[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 100 (Tuesday, July 15, 1997)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D757-D759]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                        House of Representatives


Chamber Action
Bills Introduced: 8 public bills, H.R. 2161-2168; and 3 resolutions, H. 
Con. Res. 115-116 and H. Res. 186, were introduced.
  Pages H5296-97
Reports Filed: Reports were filed today as follows:
  H.R. 629, to grant the consent of the Congress to the Texas Low-Level 
Radioactive Waste Disposal Compact (H. Rept. 105-181);
  Report on the Revised Subdivision of Budget Totals for Fiscal Year 
1998 (H. Rept. 105-182);
  H.R. 699, to guarantee the right of all active duty military 
personnel, merchant mariners, and their dependents to vote in Federal, 
State, and local elections (H. Rept. 105-183 Part I); and
  H. Res 185, providing for consideration of H.R. 2159 making 
appropriations for foreign operations, export financing, and related 
programs for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1998 (H. Rept. 105-
184).
Page H5296
Speaker Pro Tempore: Read a letter from the Speaker wherein he 
designated Representative Stearns to act as Speaker pro tempore for 
today.
  Page H5185
Journal: By a recorded vote of 373 ayes to 50 noes, Roll No. 269, the 
House agreed to the Speaker's approval of the Journal of Monday, July 
14.
  Pages H5191-92, H5247
Recess: The House recessed at 11:11 a.m. and reconvened at 12:00 noon. 
                                                             Page H5191
Private Calendar: On the call of the Private Calendar, the House passed 
the following bills:
  Cleared for the President: S. 768, for the relief of Michel 
Christopher Meilli, Giuseppina Meilli, Mirjam Naomi Meilli, and Davide 
Meilli.
  Pages H5192-93
  Sent to the Senate Without Amendment: H.R. 378, for the relief of 
Heraclio Tolley.
  Page H5192
  Sent to the Senate, Amended: H.R. 584, for the relief of John Wesley 
Davis.
  Page H5192
Suspensions: The House agreed to suspend the rules and pass the 
following measures:
  Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention: H.R. 1818, as amended, 
to amend the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 to 
authorize appropriations for fiscal years 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2001 
(passed by a yea-and-nay vote of 413 yeas to 14 nays, Roll No. 267); 
and
  Pages H5195-H5213, H5245-46
  Transfer of Naval Vessels: H.R. 2035, amended, to authorize the 
transfer of naval vessels to certain foreign countries (passed by a 
yea-and-nay vote of 426 yeas to 1 nay, Roll No. 268). 
                                               Pages H5213-14, H5246-47
Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act: By a yea-and-nay vote 
of 238 yeas to 192 nays, Roll No. 275, the House passed H.R. 2107, 
making appropriations for the Department of the Interior and related 
agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1998. The House 
completed debate and considered amendments on July 10 and July 11. 
                                               Pages H5214-45, H5266-72
Agreed To:
  The Gibbons amendment that clarifies that the identified water rights 
are surface water rights;
Pages H5215-17
  The Crapo amendment that establishes the Deficit Reduction Lock-box 
Act of 1997 that requires an appropriations conference committee to 
allocate spending reductions to deficit reduction when both the House 
and Senate reduce the funding for a specific program, rather than 
reallocating the funding reduction to other programs (agreed to by a 
recorded vote of 314 ayes to 109 noes, Roll No. 271); 
                                               Pages H5217-19, H5267-68
  The Hill amendment that prohibits any funding that is made available 
to the Indian Health Service to be used to restructure Indian health 
care delivery systems to Alaskan Natives;
Pages H5233-34
  The Stupak amendment that prohibits any funding to be used for the 
eviction of any person from

[[Page D758]]

real property in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore that the person 
was authorized to occupy on July 10, 1997;
Pages H5234-35
  The Coburn amendment that prohibits any funding to be used for the 
Man and Biosphere Program or the World Heritage Program administered by 
the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization 
(agreed to by a recorded vote of 222 ayes to 203 noes, Roll No. 273); 
and
Pages H5235-44, H5268-69
  The Weldon of Florida amendment that prohibits any funding to 
designate or post any sign designating the Canaveral National Seashore 
in Brevard County, Florida as a clothing optional area if such a 
designation would be contrary to local ordinance (passed by a recorded 
vote of 396 ayes to 25 noes, Roll No. 274).
Pages H5244-45, H5269-70
Rejected:
  The Chabot amendment, debated on July 11, that sought to terminate 
the funding of $110 million for the National Endowment for the 
Humanities (rejected by a recorded vote of 96 ayes to 328 noes, Roll 
No. 270); and
Pages H5156-68, H5266-67
  The Istook amendment that sought to prohibit the use of any funds to 
carry out the provisions of the Indian Reorganization Act to acquire 
any interest in lands outside of existing Indian reservations (rejected 
by a recorded vote of 208 ayes to 216 noes, Roll No. 272). 
                                                  Pages H5219-33, H5268
Point of Order Sustained Against:
  The Istook amendment that sought to prohibit the Bureau of Indian 
Affairs from transferring any new land into trust without a binding 
agreement in place between the tribe and the local or state government 
regarding sales or excise taxes.
Page H5220
  The Clerk was authorized to correct section numbers, punctuation, and 
cross references and to make such other technical and conforming 
changes as may be necessary to reflect the actions of the House in 
amending the bill, H.R. 2107.
Page H5272
  The House agreed to H. Res. 181, the rule that provided for 
consideration of the bill on July 10.
Pages H5049-62
Meeting Hour--Wednesday, July 16: Agreed that when the House adjourns 
today, it adjourn to meet at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, July 16. 
                                                             Page H5272
VA, HUD, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act: The House 
completed general debate and began consideration of amendments to H.R. 
2158, making appropriations for the Departments of Veterans Affairs and 
Housing and Urban Development, and for sundry independent agencies, 
commissions, corporations, and offices for the fiscal year ending 
September 30, 1998. Consideration of amendments will resume on 
Wednesday, July 16.
  Pages H5247-66, H5272-88
Agreed To:
  The Tiahrt amendment that increases veterans health administration 
medical research by $25 million including a $5 million increase for 
gulf war illness research and decreases the operating expenses funding 
for the Corporation for National and Community Service by $200 million.
                                                         Pages H5277-88
Vote Postponed:
  The Obey Amendment that seeks to increase veteran medical care 
funding by $48 million and decrease emergency management planning and 
assistance funding for a wind simulation center by $60 million. 
                                                         Pages H5273-77
  The House agreed to H. Res. 184, the rule that is providing for 
consideration of the bill by a voice vote.
Pages H5247-51
National Commission on the Cost of Higher Education: The Chair 
announced the Speaker's appointment of Mr. Martin Anderson of 
California, Mr. George Waldner of Pennsylvania, and Mr. Jonathan Brown 
of California on the part of the House to the National Commission on 
the Cost of Higher Education.
  Page H5288
Bipartisan Task Force on Reform of the Ethics Process: Agreed by 
unanimous consent that the order of the House of May 7, 1997, as 
extended on June 24, 1997, be further extended through Wednesday, July 
30, 1997. The order of the House concerning the ethics process made in 
order during the period beginning immediately and ending on July 30, 
1997: (1) the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct may not 
receive, renew, initiate, or investigate a complaint against the 
official conduct of a member, officer, or employee of the House; (2) 
the Committee on Standard of Official Conduct may issue advisory 
opinions and perform other non-investigative functions; and (3) a 
resolution addressing the official conduct of a Member, officer, or 
employee of the House that is proposed to be offered from the floor by 
a Member other than the Majority Leader or the Minority Leader, or a 
Member designated from the floor by the Majority Leader or the Minority 
Leader at the time of notice pursuant to clause 2(A)(1) of Rule IX, as 
a question of the privileges of the House shall once noticed pursuant 
to clause 2(a)(1) of Rule IX, have precedence over all other questions 
except motions to adjourn only at a time or place designated by the 
Chair in the legislative schedule within two legislative days after 
July 30, 1997.
  Page H5288
Senate Messages: Message received from the Senate today appears on page 
H5185.
Referrals: The following Senate passed bills were referred to the 
Committee on Resources: S. 231, to establish the National Cave and 
Karst Research Institute in the State of New Mexico; S. 669, to provide 
for the acquisition of the Plains Railroad Depot at the Jimmy Carter 
National Historic Site; S. 731, to extend the legislative authority for 
construction of the National Peace Garden memorial; and S. 423, to 
extend the legislative authority for the Board of Regents of Gunston 
Hall to establish a memorial to honor George Mason.
  Pages H5295-96

[[Page D759]]

Amendments: Amendments ordered printed pursuant to the rule appear on 
pages H5297-H5301.
Quorum Calls--Votes: Three yea-and-nay votes and six recorded votes 
developed during the proceedings of the House today and appear on pages 
H5245-46, H5246-47, H5247, H5266-67, H5267-68, H5268, H5268-69, H5269-
70, and H5271-72. There were no quorum calls.
Adjournment: Met at 10:30 a.m. and adjourned at 11:28 p.m.