[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 39 (Wednesday, March 20, 1996)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D237-D238]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




[[Page D237]]




                        House of Representatives


Chamber Action
Bills Introduced: 16 public bills, H.R. 3117-3132; 1 private bill, H.R. 
3133; and 1 resolution, H.J. Res. 165 were introduced.
  Pages H2557-58
Reports Filed: Reports were filed as follows:
  H. Con. Res. 146, authorizing the 1996 Special Olympics Torch Relay 
to be run through the Capitol Grounds (H. Rept. 104-487);
  H. Con. Res. 147, authorizing the use of the Capitol grounds for the 
fifteenth annual National Peace Officers' Memorial Service (H. Rept. 
104-488); and
  H. Res. 386, providing for the consideration of H.J. Res. 165, making 
further continuing appropriations for fiscal year 1996 and waiving a 
requirement of clause 4(b) of rule XI with respect to consideration of 
certain resolutions reported from the Committee on Rules (H. Rept. 104-
489).
Pages H2538, H2557
Speaker Pro Tempore: Read a letter from the Speaker wherein he 
designates Representative Rogers to act as Speaker pro tempore for 
today.
  Page H2469
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, 
Commerce, International Relations, National Security, Resources, 
Transportation and Infrastructure, and Select Intelligence. 
                                                             Page H2474
Immigration Reform: House resumed consideration of amendments to 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 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. 
Consideration of amendments will resume on Thursday, March 21. 
                                                      Pages H2475-H2538
Agreed To:
  The Latham amendment that gives State and local law enforcement 
officers the authority to seek and apprehend aliens who are violating a 
deportation order and detain them for transfer to Federal custody; and 
authorizes the Justice Department to deputize such officials, provided 
that deputization is conducted in writing with the consent of the 
governor of that State or the State's chief local official; 
                                                         Pages H2476-81
  The Gallegly amendment that gives States the option to deny public 
education to illegal aliens; and provides that States, if asked, would 
be required to provide a hearing to establish whether an alien is 
lawfully present in the United States (agreed to by a recorded vote of 
257 ayes to 163 noes, Roll No. 75);
Pages H2487-96, H2506-07
  The Gutierrez amendment that strikes provisions requiring a 
congressional review of the appropriate worldwide levels of immigration 
in fiscal year 2004 and every five years thereafter; and links 
subsequent funding authorizations to that level;
Pages H2518-20
  The Kim amendment that provides for an annual distribution of any 
surplus family and employment-based visas not already distributed under 
amounts allocated, to those children and adult brothers and sisters of 
U.S. citizens who have filed for admission prior to March 13, 1996; 
                                                         Pages H2520-22
  The Canady amendment that adds English proficiency to the list of 
requirements of immigrants arriving in the U.S. under the Diversity 
Immigrant Program and under the Employment-Based Classification; 
provides that English proficiency would be established by a 
standardized test administered by the Department of Education; and 
advances by 180 days the priority date of backlogging spouses and 
children of lawful permanent resident aliens who demonstrate English 
language proficiency (agreed to by a recorded vote of 210 ayes to 207 
noes, Roll No. 78);
Pages H2522-27, H2533-34
  The Smith of New Jersey amendment that strikes provisions that impose 
a statutory limit on the number of refugees that may be admitted into 
the United States each year; and
Pages H2527-30
  The Dreier amendment that ensures that, except for the Targeted 
Assistance Ten Percent Discretionary Program which leaves funding 
decisions to the government's discretion, all qualifying U.S. counties 
would receive the same amount of targeted Federal assistance per 
refugee under the Federal government's $50 million yearly program to 
aid counties experiencing high concentrations of refugees and high 
welfare dependency rates (agreed to by a recorded vote of 359 ayes to 
59 noes, Roll No. 79).
Pages H2530-35
Rejected:
  The Beilenson amendment that sought to delete the $12 million 
authorization for the construction of 14 miles of triple fencing along 
the San Diego border with Mexico; and instead sought to authorize

[[Page D238]]

$110 million for the INS to install barriers and roads and remove 
obstacles to the detection of illegal entry along the border where 
necessary (rejected by a recorded vote of 120 ayes to 291 noes, Roll 
No. 71). This amendment was debated on Tuesday;
Page H2475
  The McCollum amendment that sought to authorize such sums as may be 
necessary to ``secure'' Social Security cards against counterfeiting 
and fraud; and require the Social Security Administration to make 
improvements in the design and materials of Social Security cards to 
render them more difficult to counterfeit (rejected by a recorded vote 
of 191 ayes to 221 noes, Roll No. 72). This amendment was debated on 
Tuesday;
Pages H2475-76
  The Bryant of Tennessee amendment that sought to require public 
hospitals seeking to recoup costs of emergency medical services 
rendered to illegal aliens to provide the INS with identifying 
information about such individuals who are over the age of 18 in order 
to obtain reimbursement (rejected by a recorded vote of 170 ayes to 250 
noes, Roll No. 73);
Pages H2481-84, H2505
  The Velazquez amendment that sought to strike provisions that bar 
U.S. citizens from receiving benefits such as AFDC, food stamps, and 
Medicaid, through individuals that are undocumented aliens or legal 
permanent residents of less than seven years (rejected by a recorded 
vote of 151 ayes to 267 noes, Roll No. 74);
Pages H2484-87, H2505-06
  The Chabot amendment, as modified, that sought to strike provisions 
increasing, beginning in fiscal year 1996, the number of full-time 
equivalent positions in the Investigations Division within the INS to 
350 positions above the number of full-time equivalent positions in 
that Division as of September 30, 1994; and strike provisions providing 
that those hired to fill those new positions be assigned to investigate 
violations of the employer sanctions provisions in current law and to 
investigate reports of violations received from Department of Labor 
operatives (rejected by a recorded vote of 159 ayes to 260 noes, Roll 
No. 76); and
Pages H2496-H2505, H2507
  The Gallegly amendment, as modified, that sought to establish a 
mandatory pilot program in which employers in seven States with the 
highest illegal alien populations would verify the immigrant status of 
employees using a toll free 1-800 number (rejected by a recorded vote 
of 86 ayes to 331 noes, Roll No. 77).
Pages H2507-18
Quorum Calls--Votes: Nine recorded votes developed during the 
proceedings of the House today and appear on pages H2475, H2476, H2505, 
H2506, H2506-07, H2507, H2517-18, H2533-34, and H2534-35. There were no 
quorum calls.
Adjournment: Met at 11 a.m. and adjourned at 10:29 p.m.