[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 38 (Tuesday, March 19, 1996)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D227-D229]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                        House of Representatives


Chamber Action
Bills Introduced: 10 public bills, H.R. 3107-3116; and 1 resolution, 
H.J. Res. 164 were introduced.
  Page H2466
Report Filed: One report was filed as follows: Report entitled 
``National Drug Policy: A Review of the Status of the Drug War'' (H. 
Rept. 104-486).
  Page H2466

[[Page D228]]

Recess: House recessed at 1:21 p.m. and reconvened at 2 p.m. 
                                                             Page H2328
Presidential Messages: Read the following messages from the President:
  United States-Argentina nuclear energy agreement: Message wherein he 
transmits the text of a proposed Agreement for Cooperation Between the 
Government of the United States and the Government of the Argentine 
Republic Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy--referred to the 
Committee on International Relations and ordered printed (H. Doc. 104-
188); and
Pages H2330-31
  1997 Budget: Message wherein he transmits the 1997 Budget--referred 
to the Committee on Appropriations and ordered printed (H. Doc. 104-
162).
Pages H2331-33
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 Banking and Financial Services, 
Economic and Educational Opportunities, Government Reform and 
Oversight, International Relations, National Security, Resources, 
Science, and Select Intelligence.
  Pages H2333-34
Suspensions: House voted to suspend the rules and pass the following 
measures:
  White House Travel Office: H.R. 2937, amended, for the reimbursement 
of legal expenses and related fees incurred by former employees of the 
White House Travel Office with respect to the termination of their 
employment in that Office on May 19, 1993 (passed by yea-and-nay vote 
of 350 yeas to 42 nays, Roll No. 69);
  Pages H2334-39, H2376-77
  Vermont-New Hampshire water compact: H.J. Res. 129, granting the 
consent of Congress to the Vermont-New Hampshire Public Water Supply 
Compact. Subsequently, S.J. Res. 38, a similar Senate-passed 
resolution, was passed in lieu after being amended to contain the text 
of H.J. Res. 129 as passed the House. Agreed to lay H.J. Res. 129 on 
the table;
  Pages H2339-42
  Military stability in the Taiwan Straits: H. Con. Res. 148, amended, 
expressing the sense of the Congress that the United States is 
committed to the military stability of the Taiwan Straits and United 
States military forces should defend Taiwan in the event of invasion, 
missile attack, or blockade by the People's Republic of China (agreed 
to by a recorded vote of 369 ayes to 14 noes, with 7 voting 
``present'', Roll No. 79); and
  Pages H2342-50, H2377-78
  House of Representatives administrative reform: 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.
  Pages H2350-61
Order of Business: It was made in order that, during the consideration 
of H.R. 2202, the Immigration in the National Interest Act of 1995, it 
be in order for the designated proponents of the amendments numbered 
11, 12, and 13 in part 2 of House Rept. 104-483 to offer their 
amendments in modified forms to accommodate the changes in the 
amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on 
the Judiciary that are reflected in part 1 of that report and effected 
by the adoption of the rule; and
  It was made in order that the designated proponent of amendment 
numbered 19 in part 2 of House Rept. 104-483 to offer his amendment in 
a modified form that strikes from title V all except section 522 and 
subtitle D.
Page H2361
Immigration Reform: House completed all general debate and began 
consideration of amendments on 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, and to reform the legal immigration system and 
facilitate legal entries into the United States. 
                                            Pages H2361-76, H2378-H2460
Agreed To:
  The Smith of Texas amendment that makes certain technical and 
conforming changes; clarifies that any new forward deployment of border 
patrol officers will not affect current border checkpoints; sets up a 
pilot program for using closed military bases as possible holding areas 
for illegal aliens; provides that city and county governments could 
qualify for reimbursement from the Federal Government for incarceration 
of illegal aliens; and increases the number of Federal prosecutors 
dealing with immigration-related crimes such as the smuggling of 
illegal aliens or previously deported aliens into the United States; 
                                                         Pages H2440-46
  The Smith en bloc amendment that requires the Justice Department, in 
consultation with the State and Defense Departments, to contract with 
the Comptroller General to submit to Congress an annual report until 
fiscal year 2000 on the Administration's strategy to deter illegal 
immigration with recommendations on how to increase border security; 
establishes as a priority the Attorney General's worksite enforcement 
of employer sanctions; provides a

[[Page D229]]

status adjustment of status for certain Polish and Hungarian aliens; 
provides for funding support from the Attorney General to the INS or 
other public or private entities for demonstration projects for 
naturalization of aliens at 10 sites throughout the United States in 
each consecutive year beginning in 1996; expresses the sense of 
Congress, to the greatest extent practicable, that all equipment and 
products purchased with funds made available should be American-made; 
provides a waiver of English-language requirements for certain aliens 
who served with special guerilla units in Laos; adds language 
expressing the sense of Congress regarding the mission of the 
Immigration and Naturalization Service; authorizes the reimbursement of 
certain Polish applicants for the 1995 Diversity Immigrant Program; and 
expresses the sense of Congress with respect to the State Criminal 
Alien Assistance Program; and
Pages H2446-50
  The Tate amendment that permanently bars legal entry to the United 
States, including temporary visas, for anyone who is caught entering 
the country illegally.
Pages H2456-60
  H. Res. 384, the rule under which the bill is being considered, was 
agreed to earlier by a voice vote. Earlier, agreed to order the 
previous question on the rule by a yea-and-nay vote of 233 yeas to 152 
nays, Roll. No. 68.
Pages H2361-76
Senate Messages: Message received from the Senate today appears on page 
H2350.
Quorum Calls--Votes: Two yea-and-nay votes and one recorded vote 
developed during the proceedings of the House today and appear on pages 
H2375-76, H2376-77, and H2377-78.
Adjournment: Met at 12:30 p.m. and adjourned at 11:04 p.m.