[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 45 (Thursday, March 28, 1996)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D288-D290]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                        House of Representatives


Chamber Action
Bills Introduced: 17 public bills, H.R. 3180-3196; 1 private bill, H.R. 
3197; and 1 resolution, H.J. Res. 169 were introduced.
  Page H3170
Reports Filed: Reports were filed as follows:
  H.R. 3055, to amend section 326 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
to permit continued participation by Historically Black Graduate 
Professional Schools in the grant program authorized by that section 
(H. Rept. 104-504);
  H.R. 3049, to amend section 1505 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
to provide for the continuity of the Board of Trustees of the Institute 
of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development (H. 
Rept. 104-505);
  H.R. 2337, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for 
increased taxpayer protections, amended (H. Rept. 104-506);
  H.R. 2501, to extend the deadline under the Federal Power Act 
applicable to the construction of a hydroelectric project in Kentucky, 
amended (H. Rept. 104-507);

[[Page D289]]


  H.R. 2630, to extend the deadline for commencement of construction of 
a hydroelectric project in the State of Illinois, amendment (H. Rept. 
104-508);
  H.R. 2695, to extend the deadline under the Federal Power Act 
applicable to the construction of certain hydroelectric projects in the 
State of Pennsylvania, amended (H. Rept. 104-509);
  H.R. 2773, to extend the deadline under the Federal Power Act 
applicable to the construction of two hydroelectric projects in North 
Carolina, amended (H. Rept. 104-510);
  H.R. 2816, to reinstate the license for, and extent the deadline 
under the Federal Power Act applicable to the construction of, a 
hydroelectric project in Ohio (H. Rept. 104-511); and
  H.R. 2869, to extend the deadline for commencement of construction of 
a hydroelectric project in the State of Kentucky, amended (H. Rept. 
104-512).
Page H3170
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, Economic and Educational Opportunities, Government Reform and 
Oversight, International Relations, Judiciary, National Security, 
Resources, Science, Transportation and Infrastructure, and Select 
Intelligence.
  Page H2972
Contract With America Advancement: By a recorded vote of 328 ayes to 91 
noes, Roll No. 102, the House passed H.R. 3136, to provide for 
enactment of the Senior Citizens' Right to Work Act of 1996, the Line-
Item Veto Act, and the Small Business Growth and Fairness Act of 1996, 
and to provide for a permanent increase in the public debt limit. 
                                                      Pages H2972-H3028
  A point of order was sustained against the Bonior motion to recommit 
the bill to the Committee on Ways and Means with instructions to report 
it back forthwith containing an amendment that sought to raise the 
minimum wage to not less than $4.70 per hour during the year beginning 
on July 4, 1996, and not less than $5.15 per hour after July 3, 1997. 
The point of order was sustained on the grounds that such language 
constituted unfunded intergovernmental mandates. In accordance with 
statutory provisions setting forth procedures regarding points of order 
against such unfunded mandates language, by a recorded vote of 192 ayes 
to 228 noes, Roll No. 100, the House voted not to consider the Bonior 
motion to recommit with instructions.
Pages H3020-25
  Earlier, during debate on whether the House would consider the Bonior 
motion to recommit with instructions, agreed to the Archer motion to 
table the appeal of the ruling of the Chair that certain words uttered 
during that debate were not unparliamentary (agreed to by a recorded 
vote of 232 ayes to 185 noes, Roll No. 99).
Page H3022
  Rejected the Orton motion to recommit the bill to the Committee on 
Ways and Means with instructions to report it back forthwith containing 
an amendment that sought to strike language and insert language to make 
line-item veto provisions applicable upon enactment, but with the line-
item veto provisions having no force or effect on or after January 1, 
2005 (rejected by a yea-and-nay vote of 159 yeas to 256 nays, Roll No. 
101).
Pages H3026-28
  H. Res. 391, the rule under which the bill was considered and under 
which the conference report on S. 4, to grant the power to the 
President to reduce budget authority, was considered as adopted, was 
agreed to earlier by a recorded vote of 232 ayes to 177 noes, Roll No. 
98. Agreed to order the previous question on the resolution by a yea-
and-nay vote of 232 yeas to 180 nays, Roll No. 97.
Pages H2972-86
  Agreed to the Solomon amendment that changes debate time on the bill 
from 60 minutes to 80 minutes.
Page H2973
Presidential Message--National Endowment for the Arts: Read a message 
from the President wherein he transmits the 1994 Annual Report of the 
National Endowment for the Arts--referred to the Committee on Economic 
and Educational Opportunities.
  Page H3029
Health Coverage Availability and Affordability: By a yea-and-nay vote 
of 267 yeas to 151 nays, Roll No. 106, the House passed H.R. 3103, to 
amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to improve portability and 
continuity of health insurance coverage in the group and individuals 
markets, to combat waste, fraud, and abuse in health insurance and 
health care delivery, to promote the use of medical savings accounts, 
to improve the access to long-term care services and coverage, and to 
simplify the administration of health insurance.
  Pages H3029-H3147
  Rejected the Pallone motion to recommit the bill to the Committee on 
Ways and Means with instructions to report it back forthwith containing 
an amendment that sought to strike out all after the enacting clause of 
the bill and insert the text of S. 1048, a similar Senate-passed 
measure (rejected by a recorded vote of 182 ayes to 236 noes, Roll No. 
105).
Pages H3138-46
  Rejected the Dingell amendment in the nature of a substitute made in 
order by the rule that sought

[[Page D290]]

to limit exclusions for preexisting conditions; prohibit insurance 
carriers, health maintenance organizations, and other health coverage 
entities from denying coverage to employers with two or more employees; 
prevents employment-based health plans from excluding any employee from 
coverage based on the employee's health status; require health plans to 
renew coverage for groups and individuals as long as premiums are paid 
and there is no fraud or misrepresentation on the part of the 
policyholder; preempt State laws that prohibit the formation of private 
voluntary coalitions to purchase and negotiate health insurance plans; 
and guarantees the availability of individual health coverage to 
individuals who have had employment-based coverage of at least 18 
months and who are ineligible for or have exhausted COBRA coverage 
(reject by a yea-and-nay vote of 192 yeas to 226 nays, Roll No. 104). 
                                                         Pages H3112-38
  H. Res. 392, the rule under which the bill was considered, was agreed 
to earlier by a voice vote. Agreed to order the previous question by a 
yea-and-nay vote of 229 yeas to 186 nays, Roll No. 103. 
                                                         Pages H3029-45
Conferee Resignation: Read a letter from Representative Stokes wherein 
he resigns as a conferee in the Conference on H.R. 3019, the Omnibus 
Appropriations Act for fiscal year 1996. Subsequently, the Chair 
announced the appointment of Representative Hoyer to fill the vacancy 
among the primary panel of conferees.
  Page H3147
Agriculture Reform: By a recorded vote of 318 ayes to 89 noes, Roll No. 
107, the House agreed to the conference report on H.R. 2854, to modify 
the operation of certain agricultural programs--clearing the measure 
for the President.
  Pages H3147-69
  H. Res. 393, the rule which waived all points of order against 
consideration of the conference report and provides for the adoption of 
S. Con. Res. 49, providing for certain corrections to be made in the 
enrollment of H.R. 2854, was agreed to earlier by a voice vote. 
                                                         Pages H3147-50
Senate Messages: Messages received from the Senate appear on pages 
H2967 and H3045.
Quorum Calls--Votes: Five yea-and-nay votes and six recorded votes 
developed during the proceedings of the House today and appear on pages 
H2985-86, H2986, H3022, H3025, H3027-28, H3028, H3045, H3137-38, H3146, 
H3146-47, and H3168-69. There were no quorum calls.
Adjournment: Met at 10 a.m. and adjourned at 12:42 a.m. on Friday, 
March 29.