher utility allowance is 

needed as a reasonable accommodation to 

make the program accessible to and usable 

by the family member with a disability. 

‘‘(iii) AUTHORITY TO INCREASE ALLOWANCE.— 

Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), in the 

case of any family not described in clause 

(ii), a public housing agency may, at the request of the family, approve a utility allowance that is higher than the applicable 

amount on the utility allowance schedule. In 

making such a determination, the agency 

shall consider (I) the amount of the increase 

in utility costs for the family, and (II) the 

difficulty for the family in relocating.’’; and 

(2) by adding at the end the following new 

paragraph: 

‘‘(21) UTILITY DATA.— 

‘‘(A) PUBLICATION.—The Secretary shall, to 

the extent that data can be collected cost effectively, regularly publish such data regarding utility consumption and costs in local 

areas as the Secretary determines will be 

useful for the establishment of allowances 

for tenant-paid utilities for families assisted 

under this subsection. 

‘‘(B) USE OF DATA.—The Secretary shall 

provide such data in a manner that— 

‘‘(i) avoids unnecessary administrative 

burdens for public housing agencies and owners; and 

‘‘(ii) protects families in various unit sizes 

and building types, and using various utilities, from high rent and utility cost burdens 

relative to income.’’. 

SEC. 4. PILOT PROGRAM FOR GRANTS FOR REHABILITATION AND MODIFICATION OF 

HOMES OF DISABLED AND LOW-INCOME VETERANS. 

(a) GRANT.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish a pilot program to award grants to 

qualified organizations to rehabilitate and 

modify the primary residence of eligible veterans. 

(2) COORDINATION.—The Secretary shall 

work in conjunction with the Secretary of 

Veterans Affairs to establish and oversee the 

pilot program and to ensure that such program meets the needs of eligible veterans. 

(3) MAXIMUM GRANT.—A grant award under 

the pilot program to any one qualified organization shall not exceed $1,000,000 in any 

one fiscal year, and such an award shall remain available until expended by such organization. 

(b) APPLICATION.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—Each qualified organization that desires a grant under the pilot program shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and, in 

addition to the information required under 

paragraph (2), accompanied by such information as the Secretary may reasonably require. 

(2) CONTENTS.—Each application submitted 

under paragraph (1) shall include— 

(A) a plan of action detailing outreach initiatives; 

(B) the approximate number of veterans 

the qualified organization intends to serve 

using grant funds; 

(C) a description of the type of work that 

will be conducted, such as interior home 

modifications, energy efficiency improvements, and other similar categories of work; 

and 

(D) a plan for working with the Department of Veterans Affairs and veterans service organizations to identify veterans and 

serve their needs. 

(3) PREFERENCES.—In awarding grants 

under the pilot program, the Secretary shall 

give preference to a qualified organization— 

(A) with experience in providing housing 

rehabilitation and modification services for 

disabled veterans; or 

(B) that proposes to provide housing rehabilitation and modification services for eligible veterans who live in rural areas (the Secretary, through regulations, shall define the 

term ‘‘rural areas’’). 

(c) CRITERIA.—In order to receive a grant 

award under the pilot program, a qualified 

organization shall meet the following criteria: 


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