[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 72 (Wednesday, May 3, 1995)]
[Daily Digest]
[Page D543]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                              Wednesday, May 3, 1995 [[Page D542]] 

                              Daily Digest


                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S6019-S6129
Measures Introduced: Twelve bills and three resolutions were 
introduced, as follows: S. 745-756, S.J. Res. 33, and S. Res. 113 and 
114.
  Page S6082
Measures Passed:
  Authorizing Legal Counsel Representation: Senate agreed to S. Res. 
113, to authorize representation by Senate Legal Counsel.
  Pages S6126-27
  Requesting Judicial Review: Senate agreed to S. Res. 114, to refer S. 
740, entitled ``A bill for the relief of Inslaw, Inc, and William A. 
Hamilton and Nancy Burke Hamilton'' to the chief judge of the United 
States Court of Federal Claims for a report thereon.
  Page S6127
  Lost Creek Land Exchange: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 
was discharged from further consideration of S. 103, entitled the 
``Lost Creek Land Exchange Act of 1995'', and the bill was then passed.
  Pages S6127-28
Product Liability Fairness Act: Senate continued consideration of H.R. 
956, to establish legal standards and procedures for product liability 
litigation, taking action on amendments proposed thereto, as follows:
  Pages S6033-79
Adopted:
  (1) By 51 yeas to 49 nays (Vote No. 146), Dole Modified Amendment No. 
617 (to Amendment No. 596), to provide for certain limitations on 
punitive damages.
Page S6046
  (2) DeWine Amendment No. 622 (to Amendment No. 617), to provide 
protection for individuals, small business, charitable organizations 
and other small entities from excessive punitive damage awards.
Pages S6045-46
  (3) DeWine Amendment No. 623 (to Amendment No. 617), regarding asset 
disclosure.
Page S6046
  (4) Shelby/Heflin Modified Amendment No. 621 (to Amendment No. 617), 
to provide that a defendant may be liable for certain damages if the 
alleged harm to a claimant is death and certain damages are provided 
under State law.
Page S6046
  (5) Gorton Amendment No. 683 (to Amendment No. 596), to revise the 
rules regarding claimants who are employees.
Page S6078
  (6) Gorton Amendment No. 684 (to Amendment No. 596), to modify the 
rented or leased products provision.
Page S6078
  (7) Gorton Amendment No. 685 (to Amendment No. 596), to toll the 
statute of limitation in certain actions brought against a product 
seller as manufacturer.
Page S6079
Rejected:
  (1) Dorgan Amendment No. 619 (to Amendment No. 617), to establish 
uniform standards for the awarding of punitive damages. (By 51 yeas to 
49 nays (Vote No. 145), Senate tabled the amendment.)
Pages S6044-45
  (2) Thompson Modified Amendment No. 618 (to Amendment No. 596), to 
limit the applicability of the uniform product liability provisions to 
actions brought in a Federal court under diversity jurisdiction. (By 58 
yeas to 41 nays (Vote No. 147), Senate tabled the amendment.)
Pages S6047-68, S6075-76
Pending:
  (1) Gorton Amendment No. 596, in the nature of a substitute.
Page S6033
  (2) Abraham Amendment No. 600 (to Amendment No. 596), to provide for 
proportionate liability for noneconomic damages in all civil actions 
whose subject matter affects commerce.
Pages S6068-74
  (3) Kyl Amendment No. 681 (to Amendment No. 596), to make 
improvements concerning alternative dispute resolution.
Pages S6074-75
  (4) Hollings Amendment No. 682 (to Amendment No. 596), to provide for 
product liability insurance reporting.
Page S6075
  A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing for votes to 
occur on certain of the pending amendments on Thursday, May 4, 1995, 
beginning at 12:15 p.m., with votes on the pending cloture motions to 
occur thereafter.
Pages S6078-79
Appointment:
  Canada-United States Interparliamentary Group: The Chair, on behalf 
of the Vice President, pursuant to 22 U.S.C. 276d-276g, as amended, 
appointed Senator Murray as Vice Chairman of the Senate Delegation to 
the Canada-United States [[Page D543]] Interparliamentary Group during 
the 104th Congress.
  Page S6128
Treaty Approved: The following treaty having passed through the various 
parliamentary stages, up to and including the presentation of the 
resolution of ratification, upon division, two-thirds of the Senators 
present and having voted in the affirmative, the resolution of 
ratification was agreed to:
  Extradition Treaty with Jordan. (Treaty Doc. 104-3)
Page S6126
Messages From the President: Senate received the following messages 
from the President of the United States:
  Transmitting, a draft of proposed legislation entitled ``The 
Immigration Enforcement Improvements Act of 1995''; to the Committee on 
the Judiciary. (PM-44).
Pages S6079-80
  Transmitting, a draft of proposed legislation entitled ``The 
Antiterrorism Amendments Act of 1995''; to the Committee on the 
Judiciary. (PM-45).
Page S6080
Nominations Confirmed: Senate confirmed the following nominations:
  Charles T. Manatt, of the District of Columbia, to be a Member of the 
Board of Directors of the Communications Satellite Corporation until 
the date of the annual meeting of the Corporation in 1997.
Page S6129
Nominations Received: Senate received the following nominations:
  Timothy Michael Carney, of Washington, to be Ambassador to the 
Republic of Sudan.
Page S6129
Messages From the President:
  Pages S6079-80
Messages From the House:
  Page S6080
Measures Referred:
  Pages S6080-81
Measures Placed on Calendar:
  Page S6081
Communications:
  Pages S6081-82
Executive Reports of Committees:
  Page S6082
Statements on Introduced Bills:
  Pages S6082-S6108
Additional Cosponsors:
  Pages S6108-09
Amendments Submitted:
  Pages S6109-25
Notices of Hearings:
  Pages S6125-26
Authority for Committees:
  Page S6126
Record Votes: Three record votes were taken today. (Total--147)
  Pages S6045, S6046, S6076
Recess: Senate convened at 9 a.m., and recessed at 7:28 p.m., until 
9:30 a.m., on Thursday, May 4, 1995. (For Senate's program, see the 
remarks of the Acting Majority Leader in today's Record on page S6128.)