[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 76 (Wednesday, May 29, 1996)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D536-D537]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                        House of Representatives


Chamber Action
Bills Introduced: 16 public bills, H.R. 3536-3551; 1 private bill, H.R. 
3552; and 2 resolutions, H. Res. 442-443, were introduced. 
                                                         Pages H5646-47
Reports Filed: Reports were filed as follows:
  H.R. 3235, to amend the Ethics in Government Act of 1978, to extend 
the authorization of appropriations for the Office of Government Ethics 
for 3 years (H. Rept. 104-595, Part I);
  H.R. 1036, to amend the Metropolitan Washington Airports Act of 1986 
to direct the President to appoint additional members to the board of 
directors of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, and to 
replace the Board of Review of the Airports Authority with a Federal 
Advisory Commission, amended (H. Rept. 104-596);
  H.R. 2977, to reauthorize alternative means of dispute resolution in 
the Federal administrative process (H. Rept. 104-597);
  Proceedings against John M. Quinn, David Watkins, and Matthew Moore 
(H. Rept. 104-598);
  H. Res. 442, providing for consideration of H.R. 3517, making 
appropriations for military construction, family housing, and base 
realignment and closure for the Department of Defense for the fiscal 
year ending September 30, 1997 (H. Rept. 104-599); and
  H.R. 3540, making appropriations for foreign operations, export 
financing, and related programs for the fiscal year ending September 
30, 1997 (H. Rept. 104-600).
Page H5646
Speaker Pro Tempore: Read a letter from the Speaker wherein he 
designates Representative Greene to act as Speaker pro tempore for 
today.
  Page H5571
Committees to Sit: The following committees and their subcommittees 
received permission to sit today during proceedings of the House under 
the 5-minute rule: National Security, Transportation and 
Infrastructure, and Select Intelligence.
  Pages H5573-74
Order of Business: It was made in order that during consideration of 
H.R. 3322 pursuant to H. Res. 427, following the disposition of the 
amendment offered by Representative Walker or his designee and 
specified in H. Res. 427, the following amendments or germane 
modifications thereof be considered in the following order and 
notwithstanding their amending portions of the bill not yet read for 
amendment; an amendment offered by Representative Schiff regarding 
National Science Foundation funding; amendment No. 3 by Representative 
Gekas, amendment No. 7 by Representative Thornberry, amendment No. 22, 
by Representative Traficant, amendment No. 18, by Representative 
Roemer, amendment No. 2 by Representative Cramer, amendment No. 14, by 
Representative Lofgren, and amendment No. 8, by Representative Brown of 
California, following disposition of which the Committee shall resume 
consideration of the bill pursuant to H. Res. 427; and
  Page H5574
  It was made in order that during consideration of H.R. 3322, the 
Chairman of the Committee of the Whole may postpone a request for a 
recorded vote on any amendment, and the Chairman may reduce to not less 
than five minutes the time for voting by

[[Page D537]]

electronic device on any postponed question that immediately follows 
another vote without intervening business provided that the time for 
voting on the first of any series of questions shall be not less than 
fifteen minutes.
Page H5574
Omnibus Civilian Science Authorization: The House completed all general 
debate and began consideration of amendments to H.R. 3322, to authorize 
appropriations for fiscal year 1997 for civilian science activities of 
the Federal Government, but came to no resolution thereon. 
Consideration of amendments will resume on Thursday, May 30. 
                                                      Pages H5574-H5625
Agreed To:
  The Walker amendment that specifies technical and conforming changes, 
and removes provisions dealing with various programs including the 
National Ocean Service, Ocean and Great Lakes Programs, and the NOAA 
corps and fleet;
Pages H5585-87
  The Schiff amendment that increases funding for the National Science 
Foundation Research and Related Activities account by $41 million; 
                                                         Pages H5587-89
  The Gekas amendment that directs the National Weather Service to 
review the NEXRAD network radar coverage pattern for inadequate 
coverage and assess the feasibility of using the FAA terminal Doppler 
Weather Radars to provide weather radar data to nearby weather forecast 
offices;
Pages H5589-90
  The Thornberry amendment that requires the Secretary of Defense, in 
conjunction with the Administrator of the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration, to take immediate action to ensure that the 
NEXRADs operated by the Department of Defense comply with the same 
standards, quality, and availability as the National Weather Service 
operated NEXRADs;
Pages H5590-91
  The Traficant amendment that expresses the sense of Congress that any 
recipient of a grant under this Act should purchase when available and 
cost-effective, American made equipment and products when expending 
grant monies;
Page H5591
  The Romer amendment, as modified, that defines endocrine disrupter 
research and requires EPA to submit to Congress a plan for conducting 
research to assess the risk to human health and the environment; 
                                                         Pages H5591-93
  The Cramer amendment, as modified, that prohibits the Secretary of 
Commerce from closing weather service field offices without first 
certifying that service to the affected area will not be degraded by 
the closure, and defines a streamlined certification process for this 
purpose; and
Pages H5593-95
  The Ehlers amendment that removes provisions that rename the National 
Science Foundation to the National Science and Engineering Foundation 
and the National Science Board to the National Science and Engineering 
Board (agreed to by a recorded vote of 339 ayes to 58 noes with one 
voting ``present'', Roll No. 198).
Pages H5616-19
Rejected:
  The Lofgren amendment that sought to increase National Science 
Foundation funding for salaries and expense, remove a provision that 
eliminates one directorate, and direct a reorganization plan to reduce 
administrative cost (rejected by a recorded vote of 170 ayes to 243 
noes, Roll No. 196); and
Pages H5595-H5600, H5613
  The Brown of California amendment in the nature of a substitute that 
sought to authorize additional funding for various science, research, 
and technology programs and agencies including the National Science 
Foundation, NASA, the Department of Energy, NOAA, and EPA. 
                                                         Pages H5600-14
Amendments: Amendments ordered printed pursuant to the rule appear on 
page H5647.
Senate Messages: Message received from the Senate today appears on page 
H5571.
Quorum Calls--Votes: Three recorded votes developed during the 
proceedings of the House today and appear on pages H5613, H5613-14, and 
H5618-19. There were no quorum calls.
Adjournment: Met at 2 p.m. and adjourned at 10:32 p.m.