[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 35 (Thursday, March 14, 1996)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D201-D202]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




[[Page D201]]




                        House of Representatives


Chamber Action
Bills Introduced: 20 public bills, H.R. 3083-3102; and 4 resolutions, 
H. Con. Res. 152, and H. Res. 382, 383, 385 were introduced. 
                                                         Pages H2315-16
Reports Filed: Reports were filed as follows:
  Conference report on H.R. 956, to establish legal standards and 
procedures for product liability litigation (H. Rept. 104-481);
  H.R. 2739, to provide for a representational allowance for Members of 
the House of Representatives, to make technical and conforming changes 
to sundry provisions of law in consequence of administrative reforms in 
the House of Representatives, amended (H. Rept. 104-482); and
  H. Res. 384, providing for consideration of H.R. 2202, to amend the 
Immigration and Nationality Act to improve deterrence of illegal 
immigration to the United States by increasing border patrol and 
investigative personnel, by increasing penalties for alien smuggling 
and for document fraud, by reforming exclusion and deportation law and 
procedures, by improving the verification system for eligibility for 
employment, and through other measures, to reform the legal immigration 
system and facilitate legal entries into the United States (H. Rept. 
104-483).
Pages H2238-47, H2315
Speaker Pro Tempore: Read a letter from the Speaker wherein he 
designates Representative Foley to act as Speaker pro tempore for 
today.
  Page H2225
Journal: By a recorded vote of 336 ayes to 73 noes, with 1 voting 
``present'', Roll No. 63, the House approved the Journal of March 13. 
                                                             Page H2238
Committees to Sit: The following committees and their subcommittees 
received permission to sit today during proceedings of the House under 
the five-minute rule: Committees on Commerce, Economic and Educational 
Opportunities, Government Reform and Oversight, International 
Relations, the Judiciary, National Security, Resources, Science, Small 
Business, Transportation and Infrastructure, Veterans' Affairs, and 
Select Intelligence.
  Page H2229
Continuing Resolution: By a yea-and-nay vote of 238 yeas to 179 nays, 
Roll No. 62, the House agreed to H.J. Res. 163, making further 
continuing appropriations for fiscal year 1996.
  Pages H2229-38
Anti-Terrorism Act: By a recorded vote of 229 ayes to 191 noes, Roll 
No. 66, the House passed H.R. 2703, to combat terrorism. 
                                                      Pages H2247-H2304
  Rejected the Conyers motion to recommit the bill to the Committee on 
the Judiciary.
Page H2267
Rejected:
  The Watt amendment that sought to strike provisions relating to 
``habeas corpus'' reform that place strict limits on the ability of 
state death row prisoners to challenge in Federal court the 
constitutionality of their conviction or sentence (rejected by a vote 
of 135 ayes to 283 noes, Roll No. 64). This amendment was debated on 
Wednesday; and
Pages H2247-50
  The Conyers amendment in the nature of a substitute that sought to 
strike provisions restricting habeas corpus appeals by death row 
prisoners; to strike provisions expanding wire tapping authority; to 
strike provisions allowing the FBI access to telephone and consumer 
records; to strike language regarding the deportation of criminal 
aliens; to strike provisions for a study of ``cop killer'' bullets; to 
strike provisions designating a mandatory minimum penalty for knowingly 
transferring firearms used to commit violent crimes; to add provisions 
making it a crime to target children in an act of terrorism; to add 
provisions increasing the ability of U.S. citizens to sue a foreign 
country for sanctioning terrorism by eliminating the current 
requirement that the U.S. citizen enter into arbitration with the 
foreign country before filing suit; and to add provisions requiring 
judicial review of the State Department and the Attorney General 
designation of a terrorist group (rejected by a recorded vote of 129 
ayes to 294 noes, Roll No. 65).
Pages H2250-67
  The Clerk was authorized to correct section numbers, cross-
references, punctuation, and to make any such stylistic, clerical, 
technical and conforming changes as may be necessary in the engrossment 
of the bill. In addition, it was made in order that the Clerk be 
authorized to make a specific technical correction to the bill. 
                                                             Page H2268
  Subsequently, S. 735, a similar Senate-passed measure, was passed in 
lieu after being amended to contain the text of H.R. 2703 as passed the 
House. The title of the Senate bill was amended and H.R. 2703 was laid 
on the table.
Pages H2268-H2304
  House then insisted on its amendments to S. 735 and asked a 
conference with the Senate. Appointed as conferees: Representatives 
Hyde, McCollum, Schiff, Buyer, Barr, Conyers, Schumer, and Berman. 
                                                             Page H2304
Agriculture Market Transition Act: House disagreed to the Senate 
amendment to H.R. 2854, to modify the operation of certain agricultural 
programs; and agreed to a conference. Appointed as conferees: 
Representative Roberts, Emerson, Gunderson, Ewing, Barrett of Nebraska, 
Allard, Boehner,

[[Page D202]]

Pombo, de la Garza, Rose, Stenholm, Volkmer, Johnson of South Dakota, 
and Condit.
  Pages H2304-05
  Agreed to the Peterson of Minnesota motion to instruct House 
conferees to insist on the House language regarding program extension 
of the Conservation Reserve Program through the year 2002 (agreed to by 
a yea-and-nay vote of 412, Roll No. 67).
Pages H2304-05
Committee Election: House agreed to H. Res. 382, electing 
Representative Parker of Mississippi to the Committee on Appropriations 
to rank following Representative Riggs of California.
  Page H2305
Committee Resignation: Read a letter from Representative Serrano 
wherein he resigns from the Committee on the Judiciary.
  Page H2305
Committee Election: House agreed to H. Res. 383, electing 
Representative Serrano to the Committee on Appropriations.
  Page H2305
Legislative Program: Representative Hastert, as a designee of the 
Majority Leader, announced the legislative program for the week of 
March 18. Agreed to adjourn from Thursday to Monday.
  Pages H2305-06
Meeting Hour: Agreed to meet at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 19 for 
morning hour debates.
  Page H2306
Recess: House recessed at 4:29 p.m. and reconvened at 6:41 p.m. 
                                                             Page H2313
Designation of Speaker Pro Tempore: Read a letter from the Speaker 
wherein he designates Representative Dreier to sign enrolled bills and 
joint resolutions through Tuesday, March 19, 1996.
  Page H2314
Calendar Wednesday: Agreed to dispense with Calendar Wednesday business 
of March 20.
  Page H2306
Senate Messages: Message received from the Senate appears on page 
H2225.
Quorum Calls--Votes: Two yea-and-nay votes and four recorded votes 
developed during the proceedings of the House today and appear on pages 
H2237-38, H2238, H2249-50, H2266-67, H2267, and H2304-05.
Adjournment: Met at 10 a.m. and adjourned at 6:43 p.m.