[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 137 (Monday, October 6, 1997)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1066-D1068]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




[[Page D1066]]




                        House of Representatives


Chamber Action
Bills introduced: 10 public bills, H.R. 2607-2616; 3 private bills, 
H.R. 2617-2619; and 4 resolutions, H.J. Res. 95, H. Con. Res. 167, and 
H. Res. 259-260, were introduced.
  Pages H8437-38
Reports Filed: Reports were filed today as follows:
  Conference report on 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 (H. Rept. 105-297);
  H.R. 2607, making appropriations for the government of the District 
of Columbia and other activities chargeable in whole or in part against 
the revenues of said District for the fiscal year ending September 30, 
1998 (H. Rept. 105-298);
  H. Res. 258, providing for consideration of H.R. 629, to grant the 
consent of the Congress to the Texas Low-Level Radioactive Waste 
Disposal Compact (H. Rept. 105-299);
  H.R. 708, to require the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study 
concerning grazing use of certain land within and adjacent to Grand 
Teton National Park, Wyoming, and to extend temporarily certain grazing 
privileges, amended (H. Rept. 105-300);
  H.R. 1805, to amend the Auburn Indian Restoration Act to establish 
restrictions related to gaming on and use of land held in trust for the 
United Auburn Indian Community of the Auburn Rancheria of California 
(H. Rept. 105-301);
  Revised Subdivision of Budget Totals for Fiscal Year 1998 (H. Rept. 
105-302);
  H.R. 2232, to provide for increased international broadcasting 
activities to China, amended (H. Rept. 105-303);
  H. Res. 188, urging the executive branch to take action regarding the 
acquisition by Iran of C-802 cruise missiles (H. Rept. 105-304);
  H.R. 2358, to provide for improved monitoring of human rights 
violations in the People's Republic of China, amended (H. Rept. 105-
305);
  H.R. 2469, to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and 
other statutes to provide for improvements in the regulation of food 
ingredients, nutrient content claims, and health claims, amended (H. 
Rept. 105-306);
  H.R. 1710, to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to 
facilitate the development, clearance, and use of devices to maintain 
and improve the public health and quality of life of the citizens of 
the United States, amended (H. Rept. 105-307);
  H.R. 2386, to implement the provisions of the Taiwan Relations Act 
concerning the stability and security of Taiwan and United States 
cooperation with Taiwan on the development and acquisition of defensive 
military articles, amended (H. Rept. 105-308 Part 1); and
  H.R. 967, to prohibit the use of United States funds to provide for 
the participation of certain Chinese officials in international 
conferences, programs, and activities and to provide that certain 
Chinese officials shall be ineligible to receive visas and excluded 
from admission to the United States, amended (H. Rept. 105-309 part 1).
                                                  Pages H8323-61, H8437
Speaker Pro Tempore: Read a letter from the Speaker wherein he 
designated Representative Stearns to act as Speaker pro tempore for 
today.
  Page H8321
Recess: The House recessed at 12:44 p.m. and reconvened at 2:00 p.m. 
                                                         Pages H8322-23
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Read a letter from the 
Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure wherein he 
transmitted copies of resolutions adopted by the committee on July 23--
referred to the Committee on Appropriations.
  Page H8361
Suspensions: The House agreed to suspend the rules and pass the 
following measures:
  H.R. 2206, amended, to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve 
programs of the Department of Veterans Affairs for homeless veterans; 
                                                  Pages H8362-67, H8397
  H.R. 2571, to authorize major medical facility projects and major 
medical facility leases for the Department of Veterans Affairs for 
fiscal year 1998; and
Pages H8368-69
  H.R. 1703, amended, to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide 
for improved and expedited procedures for resolving complaints of 
unlawful employment discrimination arising within the Department of 
Veterans Affairs. Agreed to amend the title.
Pages H8369-73
Export-Import Bank Reauthorization: By a yea and nay vote of 378 yeas 
to 38 nays, Roll No. 492, the House passed H.R. 1370, to reauthorize 
the Export-Import Bank of the United States. Subsequently, S. 1026, a 
similar Senate-passed bill was passed in lieu after being amended to 
contain the text of H.R. 1370 as passed the House; and H.R. 1370 was 
laid on the table. Agreed that the House insist on its amendment and 
request a conference

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with the Senate. Appointed as conferees: Representatives Leach, Castle, 
Bereuter, LaFalce, and Flake.
  Pages H8373-83, H8395-97
Agreed To:
  The Solomon amendment that prohibits Export-Import subsidies of 
exports to Russia if Russia transfers an SS-N-22 or SS-N-26 missile 
system to the People's Republic of China; and
Pages H8380-81
  The Vento amendment that prohibits the use of Export-Import Bank 
assistance for exports to companies that employ child labor. 
                                                         Pages H8381-83
 Rejected:
  The Rohrabacher amendment that sought to prohibit assistance to 
companies that are at least 50 percent owned by a foreign government or 
military of a foreign government; and
Pages H8373-77, H8395
  The Rohrabacher amendment that sought to prohibit assistance to an 
entity owned by a government which is not chosen through free and fair 
democratic elections or which lacks an independent judiciary or for 
import from or export to a country with such a government. 
                                                  Pages H8377-80, H8395
  On September 30, the House completed general debate, began 
considering amendments to the bill, and agreed to H. Res. 255, the rule 
that provided for consideration of the bill.
Pages H8184-H8207
Recess: The House recessed at 4:07 p.m. and reconvened at 5:00 p.m. 
                                                             Page H8383
Agriculture Appropriations: By a yea and nay vote of 399 yeas to 18 
nays, Roll No. 491, the House agreed to the Conference Report on H.R. 
2160, making appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food 
and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies programs for the fiscal 
year ending September 30, 1998.
  Pages H8385-94
  Earlier, the House agreed to H. Res. 232, the rule waiving points of 
order against the conference report by a yea and nay vote of 367 yeas 
to 34 nays, Roll No. 490. Pursuant to the rule, H. Con. Res. 167, to 
correct a technical error in the enrollment of H.R. 2160, was adopted. 
                                                         Pages H8383-85
Commerce, Justice, State, and the Judiciary Appropriations Conference: 
The House disagreed with the Senate amendments to H.R. 2267, making 
appropriations for the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the 
Judiciary, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 
30, 1998 and agreed to a conference. Appointed as conferees 
Representatives Rogers, Kolbe, Taylor of North Carolina, Regula, 
Forbes, Latham, Livingston, Mollohan, Skaggs, Dixon, and Obey. 
                                                         Pages H8394-95
  Agreed to the Mollohan motion to instruct conferees to insist on the 
House position regarding funding for programs under the Victims of 
Child Abuse Act in the Juvenile Justice Programs account. 
                                                         Pages H8394-95
Order of Business--Suspensions: Agreed by unanimous consent that 
further consideration of remaining motions to suspend the rules 
postponed from Monday, September 29 be postponed until, Tuesday, 
October 7.
  Page H8397
Presidential Message--Line Item Veto Re Military Construction 
Appropriations: Read a message from the President wherein he, in 
accordance with the Line Item Veto Act (P.L. 104-130), cancels the 
dollar amounts of discretionary budget authority contained in the 
Military Construction Appropriations Act, 1998 (P.L. 105-45; H.R. 
2016)--referred to the Committees on the Budget and Appropriations (H. 
Doc. 105-147).
  Page H8398
National Monument Fairness Act: The House completed general debate and 
began consideration of amendments to H.R. 1127, to amend the 
Antiquities Act to require an Act of Congress and the concurrence of 
the Governor and State legislature for the establishment by the 
President of national monuments in excess of 5,000 acres. 
                                                      Pages H8398-H8413
Rejected:
  The Miller of California amendment that sought to require that the 
President consult with the governor of an affected State and others at 
least 60 days prior to issuing a proclamation.
Pages H8410-11
Pending:
  The Vento amendment was offered that seeks to provide a one year 
delay from the time the President announces a designation under the 
Antiquities Act to when that designation would actually take effect; 
and
Pages H8408-10
  The Hanson amendment in the nature of a substitute was offered that 
seeks to require that a proclamation of the President that results in 
excess of 50,000 acres in a single State may not be issued until 30 
days after the President has solicited written comments from the 
State's Governor and such proclamation shall cease to be effective 2 
years after issuance unless the Congress has approved it by joint 
resolution.
Pages H8411-13
  The House agreed to H. Res. 256, as amended, the rule that is 
providing for consideration of the bill on October 1.
Pages H8278-85
Quorum Calls--Votes: Three yea-and-nay votes developed during the 
proceedings of the House today and appear on pages H8384-85, H8394, and 
H8396-97. There were no quorum calls.
Adjournment: Met at 12:30 p.m. and adjourned at 11:21 p.m.

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