[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 148 (Wednesday, October 29, 1997)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1163-D1165]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                        Wednesday, October 29, 1997

[[Page D1163]]

                              Daily Digest


HIGHLIGHTS

      Senate agreed to Agriculture Appropriations Conference Report.
      House Committees ordered reported 11 sundry measures.


                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S11305-S11394
Measures Introduced: Fifteen bills and one resolution were introduced, 
as follows: S. 1329-1343, and S. Res. 141.              
  Pages S11342-43
Measures Reported: Reports were made as follows:
  H.R. 79, to provide for the conveyance of certain land in the Six 
Rivers National Forest in the State of California for the benefit of 
the Hoopa Valley Tribe. (S. Rept. No. 105-117)
  S. 53, to require the general application of the antitrust laws to 
major league baseball, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. 
(S. Rept. No. 105-118)
  S. 967, to amend the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act and the 
Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act to benefit Alaska 
natives and rural residents, with an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute. (S. Rept. No. 105-119)
  S. 661, to provide an administrative process for obtaining a waiver 
of the coastwise trade laws for certain vessels. (S. Rept. No. 105-121)
  S. 1294, to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to allow the 
consolidation of student loans under the Federal Family Loan Program 
and the Direct Loan Program, with an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute. (S. Rept. No. 105-122)                          
Page S11341
Measures Passed:
  Enrollment Correction: Senate agreed to H. Con. Res. 167, to correct 
a technical error in the enrollment of H.R. 2160.           
  Page S11335
  Honoring Loret Miller Ruppe: Senate agreed to S. Res. 123, honoring 
the memory of former Peace Corps Director Loret Miller Ruppe. 
                                                        Pages S11372-73
  Little League Baseball: Senate agreed to S. Con. Res. 37, expressing 
the sense of the Congress that Little League Baseball Incorporated was 
established to support and develop Little League baseball worldwide and 
that its international character and activities should be recognized, 
after agreeing to a committee amendment in the nature of a substitute. 
                                                            Page S11373
  Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act: Senate 
passed S. 1150, to ensure that federally funded agricultural research, 
extension, and education address high-priority concerns with national 
or multistate significance, to reform extend, and eliminate certain 
agricultural research programs, after agreeing to the following 
amendment proposed thereto:                             
  Pages S11373-88
  Jeffords (for Lugar/Harkin) Amendment No. 1527, to make certain 
technical corrections, establish a Kiwifruit Research Promotion, and 
Consumer Information Program, define the National Aquaculture 
Development Plan, improve the competitiveness of small and medium size 
dairy and livestock operations, combat disease of wheat and barley, 
continue operation of the Food Animal Residue Avoidance Database 
Program, and provide assistance for certain rural areas. 
                                                        Pages S11374-76
ISTEA Authorization: Senate resumed consideration of S. 1173, to 
authorize funds for construction of highways, for highway safety 
programs, and for mass transit programs, with a modified committee 
amendment (the modification being a substitute for the text of the 
bill), taking action on amendments proposed thereto, as follows: 
                                                        Pages S11313-17
Pending:
  Chafee/Warner Amendment No. 1312, to provide for a continuing 
designation of a metropolitan planning organization.        
Page S11313
  Chafee/Warner Amendment No. 1313 (to language proposed to be stricken 
by the committee amendment, as modified), of a perfecting nature. 
                                                            Page S11313

[[Page D1164]]


  Chafee/Warner Amendment No. 1314 (to Amendment No. 1313), of a 
perfecting nature.                                          
                                                            Page S11313
  Motion to recommit the bill to the Committee on Environment and 
Public Works, with instructions.                            
                                                            Page S11313
  Lott Amendment No. 1317 (to instructions of the motion to recommit), 
to authorize funds for construction of highways, for highway safety 
programs, and for mass transit programs.                    
                                                            Page S11313
  Lott Amendment No. 1318 (to Amendment No. 1317), to strike the 
limitation on obligations for administrative expenses.      
                                                            Page S11313
  Subsequently, the bill was returned to the Senate calendar. 
                                                            Page S11389
Agriculture Appropriations, 1998--Conference Report: Senate 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, clearing the measure for the President.           
  Pages S11335-39
Education Savings Act for Public and Private Schools--Cloture Filed: A 
motion was entered to close further debate on H.R. 2646, to amend the 
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow tax-free expenditures from 
education individual retirement accounts for elementary and secondary 
school expenses, and to increase the maximum annual amount of 
contributions to such accounts and, in accordance with the provisions 
of Rules XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate, a vote on the 
cloture motion will occur on Friday, October 31, 1997. 
                                                        Pages S11321-22
Intelligence Authorizations--Conference Report: Senate began 
consideration of a motion to proceed to the consideration of the 
conference report on S. 858, to authorize appropriations for fiscal 
year 1998 for intelligence and intelligence-related activities of the 
United States Government, the Community Management Account, and the 
Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System. 
                                                        Pages S11323-31
  During consideration of this motion today, Senate took the following 
action:
  By 78 yeas to 20 nays (Vote No. 285), Senate agreed to a motion to 
table Gramm motion to postpone the motion to proceed to consideration 
of the conference report until January 15, 1998.        
                                                        Pages S11323-31
  Subsequently, Hutchison Amendment No. 1526 (to the motion to postpone 
the motion to proceed), to make the effective date January 18, 1998, 
fell when the motion to table the motion to proceed was agreed to. 
                                                        Pages S11323-31
  A motion was entered to close further debate on the motion to proceed 
to consideration of the conference report and, in accordance with the 
provisions of Rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate, a vote on 
the cloture motion will occur on Friday, October 31, 1997. 
                                                            Page S11331
Nomination--Agreement: A unanimous-consent time-agreement was reached 
providing for the consideration of the nomination of Charles J. 
Siragusa, of New York, to be United States Judge for the Western 
District of New York, on Thursday, October 30, 1997.        
  Page S11389
Military Construction Appropriations/Vetoed Provisions--Agreement: A 
unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing for the consideration 
of S. 1292, disapproving the cancellations transmitted by the President 
on October 6, 1997, regarding Public Law 105-45, on Thursday, October 
30, 1997.                                                   
  Page S11389
Messages From the President: Senate received the following messages 
from the President of the United States:
  Transmitting the report of achievements in aeronautics and space for 
fiscal year 1996; referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation. (PM-75).                                
                                                        Pages S11340-41
Nominations Confirmed: Senate confirmed the following nominations:
  By 99 yeas to 1 nay (Vote No. 284 EX), William E. Kennard, of 
California, to be a Member of the Federal Communications Commission for 
a term of five years from July 1, 1996.
  Harold C. Pachios, of Maine, to be a Member of the United States 
Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy for a term expiring July 1, 
1999.
  Paula Dobriansky, of Maryland, to be a Member of the United States 
Advisory Commission of Public Diplomacy for a term expiring July 1, 
1998.
  R. Nicholas Burns, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to Greece.
  Tom McDonald, of Ohio, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Zimbabwe.
  Mark Robert Parris, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the Republic of 
Turkey.                              
                                     Pages S11305-13, S11388-89, S11394
Nominations Received: Senate received the following nominations:
  1 Army nomination in the rank of general.
  Routine lists in the Navy and Coast Guard.            
                                                        Pages S11390-94
Messages From the President:                            
  Pages S11340-41
Messages From the House:                                    
  Page S11341
Petitions:                                                  
  Page S11341
Executive Reports of Committees:                        
  Pages S11341-42
Statements on Introduced Bills:                         
  Pages S11343-64

[[Page D1165]]

Additional Cosponsors:                                  
  Pages S11364-65
Amendments Submitted:                                   
  Pages S11366-68
Authority for Committees:                               
  Pages S11368-69
Additional Statements:                                  
  Pages S11369-72
Record Votes: Two record votes were taken today. (Total-285) 
                                             Pages S11312-13, S11330-31
Adjournment: Senate convened at 11 a.m., and adjourned at 6:20 p.m., 
until 10 a.m., on Thursday, October 30, 1997. (For Senate's program, 
see the remarks of the Acting Majority Leader in today's Record on page 
S11389.)