[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 104 (Tuesday, July 16, 1996)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D744-D746]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                        House of Representatives


Chamber Action
Bills Introduced: 15 public bills, H.R. 3814-3828; and 3 resolutions, 
H.J. Res. 184, H. Res. 478, and H. Res. 480 were introduced. 
                                                         Pages H7657-58
Reports Filed: Reports were filed as follows:
  H.R. 3814, making appropriations for the Departments of Commerce, 
Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and related agencies for the fiscal 
year ending September 30, 1997 (H. Rept. 104-676);
  H.R. 3760, to amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to 
reform the financing of Federal election campaigns, amended (H. Rept. 
104-677);
  H. Res. 479, Providing for consideration of H.R. 3814 making 
appropriations for the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the 
Judiciary, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 
30, 1997 (H. Rept. 104-678);
  H.R. 3816, making appropriations for energy and water development for 
the fiscal year ending September 30, 1997 (H. Rept. 104-679); and
  H.R. 3166, to amend title 18, United States Code, with respect to the 
crime of false statement in a Government matter, amended (H. Rept. 104-
680).
Page H7657
Speaker Pro Tempore: Read a letter from the Speaker wherein he 
appointed Representative Hastings of Washington to act as Speaker pro 
tempore for today.
  Page H7535
Recess: The House recessed at 10:43 a.m. and reconvened at 12:00 noon. 
                                                             Page H7536

[[Page D745]]

Private Calendar: Agreed by unanimous consent that the call of the 
Private Calendar be in order later today.
  Page H7537
Suspensions: The House voted to suspend the rules and pass the 
following measures:
  Veterans' Cost-of-Living Adjustment:  H.R. 3458, to increase, 
effective as of December 1, 1996, the rates of compensation for 
veterans with service-connected disabilities and the rates of 
dependency and indemnity compensation for the survivors of certain 
disabled veterans;
  Pages H7545-46
  Veterans' Agent Orange, Persian Gulf War, and Radiation Benefits: 
H.R. 3643, amended, to amend title 38, United States Code, to extend 
through December 31, 1998, the period during which the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs is authorized to provide priority health care to 
certain veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange or who served in the 
Persian Gulf War and to make such authority permanent in the case of 
certain veterans exposed to ionizing radiation;
  Pages H7546-52
  Veterans' Compensation and Benefits: H.R. 3673, amended, to amend 
title 38, United States Code, to revise and improve certain veterans 
programs and benefits, to authorize the American Battle Monuments 
Commission to enter into arrangements for the repair and long-term 
maintenance of war memorials for which the Commission assumes 
responsibility;
  Pages H7552-57
  Veterans' Education Benefits: H.R. 3674, amended, to amend title 38, 
United States Code, to clarify the causal relationship required between 
a veteran's service-connected disability and employment handicap for 
purposes of determining eligibility for training and rehabilitation 
assistance, to transfer certain educational assistance entitlements 
from the Post-Vietnam Era Educational Assistance Program to the 
Montgomery GI Bill;
  Pages H7557-63
  Export Administration: H.R. 361, amended, to provide authority to 
control exports; and
  Pages H7563-89
  Federal Oil and Gas Royalties Simplification: H.R. 1975, amended, to 
improve the management of royalties from Federal and Outer Continental 
Shelf oil and gas leases.
  Pages H7597-H7607
Suspensions--Votes Postponed: House completed all debate on motions to 
suspend the rules and pass the following measures. Votes were postponed 
until Wednesday, July 17.
  Government Accountability: H.R. 3166, amended, to amend title 18, 
United States Code, with respect to the crime of false statement in a 
Government matter; and
  Pages H7540-44
  M-F-N Status to Romania: H.R. 3161, to authorize the extension of 
nondiscriminatory treatment (most-favored-nation treatment) to the 
products of Romania.
  Pages H7589-97
Seabed Mining Institute: The House passed H.R. 3249, to authorize 
appropriations for a mining institute to develop domestic technological 
capabilities for the recovery of minerals from the nation's seabed. 
                                                         Pages H7607-09
  Agreed to the Committee amendment.
Pages H7608-09
  Agreed to amend the title.
Page H7609
Mollie Beattie Alaska Wilderness Area: The House passed S. 1899, 
entitled the ``Mollie Beattie Alaska Wilderness Area Act''--Clearing 
the measure for the President.
  Pages H7609-10
Treasury, Postal Service, General Government Appropriations: The House 
completed all general debate and began consideration of amendments to 
H.R. 3756, making appropriations for the Treasury Department, the 
United States Postal Service, the Executive Office of the President, 
and certain Independent Agencies, for the fiscal year ending September 
30, 1997. Consideration of amendments will resume on Wednesday, July 
17.
  Pages H7615-40
Agreed To:
  The Lightfoot amendment that removes the requirement that the Office 
of National Drug Control Policy Salaries and Expenses funding of $1.268 
million be used for public service announcements and withholds funding 
of $2.5 million until the Director reaches an agreement with the House 
and Senate Appropriations Committees on an organization plan; 
                                                         Pages H7623-24
  The Metcalf amendment that denies FY 1997 cost of living allowances 
to Members of Congress, senior executive branch officials, and Federal 
judges (agreed to by a recorded vote of 352 ayes to 67 noes, Roll No. 
317); and
Pages H7624-29, H7638-39
  The Gutknecht amendment that limits, to 2,300, the number of 
political appointees in any fiscal year beginning after September 30, 
1997 (agreed to by a recorded vote of 267 ayes to 150 noes, Roll No. 
318).
Pages H7629-32, H7639-40
  The Johnson of Connecticut amendment was offered, but subsequently 
withdrawn that sought to increase funding for IRS processing, 
assistance, and management by $106.606 million and delete funding 
accordingly for an internal audit function.
Pages H7633-38
  H. Res. 475, the rule under which the bill is being considered, was 
agreed to earlier by a voice vote.
Pages H7610-14
Order of Business: It was made in order that during the further 
consideration of H.R. 3756, the bill

[[Page D746]]

be considered as read and no amendment shall be in order except for the 
following amendments, which shall be considered as read, shall not be 
subject to amendment or to a demand for division of the question in the 
House or in the Committee of the Whole, and shall be debatable for the 
time specified, equally divided and controlled by the proponent and a 
Member opposed: Representative Kennedy of Massachusetts, regarding the 
Customs Service, for 10 minutes; Representative Durbin, regarding 
firearms disabilities, for 30 minutes; Representative Johnson of 
Connecticut, regarding IRS funding, for 10 minutes; Representative 
Traficant for 10 minutes; Representative Hoyer or Lowey, to strike 
sections 518 or 519, for 30 minutes; Representative Hoyer, regarding 
buyouts, for 10 minutes; Representative Wolf, regarding buyouts, for 10 
minutes; Representative Kingston, regarding customs ports of entry, for 
9 minutes; Representative Gutknecht, regarding an across the board cut, 
for 20 minutes; Representative Sanders, regarding health maintenance 
organizations, for 20 minutes; Representative Kaptur, regarding China 
tariffs, for 10 minutes, Representative Solomon, regarding a limitation 
on the Comptroller of the Currency, for 10 minutes; Representative 
Salmon, regarding the White House Travel office, for 10 minutes; 
Representative Hoyer for 10 minutes; and Representative Gekas for 10 
minutes.
  Page H7637
Private Calendar: On the call of the Private Calendar, the House passed 
the following bills:
  Sent to the Senate without amendment: H.R. 2001.
  Cleared for the President: S. 966.
Page H7640
Referral: One Senate-passed measure was referred to the appropriate 
House committee.
  Page H7655
Amendments: Amendments ordered printed pursuant to the rule appear on 
pages H7658-60.
Senate Messages: Messages received from the Senate appear on page 
H7536.
Quorum Calls--Votes: Two recorded votes developed during the 
proceedings of the House today and appear on pages H7638-39 and H7639-
40. There were no quorum calls.
Adjournment: Met at 10:30 a.m. and adjourned at 10:31 p.m.