[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 40 (Thursday, April 14, 1994)]
[Daily Digest]
[Page D]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: April 14, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                        House of Representatives


Chamber Action
Bills Introduced: 26 public bills, H.R. 4210-4235; and 3 resolutions, 
H.J. Res. 353-354, and H. Con. Res. 239 were introduced.

                                                         Pages H2366-67

Reports Filed: Reports were filed as follows:
  H.R. 1617, to authorize the establishment on the grounds of the 
Edward Hines, Jr., Department of Veterans Affairs Hospital, Hines, 
Illinois, of a facility to provide temporary accommodations for family 
members of severely ill children being treated at a nearby university 
medical center (H. Rept. 103-476); and
  H.R. 4013, to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs with necessary flexibility in staffing 
the Veterans Health Administration, to authorize the Secretary to 
establish pilot programs for health care delivery, amended (H. Rept. 
103-477).

                                                             Page H2366

Journal: By a recorded vote of 237 ayes to 158 noes, Roll No. 105, the 
House approved the Journal of Wednesday, April 13.

                                                             Page H2322

Violent Crime Control: House completed all general debate and began 
consideration of amendments to H.R. 4092, to control and prevent crime; 
but came to no resolution thereon. Consideration of amendments will 
resume on Tuesday, April 18.

                                                      Pages H2260-H2343

Agreed To:
  The Brooks en bloc amendments that requires United States flags be 
flown at half-staff on all Government buildings on Peace Officers 
Memorial Day; expresses the sense of Congress that violent felonies 
against truckers should be prosecuted to the fullest extent under 
Federal law; funds a demonstration program under the Justice Department 
that would establish specialized ``domestic violence court advocates''; 
increases criminal penalties for visa and passport abuse crimes; 
ensures that programs funded under the Model Intensive Grant Program 
and Local Partnership Act are coordinated with existing programs; 
reauthorizes Secret Service authority regarding financial institution 
fraud; authorizes $210 million for fiscal years 1995 through 1999 for 
Treasury Department law enforcement activities; authorizes a study of 
closed military bases for conversion to prison facilities; makes 
technical changes to the appointment procedures for the Commission to 
Support Law Enforcement; provides penalties for crimes regarding 
explosives; funds a demonstration program under the Health and Human 
Services Department that provides anti-crime youth councils and 
programs to prevent children from becoming involved with gangs; allows 
the Justice Department to assist local law enforcement officials in 
investigating State violent crimes against travelers; provides for use 
of funds for job programs to prevent crime under the Local Partnership 
Act; provides for a study on prison overcrowding; makes technical 
amendments to the Violent Repeat Offender Incarceration Act; authorizes 
the INS to accept non-Federal assistance when deporting undocumented 
aliens charged with violating criminal statutes; promotes the removal 
and prevention of graffiti with Juvenile Trafficking and Gang 
Prevention Grant funds; lifts the current four-year limit on victims 
assistance programs under the Byrne Memorial Fund; adds provisions on 
criminal aliens and immigration enforcement; creates the National 
Commission on Crime and Violence; adds the Secretary of the Interior to 
the ``Ounce of Prevention Council''; clarifies the intent of the bill 
to increase Federal funds for State and local communities in fighting 
crime through additional programs; adds the language of the Urban 
Recreation and At-Risk Youth Act; expresses the sense of Congress 
regarding comparable funding of programs for rural areas; requires 
States to provide appropriate professional training to corrections 
officers who deal with repeat violent offenders; makes certain 
technical amendments; authorizes rural anti-crime and anti-drug 
initiatives; authorizes for fiscal years 1995 through 1997 $12 million 
for the establishment of Boys and Girls Clubs in public housing; 
increases the penalties for illegal trafficking in counterfeit goods 
and services; increases the penalties for selling a Congressional Medal 
of Honor; authorizes $100 million over the next five years for the 
establishment of a ``Community-Based Justice Grant Programs; continues 
to permit firefighters and police to have mandatory retirement ages; 
determines the veteran status of inmates and assures that State veteran 
inmates receive the veterans benefits to which they are entitled; 
reauthorizes the Edward Byrne Memorial State and Local Law Enforcement 
Assistance Program; and provides Federal death benefits for local fire 
and police chaplains (agreed to by a recorded vote of 395 ayes to 25 
noes, Roll No. 104);

                                                         Pages H2304-21

  The Duncan amendment that authorizes the death penalty for kidnapping 
when the death of a minor results; and

                                                         Pages H2322-23

  The McCollum amendment that adds procedures for imposing the death 
penalty in cases involving drug ``kingpins'' where no death results 
(agreed to by a recorded vote of 340 ayes to 87 noes, with 1 voting 
``present'', Roll No. 108).

                                                         Pages H2331-33

  The Gekas amendment that sought to specify the elements that must be 
proved to convict the defendant of the offense could be aggravating 
factors to be considered in deciding whether to impose a death penalty 
(agreed to by a recorded vote of 226 ayes to 198 noes, with 1 voting 
``present'', Roll No. 109);

                                                         Pages H2333-36

Rejected:
  The Watt amendment that sought to eliminate provisions imposing the 
death penalty for drug kingpins, even if no death results (rejected by 
a recorded vote of 108 ayes to 316 noes, with 1 voting ``present'', 
Roll No. 106);

                                                         Pages H2323-25

  The Scott amendment that sought to eliminate provisions making 
murders committed during carjackings, drive-by shootings, and Federal 
drug and gun crimes subject to the death penalty;

                                                         Pages H2325-26

  The Kopetski amendment that sought to eliminate provisions providing 
for the death penalty, instead of life imprisonment (rejected by a 
recorded vote of 111 ayes to 314 noes, Roll No. 107);

                                                         Pages H2326-31

  The McCollum motion to rise and report the bill back to the House 
with the recommendation that the enacting clause be stricken (rejected 
by a recorded vote of 170 ayes to 257 noes, Roll No. 110); and

                                                         Pages H2336-39

  The Watt amendment that sought to delete provisions regarding death 
penalty procedures that states that aggravating factors may be 
considered in imposing the death penalty (rejected by recorded vote of 
116 ayes to 308 noes, with 1 voting ``present'', Roll No. 111).

                                                         Pages H2339-41

Budget: House disagreed to the Senate amendment to H. Con. Res. 218, 
setting forth the congressional budget for the United States Government 
for the fiscal years 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, and 1999; and agreed to 
conference. Appointed as conferees: Representatives Sabo, Gephardt, 
Kildee, Beilenson, Berman, Wise, Bryant, Stenholm, Frank of 
Massachusetts, Slaughter, Kasich, McMillan, Kolbe, Shays, Snowe, and 
Herger.

                                                         Pages H2343-56

  Rejected the Kasich motion to instruct conferees to agree to the 
Senate amendment reflecting a $26 billion reduction in the deficit over 
five years by agreeing to reduce the total spending levels specified in 
the House-passed resolution by specified amounts; and to agree to the 
Senate amendment which provides that if the President's defense budget 
request is approved, no further cuts be made in defense (rejected by a 
yea-and-nay vote of 202 yeas to 216 nays, Roll No. 112).

                                                         Pages H2343-56

Legislative Program: Agreed to adjourn from Thursday to Monday.

                                                             Page H2356

Calendar Wednesday: Agreed to dispense with Calendar Wednesday business 
of April 20.

                                                             Page H2356

Referral: One Senate-passed measure was referred to the appropriate 
House committee.

                                                             Page H2366

Senate Messages: Messages received from the Senate today appear on 
pages H2255, H2356-57.
Quorum Calls--Votes: One yea-and-nay vote and eight recorded votes 
developed during the proceedings of the House today and appear on pages 
H2321, H2322, H2324-25, H2330-31, H2333, H2335-36, H2338-39, H2340-41, 
and H2355-56. There were no quorum calls.
Adjournment: Met at 10:00 a.m. and adjourned at 6 p.m.