now vacant, filled on an acting capacity by a well-regarded actiq -- acting register, ranking member conyers and i introduced this bipartisan legislation to update the register selection process. to mirror a recent change to the librarian of congress position that is now subject to a 10-year term limit, the legislation also makes the register of copyrights position subject to a 10-year term limit. the selection panel would be bipartisan and would consist of leaders of the majorities and minorities of the house and senate and would also include the librarian of congress. in the past, the authority of the register of copyrights to issue rule makings has not been challenged in the courts because the register is not subject to the nomination and consent process. this legislation would remedy that question once and for all. h.r. 1695 was reported by the house judicial committee by a bipartisan vote of 27-1. in addition to strong support from traditional copyright

groups such as the copyright alliance and the publishing, movie, music and software industries, the bill has been supported by a wide range of diverse groups such as the american conservative union, the afl-cio, heritage foundation scholars, the directors guild, he u.s. chamber of commerce, mana, the mexican-american latina organization, americans for tax reform and the council for citizens against government waste. with such strong sort from a wide range of over 70 groups and a vacancy at the register of copyrights that needs to be filled under the new process created by this legislation, i urge my colleagues to support h.r. 1695 and reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from virginia reserves. the gentleman from michigan is ecognized. mr. conyers: mr. chair and members, i rise in strong

yields f h.r. 1695, myself such time as i may consume. as lead democratic co-sponsor of this bipartisan, bicameral legislation, i'm pleased that this bill passed out of our judiciary committee thanks to chairman goodlatte and many thers by a vote of 27-1. this legislation represents the public policy that will strengthen the copyrights system. to begin with, it has evolved directly from bipartisan copyright review process, chairman goodlatte initiated way back in 2013. over the course of that highly

deliberative process, the judiciary committee held no less than 20 hearings and heard from over 100 witnesses on how to update the copyright laws for the 21st century. and house resolution 1695 is the product of more than four years of outreach efforts with a wide range of interested parties who very much want to see, like all of us, a copyright office that is responsible to all stakeholders in the copyright ecosystem. this bill is also the product of bicameral collaboration with our senate colleagues, including the judiciary committee chairman grassley,

the ranking member feinstein and senator leahy. as a result of this inclusive process, the strong bipartisan consensus emerged from the copyright office that needs to be more accountable to congress , that it should have greater independence. that office has a long and distinguished history of serving as an advisor to congress on copyright measures, and it's only reasonable that congress play a significant role in deciding who leads that important agency. h.r. 1695 also elevates the stature of the register and makes the position directly accountable to congress, which will help ensure a strong, vibrant copyright system that fuels our economy, creates jobs

and promotes a diverse range of views. today, core copyright businesses annually contribute our han $1.2 trillion to nation's economy and generate foreign sales of almost $180 billion. these businesses are also tremendous job creators, creating more than five million workers. that's why the bill is strongly supported by several unions, including the afl-cio, the screen actors guild, the american federation of tv and radio actors as well as the directors guild of america. h.r. 1695 is also supported by a broad range of other stakeholders, including the american intellectual property

law association, the intellectual property owners association and various coalitions and creators such as creative future and the copyright alliance. individual creators like jeff friday, the founder and c.e.o. of film light, and the producer of the american black film festival, also are in strong support of the bill. finally, h.r. 1695 will enable congress to ensure that the copyright office is led by a well-qualified individual by requiring the register to be confirmed by the senate. this individual must be responsive to the congress and the public as well as all the stakeholders in the copyright community. in fact, an amendment offered by our distinguished colleague from texas, ms. jackson lee, that was accepted during the

judiciary committee markup of the bill will further strengthen the selection process by establishing an even larger role for congress in choosing candidates for the position. accordingly, i urge total support for h.r. 1695, and i reserve the balance of my time. thank you. the chair: the gentleman from michigan reserves. the gentleman from virginia is recognized. mr. goodlatte: mr. chairman, i reserve at this time. the chair: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from michigan. mr. conyers: i am pleased to now recognize a senior member done an mittee who's azing job, mr. nadler, for ive minutes.

the chair: the gentleman from new york is recognized for five minutes. mr. nadler: i thank the gentleman for yielding. mr. speaker, i rise in strong support of h.r. 1695. this legislation would strengthen the copyright office and make it more accountable to congress by turning the register of copyrights into a senate-confirmed position. since 2013, under the bipartisan leadership of chairman goodlatte and ranking member conyers, the judiciary committee has undertaken a comprehensive review of the copyright laws and the copyright office. over the course of 20 hearings with 100 witnesses as well as listening sessions across the country and individual meetings with a broad range of stakeholders, we have heard one consistent message, that the copyright office must be modernized to meet the needs of the public and the copyright community. this bill is an important first step in that process, and it is appropriate that we consider it today on world i.p. day when we recognize the tremendous

contribution that intellectual property laws, including of copyright, make to our economy and our creativity. but maintaining this vibrant ecosystem -- copyright ecosystem depends on having an effective copyright office to oversee it. throughout the copyright review process, it became evident that the current instruct unit of the office has hindered its ability to serve the public and the copyright community effectively. for historical reasons, the copyright office is located in the library of congress. the register of copyright answers solely to the librarian of congress. as an institutional matter, this creates a conflict. libraries are a key stakeholder in the copyright community, but they are one among many stakeholders, each with different priorities and interests. to place the copyright office in the hands of one interested party does a disservice to the copyright system it is charged with administering. h.r. 1695 would remedy this problem by making the register of copyrights a presidential

appointment subject to senate confirmation. it would steap an open and transparent -- it would establish an open and transparent process and would allow the stakeholders to provide input through their elected representatives. it would strengthen the ability of congress to provide meaningful oversight of the copyright office and by establishing a 10-year term for the register, it would insulate the office from any improper political influence. it is particularly important that congress have the final say on who serves as register because by statute the copyright office serves as an expert advisor to congress on copyright matters. the office has played an invaluable role throughout the copyright review process and this bill will ensure we continue to rely on the independent advice from the register as we make reforms to the copyright laws. under current law, the selection of the register is left entirely to the librarian and since the librarian serves as the pleasure of the president, it's really the president who can dictate the

choice of register if the librarian wishes to keep her job and the register can be dismissed at any time by the librarian, possibly at the direction of the president. this bill serves as an important check on the president's power by removing his unfettered ability to name a register by requiring senate confirmation of the position instead and by giving the register a fixed 10-year term. the role of congress is further solidified by an important mendment that was added by ms. jackson lee. under her amendment, which is now in the bill, a panel of congressional leaders along with the librarian of congress would develop a list of candidates from which the president would choose a nominee. this strengthens congressional input and preserves an important role in the process for the librarian as well. the jackson lee amendment strikes a good balance between respecting the roles of congress, the president and the librarian in selecting the register, and i appreciate the contribution she made to the bill. the copyright office serves as

a vital function but the current structure does not reflect the importance of the office. h.r. 1695 elevates the status and the stature of the register and treats the position like other federal officials with similarly significant responsibilities like the director of the u.s. patent and trademark office. this will make the copyright office more responsive and accountable to congress. it is the first step towards providing the office with the flexibility and independence it needs to serve all members of the copyright community effectively. this legislation is independent of any evaluation of the fitness of the current librarian who is excellent, in my opinion, of the fitness of the prior register. this legislation has been developed over a period of years, and the importance is institutional, not reflecting the personalities of the current occupants. this legislation is supported by a broad range of stakeholders including the afl-cio and several other major unions and passed the judiciary

committee by nearly unanimous vote of 27-1. it deserves similar support by the full house, and i urge all my colleagues to support the bill. i thank you and i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from michigan reserves. the gentleman from virginia is recognized. mr. goodlatte: mr. chairman, i continue to reserve. the chair: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from michigan. mr. conyers: mr. speaker, i am pleased now to recognize the distinguished gentleman from pennsylvania, the ranking member of the house administration committee, one minute. the chair: the gentleman from pennsylvania is recognized for one minute. >> thank you, mr. chairman and thank you, ranking member, for whom i have the utmost respect for. but unfortunately i rise in opposition to this bill. dr. carla hayden, appointed by president obama, has been on the job less than a year and deserves the opportunity to complete the i.t. modernization of the copyright office before this authority is taken away

from her. mr. brady: i know that dr. hayden has made excellent process knocking two years off the estimated time to complete its modernization. this bill is a solution in search of a problem. this measure not only impeds the progress dr. hayden is currently making but will undo the strides that already been made. this bill does nothing to improve the operations of the copyright office. i urge my colleagues to stay with dr. hayden and vote no on this bill and i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from michigan reserves. the gentleman from virginia is recognized. mr. goodlatte: mr. chairman, i continue to reserve. the chair: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from michigan. mr. conyers: i'm pleased now to recognize the senior member of the judiciary committee, ms. zoe lofgren, and i would like her to have two minutes.

the chair: the gentlewoman from california is recognized for two minutes. mrs. love green: despite all the rhetoric this bill does really one thing. it takes the appointment of the register away from dr. carla hayden, the most qualified librarian we ever had at the library of congress, and gives it to president trump. now, the policy excuses for this are simply unpersuasive. proponents say this will give greater transparency to the congress and the operation of the copyright office. i think this is a ridiculous statement. once a presidential appoint gee is confirmed, there is -- appointee is confirmed, there's no greater attention or transparency than for any nonpresidential appointment and the conflicts that the republican congress had with president obama's environmental protection agency and i.r.s. appointees are testimony to that truth.

there are vague claims of elevating the register and modernizing the office, but in fact the library's finally making progress on modernizing the office and this bill would actually disrupt that progress. when you talk about conflicts, the library doesn't have a conflict with this, but who does have a conflict is president trump. he holds 30 copyrights. so i don't think the idea of president trump being a superior selector of the register because his elevation or expertise as a writer really holds any await. i would like to mention the amendment that our colleague, sheila jackson lee, had offered. i am extremely fond of my friend, sheila jackson lee, but the amendment does nothing because you cannot limit presidential appointment power through statute. the president is limited only

by the advice and consent of the senate. . i would like to say the potential for empowering special interests in this bill is very high. we ought to say no to this bill. i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentlelady's time has expired. the gentleman from michigan reserves. gentleman from virginia is recognized. mr. goodlatte: i continue to reserve my time. the chair: gentleman from michigan is recognized. mr. conyers: mr. chairman, i'm pleased to recognize the gentleman from california, mr. cardenas, for two minutes. the chair: the gentleman from california is recognized for two minutes. mr. cardenas: thank you, mr. speaker. i appreciate all the great work that my colleagues, congressman conyers, has done not only on this issue for the many years you served distinguishable -- distinguishly in this congress. thank you for yielding time. mr. speaker, i rise in support of h.r. 1695, the register of copyright selection and accountability act of 2017.

i represent the san fernando valley which is in the lack lang area. for my constituents, for the families in my district, copyright protections are not an abstract philosophical issue, ladies and gentlemen. the families in my district depend on strong copyright protections in order to earn a living, to feed their family. they work, film, television studios and music publishing, they are artist, set designers, producers, union drivers, and they work on lots, and they work in every aspect supporting this incredible industry. there are 127,000 film and television production jobs in los angeles county. according to a recent report, the core copyright industry, film, television, music, video, games, and publishing make possibly 5.5 million jobs and bring in $1.2 trillion of gross domestic product to the american economy. good copyright laws and

regulations mean jobs. and whether or not a family can put food on the table and a roof over their heads. we need to give the copyright office the respect and authority it deserves as the overseer of 5.5 million american jobs. i have heard from my constituents for years about the need to empower the copyright office to keep up with the industry and the technology changes. this is not a new debate, ladies and gentlemen. i urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill and to continue to stand up for american copyright jobs. thank you very much. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: coip the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from michigan reserves. the gentleman from virginia is recognized. mr. goodlatte: mr. chairman, i continue to reserve. the chair: the gentleman from michigan. mr. conyers: mr. chairman, i'm pleased now to recognize the distinguished member of the judiciary committee from georgia, mr. hank johnson, for two minutes. the chair: the gentleman from georgia is recognized for two minutes. mr. johnson: thank you, mr.

speaker. i thank the ranking member. and i appreciate his work, appreciate the chairman's work on this bill. i believe that this proposal is ill-timed and that's why i rise in opposition to it. on today, world intellectual property day, the protection of our nation's intellectual property and specifically our copyright is too important to take lightly. the system for the appointment of the registrar of copyrights has long been in place and selection of the head of the office of copyrights has been within the purview of the librarian of congress. this nation's top librarian. the system is not broke, but the entire system, including the librarian of congress, is inneed of congressional attention and upgrade. what is needed is modernization, which requires more funding. our first order of business should be to fund adequately the operations of the library

of congress as well as the office of copyrights, but in these days where we're trying to keep the government from closing, you see what we're dealing with in that regard, it's fitting that this decision remain with the librarian as she has an interest in protecting copyrighted materials as head librarian. the nomination and consent process has been politicized with the recent theft from president obama of a united states supreme court appointment serving as exhibit a. the library has been well underfunded for many years and separating the registrar's office would not help with the comprehensive modernization of the library or the copyright office. instead, it would subject the newly independent office to the appropriations process, which, as i stated, is already failing. the library of congress is the premiere stakeholder in the smooth and efficient operations of the office of copyrights.

the librarian of congress is in the best position to monitor the operations of the copyright office, much more than the office of the president. modernization of the library has been discussed for the past 10 years. let's do it competitively. let -- comprehensively. let's not start off with this proposal which quite frankly doesn't pass the smell test at this time. with that i yield back. the chair: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from michigan reserves. the gentleman from virginia. mr. goodlatte: mr. chairman, continue to reserve. the chair: the gentleman from michigan is recognized. now to ers: i'm pleased recognize the distinguished gentleman from florida, mr. deutch, for two minutes. the chair: the gentleman from florida is recognized for two minutes. you.eutch: thank i thank my friend, the ranking member from michigan, and i

appreciate the opportunity to join the majority of my committee colleagues as a co-sponsor of this bill. it reflects the general consensus that congress needs to step in to increase the autonomy of the copyright office bill while still respecting its historic connection to the library. this bill is an important first step in reforming the copyright office. but it can't be the only step. through the hearings this committee has held over the past few years we learned how truly behind the curve the copyright office is. i have worked with colleagues to find a and consensus driven reforms to the copyright office that would go beyond just this step and the process of selecting a register. as have the chairman and ranking member conyers and others on the committee. it should be obvious that to bring the office into the 21st century, we need to do more than just change the selection process for the register of copyrights. it requires a massive overhaul

of the i.t. system of the office to create both a smoother process for creators seeking to protect their work, and a system to enable the public to search the broad catalog of american creativity. and it requires increased accountability and consultation with both the creative and the user communities so that we enshire that the improvements and investments meet the needs of all those who rely on the copyright office to do its job well. establishing the register of copyrights with authority outside of the library of congress is not a reflection of the librarian of congress, it's a recognition of the reality that the library and the copyright office have two fundamentally different missions and they deserve to be empowered to pursue those missions. it's a recognition that success for both of these important entities means allowing them to maintain their historic connection but operate on a day-to-day basis with greater autonomy. i'm glad that the chairman has

taken up this first step. and i look forward to working with him and ranking member conyers and others on the next steps as well. this piece of legislation supports strong copyright laws in our country. and having strong copyright means the ability for creators to be able to do their work. it means the creation of jobs. the reason that this piece of legislation has such strong bipartisan support, the reason that it's supported by the thousands and thousands of people who earn their living every day as a result of the creativity that strong copyright laws protect, the reason they are supporting this legislation is because it is an important first step. and i am glad to participate in this debate and i look forward passing this bill, h.r. 1695, in order to take that

first step to promote stronger copyright, to provide the kind of autonomy that the copyright office needs so that it can move forward rapidly with modernization and most importantly at this moment in our nailings' history, to ensure -- nation's history, to ensure that we have the strongest possible avenue to create even more good jobs, well-paying jobs. that's what this legislation is about. i encourage all of my colleagues to support it. with that i yield back. the chair: the gentleman from florida yields back. the gentleman from michigan reserves. the gentleman from virginia is recognized. mr. goodlatte: mr. chairman, i continue to reserve. the chair: the gentleman from michigan is recognized. mr. conyers: thank you, mr. chairman. i'm pleased now to recognize the distinguished gentlelady from california, ms. jutey chu, two minutes. the chair: the gentlewoman from california is recognized for two minutes. ms. chu: this is a bill that is critical for us to pass. it is the result of more than three years of hearings,

risening tours, and dozens of conversations with a wide range of stakeholders. under the leadership of chairman bob goodlatte and ranking member john conyers, the judiciary committee members sat through hours of hearings and even traveled to different cities around the country to hear from all the stakeholders that are imnanthpakted by our copyright policies. it is clear that we need a change in the copyright office. we need to protect our copyright office. and we can do that with a presidential appointee of the registrar. that is why this bill is supported by a wide range of stakeholders including the afl-cio, screen actors guild, american federation of television and radio artists. the director's build. the international alliance of theatrical stage employees. the american federation of musicians. as well as the motion picture association of america, the

recording industry association of america, the recording academy or grammys, the national association of broadcasters, software and information industry association, the american intellectual property law association, and the intellectual property owners association, monks many. i urge -- amongst many. i urge my colleagues for the sake of our future and the protection of copyright to support this bill. the chair: the gentlewoman yields back. the gentleman from michigan reserves. the gentleman from virginia is recognized. mr. goodlatte: i continue to reserve, mr. chairman. the chair: the gentleman from michigan is recognized. mr. goodlatte: mr. chairman, it's now my pleasure to recognize one of the most influential members of the judiciary committee, the gentlelady from texas, ms. jackson lee. for five minutes. the chair: the gentlewoman from texas is recognized for five minutes. i thank the e:

gentleman from michigan. and all of my colleagues that have spoken on this job creating legislation and recognition of how great america is. with all of the creative talent that we have mustered, the music that you enjoy, the songwriters, and others who create both the visual and musical arts, this is what this is about. i have listened to some of my colleagues from california. i am not from california, i'm from houston, texas. but we know that creative artists and writers and those who invent and those who write wonderful stories are all part of the arena of what america is great about. they generate genius and they create jobs.

and the copyright office is that protector that ensures that those jobs will be protected. we over a series of years in the judiciary committee have looked at reforming the copyright system. we have had hearings. even with the former copyright registrar who indicated that putting her position in a senate confirmation would be the right thing to do. but it's taken four years. and so today we have come not to be out of order, of not doing other maimingor aspects of reform, in fact -- other major aspects of reform, in fact i want to congratulate the library of congress now is engaged in modernization and i applaud her. her appointment has been significant. and she's innovative and already working to make sure that the library and the

creative arts and access and property of those of great talent is protected. but today we come with an aspect of that work, and that is we want to continue to see the progress that our librarian has made. e want to be able to make on an equal status those -- that individual that's dealing with copyright just as the director of the u.s. patent and trademark office status as a presidential appointment or appointee does not compromise that person's ability to execute their duties as head of the uspto nor should it compromise or interfere with the responsibilities of cooperation, collaboration, jurisdictional compromise, and work between the librarian of congress and the copyright registrar. .

my view is keep working to the library of congress, keep doing the modernization work, but i believe as we move forward, regardless of who at this point is in the office of president that we can ensure that the congress has insight and oversight over this important position. let me also suggest to my that the library of congress is an important part of the work of this congress, and i think all of us should be interested stakeholders in the work that it does and should be supporters of that. we encourage the library of congress to work with america's constituency by having programs and letting them know of the wonderful artifacts that are there that are held that tell

the great history of this nation. it is always important to do research there and to see the storied history. now, we come to this bill that does nothing to undermine the storied history or the librarian of congress. what it does, as i've indicated, it helps us create jobs. now, in order to recognize the importance of the librarian of congress, in this instance dr. carla hayden, i'm very grateful that my colleagues accepted an amendment that i have that in fact does do something and it does a very important action. it respects and recognizes the value of the congress' insight on putting forth nominees or names that will be selected from to become the copyright registrar, not to have limited input but to actually produce the names.

ultimately, i hope that an amendment going forward, after this bill, working with the senate, can be there is a limit to the names being put forward and that those names are the names that are put forward to the president of the united states. i think that is an element that should be included. but in the amendment it has that the speaker of the house of representatives, the president pro tempore of the senate -- may i have additional time? mr. conyers: i yield the gentlelady 30 additional seconds. the chair: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. jackson lee: the president pro tempore of the senate, the majority leader of the house of representatives, the majority leader of the senate, minority leader of the house of representatives, minority leader of the senate and the librarian of congress will be in fact the deciders of who gets nominated to be the copyright registrar. as we well know, the afl-cio has provided a letter of support along with the american

federation of musicians, the office guild, the graphic artists, theatrical stage employees, all of these create jobs and all of these unions have representatives all around the nation. finally, i would say it is extremely important that the musicians and artists of color have indicated they see no bias in this particular legislation against the present librarian and have written a letter indicating that they believe that there is no bias. mr. conyers: i yield the gentlelady 30 seconds. ms. jackson lee: i thank the gentleman. that there is no bias. so i ask my colleagues to work , gether and to pass h.r. 1695 to continue -- not begin -- but to continue the process of modernization of the copyright office and continue the collaborative work between the librarian of congress and the

copyright registrar. there is no difference in the cooperation of decades before and as well there is no indication that that will not occur in the future. both of them will have 10-year terms, and i believe that we will move forward on behalf of the american people. with that i yield back. the chair: the gentlelady's time has expired. the gentleman from michigan reserves. the gentleman from virginia is recognized. mr. goodlatte: mr. chairman, i have no speakers remaining. i'm prepared to close when the ranking member is. the chair: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from michigan is recognized. mr. conyers: i'm prepared to close. and i yield myself the balance of the time. the chair: the gentleman is recognized. ladies and gentlemen, in closing i want to point out that it's particularly appropriate that 're considering h.r. 1695 on world intellectual property day

, a day dedicated to acknowledging the critical role that intellectual property rights play in encouraging creativity and innovation. first established in 2001, world intellectual property day encourages engagement among governments, private industry and the public about the importance of intellectual property promotion and protection. h.r. 1695 goes a long way in achieving those goals and accordingly, i thank my colleagues for their support bill be hat this passed as much as we can and i yield the balance of my time to the gentlelady from texas, ms. jackson lee. the chair: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. jackson lee: i thank the gentleman. i will not take the time other than to offer into the record a letter from the creative

coalition dated april 25, 2017, in support of this legislation. i thank the gentleman for yielding and i yield back. the chair: without objection, so ordered. the gentleman from michigan yields back. the gentleman from virginia is recognized. mr. goodlatte: mr. chairman, i yield myself the balance of the time. the chair: the gentleman is recognized. mr. goodlatte: simply to thank the ranking member and many other members across the aisle as well as the subcommittee chair and the subcommittee vice chair of our intellectual property subcommittee, mr. issa, mr. collins, all for their hard work in support of this legislation which is urgently needed. it is very straightforward. it has very broad bipartisan support here in the house. it is also strongly supported in a bipartisan fashion in the senate and a wide array of outside organizations, virtually every copyright organization in the country as

well as a number of other organizations concerned about the importance of intellectual property protection and particularly copyright law want to see the status of the register of copyrights elevated by presidential appointment, with input from six leaders in the house and the senate and the librarian of congress to intellect the next register of copyright and have a 10-year term which is compatible with the terms of other legislative branch important positions. so i urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman yields back. all time for general debate has expired. pursuant to the rule, the bill shall be considered for amendment under the five-minute rule. the bill shall be considered as read. in lieu of the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the committee on the judiciary printed in the bill, it shall be in order to consider as an original bill for the purpose of amendment

under the five-minute rule an amendment in the nature of a substitute consisting of the ext of rules committee print 115-13. that amendment in the nature of a substitute shall be considered as read. no amendment to that amendment in the nature of a substitute shall be in order except those printed in house report 115-95. each such amendment may be offered only in the order printed in the report 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, shall not be subject to amendment, and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the question. it's now in order to consider amendment number 1 printed in house report 115-95.

for what purpose does the gentleman from florida seek recognition? mr. deutch: i have an amendment at the desk. the chair: the clerk will designate the amendment. the clerk: amendment number 1 printed in house report 115-95 offered by mr. deutch of florida. the chair: pursuant to house resolution 275, the gentleman from florida, mr. deutch, and a member opposed, will each control five minutes. the chair recognizes florida. mr. deutch: thank you, mr. chairman. mr. chairman, this amendment will place a much-needed priority on advancing the technological capabilities of the u.s. copyright office. i support the underlying bill to make the selection of the register of copyrights more open and more transparent. i also support the additional congressional oversight that will be necessary to ensure that the register's accountable to the american people. i agree with chairman

goodlatte, ranking member conyers and my other colleagues on the judiciary committee that it's important this bill move forward now. making this improvement to the selection process for the next register is an important first step before the committee advances broader copyright office modernization. but even as we take this initial modest step to improve the appointment process, we can do more to strengthen the copyright office for today's economy. the copyright office's mission is to administer our nation's copyright laws for the public good. securing americans' rights to their intellectual property fosters creativity and benefits all americans by advancing the arts and the sciences. in recent decades, this mission has been undermined by comically outdated information systems at the copyright office. my amendment makes a simple change to the underlying bill to ensure that technology is always a part of the equation when selecting a new register of copyrights. my amendment would require the register of copyrights to be

capable of identifying and supervising a chief information officer. the c.i.o., or similar official, would be responsible for managing information technology systems to advance the copyright office's capabilities and keep pace with our 21st century economy. one would assume that any qualified candidate for the register of copyrights have the skills and experiences necessary to guide the office's technology office. but why leave this vital aspect to assumption? requiring the head of the copyright office to be ready to make this vital selection is not an overly burdensome obligation. for practical purposes, this capability is a necessity, and that's why my amendment would make technology an explicit part of the selection process. my amendment merely requires that the person who will serve as the register be capable of supervising the office's chief information officer. whatever happens next as we move forward with

modernization, i.t. systems of the copyright office must keep pace with new advancements in technology. if congress expects real progress toward improving the copyright office's technology, we must ensure that the leaders we select are prepared for the job. i want to thank my judiciary committee colleague, mrs. love green. she made this point in committee during markup of the bill and the language of this amendment takes her suggestions a step further. it's a small change to the underlying bill but it sends a much-needed signal that the work of the copyright office must include a focus on improving its i.t. systems. this is only the beginning of congress' work to modernize the of copyright office. h.r. 1695 is a good first step, and i strongly support the underlying bill, but any step forward towards modernization must have i.t. improvements at the front of mind. i hope my colleagues will support this change. i think it's a commonsense step

, and i reserve the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman from florida reserves. for what purpose does the gentleman from virginia rise? mr. goodlatte: mr. chairman, i rise to claim the time in opposition to the amendment, but i do not oppose the amendment. the chair: the gentleman is recognized, without objection. mr. goodlatte: mr. chairman, i rise to speak in support of the amendment offered by mr. deutch. mr. deutch has been a strong supporter of intellectual property as well as the modernization of the copyright office during the house judiciary committee's copyright review. the needs of a modern copyright registration systems require advanced information technology systems, so it's critical all future registers have a strong base of information technology knowledge within the office to lead such efforts. by requiring all future registers to have the skills necessary to identify and hire a chief information officer or other similar official to lead such efforts within the office, the deutch amendment ensures a strong copyright office. i want to thank him for making

this important contribution to the legislation, and i neglected to mention earlier -- i don't see him here now -- but i also want to thank the ranking member of the subcommittee, mr. nadler of new york, for the important contributions he's made to this legislation as well and i yield back my time. the chair: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from florida is recognized. mr. deutsch: i would like to yield to ranking member conyers such time as he may consume. the chair: the gentleman from michigan is recognized. mr. conyers: i thank you, mr. deutch. and i just want to -- everyone to know that i rise in support of this amendment. as we discovered through the judiciary committee's comprehensive copyright review pros serks the copyright office -- process, the copyright office needs significant upgrades to its technology. so your amendment would ensure that the register has someone on her staff with the knowledge and skills necessary to bring

the copyright office information technology systems into the 21st crentry. -- crentry. it's a useful amendment t will help modernize the copyright office and i appreciate the gentleman from florida for offering it. i urge total support for the amendment. and yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from florida. mr. deutch: i thank my friend from michigan. i appreciate the strong support from chairman goodlatte and i urge all of my colleagues to support this good amount. with that i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman from florida yields back. the question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from florida. so many as are in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. the gentleman from virginia. mr. goodlatte: on that i ask for a recorded vote. the chair: recorded vote has been offered. pursuant to clause 6 of rule 18, further proceedings on the

amendment offered by the gentleman from florida will be postponed. it is now in order to consider amendment number 2 printed in house report 115-95. for what purpose does the the gentlewoman from california seek recognition? ms. chu: i have meafpblgt the chair: the clerk will designate the amendment. the clerk: amendment number 2, printed in house report number 115-95, offered by ms. chu of california. the chair: pursuant to house resolution 275, the gentlewoman from california, ms. chu, and a member opposed, each will control five minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from california. ms. chu: mr. speaker, i rise today in support of h.r. 1695, and the amendment that i offer. this is a simple amendment that specifies that the mandatory deposit requirement of the library of congress will not be affected in any way by the underlying bill.

currently applicants for copyright registration are required to submit two deposit copies to the copyright office. after the office reviews material to determine whether it qualifies for copyright protection, it makes the copies available for the library for its use in its permanent collection. in fact, that is a large reason that the copyright office is located in the library of congress to begin with. ainsworth rarian convinced congress that placing the copyright office in the library would help build its collection through deposits of registered works, which it's done successfully. in the digital age, many argue that the mandatory deposit requirement should be modified in some way to better balance the needs of creators and the library. my amendment states that h.r. 1695 may not be construed to impact the mandatory deposit requirement and it makes clear

that this issue is for another day. passing this amendment will allow us to focus instead on the many benefits in turning the register into a presidentially appointed senate confirmed position. the underlying bill is the result of more than three years of hearings, listening tours, and dozens of conversations with a wide range of stakeholders. the judiciary committee members led by chairman goodlatte and ranking member john conjers all sat through hours of hearings and even traveled to different cities around the country to hear from all of our stakeholders who are impacted by our copyright policies. as the judiciary committee finished its thorough review of the copyright act, there was broad consensus that the copyright office should be modernized and restructured so that it is more accountable to congress and to the public. this is why i, along with

congress member tom marino, introduced a bipartisan bill to carry out these changes. our bill, the copyright office for the digital economy act, the code act, would also put in place a system similar to the one in h.r. 1695 to elevate the register. we introduce this bill two years ago before the new librarian was sworn in and when president obama was still in office. this has been a bipartisan issue grounded on sound policy considerations. i believe the changes proposed in h.r. 1695 will help improve the functionality of the copyright office in which members of the public rely on to protect their works or properly used copyright works. the core yoip right industries are now responsible for $1.2 trillion of our g.d.p. which

represents 7% of the economy. these industries also employ 5.5 million people. we need to make sure that copyright office can modernize to meet the demands of the growing industries in our country. and its leadership that is accountable to congress which will help it move towards that direction. i urge my colleagues to support the amendment and the underlying bill. i reserve the balance of my time. the chair: the gentlewoman from california reserves. for what purpose does the gentleman from virginia rise? mr. goodlatte: mr. chairman, i rise to claim the opposition in time to the amendment but do not oppose the amendment. the chair: if there is no objection, the gentleman is recognized. mr. goodlatte: thank you, mr. chairman. i rise in support of the amendment offered by ms. chu. she has been a strong advocate for the protection of intellectual property as well as the modernization of the copyright office during the house judiciary committee's copyright review. and we miss her on the

committee. one of the issues that has been raised while we have discussed updates to our nation's copyright laws is the importance of preserving our mandatory deposit system. ed mandatory deposit system that exists in our law has resulted in numerous copyrighted works being added to the collections of the library of congress at no charge to taxpayers. without the mandatory deposit system, the library's selection clexes would be vastly smaller without a significant increase in taxpayer funding in order to buy these copyrighted works that are now provided free to the library. ms. chu's amendment ensures this system is not disrupted as the register position is made subject to the nomination and consent process. i urge my colleagues to support the amendment. and yield back. the chair: the gentleman yields back. the gentlewoman from california is recognized. ms. chu: i would like to yield time to the ranking member of the judiciary, mr. conyers. the chair: the gentleman from michigan is recognized. mr. conyers: thank you. i thank the gentlelady for yielding to me.

this amendment makes clear that nothing in the bill would impact the library of congress' mandatory deposit requirement. for over 100 years the library has built its world class collection in large part through the mandatory deposit requirement. so h.r. 1695 is a very narrow bill that only changes how the gister of copry rights is -- copyrights is selected. i think it's helpful and many congratulate the gentlewoman from for this creative amendment. and urge my colleagues' support and yield back. the chair: the gentlewoman from california is recognized. ms. chu: i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentlewoman yields back. the question is on the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from california. so many as are in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. he amendment is agreed to.

pursuant to clause 6 of rule 18, the unfinished business is the request for a recorded vote on amendment number 1 printed in house report 115-95 by the gentleman from florida, mr. deutch, on which further proceedings were postponed and on which the ayes prevailed by voice vote. the clerk will redesignate the amendment. the clerk: amendment number 1 printed in house report number 115-95, offered by mr. deutch of florida. the chair: a recorded vote has been requested. those in support of the request for recorded vote will rise and be counted. a sufficient number having arisen, a recorded vote is ordered. members will record their votes by electronic device. this will be a 15-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the chair: on this vote, the yeas are 410, the nays are 14. the amendment is adopted. the question is on the amendment in the nature of a substitute as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes have it. the amendment is adopted.

accordingly under the rule, the committee rises. the chair: the committee of the whole house on the state of the union has had under consideration h.r. 1695 and pursuant to the house resolution 275, i report the bill back to the house with an amendment adopted in the committee of the whole. the speaker pro tempore: the chair of the committee of the whole house reports that the committee has had under consideration the bill h.r. 6 1695 and reports the bill back to the house with an amendment. the previous question is ordered. is a separate vote demanded on any amendments to the amendment reported from the committee of the whole? if not, the question is on adoption of the amendment in the nature of a substitute as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes have it. the amendment is agreed to.

the question is on engrossment and third reading of the bill. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes have it. the clerk: a bill to amend 17 united states code to provide additional responsibility for the register of copyy rights and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: the question is on passage of the bill. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. for what purpose does the gentleman from virginia seek recognition? mr. goodlatte: i ask for the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. those favoring a vote will rise. a sufficient number having arisen, yeas and nays are ordered. members will record their votes by electronic device. this -- pursuant to clause 8, rule 20, this five-minute vote will be followed by a five-minute vote on agreeing to the speaker's approval of the journal if ordered. this is a five-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote, the yeas are 378, the nays are 48. the bill is passed. without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 0, the unfinished business is the question on agreeing to the speaker's approval of the journal which the chair will put de novo. the question is on agreeing to the speaker's approval of the journal. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes have it. the gentleman from arkansas. >> i ask for the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. those favoring a vote by the yeas and nays will rise. a sufficient number having risen, the yeas and nays are ordered. members will record their votes by electronic device. this is a five-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote, the yeas are 237, the nays are 161 with two present votes. the journal stands approved. for what purpose does the gentleman from ohio seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, in order to emphasize my support of term limits under h.j.res. 6, i ask unanimous consent that my name be respond -- removed as a co-sponsor of h.j.res. 50. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered.

the house will be in order. please take your conversations from the aisles, from the back of the room. please clear the well. the chair will now entertain requests for one-minute speeches. for what purpose does the gentleman from arkansas seek recognition? the gentleman is recognized for ne minute. the gentleman will suspend. please take your conversations from the floor, from the well. he house will be in order.

>> mr. speaker, i rise today to remember the life of former congressman jay dickey who represented the fourth district of arkansas for eight years. in the days since congressman dickey's death last week at the age of 77, tributes have poured in, with many noting his sense of civic duty, his love of family, and most of all, his faith in god. if you spent much time with jay, you likely reached a point in the conversation where he would pause and ask a pointed question. when you die, where will you spend eternity? i remember jay asking me that question and when i quickly responded, heaven, he didn't let me off easy as he followed up with, how do you know? after which we had a long discussion sharing our common faith in christ. there are current members of

this house who served with jay, the first republican to represent arkansas' fourth congressional district. regardless of political party, he was the representative of all arkansans and he genuinely cared about people. mr. speaker, i ask the members of the house to join me and the members of the arkansas congressional delegation in observing a moment of silence in remembrance of congressman jay dickey. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition?

the gentleman is recognized for ne minute. >> mr. speaker, this saturday marks 100 days of broken promises made to the american worker by the trump administration. mr. veasey: on the campaign he promised to create jobs right here at home. since he has taken office, he has done the opposite. during the first few weeks of his administration, the president signed an executive order to raise mortgage rates for new homeowners. the administration also killed worker protections for individual workers in this country. and then they also have done nothing, absolutely nothing to deal with davis-bacon and prevailing wages which guarantees american workers the right to earn more money. and the administration gutted another protection that would

have made it harder for companies to secure federal contracts if they have a history of labor law violations. it's more than clear that this administration does not plan to fight for the american worker, the american man and woman that is making it every day in america. they are doing everything to help billionaire buddies and promote golf courses. that's why we'll continue to stand up to the administration when it turns its back on working-class americans. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from arkansas seek recognition? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. >> i rise the tibutes that were affected by the horrors of the holocaust. on april 11, 1945, about 3:00 p.m. in the afternoon, general

patton liberated a concentration camp with the help of my father-in-law bill mackenzie, a 22-year-old army officer fresh from texas a&m university. bill said i will not describe the horrible sight, but i will tell you this. it was still burning. dead were stacked like cord wood on large trailers and the living dead were starving. i would deliver the ueling at his funeral and read a letter from a survivor he rescued that day. bill will be remembered by us as a hero and his role in liberating innocent people from the death camps and it's a proud distinction in our family. these atrocities have no place in our world. thank you, mr. speaker. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman

from california seek recognition? >> unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> mr. speaker, i rise today to mark the national day of silence, a day that took place last friday, april 21. that's a day when young people come together to raise awareness about the issues faced by lesbian, gay, by sexual and transgender students. in fact, it is the only day that highlights issues and it is that type of day that will lead to more acceptance and inclusiveness in our society. a student from my district in the town of watsonville, she remained silent on that day. and after she said, now more than ever, we as a nation, must understand the importance of

unity and sold art. i couldn't -- solidarity, i couldn't agree more. we work to ensure inclusiveness in our country by fighting for policies that support our lgbt youth and many students took a vow of silence last friday. we as leaders must speak out, to speak up and to step up for all americans living in fear because of who they love and who they are. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania seek recognition? mr. thompson: request unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. thompson: mr. speaker, this week, we observed the days of remembrance of the nation's annual commemoration of the holocaust. it was a system attic

government-sponsored murder of six million jews by the nazi regime. congress established today as a remembrance in 1980. each year, state and local governments, military bases, orkplaces, schools, real rellingous services remember. for this reason, we gather annually to mourn the loss of so many lives in honor of those who survived and those who risked their lives. remember the american soldiers to liberate many from concentration camps and remember because as one said, education remembrance are the only cures for hatred and bigotry. we will not be silent and we will always remember and pledge never again. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from florida seek recognition? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> thank you, mr. speaker. as vice chair of the seniors' task force, i rise in strong defense of social security. recent reports that the white house is considering defunding social security and cutting social security disability benefits are troubling to say the least. 61 million retirees, veterans, disabled workers, widows and children rely on their social security. including over 186,000 in my district in florida alone. mr. crist: on their behalf, i have a simple message, hands off their social security. president trump promised the american people he would not cut

social security. that is a promise we are going to help him keep. hands off social security. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania seek recognition? >> request unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> one of the big issues in last year's presidential campaign was border security. as we mark 100 days, we should acknowledge how president trump has restored confidence and morale among our border patrol agents. they know our president will back them as they work to enforce our nation's immigration laws. mr. rothfus: the officers told me about their renewed ability. what was remarkable, i heard the same thing from every agent, man or woman regardless of ethnic background. president trump understands we have a responsibility to stop the flood of heroin and other narcotics pouring across our

southern board. we must secure our border and end this scurge for the sake of our mothers, one who lost her son and asked god to damn heroin. we need to secure our border. i thank the speaker and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from tennessee seek recognition? >> address the house for one minute and revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. cohen: on tuesday, rotary international recognized hampions to eradicate polio. but as one of two congressional members who are purple hearts of the polio years, i wish to thank them but also say how dreadful it is and the budget that is being proposed will reduce funding by 20% to the national institutes of health and c.d.c. the c.d.c. and national

institutes of health look for cures and treatments that can protect people in the future. the national institutes of health needs more funding and not less and so does the c.d.c. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> mr. speaker, 40-year-old mexican national oscar perez had already been deported twice. he left the country of the u.s. with a host of felony convictions including attempted robbery by firearms. but holes in the u.s. border allowed him to sneak back a third time. his girlfriend ran a day care center. for three months he molested and raped a 12-year-old girl and he will be turned over to i.c.e.

and deported again. we must have have the moral will to secure the border. those who assault and pillage america are slipping back into the country under the radar. we must prevent criminal aliens from re-entering. secure the southern border. do it now or there will be more 12-year-old victims. and that's just the way it is. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from new jersey seek recognition? >> permission to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. payne: mr. speaker, i'm glad we are talking about criminals. i want to point out one that potentially has been in the white house.

he was a general. spoke at the national convention of the republican party. he said lock her up. but when he filled out his disclosure form to work in the white house, he conveniently left out that he received money from two foreign governments, a former general who defended this nation, did not fill out that he received this money. sat next to vladimir putin for dinner, but did not fill this form out properly. mr. speaker, we are very concerned about mike flynn and it's obvious that we here in the house of representatives do something to point out when we

see something that is illegal going on, what comes around, goes around, mr. speaker. and he said lock her up. well looks like he might get locked up. and that's the way it's going to be. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from alaska seek recognition? mr. young: i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. young: mr. speaker, we just had the arkansas delegation, my colleagues may have noticed that i was with them, alaska and arkansas have a great deal in similarity. but jay dicky, i served with him. and he was my friend. and to his family, even the other day, when i heard that he had passed away, i tried to call

his cell phone -- not he, but they would answer it and it was jay's voice. he was a great basketball player, good coach, tennis player, fine athlete. but more than that, he was a friend to many of these congressmen in these halls. as it was mentioned, he tried to save us all. some he succeeded with, some he did not. he worked with me for many years and finally accomplished his goal and i thank him from the bottom of my heart. and i know the lord is takeing care of him because he was a true american and a person who cherished his job, served his district well and was an ally and friend for those who believed. i want to thank him for his efforts to make this country better. yield back. tifment there is before the house a communication.

the clerk: the honorable, the speaker, house of representatives, pursuant to section 4003-e of the 21st century cures act, i am pleased to appoint dr. steven lane of california to the health and information technology of the health advisory committee. igned sincerely, nancy pelosi, democratic leader. the speaker pro tempore: under the speaker's announced policy of january 3, 2017, the gentleman from missouri, mr. clay, is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader. mr. clay: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of my special