[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 80 (Tuesday, June 10, 1997)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D591-D593]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




[[Page D591]]




                        House of Representatives


Chamber Action
Bills Introduced: 25 public bills, H.R. 1835-1859; 1 private bill, H.R. 
1860; and 3 resolutions, H.J. Res. 80-81 and H. Con. Res. 95, were 
introduced.                                              
  Pages H3658-60
Reports Filed: Reports were filed as follows:
  Filed on June 9, H.R. 1277, to authorize appropriations for fiscal 
year 1998 and fiscal year 1999 for the civilian research, development, 
demonstration, and commercial application activities of the Department 
of Energy, amended (H. Rept. 105-67 Part II);
  H.R. 378, a private bill (H. Rept. 105-125);
  H. Res. 163, providing for consideration of H.J. Res. 54, proposing 
an amendment to the Constitution of the United States authorizing the 
Congress to prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the United 
States (H. Rept. 105-126); and
  H. Res. 164, providing for consideration of H.R. 437, to reauthorize 
the National Sea Grant College Program Act (H. Rept. 105-127). 
                                                             Page H3658
Speaker Pro Tempore: Read a letter from the Speaker wherein he 
designated Representative Young of Florida to act as Speaker pro 
tempore for today.                                           
  Page H3579
Recess: The House recessed at 10:58 p.m. and reconvened at 12:00 p.m. 
                                                             Page H3583
Suspensions: The House voted to suspend the rules and pass the 
following measures:
  AuSable Hydroelectric Project: H.R. 848, to extend the deadline under 
the Federal Power Act applicable to the construction of the AuSable 
Hydroelectric Project in New York;                       
  Pages H3585-86
  Bear Creek Hydroelectric Project: H.R. 1184, amended, to extend the 
deadline under the Federal Power Act for the construction of the Bear 
Creek hydroelectric project in the State of Washington; 
                                                         Pages H3586-87
  Washington State Hydroelectric Project: H.R. 1217, to extend the 
deadline under the Federal Power Act for the construction of a 
hydroelectric project located in the State of Washington; and 
                                                         Pages H3587-88
  Reunification of the City of Jerusalem: H. Con. Res. 60, relating to 
the 30th anniversary of the reunification of the city of Jerusalem 
(agreed to by a yea-and-nay vote of 406 yeas to 17 nays with 1 voting 
``present'', Roll No. 176).                    
  Pages H3588-91, H3632-33
Foreign Relations Authorization Act: The House resumed consideration of 
amendments to H.R. 1757, to consolidate international affairs agencies 
and to authorize appropriations for the Department of State and related 
agencies for fiscal years 1998 and 1999. The House considered 
amendments to the bill on Wednesday, June 4 and Thursday, June 5. 
                                                      Pages H3591-H3632
Agreed To:
  The Gilman amendment that removes the prohibition against foreign 
assistance for narcotics related purposes to countries that have been 
decertified for funding;                                 
Pages H3591-93
  The Ney amendment that prohibits assistance to any government that 
assists the Government of Libya in violating sanctions imposed by the 
United Nations and provides an exception for national security 
interests of the United States (agreed to by a recorded vote of 426 
ayes with none voting ``no'', Roll No. 174);   
Pages H3593-94, H3613-14
  The Capps amendment that provides 30 scholarships to Tibetan students 
who are outside of Tibet and 15 scholarships to Burmese students who 
are outside of Burma;                                        
Page H3594
  The Diaz-Balart amendment to the Miller of California amendment that 
additionally specifies that at such time as the government of Cuba has 
freed all political prisoners, legalized all political activity, and 
agreed to hold free and fair elections then it is the sense of Congress 
that the United States should allow the import of Cuban cigars; 
                                                         Pages H3595-98
  The Miller of California amendment, as amended by the Diaz-Balart 
amendment, that expresses the sense of Congress that the United States 
should allow the import of Cuban cigars at such time as the government 
of Cuba has freed all political prisoners, legalized all political 
activity, and agreed to hold free and fair elections (agreed to by a 
recorded vote of 375 ayes to 49 noes Roll No. 175); 
                                               Pages H3594-95, H3614-15
  The Scarborough amendment debated on June 4, as modified, that 
applies to Sudan the provisions of the Anti-terrorism and Effective 
Death Penalty Act that restricts financial transactions until the 
President certifies that Sudan is no longer sponsoring or supporting 
terrorism and provides that this restriction shall not apply to 
humanitarian assistance (agreed to by a recorded vote of 415 ayes to 9 
noes, Roll No. 171);                           
Pages H3598, H3599-H3600
  The Engel amendment, debated on June 4, that expresses the sense of 
Congress that the United States should consider applying to Syria 
sanctions which are currently enforced against Iran and Libya

[[Page D592]]

(agreed to by a recorded vote of 410 ayes to 15 noes, Roll No. 172); 
                                                         Pages H3600-01
  The Nethercutt amendment, debated on June 5, that expresses the sense 
of Congress that Al-Faran, a militant organization that seeks to merge 
Kashmir with Pakistan should release immediately Donald Hutchings of 
the State of Washington and 3 Western Europeans from captivity and 
cease and desist from all acts of hostage-taking and other violent acts 
within the state of Jammu and Kashmir (agreed to by a recorded vote of 
425 ayes with 1 voting ``present'' and none voting ``no'', Roll No. 
173);                                                    
Pages H3601-02
  The Paxon amendment that condemns the Palestinian Authority policy 
and practice of imposing the death penalty on anyone who sells land to 
a Jew;                                                   
Pages H3602-07
  The Payne amendment that lifts the prohibition of assistance to the 
Democratic Republic of Congo formerly Zaire;             
Pages H3607-08
  The Bereuter amendment to the Kennedy of Rhode Island amendment that 
adds findings and expresses the sense of Congress relating to attacks 
carried out by the East Timorese resistance forces and condemns these 
acts as they discredit the East Timorese cause and could result in 
violent reprisals;                                       
Pages H3609-13
  The Kennedy of Rhode Island amendment as amended by the Bereuter 
amendment that expresses the sense of Congress that the United States 
should not provide military assistance to Indonesia unless it accredits 
independent election-monitoring organizations; insures that police or 
military do not confiscate materials from domestic or international 
nongovernmental organizations; investigates the attack on the 
headquarters of the Democratic Party of Indonesia; establishes a 
dialogue to resolve the conflict in East Timor; releases political 
prisoners; and expresses the sense of Congress relating to attacks 
carried out by the East Timorese resistance forces and condemns these 
acts as they discredit the East Timorese cause and could result in 
violent reprisals;                                       
Pages H3608-13
  The Engel amendment that establishes the ``MacBride Principles of 
Economic Justice Act of 1997'' for all contributions made by the United 
States to Northern Ireland;                              
Pages H3615-17
  The Slaughter amendment that expresses the sense of Congress that 
adequate assistance be provided to Lithuania and Latvia; 
                                                         Pages H3617-18
  The McKinney amendment that establishes the ``Code of Conduct on Arms 
Transfers Act of 1997''; prohibits military assistance and arms 
transfers to foreign governments unless the government promotes 
democracy; respects human rights; is not engaged in certain acts of 
armed aggression; and participates in the U.N. and provides exemptions 
for national security interests of the United States;    
Pages H3618-26
  The Hall of Ohio amendment that provides findings concerning the 
conflict in east Timor and affirms the support of Congress for a just 
and peaceful solution to it;                             
Pages H3627-28
  The Sanders amendment that expresses the sense of Congress regarding 
the imprisonment of Ngawang Choephel in China and that Ngawang Choephel 
and other prisoners of conscience in Tibet, as well as in China, should 
be released immediately and unconditionally; and         
Pages H3628-30
  The Fox of Pennsylvania amendment that expresses the sense of 
Congress regarding the designation of Romania as eligible for 
assistance under the NATO Participation Act of 1994.     
Pages H3630-32
Rejected:
  The Stearns amendment, debated on June 4, that sought to express the 
sense of Congress that the President and Permanent Representative of 
the United States to the United Nations should encourage the United 
Nations to commission a study concerning a revolving headquarters for 
the U.N. and establish the United Nations as a part-time body (rejected 
by a recorded vote of 108 ayes to 315 noes, Roll No. 170); 
                                                         Pages H3598-99
Vote Postponed:
  The Rohrabacher amendment that seeks to restrict funding to the 
Russian Federation if the federation transfers an SS-N-22 missile 
system to the People's Republic of China was debated and the recorded 
vote was postponed.                                      
Pages H3626-27
  On Wednesday, June 4, the House agreed to H. Res. 159, the rule that 
is providing for consideration of H.R. 1757.                 
Page H3291
Order of Business--Foreign Relations Authorization Act: It was made in 
order that during further consideration of H.R. 1757, in the Committee 
of the Whole, that no further amendment shall be in order except 1) 
amendments en bloc offered by the Chairman of the Committee on 
International Relations pursuant to the order of the House of June 5, 
1997; and 2) an amendment offered by Representative Sanford regarding 
authorization levels which shall be debatable under the five-minute 
rule. The order of the House of June 5 provided that it shall be in 
order at any time for the Chairman of the Committee on International 
Relations or a designee, with the concurrence of the ranking minority 
member of that committee or a designee, to offer amendments en bloc. 
Amendments en bloc offered pursuant to this unanimous consent agreement 
shall be considered as read, shall not be subject to amendment, shall 
not be subject to a demand for a division of the question in the House 
or in the Committee of the Whole,

[[Page D593]]

and may amend portions of the bill previously read for amendment. The 
original proponent of an amendment included in such amendments en bloc 
may insert a statement in the Congressional Record immediately before 
the disposition of the amendments en bloc.                   
  Page H3632
Presidential Veto Message--Emergency Supplemental Appropriations: Read 
a message from the President received by the Clerk on Monday, June 9, 
wherein he announces his veto of H.R. 1469, making emergency 
supplemental appropriations for recovery from natural disasters, and 
for overseas peacekeeping efforts, including those in Bosnia, for the 
fiscal year ending September 30, 1997, and explains his reasons 
therefor. The message was ordered printed (H. Doc. 105-96). 
                                                         Pages H3633-34
  Subsequently, agreed to the motion to refer the bill and veto message 
to the Committee on Appropriations. Earlier, agreed to order the 
previous question by a yea-and-nay vote of 216 yeas to 205 nays, Roll 
No. 177.                                                 
Pages H3634-37
Presidential Message--Cloning Prohibition: Read a message from the 
President received by the Clerk on Monday, June 9, wherein he transmits 
his proposed legislation titled the ``Cloning Prohibition Act of 
1997''--referred to the Committee on Commerce and ordered printed (H. 
Doc. 105-97).                                                
  Page H3638
Referral: S. 610, to implement the obligations of the United States 
under the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, 
Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction, known 
as ``the Chemical Weapons Convention'' and opened for signature and 
signed by the United States on January 13, 1993 was referred to the 
Committees on International Relations and the Judiciary.     
  Page H3656
Amendments: Amendments ordered printed pursuant to the rule appear on 
pages H3661-63.
Quorum Calls--Votes: Two yea-and-nay votes and six recorded votes 
developed during the proceedings of the House today and appear on pages 
H3599, H3599-3600, H3600-01, H3601-02, H3613-14, H3614-15, H3632-33, 
and H3637. There were no quorum calls.
Adjournment: Met at 10:30 a.m. and adjourned at 10:45 p.m.